Tag Archive for: Bundaberg Yoga Classes

Video: How practicing arm balance changed my life

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The first time I walked into a yoga class with a couple of friends in Malaysia, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and simply followed the group. I used to be very active back to school, but after I started working as a fashion designer with long hours everyday in front of the computer or the sewing machine, I didn’t do much to look after my body for over 5 years. I couldn’t even touch my toes during forward fold and had never done a proper handstand before.

So I went to my first yoga class thinking I was there for some relaxation and stretching. It turned out I was sweating in ways I never knew possible from just yoga postures. The first arm balance pose the teacher showed us was Bakasana. It looked so easy but I failed over and over again. How could she balance just on her palms, and with her knees on her triceps? Next, when she got us to do handstand. I thought that won’t be hard since I had done many cartwheels before. So, surely I could do a simple handstand! But what do handstands have to do with yoga? So I tried and kept kicking my legs up against the wall repeatedly. I couldn’t believe it when I realised that I wasn’t even able to stay in place for more than two seconds. I was exhausted. Physically and mentally. How could the lady next to me do it all so peacefully and with her eyes closed for over a minute? My arms were shaking while I was trying to catch my breath again. My face was red as a tomato.

After an hour-long yoga session the teacher called for Savasana. I asked myself what the hell that meant? So I just did what everyone else did, lay down and rested on my mat.

Unexpectedly, I felt relaxed. I felt like I didn’t just do a workout with my body, but my mind as well. I walked out of the room with a brand new body, all the clutter in my mind had disappeared! After just one class I felt like I had pressed the reset button and felt totally peaceful and calm.

Focusing on arm balance in my yoga practice has changed my perspective of life. It is so important in life to find balance, to let go, refocus, to increase your confidence and to start seeing all the possibilities that are waiting for you. But the most important thing is to have fun in life. Fun makes us happy and keeps us young. And when you’re having fun, those good vibes and positive energy will spill over into the lives of the people around us, which in turn will increase happiness and well-being for all of us. Don’t take life to seriously. Have fun and yoga on!

“Live your life and risk it all. Take some chances, take the fall. Take your time, no need to hurry. Have some fun and never worry. Stay young!”

 

Namaste,

Carmen

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE: A wonderful self employed lawyer sharing her experience

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If you had only one word to describe what yoga is to you, what would it be?

“One word to describe yoga is Compassion. I am 51 and a self employed lawyer. Since I have started this more regular yoga practice I feel much more confident about growing older. ”

“I can feel my body able to do things better now than when I was in my 30s and 40s.“

When did you start doing yoga and what makes you want to continue?

” I started practicing yoga with Carmen in April this year. Whilst I have been dabbling in yoga for many years I feel that I have only just started really learn yoga since finding Carmen’s classes. I have so much more to learn and every class takes me a tiny bit further on the journey.”

How often do you attend yoga classes?

“I like to attend classes at least three or four times a week when I am not out of town for work. I know that there are women in their 70s and even 80s who still practice yoga. I admire that tremendously and I want to be able to still practice yoga into my 80s if I am fortunate enough to still be here. I have been a very busy professional with all the usual stresses and pressures that come with that and with having a busy family. That kind of life ages us and makes us short tempered and too tired to enjoy all that we work for. Yoga has given me back my own sense of self and a feeling of wellness and peace.  I have learned that just one hour of yoga can cut through all the craziness of life and that 10 minutes of savasana is the best thing any woman can do for her self and her wellbeing.”

What is you next goal or challenge?

“I am not yet ready to claim that I can actually do a tripod headstand, but I know that I will be able to do it in the future. I have been in the pose near the wall and this was a milestone. It felt great. Carmen’s classes take us further than we think we can go. Her passion for inversion poses and her enthusiasm has changed my expectations of myself. My current goal is to master Bakasana. (I want to stand up on my surfboard – so bakasana will help with that too.)”

“Carmen is the strongest person I know. She has an amazing ability and it is inspiring to have her as a teacher.”

“Carmen is very encouraging. I feel I will never stop learning in her classes and I never want to stop learning.”

Would you like to share something with those who might be thinking about doing yoga in the near future?

“Classes from Love Life. Live Yoga offer something for each one of us, no one is under pressure yet there is always the invitation to go further.”
Susan O’Sullivan
Moore Park, QLD

People sharing their experience with Love Life Live Yoga

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A short while ago we asked a few of the amazing people, whom I had the joy of practicing yoga with, about their experience and how yoga has benefited them. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to help people become the best versions of themselves and witness the benefits that come with a regular yoga practice.

The way I like to describe yoga is this:

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.”

Yoga is a deeply personal journey. It doesn’t matter where others are at in their practice. What matters is that you make time to reconnect with yourself. Do what you can in each given moment. Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel. Surely, yoga can be challenging, especially when first getting started. Just remember that if it doesn’t challenge you it doesn’t change you. When was the last time you challenged yourself?

What you are looking for is not out there, it is within you. If you are thinking of giving yoga a try, but don’t know where to start, make sure to check out our 30-day Intro Offer for a full 30 days of UNLIMITED yoga classes. Enough time to find out if yoga is right for you, to make some new friends, and you might already see some progress. If you try it and don’t enjoy it, at least you tried. But chances are, it might very well change your life.

See you on the mat!

Namaste,

Carmen

Why do we need to pause?

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It’s the pause that brings realignment. It’s the pause that brings reflection. It’s the pause that brings refocus.

Life is like a wheel, always spinning. There’s always work coming in and piling up, making enough and more money, people and relationships to take care of, goals and dreams to catch, and never endless deadlines to be met.

And if we are not careful enough of our life, it can be crazy and get extremely busy, but we end up achieving very little. Have you ever had a moment where you seemed to be very busy, but surprisingly got very little done at the end of the day? Therefore, it’s important to not only calm down, but to take a pit stop to pause and reflect before continuing with the journey ahead.

Meanwhile, you can take the opportunity to relax and unwind, to evaluate what you have accomplished, to review your mistakes from the past and to examine your future plans.  Your body and mind will thank you, you will feel more refreshed and recharged to take on the world again!

It is a must to escape the rat race every now and then and jump off the hamster wheel. To step outside, get some air, and remind yourself who you are and where you want to go in life.

Namaste,

Carmen Lee-Schneider

8 Things to Consider When Practicing Yoga

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1) Avoid coming to class with a full stomach

It is best to wait 2 hours after eating to practice yoga. You may have a light snack like a banana prior to doing yoga. When you have a full stomach, not only are most yoga poses uncomfortable, but blood supply is funneled to your stomach to process the nutrients from your food, leaving your muscles shortchanged on the energy they need for a successful practice.

twist

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2) Don’t forget to breathe

Focus on breathing. Simply breathe in and out through the nose, maintaining a slight contraction in the back of the throat. The first thing you need to think of especially in the challenging poses.

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3) Avoid pushing yourself too hard

Being honest to yourself and avoid to push yourself too hard. Yoga should never feel painful. If it starts to, back off. Yoga is all about awareness, about listening to your body’s subtle signals, and responding accordingly.

wheel pose

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4) Empty your mind

It is hard to clear our mind and not to think of the things are happening around us. A lot of questions are keep floating in our head all the time. One of the top reasons why people practice yoga, is to learn to make an effort to quieten their mind. Sacrificing both your form and the mind-body connection that comes with a focused practice. By concentrating on your body and your breath, you can help tune out the distractions in your head.

meditation

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5) Don’t rush into advanced poses

Being able to complete the foundational ones helps to ensure you have the strength, balance, and flexibility needed to tackle more advanced moves. When you rush into advanced poses, it’s very difficult to hold the correct posture, meaning you won’t use the right muscles, and you can risk injury. Remember, the basics poses are great strengtheners in and of themselves. Try to take advantage of them.

headstand

 

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6) Don’t compare yourself to others

People are practicing at different levels in every class. “Every body is different, and yoga is about treating your individual body,” Focusing on your body and allowing yourself to grow your own practice. It is your journey, you choose to where to do and enjoy every moment.

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7) Find the right yoga class with the right instructor

There are a wide range of yoga levels and styles out there that may or may not suit your needs and preferences. I believe everyone is searching for different types of yoga to practice, some people are looking for intensive yoga practices but others prefer relaxing and gentle. Take your time to find the right class and check with the instructor if you are not sure.

yoga teacher

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8) Enjoy the cool-down

By focusing on stretching postures and deep relaxation, the cool down can help prevent muscle soreness, enhance flexibility, and slowly lower your heart rate and blood pressure to prevent dizziness. Normally we will do some easy spinal twists and few seated poses. There are always just a few minutes left in class for Savasana. It is usually the last pose done and the most important part of a yoga practice. So allowing yourself in this precious moment to let go your thought and enjoying this final relaxation.

savasana

 

Namaste,

Carmen Lee-Schneider

 

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE: An inspirational new yoga practitioner sharing her experience

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If you had only one word to describe what yoga is to you, what would it be?

“Peacefulness. I am 38 year old woman who lives on a property in the bush, outside of Bundaberg. I am a Mother, first of my two teenage children, and second I work as a Teacher Aide in a Prep-Year 12 Campus, where I manage the Resource Room & School Library. When not tending to my children or at my work, I spend time maintaining my property, tending to my vegetable garden & caring for all our animals – cattle, horses, dogs & chooks.”

“I always leave a session feeling like I am walking on water and I have new energy.”

When did you start doing yoga and what makes you want to continue?

“I started practicing with Carmen in April 2014, during the Easter School Holidays. I continue to practice yoga because it makes me feel good. I always leave a session feeling like I am walking on water and I have new energy. When doing yoga I use that time to concentrate on me and to let go of everything else outside of me. The time is used getting to know me & where I am at, going inside myself, feeling me, loving me, being me.”

How often do you attend Carmen’s yoga classes?

“I attend classes twice a week. If l lived closer I would definitely attend more often. Since I started practicing yoga regularly I feel more balanced in all areas of my life. I have better clarity (my mind is clearer) and my body feels more alive. I listen more to my body & work with it. I am more in touch with myself. I have lost some weight, my body is becoming more toned in areas, I feel stronger within my mind and body, and I am more aware of my posture. I feel healthier.”

What is you next goal or challenge?

“I am presently working on the tripod headstand and the crow. I like to challenge myself because it is fun and it feels great within myself each time I achieve a small step towards a pose. When I find balance it is a good feeling, to be able to get there and hold the pose in a controlled manner. It takes a lot of ones own discipline. I attempt these poses because they teach me control, to listen to my body & it is a good feeling. My daughter also encourages me because she is a great believer in that everything is possible. The first time I managed to do my first tripod headstand, even though it is only at one of the first stages, it made me feel ecstatic. I was over the moon about it because at one of my very first yoga lessons, Carmen showed us how to do a tripod headstand and I couldn’t even put my head on the ground. I had fear that I was going to topple over, I never thought I would be able to lift my feet up off the ground if I could never get my head down. At the moment I can only hold the tripod headstand at a beginner stage for a short period of time, but I find great achievement in this. I feel good inside myself and have gained confidence that one day it is possible that I will do a tripod headstand all the way with my legs straight in the air with total control.”

“Carmen is magnificent. She is like a breath of fresh air. Carmen is inspiring, energetic, patient, understanding.”

“Carmen has inspired me greatly in my yoga journey. Through her inspiration, encouragement, experience and knowledge, I have gained faith that with patience and practice I will be able to succeed at learning new poses and building on them to different stages. Just to watch Carmen completing different poses and flows is inspirational. Carmen is magnificent. She is like a breath of fresh air. Carmen is inspiring, energetic, patient, understanding……she is truly wonderful. She takes the time to assist you in different poses at whatever stage or level you are at on your yoga journey. Carmen is an inspirational, amazing yogi.”

Would you like to share something with those who might be thinking about doing yoga in the near future?

“If you haven’t done yoga or attended one of Carmen’s classes then now is the time to do it. Don’t just attend one class before you decide whether it is for you or not, attend a couple of classes and give your body time to adapt to this wonderful new journey. I remember attending one of my first classes thinking “Oh no this is too hard.” But I have overcome that fear, to breath through different poses and learned to work with my body and where I am at in my journey. Everyone is different and we should learn to appreciate that.”
Brenda Grills
Bundaberg, QLD

BLOG: Is Yoga for Everyone?

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I am often asked if beginners can join my yoga classes.

My yoga classes are for everyone. During a class, classic yoga poses are practiced with an emphasis on alignment and options for modifications. It is appropriate for people brand new to yoga as well as folks who have been practicing for some time. You who have been practicing with me know that I always provide variations for beginners and advanced ones.

Even if you’re brand new to yoga, come join my “Rise&Shine” & “Yin&Yang” classes to learn the basics of the practice, and at the same time explore some new moves which you might thought you were never able to do. There might be some confusion at the beginning but that only makes it more fun practicing as you are learning and exploring something new.

Yoga is not about competition or comparison. When practicing yoga one goes within, becoming aware of what is happening inside the body. Whatever the body can do in a yoga session is exactly what it should be doing. One accepts without judging. Most importantly, listen to your body and take this time to deepen the connection to your inner self.

See on the mat soon!

Namaste,
Carmen

Video: Yoga with Rhee Tae Kwon Do Bundaberg.

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A huge thank you to Rhee Tae Kwon Do Bundaberg for having me over for a wonderful yoga session with a group of lovely people.

Namaste,

Carmen