What is Yoga?
Yoga is a group of physical, mental and spiritual practices originating from ancient India. Its lineage and heritage is rich and complex. More recently it has been adopted in the West, however it is important to appreciate and honour its roots.
The word Yoga, from the Sanskrit word yuj, means to yoke or bind, and is often interpreted as "union" of mind, body and spirit. Western practice of Yoga may focus on physical practice, however the core purpose and goal of Yoga is outlined in Patanjali's second yoga sutra (or thread of knowledge): "yogas chitta vritti nirodha", loosely translated as Yoga is the stilling or control of the modifications or fluctuations of the mind. Through the practice of yoga, which has eight limbs or stages- physical practice and breathing techniques are only two of these- we learn to calm the mind to achieve a state of Samadhi, or meditative consciousness.
The physical practice of Yoga involves postures (asanas) and pranayama (breathing techniques), which combined with meditation and mindfulness are used to align the body and mind during Yoga classes. Yoga can be used as exercise for stretching, trimming and toning, as well as for relaxation, to reduce stress and anxiety and to improve mental focus and sleep. Yoga can increase your sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being and can be a powerful tool for self transformation.
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Each individual's experience of Yoga will be personal- people practice Yoga for many different reasons, and the great thing about Yoga is that there's something for everyone in the practice!
About Candice
Candice's Yoga journey started in Singapore in 2010 when a friend invited her to join a Bikram Yoga session. Candice was not exposed to Yoga as a child, nor is it part of her own cultural heritage, but she immediately fell in love and after two years of regular Bikram Yoga she sought out an array of different styles of Yoga- intrigued by the physical skill and discipline that each required.
While Candice's yogic experience had mostly physical beginnings, with a focus on fitness and skill, regular practice and exposure to fantastic teachers along the way helped Candice to develop a deep respect and love of the mental, emotional and pranic (energetic) benefits of Yoga as well as the history of Yoga. Candice learned the benefits of using mindfulness, meditation and pranayama to help her cope with life's stresses and challenges.
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Over her 7 years living in South East Asia, Candice's practice took her to many Yoga studios in the region, meeting and relating to yogis and yoginis of various cultures and life backgrounds. Here, she developed an appreciation for the universality of Yoga. Drawing inspiration from all her wonderful teachers, and with a focus on the significance of yogic lifestyle and philosophy in her own everyday life, Candice decided to train as a Yoga teacher in Thailand in 2016, before moving to England and completing further training in Yin Yoga and pre- and post-natal Yoga. She taught regular face to face and online classes at Stamford Yoga, in Lincolnshire, before offering classes to the community of Perranwell Station, in Cornwall.
As she continues to develop as a yogini and teacher, Candice hopes to share with others the overwhelmingly positive effect Yoga has had on her life, through classes in Ashtanga Vinyasa, vinyasa flow, Yin Yoga and pre- and post-natal Yoga. She also works towards authentic appreciation rather than appropriation of Yoga and its roots and history, acknowledging the need for ongoing enquiry.