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Friday, October 02, 2015

Yoogaia* | Yoga at Home and Abroad!

Many of us have full time jobs and come home and spend all evening cooking, cleaning, and preparing for the next day (or blogging!) so we rarely get any 'me' time. Having gone to only one Yoga class at my gym (they were at an awkward time), I know how relaxing (and also fun) yoga can be!

 Making time to control your breathing, your posture and your mood, yoga not only helps you get more limber, but it has many other benefits too, with the most important in helping you relax.
Now, for me, work isn't all that stressful, but I've noticed in the past few months that I go home with a stiff neck, my eye twitches and have recently suffered from a stomach infection, which the doctor attributed to either eating something it didn't agree with, or that it was brought on by stress. I was a little surprised at this, as I hadn't noticed I was stressed at all. I also suffer from a really bad posture, and have done since puberty. I constantly sit hunched over and have constant back ache which radiates to my neck, shoulders and pelvis. I went to the Osteopath for it a few times, which helped, but I soon went back to my bad, hunched-over ways. 

I've wanted to start up yoga again for ages, but never had the time. That's where Yoogaia come in! After meeting the lovely people at Yoogaia at the #BloggersFestival, and learning how you are able to have a yoga class from the comfort of your own home, at a time that suits you sounded ideal! So I thought I'd give it a try. Being at home makes you slightly more at ease and cuts down on travelling time if you run a tight schedule. 

So there I was, on my living room floor after moving furniture out the way, in gym leggings, a baggy top and socks sitting in front of my laptop waiting for the session to begin. You have the choice of whether to go on webcam or not, but I chose to, as then the instructor, who's on webcam on their end, can help you correct your pose if you're struggling. Having an instructor LIVE at the other end is really helpful, as they can guide you through each pose, help with your breathing and let you know if you're doing something wrong or over-stretching yourself. They can assess your ability and help alter moves to suit you. With Yoogaia, you are also able to watch pre-recorded sessions if you missed them earlier in the day/week - you really CAN do it at a time to suit you.

The recorded sessions aren't too dissimilar, as they are recordings of the live sessions. The instructor offers alternative poses for those who may not be able to do bend/stretch into the proper position and caters for all abilities. I've watched a pre-recorded session of Curvy Girl Yoga. This essentially is yoga suited to the curvier, more voluptuous yogi. It was good, because she made you feel able and comfortable in yourself, even if your boobs were getting in your way or suffocating you as you did a shoulder stand!

Yoogaia don't just do standard yoga classes either, as there's relaxation classes, energise and sweat classes and premium workshops which include total body cleanses. There's loads of variety! So do you even really need a gym membership?!

I still spend around £54 a month on the gym, and recently I haven't really been going that often. But as I'm still on a student rate from when I joined, I really don't want to cancel my membership and have to pay more for the standard rate if I join up again! (cheeky I know! shhh)
I love my gym, it's got everything you could want, the personal trainers are really helpful, and there's a wide variety of classes every day. I used to live a 5 minute walk away, now I live about a 3 minute drive away, and for some reason I'm going less than I did before when I basically lived across the road! I'm not really sure why that is, as walking was definitely more effort than driving! I also used to go with my friends as they were working similar hours to me, but since they've got new jobs, which are local, they can go to the gym at half 5, when I'm still at work in London and don't get back until 7 pm. Basically, I have a million excuses for why I don't go, but in reality its because I'm lazy, which is why I needed a personal trainer. I've had to stop that for a while as we were never able to find a time that suited both of us, so I've put that on hold for a bit until I can fully commit to a 12 week programme, maybe nearer the wedding!
With Yoogaia, I don't need to leave the house, I can do it late at night when my food's finally gone down and I can even do it while I'm on holiday! Yoogaia is flexible and convenient and depending on what type of exercise/class you went for, you'll finish either feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, or suitably exhausted from the heavy active session. Either way, you feel accomplished. A feeling which would not have occurred if you just sat on the sofa watching TV all night.
Now I'm engaged I actually have something to work towards. I must look good on my wedding day, but with zero motivation (not even the wedding is motivation enough!) and a strong obsession with chocolate, I feel introducing my self slowly to the gym again is the answer. So Yoogaia sessions will keep me active, even if it is a relaxation session, and my visits to the gym can increase with my energy levels. But above all, its my eating habits that need to change. 
I recently lost 1 stone through exercise and eating less, but as soon as I hit a milestone, I slipped straight back into my piggish ways and had a week off. Of course, I then gained about 4lbs, which means another 2 weeks of eating 'boring' food (aka. not cake or Galaxy chocolate..) so lose that again before I can concentrate on the next milestone! It's all about continuous motivation and reassurance that I will get there in the end. Once I've put my mind to it, I know I can do it! I just need to start with baby steps!
If you want to give Yoogaia a go, use code SOEURSDELUXE for a free 14 day trail ! It's definitely worth it!
Do you use Yoogaia? Are you a Yogi or want to try yoga for the first time? Let me know in the comments below!
 
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