Striking the balance at Qi Yoga

Following Body Pump my adrenalin was still high and the day was still young. A few weeks back my close friend Pete recommended I join him at Qi Yoga on an upcoming Monday night, so today felt like the perfect day for it.

We arrived slightly early and I had the pleasure of chatting with Fiona, the teacher and founder of Qi Yoga, prior to the class. Her dynamic energy and entrepreneurial spirit is evident immediately, both in her personality and her practice. She has developed Qi Yoga in both London and Australia and travels between the two, teaching and promoting the benefits of her training.

I thoroughly enjoyed the session which ran for just under 1.5 hours and encompassed a rigorous practice followed by a lengthy guided meditation. Found it to be a wonderful combination of body and mind, which when you read below you will understand is the actual intention of Qi Yoga.

QI YOGA is a blend of the 2 ancient healing sciences of Qi Gong and Hatha Yoga to create an enhanced practice. It harnesses your seven chakras, the energy systems of the body, through various physical postures. Tapping on the meridian lines of the body allows blood to flow freely and oxygenate all the cells. This activity, in conjunction with fluid movements and supple joints, helps to clear stagnant energy from the body. The philosophy of Qi Yoga is not affiliated with any religion or deity, it instead focuses on your own self, ancestors, soul and personal goals. It incorporates balance in the union of mind, body and soul.

• DETAILS: Monday evening, 7:00-8:15pm. Manning Hall, at the corner of Bradshaw Crescent and Jarman Avenue.
• COST: $16.00 per casual class
• TEACHER: Fiona
• BRING: Your own yoga mat. I would also recommend bringing a blanket or cozy scarf to drape over yourself for keeping warm during the guided meditation at the end of practice.
• BEST BITS: Qi Yoga was different to other yoga practices that I have attended recently, plus I had never experienced the technique of tapping the meridian lines of the body before. I really enjoyed the practice because I believe change and a challenge is always the spice of life! 
• QI YOGA: www.qiyoga.org/uk/home

Ginny's Finding Fitness Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Change of Pace at The Yoga Space

I found last Wednesday's 45 minute Vinyasa yoga practice at The Yoga Space so enjoyable that I decided to head back over there today and bring my work colleague Jess with me to join in the fun!

One nice thing about yoga is the ability to share the benefits of your practice. During class you are expected to tune in to your own body and focus on your own movements. But before and after class you'll generally notice a real variety of actions and attitudes in any given studio. Some people clearly love to share, engage and interact with the people around them both pre and post-yoga. Others remain quiet and meditative before, during and after their practice. Whatever your method, it's totally cool and it's totally up to you. Just be sure to own your practice (by 'own' I mean 'make it your own!') and get out of it what you need.

Today I was seeking company, motivation and to share a practice I loved with someone who I knew would appreciate it. Bringing Jess along to this session with me was the ideal way to share the benefits of my practice in the company of a great friend!

Unfortunately Samantha informed us today that her 4:30pm session on Wednesday afternoons will no longer be running at this studio. However she will still be leading some classes at The Yoga Space, as well as in other locations too. Therefore I won't share the details of this class below (you can check out my post from last Wednesday 5th October if you're super keen) but stay tuned and I will hunt down another of Samantha's awesome classes in upcoming weeks!

• THE YOGA SPACE WEBSITE: www.yogaspace.com.au

Ginny's Finding Fitness Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★