Connecting with Sand, Surf and Yoga

I need to share with you my absolute favourite outdoor activity last weekend!

Stu brings yoga back to nature on the sand at City Beach

Went down to City Beach at about 8:45am on Saturday morning, wandered over the dunes and down onto the sand. There I met up with Stu Watkins and his awesome group of devoted beach yogis who hit the beach most Saturday mornings during summer (dependent on good weather) to follow his practice on the sand.

Stu's Akhanda Yoga Flow is a beautiful chance to get outside, soak up some rays and get in touch with nature. The hour long practice takes you through many traditional yoga poses as well as a few fun combinations that Stu puts together. He always saves some time for free-stylin' so you can do whatever feels natural and right in the moment. There's some additional fun times and giggles too - I've never gone to one of his classes without cracking a massive smile! :)

A gorgeous location and blissful way to start my Saturday

Amazingly enough I have known Stu since we were kids. Perth, as everyone who lives here probably realises, is quite a small and interconnected place! Stu and I both attended Coolbinia Primary school what feels like a very long time ago. But having having common background with him is irrelevant. His manner and grace with everyone he meets is so evident. People gravitate to him and appreciate his calm nature and friendly smile. These beautiful attributes shine through in the way he leads his practice - sharing a soulful message with those who practice in a way which offers thought provoking ideas, fitness and fun!

AKHANDA & VINYASA ASANA YOGA FLOW: Stu's classes incorporate two adaptable styles of yoga and cater to people with all levels of experience. He has taught and practiced all over the globe and travelled to the Himalayas in India to study Akhanda Yoga with its founder, Yogi Vishvketu. Stu is a holistic life coach as well as fitness trainer so you will notice his classes combine the ancient teachings of yoga with the application of modern Western philosophies. The end result is an awesome and effective experience which leaves you feeling inspired and focused on health, well being and balance.

Check below for more info...

• DETAILS: Saturday morning, 9:00-10:00am. On the sand at City Beach (drive along West Coast Highway
• COST: This blissful session is what you make it and you get to pay what you wish to attend
• TEACHER: Stu Watkins
• STU'S WEBSITE: www.stuartbwatkins.com

Ginny's Finding Fitness Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Pilates Strength & Stamina

Hadn't planned to hit a fitness studio today but was visiting a friend Bayswater and happened to drive past the WA Pilates Studio. Parked the car to take a better look and realised they had a Strength & Stamina pilates class starting at 5:45pm. Was an opportunity too good to pass up!

Really pleased to have the chance to check out studios on the 'far side' of town. Living up in Sorrento has meant I often visit studios in the northern suburbs. But obviously this is a blog about Perth and I'm keen to get out and hit classes across the city. And want to keep my readers happy! If you know any cool classes, anywhere in Perth, that you think I should visit let me know and I'll join you for a workout :)

Phil led this 45 minute session at a steady and consistent pace. It was really great to attend a pilates class led by a male instructor. There was a lot of initial focus on stretching and moving your body through the postures which gradually built up into stronger and longer exercises. The title of this class 'Strength and Stamina' was spot on and definitely a great way to end a Monday!

• DETAILS: Monday evening, 5:45-6:30pm. The WA Pilates Studio, 1070 Beaufort Street, Bedford.
• COST: $15.00 per casual class
• TEACHER: Phil
• BEST BITS: This studio doesn't look like much from the outside but indoors it is lovely, fresh and clean with nice mats, large mirrors and decent equipment.
• THE WA PILATES STUDIO: www.pilateswa.com.au

Ginny's Finding Fitness Rating: ★ ★ ★ 

Saluting the Sun at Yoga Aid

Can you think of three great reasons to start your Sunday right? I could this morning when I went down to Saw Avenue Amphitheatre in Kings Park at 8:00am to participate in the Yoga Aid Challenge 2011.

Do Yoga. Build Community. Support Charity.

Today marked the 5th annual Yoga Aid Challenge Australia. Yoga Aid is an opportunity to connect with your local yoga community at a free 2 hour outdoor yoga class. It is a unique event and is celebrated around the world. Across Australia funds were raised for three valuable charity organisations: Nelune Foundation, Sunnyfield Independence and Barnados.

Reaching up to the sky and saluting the sun!

Although the day started out looking a little overcast and cloudy we were eventually blessed with lovely sunlight peeping out through the clouds. I'm sure the yogis and yoginis in the crowd would attest that the combination of our powers and sun salutations combined brought out the sunshine. In combination with weather conditions, barometric pressure and thermodynamics of course. But who's to say our sun salutations didn't play at least a small part... ;)

Smooth transitions in the yoga flow:
downward facing dog into chataranga

Representatives from the three West Australian lululemon athletica stores were out in force dressed to impress in groove pants and sporting 'currant' tops to share our bright and exciting new season colour. We were pleased to join a number of local West Australians in the iconic Perth landmark that is Kings Park to share our energy, passion and love for yoga.

A massive thanks to everyone who joined, all who fundraised and the excellent teachers who led the group through a mind-blowing 109 sun salutations in the 2 hours from 9:00-11:00am. Hope everyone who was there enjoyed themselves but if you missed out don't worry... I look forward to seeing you next year at Yoga Aid Challenge 2012!

Good vibrations at Bikram on 11/11/11

One minute of silence at 11:00am on November 11, 2011
Lest We Forget

Apparently practicing yoga on 11/11/11 is particularly empowering as it is a date which offers particularly good vibrations. The number 11 is supposedly a power number and in numerology represents intuition, artistic genius and balance. It is also a prime number and has some special mathematical properties since when multiplied by itself it can result in a palindrome (11x11 = 121; 111111x111111 = 12345654321). People scattered across the globe are excited to be married or give birth on this date.

This may all sound very hippy to you, but at the same time.. why not just go along with it? What's wrong with opening your mind to an alternative way of thinking and giving something new a try. Isn't that what the practice of yoga is all about?

If practicality is more your thing then don't forget that November 11th is also a particularly important date in history. Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the armistice which ended World War I (1914-1918). Australians observe a minute of silence at 11:00am in memory of those who died or suffered in armed conflict. I know a number of Australians who also use the quiet time to reflect on how grateful they are to live in such a beautiful country. Try not to wait until next November 11th to reflect and be thankful for all that you have. Lest we forget how fortunate we are.

So I woke up bright and early with, or possibly even before, the sun. Rolled through the morning motions as quick as a flash and jumped in my car to arrive at Bikram Yoga Joondalup in time for the 5:45am class. My lovely colleague joined me in the class led by Karen, an inspirational woman who radiates positive energy wherever she goes.

I have heard people joke about the 'Bikram torture chamber' and I must say practicing for 90 minutes in a sauna-like environment is definitely a challenge. However I thoroughly enjoyed the holistic workout and felt the benefits of the practice on both my body and mind throughout the rest of the day.

Read my post from 28th September 2011 to learn more about the hot, sweaty fun you can get up to at Bikram Yoga Joondalup or just check below for a few quick facts...

• DETAILS: Friday morning, 5:45-7:15am. Unit 7/200 Winton Rd, Joondalup.
• COST: $18.00 per casual class.
• TEACHER: Karen
• BRING: You'll definitely want to take a large (mat-sized) sweat towel and a large bottle of water.
• WEAR: As little as possible! You'll soon realise that body shape and size doesn't matter - everyone in every size strips down to minimal clothing in this super hot environment. Tight shorts, hot pants and suitable loose but supportive tanks are available at lululemon athletica Perth City. My personal favorites are the Let It Loose Tank and a pair of Reverse Groove Shorts. 
• BEST BITS: Your muscles warm up extremely quickly in the hot yoga studio and you use muscles you weren't even sure you possessed. Constantly moving for 1.5 hours really gets the blood flowing, builds your stamina and regulates your breathing. Don't forget to rehydrate!!!
• BIKRAM YOGA JOONDALUP WEBSITE: www.bikramyogajoondalup.com.au

Ginny's Finding Fitness Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Retreat! Retreat!

And by retreat I mean vacation. And by vacation I mean, R-E-L-A-X....!!!

Sunsets over the ocean in Adelaide. Bliss!!!

I recently headed off on a plane to Adelaide for an amazing week long holiday. So many people laughed at me when I said how excited I was about going to such a small Australian city. But I think perhaps it helps to know my context...

I've lived in Perth, Santiago (Chile), London (England) and Toronto (Canada). Can also say without a doubt that I've travelled to over 35 countries and hit up some massive capital cities around the world. These include Rio DeJeniero, Paris, Rome, Dubrovnik, Lima, Mexico City, Reijakvic, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Berlin, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Quebec City and Vancouver, just to name a few. Jealous much?

It's been exotic, adventurous, incredible but at the same time a little exhausting. So to give myself a bit of down time and go exploring in the smaller and more relaxed city of Adelaide was exactly what the doctor ordered!

I took a one week time out from blogging and have been slow getting back into the swing of things. But don't worry, I've still been keeping active. My motto for the trip: Break from fitness? No way! Break from social media? Okaaaaaay...