YOGA Q & A

The Wellness Guide has taken your questions about yoga to one of our local experts. Meranda Squires has been teaching and practicing yoga for over 30 years. She has studied meditation and yoga philosophy in India for 17 years, Meranda operates the Lotus Centre at 52 Prescott St. in St. John’s, Telephone: 739-4429

Q. How does yoga relieve stress?
A. Yoga’s principles are simple: Breathe, relax, accept, let go, and be open to whatever arises. A recent revelation I had about yoga is this… we move first into the pose through action, placing the legs, hands and body parts into a posture, and then through breathing, we go deeper, we let go, we accept, deepen and open to further deepening. This then will result in ‘being the pose’. ‘Being’ the pose is the ultimate purpose of Yoga. It is a moment when you, who is normally someone who is trying to get somewhere or be something different than you are now, are now in this free place of Oneness, a beautiful sense of unity. This is freedom from stress in the real meaning of yoga.

Q. How is yoga different from other types of stretching or other kinds of fitness?
A. In yoga, there is no goal; it’s all about the feeling and sensing as we move through the sequences. We don’t look at others to see where we ‘should’ be. The only gauge we have is checking to see how easy it is to breathe and deepen into the stretch. Isn’t that a simile for life? When something faces us that we react to with resistance, the solution is to breathe, receive, and then accept what is present right now. Yoga is different in that it teaches us how to connect with ourselves with a deeper sense of empowerment and then to take this empowerment into our lives and practice it everywhere.

Q. If someone is overweight and in poor physical condition, can they still do yoga effectively?
A. Everyone is capable of doing yoga no matter what their condition. However, people do need to be aware of which type of yoga and which level is appropriate for them. It is also very important for them to listen to their bodies while moving into poses. It is helpful to know and trust the competency of the yoga teacher to instruct the correct poses for them if they are concerned about hurting themselves during yoga. In this instance a few private lessons to get started may be a good idea.

For more information about yoga and
yoga classes check out this website:
www.thelotuscentre.ca

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