When you’re cocooned in bed on a cold winter’s morning, getting up for your 6am yoga class sure feels like a feat. That’s because it is! But it’s one with so many incredible benefits that you might just feel inspired to set the alarm a little earlier tomorrow…

Here’s why morning asana practice is one the best ways to boost immunity during the winter season, keep the spirits high and lifted, and ​

​About 8.5 years ago a very naive young woman found the cheapest tenancy she could (above a kebab shop on Albert St) and decided to drop out of university to open her own yoga studio after 2 years of teaching part time. Brave? Bold? Stupid? Probably all of the above. And whether it was luck, or fate, or the 12 hour days she pulled (occasionally napping on the bolsters) somehow that little studio turned into something much bigger (and thankfully nicer). It got to provide yoga classes to thousands of Brisbane locals (and visitors) somehow keeping it in business and helping it to grow into what it is today - a thriving community filled with beautiful teachers and students. That young woman was me.

“The paths are many, but the Truth is One” – M.K. Gandhi
We all want to be happy and lead a life that is free from suffering. Yogic philosophy suggests that the root cause of all of our suffering is a forgetfulness and disconnection with our True Self. This forgetfulness or ignorance is called avidyā. According to Vedanta, the ancient scriptures, there are 3 impurities of the mind, which cause avidyā:

(vah-sish-TAHS-anna)
Vasistha = literally means "most excellent, best, richest." Vasistha is the name of several well-known sages in the yoga tradition. There's a Vasistha numbered among the seven (sometimes 10 or 12) seers (rishis) or lords of creation (prajapatis), and a Vasistha who's author of a number of Vedic hymns. He's also said to be the owner of the fabulous "cow of plenty," Nandini ("delight"), which grants his every wish and accounts for his infinite wealth.

If you've heard a friendly french accent floating around the studio, you've probably stumbled upon one of our newest Stretch family members - Chris! Although he arrived in Australia as a mechanical engineer, you'll now find him teaching yoga, playing music, competing in triathlons and working as a massage therapist!

We had a quick chat with Chris to find out more about what yoga means to him. 

(not-ah-raj-AHS-anna)
Nata - dancer
Raja - king

While we can all admit Dancer's Pose is one of the prettiest asanas out there, it's one of those poses that teachers always seem to pop at the end of a class when you're not feeling pretty at all - sweaty, short of breath and mildly concerned about standing on one leg. 

But we're here to give you a few tips on how to look graceful, even if you're not feeling it!

(vah-sish-TAHS-anna)
Vasistha = literally means "most excellent, best, richest."
 
Ah, side plank. The pose we’re often swearing over in our head, waiting for the teacher to instruct us out of…. But we’re here to give you a few tips on making your pose look strong and effortless (even if it doesn’t feel that way). 

Natasha (or Tash) is one of our Stretch Academy graduates, completing her 350hr Teacher Training with us back in early 2019. Since then, she's also completed her mat Pilates training, and combined with her Personal Training qualifications is truly a wellness all-rounder! She loves teaching mums and bubs and prenatal (thanks to all of her experience with her beautiful son Noah), and brings a sweet and calming energy to every class she takes. We sat down with her recently to ask about what yoga means to her.

(parsh-voh-tahn-AHS-anna)
parsva = side, flank
ut = intense
tan = to stretch or extend 

​Whether you’re in a slow, juicy hatha class or flowing through a power vinyasa, Pyramid Pose seems to always pop up. But for an asana that looks quite straight forward, there are quite a few key points to think about to make sure you’re really getting the most out of it! 

Tiffany was one of Stretch's most dedicated student's before becoming one of our favourite teachers! She's sassy, strong and resilient - her rehab from her knee injury earlier this year is a huge testament to that! She's a permanent fixture of the Stretch Family and we hope she's teaching incredible classes for us for many, many, many years to come! We asked her a few of our favourite questions, and she gave us her heartfelt answers below.

​(par-ee-POOR-nah nah-VAHS-anna)
paripurna = full, entire, complete
nava = boat
 
Abs – we need them, and we need them to be strong. But gosh darn, they’re a hard muscle to work! Boat pose features pretty heavily in class rotations – here’s the low down on how to sail your ship with ease!

Ever heard a teacher mention Metta Bhavana? Thankfully although they’re strange words, they have a pretty straightforward meaning - put simply, Metta Bhavana is a practice of loving kindness. Metta means ‘love’ (in a non-romantic sense), friendliness, or kindness, Bhavana means development or cultivation. This is a meditation technique and spiritual exploration using visualisation. This might all sound a little confusing, but it’s actually easier than it seems! All we need to do is practice loving everyone and everything – easy breezy! Our Senior Teacher at Stretch Academy Miriam Van Doorn explains more:

Paul first began a consistent yoga practice in January in 2017. Like many, he was hooked from the first class and would attend classes at Stretch almost daily. After a while a friend suggested he looked in to teacher training. That day he Googled it and Stretch Teacher Training was one of the first results, it was the first intake of Teacher Training that Stretch Yoga had ever conducted so he took it as a sign!

​He now balances corporate work with yoga teaching. We sat down with our Stretch Academy Graduate and now Stretch Teacher Paul, and asked him about his yoga.

We recently looked at the Yamas, and this week we’re looking at the second limb of yoga, the niyamas. Niyama means ‘rule’ or ‘laws’ and are suggestions Pantajali provides for internal awareness and observance. They’re suggestions on how we can relate to ourselves, but can also be considered with our actions towards the outside world. 

Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
(vrik-SHAHS-anna)
vrksa = tree
 
Easy one day, impossible the next. Standing on one leg sounds simple enough, but sometimes it takes a little more focus and effort than others. This is one of our favourite balance poses for new students, so we thought we’d break it down to get you standing stable every time!  

(AH-doh MOO-kah shvah-NAHS-anna)
adho = downward
mukha = face
 
Ahh – good ‘ol down dog. The nemesis of all new yogis, and a constant work in progress even for those who have been practicing for decades! From day to day the way we feel about this pose is bound to change, but today we’re hoping we can add a little more love to your DD. After all, it’s definitely here to stay!

Yoga is so much more than the poses we practice on our mats! Yamas are the moral, ethical and spiritual guidelines of a person aspiring to reach balance, health, and well-being leading to spiritual development. There are five different characteristics, and these can be observed in our actions, words and thoughts. They help us to become kinder and more compassionate humans who form a healthier and happier society.

It's easy to get caught up in life's drama, to be focusing on personal gain and material possessions. But if we want to challenge ourselves and perhaps start a spiritual journey to learn about the mysteries of life, we can start with the first limb of the eightfold path of yoga, the Yamas.