Your Perfect Yoga Practice Quiz

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flow yoga, hot yoga, Kundalini yoga, restorative yoga, types yoga, Vinyasa flow, vinyasa yoga, yoga practice, yoga styles, Yoga With Paul

Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, it is a great idea to explore different yoga styles.

Why? 

Trying different types of yoga such as vinyasa, karma yoga, kundalini, etc. is a way to vary your practice, expanding your mind-body flexibility.

If you’re new to yoga, sampling the options is a great introduction to the variety of ways to embrace this practice.

This quiz will help you identify what yoga style is perfect for your practice!

3 Fixes for Feeling Dizzy in Yoga

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Occasionally yoga can leave you feeling dizzy or lightheaded — especially if you are new to yoga, resuming practice after a break, or doing unfamiliar poses.

Feeling dizzy can be unpleasant, but shouldn’t be a cause for alarm.

When you practice you are moving a lot of energy around your body so it is normal to have some “surprise” reactions like feeling lightheaded. If you use these 3 tips your mind and body will be balanced and on the level again in no time.

Just flow with it

Move slowly and steadily through postures

One of the quickest ways to get dizzy is to move abruptly from one posture to another, especially an inversion or a posture where your head is below your heart. Focus on flowing through the postures, making each transition a mindful part of the sequence. Think of gliding from one pose to the next and focus on taking calm, even breaths.

Stay hydrated!

Hydrate all day

Come to class hydrated. Arriving thirsty and glugging down water isn’t an effective way to hydrate, and it will make you feel worse. If you do drink in class take small sips that won’t overburden your system. Proper hydration ensures your body can cope with the challenges of yoga, especially hot yoga, and will help prevent dizziness.

Eat what you need

There are all sorts of opinions about what and when you should eat. The rule you should follow is do what is right for your body. Low blood sugar can make you feel faint and dizzy. If you experience this a couple of times in class experiment with snacking beforehand. Dates are rich in glucose which is a perfect fast energy boost. Easy to digest foods like porridge, soup, or smoothies are also good options. Don’t overeat, obviously, but be sure to get the energy you need to get through class feeling well.

Questions? Ask in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul

 

YWP June Newsletter

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Bikram yoga, clean eating, flow yoga, healing yoga, healthy recipes, London Pride, mindfulness, Orlando, vinyasa yoga, yoga, yoga holiday abroad, Yoga Holiday With Paul, yoga retreats, Yoga With Paul

June was a rollercoaster of love and loss. It showed that we don’t have time to waste in this world. We have to act, practice, love, live and be grateful for every moment.

Enjoy and share the newsletter…. Namaste, Paul

Yoga With Paul newsletter JUN 2016

photo credit: Unity, Pride, LOVE via photopin (license)

#YWP May Newsletter

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best London yoga, flow yoga, hot yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, positive thinking, Prince, teaching yoga, vinyasa yoga, yoga blogs, yoga diet, yoga holiday, Yoga With Paul

Dear yogis… May’s newsletter here:

Yoga With Paul newsletter MAY 2016

Respect, recipes, inspiration and
a tribute to the genius of Prince.

#Love #Yoga #Music #YWP

Top 4 Yoga Holiday Tips

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Bikram yoga, flow yoga, summer yoga retreat, vinyasa yoga, yoga abroad, yoga holiday Portugal, yoga holiday tips, yoga holiday Turkey, Yoga Holiday With Paul, yoga retreat, Yoga With Paul

This year I’m running two Yoga Holiday with Paul retreats, from 24 June – 1 July in the Algarve and in Turkey from 5-12 September.

About half the students on last year’s retreat were returning students so it made sense to open up another week and another opportunity for yogis to share the Yoga Holiday with Paul experience.

To reserve your place or for more information email: YogaHolidayWithPaul@gmail.com

Returning students know and love the mix of activities and yoga styles on the retreat. If you are thinking about joining one of our holidays for the first time, though, here are four tips to help you make the most of it.

1. Be Open. Attending a week-long yoga retreat is completely different from a week of regular practice – that’s the whole point. Approach it with an open mind and heart, and be willing to try new things.
2. Don’t Worry. Our group ranges from dedicated yogis to absolute beginners who have never done a hot yoga class, so wherever you are in your practice, you won’t be alone. We’re a small group so I have plenty of time to work with each student individually in the course of the sessions, tailoring them to individual needs and levels.
3. Bring a beach towel (and a book, and dancing shoes). The retreats are designed to leave you plenty of time to chill, read, rest, socialise and play. We typically go out once or twice in the course of the week, take trips to the beach and hang out by the pool. It’s called yoga holiday for a reason!
4. Ditch the diet. We have brilliant vegetarian caterers who serve up fresh, delicious food. The idea is to show how you can have a wonderful, nourishing diet that keeps you at your optimum weight and health without ever having to “go on a diet”. The retreat is a great chance to relax, let someone else do the cooking, and enjoy the fabulous flavours of clean food.

 

To reserve your place or for more information email: YogaHolidayWithPaul@gmail.com

New Year Resolution Reboot

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Bikram hot yoga, daily yoga, flow yoga, how to do yoga, London yoga, New Year resolutions, vinyasa yoga, yoga advice, yoga challenge, yoga studio, Yoga With Paul

January is almost over… how are your resolutions going?

Starting off the New Year with good intentions is great but, let’s face it, life gets in the way. We’re busy. The days are short. It’s chilly and damp. Maybe you caught the flu.

The good news is it is never too late for a reboot. It is far more effective to think of “resolutions” as small continuous changes than big, sweeping all or nothing declarations. Here are 5 practical steps to help you do that.

5 Tips to Reboot Your New Year’s Resolutions

• Use goals to change habits: The problem with goals is once you reach them, you tend to lose motivation. Think of them as tools to promote habit change instead. For example, a 30-day yoga challenge is a goal you can use to get in the habit of regular practice.

• Bite off what you can chew: It is better to be realistic and successful than make huge resolutions and set yourself up to fail. Start with, say, 3 yoga classes a week. Once that’s a habit you can always add another!

• Adjust your perspective: It’s normal to slip up, or not tick everything off the list. Instead of seeing this as a failure note what circumstances are particularly challenging and make the changes you need to overcome them.

• Take notes:  Make a list of resolutions and for each one write steps that will help you fulfill it, and why it is important to you. If your resolution is to try a new yoga class every month make a list of classes to check out, including times and dates. And write down why you’re doing it, e.g. to learn new postures, challenge yourself, or connect with new people.

• Just do it: Putting things off is easy to do and a hard habit to break. If you feel yourself sliding into procrastination take small steps towards your goal. Can’t make it to the studio? Do 30 minutes of self-practice at home. Never put off doing something just because you can’t do everything!

What are your tips for sticking to New Year’s resolution?

NEW Vinyasa Flow Workshop

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flow yoga, hot yoga studio, London vinyasa, Vinyasa flow, yoga classes London, yoga poses, yoga teachers, yoga tips, Yoga With Paul, yoga workshops

Join my Vinyasa Flow workshop: Sat 28 Nov, 2-4:15PM at Hot Yoga South

This is in addition to my regular warm Vinyasa flow classes at Hot Yoga South which are an absolute delight. It is a privilege to work with a lovely mix of new and regular students as we practice and enjoy warm flow yoga, accompanied by music.

If you haven’t made it to one of my regular weekly classes on Thursdays from 6:30-8PM this Saturday workshop is the perfect opportunity to try out Vinyasa.

Flow Yoga, aka Vinyasa flow, begins with a sequence of flowing movements at the to warm the body, moving in motion with the breath. This will help bring flexibility to all the muscles and joints and wake up the nervous system. A series of balancing, stretching, back bending, twisting and inverted postures will follow.

The class is warm and suitable for yogis of all levels. It is a unique and enriching practice and I look forward to sharing it with you on Saturday, 28 Nov 2-4:15PM.

If we get a good group this may well become a regular thing, so come on down and vote for Saturday yoga!

Comment if you’ll be joining us! 

Find Your Flow with Vinyasa Yoga

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26 poses, Bikram postures, Bikram yoga, flow yoga, London yoga studios, vinyasa yoga, yoga practice, Yoga With Paul

In yoga, as in life, it can be a good idea to mix things up. Routines are fantastic and help us develop positive habits, refine our skills, and live with a sense of order and purpose. Bikram yoga is a wonderful tool for developing these disciplines and repeating the 26 postures reaches every physical and mental aspect of our lives.

When we switch things up, however, we push boundaries. We break out of our comfort zone and rise to new challenges. Vinyasa yoga — also known as flow yoga — is something I love and incorporate into my own practice. I’m looking to teach some vinyasa classes as well, for those of you interested in expanding your flexibility, so watch this space!

If you’re curious, check out this video:

Any questions? Ask in the comments!