Top Tips For Returning Into Our Lives & Yoga

With the restrictions being lifted slowly, this may for some of us, feel like an exciting time. The gradual easing of lockdown means all the things we have been waiting for may soon happen. Like seeing family, friends, getting back to work and have some normal routines back. However, for some of us, this change could cause anxiety and affect our daily mental health. It doesn’t mean we don’t want to do all those things, it's just that the unknown can be a bit scary and make us feel apprehensive, especially when the news still changes daily and are faced with an uncertain future, but hope is on the way.

Here are some tips on dealing with the lockdown ending and how to help manage your mental health.

REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL EVERYTHING

There are still a lot of unknowns with the COVID-19 pandemic and this can cause a great deal of anxiety for us. Worrying is manifesting something that you do not want to happen, so try to only think about the things that you can control and make a plan on how to manage them and try to stay present in the moment daily to curb your anxiety. Focusing on your breath for a mear 30 seconds can change your perspective.

TAKE SMALL STEPS

Don’t feel pressured to go any faster than what you are comfortable with. If people are putting pressure on you to do things that you do not want to do, then explain your concerns to them. Everyone’s reaction and way of dealing with the pandemic is different. What is safe for them, may not feel safe for you. And that’s ok.

SWITCH UP YOUR ROUTINES

If you have found yourself getting into a lockdown routine (and many of us have!) try and change it up. Routines give a feeling of safety and it may be hard to begin a new routine, but is essential for our return towards a fullfilling life- go slow, but still go.

FOCUS ON WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY

Try not to spend too much time worrying about what the future looks like or what happened in the past, instead focus on what is happening today and take those baby steps- maybe a trip to your favourite store for 20 min. and make sure to follow all of the precautionary measures in place, retail therapy is what i am looking forward to, but in very small chunks.

AND REMEMBER TO GO TO YOGA

Yoga is a great way to promote mindfulness and create peace not only in the body, but the mind. We also return to our amazing supportive community and friends. This support is great on our quest to return to a bit of normality.

Our classes and trainings will still be limited in numbers and we have all health requirements in place. We look forward to seeing you all on the mat, in person, once again. But, for those wishing to continue on line, that option is still available to you.

Yoga Teacher Training

What you should know before signing up to a programme- we tick all the boxes

1. Who is the main Teacher and are they fully qualified?

How long has he/she they been teaching? They should be seasoned professionals.

Kathy Ran has been teaching yoga for over 22 years and is a senior yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance and is highly respected in her field. Certifications in 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga, 200 hour Anusara Inspired teacher, She holds a masters degree in Physical Science and a BA in Education. She has done trainings in the US before moving here to the UK and holds her own Teacher Training School- Yoga Training Unlimited

2. How much of the programme is actually being taught by the main teacher?

Some programmes do not have the main teacher teaching a substantial part of the course.

Kathy Teaches 70% of the course as required by Yoga Alliance

3. How long has the programme existed? How many students have already been trained?

The longer a programme has been around and the more students who have graduated the better.

Our yoga training school has been around since 2005.

4. Who is teaching the anatomy section and what experience do they have?

Often times the anatomy section can be poor, boring or not really relevant to yoga. Make sure the person teaching the anatomy section is a yoga teacher so that they can teach you to apply your anatomy learning in the context of a yoga class.

Kathy now teaches the Yoga Anatomy section with her background in pyhsical science and yoga she make it all very comprehensive and practicle for all students on the course.

5. How many teachers are on staff?

A ratio of one teacher for every 10 students is good. Make sure the main teacher will be available to give personal attention and to guide you through the experience.

We only have an intake of 10 students so you get individualised attention and quality teaching experience.

6. Will you be ready to teach by the end of the programme?

Good programms should give you many opportunities to teach during the training and require you to teach classes outside of the training prior to the practicum.

Each student must teach to classmates weekly as well as host their own instagram class giving them extended experience.

7. Will you have taught one or more full classes to your classmates by the end of the training? Make sure that you will have this experience, as this will give you the faith in yourself to go out and start teaching.

yes.

8. Does the teacher offer any mentorship after the training?

If you need help or advice is there someone you can talk to after the programme?

Kathy is so helpful and always offers her time at no extra charge for all of those who seek guidance.

9. Is it possible to speak to graduates of the program?

Sometimes it is helpful to be able to contact a few graduates of the program to ask them directly about their experience.

We are happy to share all contact information of our past graduates.

10. What style of Yoga is being taught?

Make sure you are familiar and comfortable with the style of yoga that is on offer in the training.

We offer extensive training in Vinyasa Yoga and a taste of Rocket and Hot Yoga- Leaving each teacher highly employable and competent teachers.

11. How long is the program? If it is the basic 200 hours and it is an intensive it should not be taught in less than three weeks.

Our programme is 9 weekends over 5 months to allow time to absorb the material and practice. It is our pleasure each year to welcome eager studnets into amazing yoga teachers!

All Details on Kathy Ran's teacher training are located on: www.blacklotusyoga.co.uk

The Importance Of A Good Yoga Mat

Let’s talk about the importance of a good yoga mat. Even though we use them everyday in our yoga classes and workshops. I have always looked for a good yoga mat and I have tried plenty and sliped and slid my way around my mat – until now. That’s why I want to share with you the importance of a good yoga mat. And trust me, once you have a good mat, you’ll know it. It took me many years and a lot of money that made me realise the fidderence a good quality yoga mat could make.

Black Lotus Yoga Mat

Feel secure in any position

Another feature of a good mat is having a good anti-slip material. If you practice yoga you’ll know a slippy mat when practicing is not only frustrating but highly distracting. Having a good anti-slip mat will help you to focus on the more important parts of your practice. With a good mat you will feel securely in place in any pose you are taking including moving through your vinyasa.

Kind to you and kind to the planet

Did you know that normal PVC yoga mats can take over a hundred years to biodegrade and are often made out of materials with lots of chemicals? When we know better, we can all do better and that is why buying a A PVC free mat is essential and will biodegrade in just 1-2yrs. A good quality mat will be made with non-toxic, planet friendly material which means they are both kind to you, and to the planet.

Why we made our own mats

So the more I read and the more knowledge I gained around yoga mats, the more passionate I felt about Black Lotus Yoga developing our own mats out of PU. What is PU? Pu is the natural rubber- Pu yoga mat meaning is polyurethane material. This material is an excellent material for making mats. It is non-toxic, tasteless, and non-slip, not easy to rot, there is an environment-friendly material and with it, we were be able to create a perfect yoga experience for our teachers and students. These mats really help to reduce the impact on the joints such as knees, shoulders and writs. We now stock BLY PU mats in our studio and want our community to reap the rewards that these mats have to offer.

We understand that buying one of these mats is a big commitment, and I wouldn’t take it lightly. So if you are wanting to make a genuine, long-term commitment to yoga, then a BLY mat could be a great investment for you. These mats last for many years and have great wearability and is worth every penny when balancing with your yoga practice.

Find the right mat for you

We also want to say that there are other great mats out there if these don’t fit your budget. We’ve tried many over the years so why not have a chat with us about what you are looking for in a mat and we will try to find the best one for you! However, if you do decide that a BLY mat is for you we have them in stock in the studio, so let us know and we’ll keep one aside for you. There is an amazing range of colours on offer including: green, pink, black and slate blue. They have an amazing design with a lotus flower in the middle and alignment dots to help throughout your practice. All mats are priced at £89 and come with a beautiful carry bag. *payment plans are available.