BOUNCING BACK THE YOGA WAY WITH PATRICIA GALAVIS

How are you feeling? Maybe you have niggling aches and pains that won’t go away and sitting at a desk, stress and poor posture are all taking their toll. Yoga is an ancient exercise system and an ideal way to care for your whole being while keeping you supple and strong.

With the aim of inspiring more of us to take up yoga, our resident teacher Patricia Galvais is running half hour yoga and meditation classes online. We caught up with Patricia and two of her students Laura McLean of DC Thomson and June Kulke of Caledonian Consumer Finance, on the life changing benefits of their yoga practice.

What inspired you and how long have you been doing this? I started my yoga path in 2008 and through consolidation of practice, I have experienced such a state of wellbeing and spiritual growth, I decided to follow this path and share it with others. In 2017, I qualified as Hatha Yoga Teacher and in February 2019 I went to India and graduated in Hatha Yoga Teacher Training. I have been teaching meditation since September 2019. I teach Hatha Yoga, and Integrated Restorative Yoga

What are the health benefits of yoga? Yoga is a restful and restorative practice that offers a very peaceful and powerful way to relax body, mind and spirit. By learning how to relax the different parts of our body the organs in those areas relax as well nurturing their function. It regulates blood pressure, increases the lungs capacity, strengthens the immune system, regulates the nervous system and eases all the joints and spine. Yoga works at many levels, so it is not just a stretching exercise. We work on the body level with the practice of the different asanas and our whole system benefits from it.

Is there a stress busting technique to recommend or some of tips on breathing? In hatha yoga we learn to observe and be aware of the breathing. This in itself has a tremendous effect in reducing stress levels. Just by observing the breath without trying to change it or manipulate it our whole system relaxes.

How long does a routine take to learn? My classes are appropriate for everyone regardless of the level of fitness. I work with the body in a progressive way, introducing new movements and practices according to the students in each class. I make it accessible so that my students can keep working at home later on.

Yoga is a daily practice so it is sensible to start with 30 minutes sessions. It is reasonable to start practicing once or twice per week and then increase it until you manage to practice every day. Apparently it takes 100 days for the body to assimilate something as a routine. So we need to make an effort until it becomes effortless. For some people the morning is the best time to practice but eventually everyone needs to find the timing that better suits in their agendas.

>> How do people sign up for yoga? To sign up students need to send me an email to patricia.galavis.yoga@gmail.com. I then book them in and send them my details so that they can make the payment.

>> I charge £5 for 1 class and £8 for a block of 2 classes. The classes are Mondays (12-12.30pm) and Wednesdays (12.30-1.00pm), so people normally book for two sessions the same week. The only equipment needed is a yoga mat and sports/loose clothes that allow free movement.

I want to encourage people to give it a try. The benefits of this practice are endless. You will get stronger (physically and mentally), more flexible (physically and mentally), you will learn to work with the breath and learn techniques that you will be able to put into practice in a very easy way. You will just feel better!!