Should getting back to yoga be on your list of New Year’s resolutions? Director of Canberra Yoga Space, Eli Haski, says 2022 might be a better time for it than ever.
“With everything that’s going on right now, we are all in an elevated state of stress,” said Ms Haski, who is coming up on eight years (3,000 hours) as a yoga instructor.
“The active practice of calming our nervous systems can help us integrate with the new normal.”
After coming out of lockdown, we may find ourselves falling back on sedentary habits. Mindful practices, like yoga, meditation, and Tai Chi, can help us be more “present-moment aware,” according to Ms Haski, “during a time when it’s tempting to distract ourselves from fear”.
“Movement is medicine, and we’re built to do it.”
But is it enough to keep me fit? Getting into shape may be a priority for many Canberrans, looking to lose the ‘Quarantine 15’ in the new year. Ms Haski says it’s all about finding the yoga that fits your needs.
“Ashtanga, for example, is very fast-flowing, while other practices are gentler and restorative in nature.
“If you are an athletic person, you might want to consider whether a faster-paced practice is what you need. Or would your body benefit more from a restorative practice that will help down-regulate the nervous system?”
Psychologists recommend that effective new year’s resolutions are based on what approaches worked for us in the past.
If online classes just aren’t proving as effective for you as in-person learning, you are not alone.
“Zoom is only the next best thing,” said Ms Haski. “Often an environment designed to be a sanctuary for that class can’t fully be replicated at home.”
For those who have capacity to go to an in-person class, Ms Haski recommends grabbing the opportunity to leave the world behind. “For me, doing a yoga class is like pressing pause on life.”
Canberra Yoga Space is running a short-commitment beginners’ course from 17 January, perfect for those starting at square one or resuming after a hiatus.
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