Yoga Myths: 3 Things About Yoga That Aren’t True

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Yoga has been growing in popularity for the last few decades but there are still a few things that hold people back from giving it a go. We love life and live yoga as it has so many benefits for your physical and mental wellbeing. 

1. Yoga is only for people who are flexible and fit

Yoga is something that you do for yourself, to help your mental and physical fitness, you’re not comparing yourself to anyone else, you just have to concentrate on your own abilities and needs. Start slowly, with a beginners class or workshop and try to build up your abilities through regular practice. Whatever your aim, whether you’re hoping to get fitter through yoga or use it to practice mindfulness and find some mental space, you can work within your abilities. 

You don’t have to be super bendy right now, your regular practice will help you improve your flexibility. Neither do you need to be young to start practising yoga. Whatever age you are, you can work at your own pace. The practice of yoga needs you to combine, flexibility, balance and power and even if you need to work on one or two of these areas you can take the time to do so. Perfection isn’t necessary and you’re not comparing yourself to anyone else, you are on your own journey. 

 

Free Yoga Class Bundaberg

2. Yoga is just for women

Believe it or not, but Yoga was originally taught and practised by men only but its popularity in the western world was driven by women and the yoga studio has felt dominated by the girls. These days men can still feel a little apprehensive about taking part in a yoga class but they needn’t worry, these days a class will almost always have several men taking part.

Yoga can be really effective in building strength and muscle, it can be a complementary part of a workout regimen or a stand-alone way to gain a little focus. In the Flow 60 yoga class, we practice of flowing from one posture from another, concentrating on your breathing as you go. Unwind 60 is popular with beginners as it is gentle and focuses on the alignments in the asanas (poses), it is beneficial as it concentrates on the mental as well as the physical fundamentals of yoga. 

You can start with one style and move on to something more challenging as you progress in knowledge and fitness.

3. Yoga is a religion

Yoga isn’t related to any formal religion, it’s more of a philosophy of keeping your mind and body healthy by giving you some space to breathe. 

The practice of yoga is for everyone. Whether your lifestyle is green smoothies and long walks, or chaotic and full of kids, taking a moment to recharge and nurture yourself is good for everybody. Old, young, male, or female there is a place for you in a yoga class. You will enjoy connecting with other yogis and appreciate the positive energy of a group yoga class.

The spiritual aspect of yoga centres around the idea of the joining of body and spirit in fostering a wholesome relationship with yourself, your environment and others. 

 

Ready to give yoga a try? Click here to claim your FREE $25 Yoga Gift Card to use for any of our yoga classes, workshops and retreats!

 

4 Yoga Gift Ideas Every Yogi Will Absolutely Love

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Whether they are new to yoga or have been practising for years, everyone who loves yoga loves a thoughtful yoga gift. 

However, as a non-yogi, it might be a little challenging to know what someone who is into yoga might love. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you and put together this list of yoga gift ideas every yogi will absolutely love. All that’s left for you to do is pick one!

1. A New Yoga Mat

You might be thinking, “but they already have a mat”. However, when you practice on that mat daily, it’s always nice and appreciated to enjoy the feeling of a brand new mat. Not only will it help to change things up a little, but it might also spark some renewed motivation and encourages them to keep going and stay fit and healthy.

It’s important to keep in mind that yoga mats come in vastly different quality and for a true yogi, a cheap mat you find at most big retailers doesn’t quite cut it. Especially when they use that mat daily or at least a few times a week. So, where to find a quality yoga mat?

We stock a range of high-quality yoga mats in our online store that you can pre-order and pick up at our studio, or have it delivered to either yourself or the person you are gifting it to.

Buy Yoga Mats Online

2. Yoga Apparel

We haven’t met a yogi who doesn’t love to show off some beautiful yoga wear! Whether it’s that new pair of yoga pants or an athletic yoga T or singlet, something new to wear to class is always appreciated.

Have a look at some of the yoga wear we have in stock for that perfect yoga gift!

Browse Yoga Apparel

3. Yoga Workshop Or Yoga Retreat

If you are looking for something extra special and prefer to gift an unforgettable experience, rather than something physical, a yoga workshop might be a great idea to help deepen their yoga practice. Or how about an exotic yoga retreat for the both of you? This will have them telling all their friends about this unforgettable and thoughtful gift, guaranteed!

Browse upcoming Workshops & Retreats

4. Yoga Gift Voucher

Yoga Gift Voucher Bundaberg Yoga Studio

Can’t quite decide what to pick? Luckily, there are yoga gift vouchers that can easily be redeemed for whatever a yogi’s heart desires. Our gift vouchers come in various amounts and can be redeemed for any of our classes, workshops, retreats or in our online store.

Buy a Yoga Voucher Online

 

Still not quite sure what to choose? Have a browse through our online store for the perfect yoga gift. There’s something for every yogi.

What would be your ideal yoga gift? Let us know in the comments below and feel free to share the link to this page to let your friends know what you love!

This Man, Told He Would Never Walk Again, Proved Everybody Wrong! (Incredible Yoga Transformation)

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Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War for 15 years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again.

He stumbled upon an article about Yoga and decided to give it a try.

He couldn’t do traditional, higher impact exercise, so he started with gentle yoga poses. Even though doctors told him walking would never happen, Arthur was persistent.

He fell many times, but kept going. Arthur was getting stronger rapidly, and he was losing weight at an incredible rate!

He gained tremendous balance and flexibility, which gave him hope that maybe someday, he’d be able to walk again.

His story is proof that we cannot place limits on what we are capable of doing, because we often do not know our own potential. This video speaks for itself.

In less than a year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of, 15 years earlier.

Do not waste any time thinking you are stuck – you can take control over your life, and change it faster than you ever thought possible!

Hopefully, this story will inspire you to follow your dreams – whatever they may be.

Anything is Possible!

Bali Bliss Yoga Retreat – Discovering blissful Ubud with LLLY

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Bali Bliss Yoga Retreat 2017

Ever wondered what it’s like to come along to one of our luxury yoga retreats? Listen to some of our members who share their experience at our recent Bali Bliss yoga retreat in Ubud.

Visiting Bali

Lapped the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Bali is but one of 17,500 islands in the Indonesian archipelago, yet even among its colourful neighbours, it stands alone in its lushness and incomparable beauty. Considered Bali’s cultural hub, the hilltop town of Ubud has long served as a home to yoga enthusiasts and artisans. It’s known for ancient temples, serene palaces and adventurous wild jungles. The island’s mysticism and its spiritual and eclectic culture are sure to get you hooked when you travel to Bali.

Bali Bliss Yoga Retreat

Surrounded by rice paddies in the village of Pengosekan, the award-winning resort is located only a short walking distance to Ubud – the cultural capital of Bali. The famous Monkey Forest is a ten-minute walk and Ubud market is fifteen minutes away. Each garden villa comes with a private pool to make your stay truly blissful.

The retreat experience provides a wonderful balance of customised retreat activities, including two yoga sessions per day, a fully equipped fitness centre and you will have lots of me-time!

The Lonely Planet about Bali

“The mere mention of Bali evokes thoughts of a paradise. It’s more than a place; it’s a mood, an aspiration, a tropical state of mind. Ubud is the heart of Bali, a place where the spirit and culture of the island are most accessible. It shares the island’s most beautiful rice fields and ancient monuments with east and west Bali.” ~ Lonely Planet

Despite what some people think about Bali, it’s a beautiful island and absolutely safe to visit. If this is your first time travelling to South East Asia and you would like to do a little more research on travelling to Bali, we recommend you visit the Ubud Travel Forum on TripAdvisor.com.

For upcoming workshops & retreats, visit: https://bundyyoga.com.au/yoga-retreats/

Community Beach Yoga Session at Moore Park Beach – Video by Pluggas

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Video Credit: Pluggas.com

 

Sabby & Fisch from Pluggas came along to capture this beautiful community yoga session at Moore Park Beach, Austalia. Yoga enthusiasts and people who have never done yoga before from Bundaberg, Bargara, Childers and surroundings all got together for the love of yoga.

Keen to try a yoga class at our Bundaberg Yoga Studio? Click below to claim your free $25 yoga gift card to use at any of our yoga classes, workshops and retreats!

 

YOGA GAZE

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“Learning to apply the mind to the gaze helps release stress, by allowing you to focus on things that are helpful and healthy,” says Annie Carpenter from SmartFlow Yoga.

A drishti (view or gaze) is a specific focal point that is employed during meditation or while holding a yoga posture. The ancient yogis discovered that where our gaze is directed our attention naturally follows, and that the quality of our gazing is directly reflected in the quality of our mental thoughts. When the gaze is fixed on a single point the mind is diminished from being stimulated by all other external objects. And when the gaze is fixed on a single point within the body, our awareness draws inwards and the mind remains undisturbed by external stimuli. Thus, the use of a drishti allows the mind to focus and move into a deep state of concentration. And the constant application of drishti develops ekagraha, single-pointed focus, an essential yogic technique used to still the mind.
In yoga postures, a drishti is used to deepen the primary movement of the pose, as well as to keep the mind engaged and focused. To use a drishti while in a yoga pose, simply select the point where your gaze is naturally directed by the alignment of the posture. The use of drishtis in yoga postures is to be developed slowly over time. First one must develop and focus on the alignment of pose, then the breath, and then finally the drishti. Using a drishti is especially helpful if you are holding a posture for an extended period of time, and will be enormously helpful while practicing balancing poses.
The benefits of building that stamina, however, are huge. Cultivating drishti doesn’t just help in class; it has profound effects off the mat as well. Learning to apply the mind to the gaze helps release stress, by allowing you to focus on things that are helpful and healthy, says Annie Carpenter. “It lets us penetrate through delusion and begin to understand the nature of reality and who we are.”

Drishti Tips

As with many spiritual techniques, with drishti there is a danger of mistaking the technique for the goal. You should dedicate your use of the body (including the eyes) to transcending your identification with it. So when you look at an object during your practice, don’t focus on it with a hard gaze. Instead, use a soft gaze, looking through it toward a vision of cosmic unity. Soften your focus to send your attention beyond outer appearance to inner essence.

You should never force yourself to gaze in a way that strains your eyes, brain, or body. In many seated forward bends, for example, the gazing point may be the big toes. But many practitioners, at certain stages in their development, must take care not to create such an intense contraction of the back of the neck that this discomfort overwhelms all other awareness. Rather than forcing the gaze prematurely, you should allow it to develop naturally over time.

 
 

The Dream Of Life – Alan Watts (Speech)

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If you awaken from this illusion and you understand that black implies white, self implies other, life implies death (or shall I say death implies life?), you can feel yourself – not as a stranger in the world, not as something here on probation, not as something that has arrived here by fluke – but you can begin to feel your own existence as absolutely fundamental.

I am not trying to sell you on this idea in the sense of converting you to it, I want you to play with it; I want you to think of its possibilities, I am not trying to prove it. I am just putting it forward as a possibility of life to think about. So then, let’s suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream you wanted to

So then, let’s suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream you wanted to dream and that you could, for example, have the power within one night to dream 75 years of time or any length of time you wanted to have.

 And you would, naturally, as you began on this adventure of dreams, you would fulfill all your wishes. You would have every kind of pleasure during your sleep. And after several nights of 75 years of total pleasure each, you would say “Well, that was pretty great. But now let’s have a surprise. Let’s have a dream which isn’t under control, where something is gonna happen to me that I don’t know what it’s gonna be”. And you would dig that and would come out of that and you would say “Wow that was a close shave, wasn’t it?”.

Then you would get more and more adventurous and you would make further- and further out gambles to what you would dream. And finally, you would dream where you are now. You would dream the dream of living the life that you are actually living today.

 That would be within the infinite multiplicity of choices you would have. Of playing that you weren’t God. Because the whole nature of the godhead, according to this idea, is to play that he is not. So in this idea then, everybody is fundamentally the ultimate reality, not God in a politically kingly sense, but god in the sense of being the self, the deep-down basic whatever there is. And you are all that, only you are pretending you are not.

 
Credits:
Music: Goldmund – Threnody
Speech extract from “Out of your mind” by Alan Watts, courtesy of alanwatts.org