In Praise of Yoga

I love doing yoga. In fact, it is so important to my life that I have a woman in a yoga pose (a yogi) tattooed on the inside of my left ankle. I had this one custom designed and applied by an experienced tattoo artist in Limerick, Ireland. Here it is:

Why am I so passionate about yoga, you might ask. It is about stretching, balancing and strength training. It is a focus on mindfulness and deep breathing. It is relaxing and good for your whole body. No matter how I feel before my yoga class, I always feel very relaxed and calm afterwards. I am lucky to live near a very proficient and kind yoga teacher here in Spain named Serena Morris. Her business is called Five Elements Reiki Yoga School. Here is a link to her website. https://www.myreikiyoga.com/. Serena does a better job at listing all the benefits of yoga than I could possibly do. So I am copying this list from her website, with her permission.

Benefits of Yoga

Stretches and protects your spine

Prevents joint problems

Increases immunity

Strengthens your bones

Calms your nerve system

Helps you to sleep well

Helps you to relax

Keep your muscles strong

Improves your posture

Makes you flexible

Normalizes your blood pressure

Improves your reaction

Relieves depression

Makes you stress-free

Helps you normalize your weight

Increases your blood flow

Improves metabolism

Improves your heart rate

Brings harmony to your life

Increases concentration

Makes you happier

Improves your memory

See, Serena has captured it all here. I so love going to her class and seeing her and the other yogis there. Such a fine group of women! Since the lockdown started in Spain two weeks ago, we haven’t been able to go to her studio. So first Serena put up a few yoga sessions on YouTube. Here is one of them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHGskwjUGBQ. I did one but wasn’t motivated to do more. I guess I needed others around to inspire me to practice the yoga moves. Perhaps yoga is like music in that way for me. It’s good to sing alone but it’s great to sing with others!

But then, a few days later, yogi Serena came up with a better solution, with the help of technology. We are now doing yoga together every morning via Zoom. It’s the next best thing to being there! We get to see the smiling faces of our friends on Zoom and we do the yoga moves together and that’s more fun. Of course the after-yoga coffee/tea get-togethers have had to stop for the time being. But I know we will do them again when the lockdown is over. For now, having yoga to look forward to every day is helping to keep me sane during this pandemic. Thank you, Serena, for everything you do. You are loved by all of us devoted yogis!

Serena is beautiful both inside and out. Here she is in their lovely garden.

If you have never tried yoga before, I encourage you to check it out. It’s good for both the body and the soul. And during this time of stress and panic about the covid-19 disease, it’s really important to take care of both our bodies and souls.

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13 thoughts on “In Praise of Yoga

  1. What a lovely write up, and I could not agree more, I met Serena 14 years ago and was instantly captivated by her passion and knowledge, her dedication to continued self development, and her beautiful kind soul. I have been attending yoga classes all be it only once a week, but I can tell you it is the highlight of my week, no matter how jaded I feel, when I leave my class all is well with the world. I am so grateful to have such a great teacher on my doorstep, namaste 🙏🏻
    Michelle

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Hi.. I have always been tinkering with yoga over the years but 6 years ago I moved to Spain where I met Serena… She is an amazing person and an amazing yoga teacher… She teaches you the true meaning of yoga… Its not just a class .. It brings yoga energy to your soul… I had never experienced this energy or feeling ever over the years that I had been going… Sadly I have moved home now but Serena will always be in my heart and my soul… So if you are reading this please meet this special lady and her special yogis from all around the globe in her beautiful yoga school.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Nancy that’s wonderful !
    I too have benefited from Serena’s excellent teachings & also your fine journalistic skills in finding my birth father after searching for many years .
    You’ve both changed my life in different ways …, & I’m eternally grateful to you both
    Plus I have the pleasure of calling your both my two of my dearest friends . ♥️

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Nancy, I can only agree with you. I absolutely love our classes and Serena herself. She is one in a million. Looking forward to seeing everybody at our “virtual” class on Monday.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I love yoga and have been doing it for almost 40 years. A good instructor is gold. Although it is good to be in a class, I´ve been doing it at home for the past 5 years and love it. My daughter does it outside in her forest on her island. I see my granddaughter and great-granddaughter are doing it too. It is so good for you in so many ways. Serena looks lovely.

    Liked by 1 person

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