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!