As park yoga resumes again for another 6 months, it's made me reflect on some of the benefits and things I love about practicing yoga in this way. Here are the top 4...

1. Time in nature
In our modern busy lives, we spend a huge amount of time in cars and houses, looking at screens and totally disconnected from the natural world from which we come and are deeply connected to. It's something I really noticed over the winter months and have truly missed, the time outside, under the trees, on the grass, close to water and listening to the sounds of the birds, some of which would visit us during class.

2. Earthing
Connecting with the earth has been proven to have many benefits, such as reducing inflammation and the impact of free radicals and stress, plus increased healing, energy and better sleep, amongst many others. All based on simply spending time each day with our bare feet in contact with the earth to realign our own electrical enery with that of the earth's.

3. Vitamin D
It is recognised that we get vitamin D from the sun, and yet there's also an increasing prevalence of deficiency in our society, most probably due to the growing fear around spending too much time in the sun. However, we need vitamin D to aid many processes in the body, such as the uptake of calcium for strong bones. The beautiful thing about being in the park is that we can choose a safer time of the day to spend some time in the sun, or if/when you prefer place yourself under the shade of the trees.

4. Practicing Gita Style Yoga
Practicing yoga anywhere anytime is highly beneficial, and even more so given the 3 added benefits above. It provides us with the tools for getting out of our heads and into our bodies and hearts. It anchors us in the present moment and it reconnects us with our bodies innate wisdom, nature and ability to heal itself. Plus the Gita style has it's own benefits is the perfect practice for de-stressing the body, clearing the mind, relaxing the nervous system, balancing the hormones and strengthening your spirit all in one hour.

There are so many wins!
I really can't wait to get back out there.

We would love to see you. 
We're down on the South Perth Foreshore every Saturday 7.45am & Thursday 6am.
​For all the details and map, click here.

It's 19 days into my 100 days of Gita journey and I find the bumpy days have lessened as I am reminded each time I take to the mat why I keep coming back to this powerful practice. 

So I wanted to share with you my top 8 reasons for practicing Gita style yoga.

1. Get out of your mind and into your body

I am first to admit that I am a worry wart and an over thinker. 
Practicing yoga acts like a circuit breaker, making the mind focus on the body.
Our body is always in the present moment, it is our minds that wander into past and future. 
This is where we find stillness and clarity away from the monkey mind's chattering. 
As Eckhart Tolle made famous, it is The Power of Now.

2. Balance Hormones 

What makes the Gita practice different to other styles is that it focuses on balance the endocrine glands of the body in particular. These are the glands that produce the hormones of the body, such as the ovaries and thyroid. And its these hormones that influence how we are and how we interact with the world. From how we age, digest food, what we think and how we feel.

3. Cleanse the Chakras

Chakras are vortexes or wheels of energy in the body. The energy body that is the basis of practices such as acupuncture. There are 7 chakras starting at the base of the spine up to the crown of the head that we work on. Each has it's on energy and organs that it influences and, no coincidence each of the glands is connected to one of the 7 chakras of the energy body. The glands are seen as the physical manifestation of the chakras. So as we work on the glands we are also working on these energy centres. This is what also drew me to my meditation practice with Belinda Davidson. Both practices are based on the premise that by changing your energy and you will change your life.

4. Steady Nerves

The Gita practice has a specific sequence that no only works to balance the hormones but also aids in strengthening the nervous system and the brain itself. As we are all energy, it is our nerves that determine how we cope with the energy around us. Living in an information rich society it is easy for our bodies to slip into over drive or become highly strung.
 So steadier nerves, greater resilience, better ability to cope under pressure. 

5. Set a Intention

As I mentioned in my last post, it is the intentions woven throughout the Gita practice that drew me to it.
The Gita 10, as the particular Gita sequence is affectionately called, involves 10 poses that systematically work to balance the respiratory system, the nervous system and endocrine gland systems of the body. Each holds its own intention. But the very first pose of the 10, is where we consciously set our own intention. Yoga Mudra, is our Seal of Intent, which allows us to weave our own intention into the poses ahead. And as you often hear in yoga, energy follows thought!

6. It's Accumulative effects

One of the beautiful things about practicing Gita style  yoga regularly is that it's affect is accumulative. Each time you balance the glands, it's like strengthening a muscle, the balance is maintained for longer. I've heard many students commenting how their weekly practice benefits them. Imagine what it would be like when you practice daily!

7. Connect to the bigger picture

It's super easy to get caught up in the little dramas of our lives and forget that we are a part of something so much bigger. Gita style yoga connects us with the overview as it reminds us that we are a soul with a body, rather than just a body with a soul. And it's our soul that reminds us we have a purpose. So the more we tune in to this part of ourselves the greater our ability to see the purpose of our lives and the connections occurring every moment of everyday around us as part of that purpose.  

8. Make a Difference

 Another maxim you may have heard is, as above so below. This suggests that what  see in the world around us is a mirror for what is going on within each of us. One of the 8 limbs of yoga {more about these another time}, includes the niyama svadhyana, which is self study. So as we practice yoga we learn about these inner relationships with our outside world and as we consciously create a change within it makes a positive difference, first in Self, then in our relationships with others and then in the world around us!!

And there you have it, 8 reasons to practice Gita style yoga!
I know there are heaps more, but hey, 8 is my lucky number ;)

So now it's your turn, what do you get out of your practice that makes you get on the mat each time?
Would love to hear from you in the comments.

Happy practicing, 
Tx

PS: Here is week two of 100 days of Gita, including a lazy sunny morning PJs session and an ant attack mid practice ;)