'There's strength in tranquility'

Yoga is often hailed as a discipline that dates back to more than 5,000 years ago. Studies now contest that 'well-known fact', but whether those sun salutations are an ancient art form or a modern-day practice, one thing is for sure: yoga has come a long, long way. Though it was once linked intrinsically to spiritual enlightenment, today, it has evolved to accommodate so much more - so that we now have aerial yoga, paddleboard yoga, tantrum yoga (practitioners "scream and stretch their way to better health") and even, no kidding, goat yoga (look it up; you won't be disappointed!).
Arguably, the mass appeal comes from yoga's more holistic effects on both body and mind. One only needs to speak to any of the more devoted yogis (the ones tagging their Instagram photos with #yogaeverydamnday) to discover all the different ways in which the practice has changed their lives for good. For Australian expat Stephanie Mulet, who's been practising the discipline for over 10 years, it effected an entire change in outlook and put her on to tranquility yoga. In a world where everyone is far too quick to react and go on the offensive, the 32-year-old private instructor says yoga taught her to slow down and take time to respond to negative situations. And it's a lesson that stems from the physical act of balancing, stretching and breathing itself.
"Practising yoga helped me gain a new level of awareness about my own body," says Stephanie. "You have to put all your awareness into each pose, know what each part of your body is doing. which helps quieten your mind. You start focusing on your breathing, and slowly become aware of the silence behind the chatter of your ego."
Creating that awareness, she adds, helps you control negative thoughts - and once you do that, you're able to turn the tables to start thinking more positively. "You find that your body can go deeper, stretch further, do that hard pose you didn't think you could - and, slowly, that positivity starts coming out to the world too."
It's a change in perspective that gives her the resources to deal with the curveballs of life. Where, previously, she used to jump in and judge a situation immediately, she's now learnt to go with the flow. "Rather than resisting the situation, I simply accept that it is what it is for a reason. In yoga too, you might feel like a particular stretch is too tight or too hard. But once you learn to breathe and let go, that's when you relax and are able to go deeper into the stretches. So, it's about physical exercise, but it's also so much more."
Unfortunately - albeit not surprisingly - this softer approach to life is not one many would subscribe to today. Being a 'softie' comes with rather negative connotations in a world where aggression is seen as a far more effective tool - as far as achieving results is concerned. Stephanie begs to differ. "It's true that strong and hard people are seen as better leaders, but I think being too hard and too strong makes people less accepting [of others]. It's all the hard and strong people that are creating the tension and wars, so we actually need more soft people to break that down. And I think it's only through loving everyone more that we'll find peace with each other." Don't equate softness with weakness though, she cautions. "You need to be strong in order to be soft, loving and vulnerable," notes Stephanie, who used to work in the corporate world, before giving it up to teach yoga full-time. "There's strength in that kind of tranquility."
Interestingly, since yoga is about balance, you can't be too soft to practise it either. "It requires strength to push yourself into the challenging poses. You need to have a strong back in order to do a backbend, for example, or you'll just break your spine. As a discipline, it softens what is hard and hardens [the muscles] that are too soft and need strengthening."
For the uninitiated, Stephanie offers a word of encouragement: age is no bar, when it comes to yoga. "I learnt to do a full split at the age of 30," she says. "I never had the patience to push myself into those deep flexibility poses, but I gave myself a goal and practised every day for 3-4 months till I got it. The secret of yoga is to relax. It's not about age - but learning to get comfortable in your discomfort."

Keep calm and... stretch!
Stephanie Mulet offers a step-by-step guide to three yoga poses that can teach you patience and concentration, while helping you relax

Child's pose (Balasana)
What is it: This is an easy beginner's pose to help ease anxiety and promote relaxation. It helps to release tension in the back, neck and shoulders, areas where most people hold a lot of their stress. This pose also helps to promote relaxation by focusing on steady conscious breathing, which is particularly great for sufferers of anxiety, as it helps calm the nervous system.
How to: Begin on your hands and knees with your big toes touching. Your hands should be directly under your arms and your legs hip-distance apart. Exhale as you bow forward allowing your torso to rest on or between your thighs with your forehead on the mat. Keeping your arms long and extended, press into your hands, keeping your sit bones on your heels. Hold this pose for as long as you need to. When finished, slowly use your hands to lift your torso upright and sit back on your heels.
Trainer's tip: Keep pushing your sitting bones towards your heels if they don't touch, so you keep lengthening your back, without having all the pressure going forward.

Dancer's pose (Natarajasana)
What is it: This pose works on flexibility, strength and balance - all at the same time. It's a chest and heart opener, backbend and hamstring stretch that 'opens' you and promotes concentration.
How to: Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Inhale, shift your weight onto your right foot, and lift your left heel toward your left buttock as you bend the knee. Reach back with your left hand and grasp the inside of your left foot or ankle. Engage the right thigh, lifting the knee cap up, so the standing leg is strong and stable to keep your balance. Extend your right arm up straight above your head, in line with your body. Once stable there, begin to kick your left foot back into your hand, keeping your left arm straight and let your shoulder roll back and chest open. At the same time, begin to lean and reach forward with your right arm, so the left leg and right arm are in one line like a lever. Always reach forward as you kick back, trying to extend and straighten the left leg behind you.
Trainer's tip: Make sure you focus on a point in front of you and reach actively towards it to maintain your balance.

Headstand (Sirsasana)
What is it: An intermediate to advanced pose that teaches patience and persistence, it helps you find strength and balance while being upside down. Once you find that balance, it helps calm the brain and relieve stress by focusing on steady breathing and the awareness of the body's place in space.
How to: Start on your hands and knees, and bring your forearms to the mat, shoulder-width apart. Keeping your elbows there, interlace your fingers so that your pinkies touch the mat. Place the crown of your head onto the ground and cradle it in your hands. Tuck your toes and lift your hips high, then walk your feet in closer to your elbows.
Engage your abdominal muscles and press your forearms onto the mat, lifting out of your shoulders to make sure you don't have too much pressure on your head and ensuring the weight is mainly on your forearms and elbows. Slowly bend one knee and lift the foot off the ground and bring your thigh tucked in towards your belly. You can practice lifting one leg and then the other, until you feel steady and can bring both legs tucked in bent towards your belly.
Once you can hold them steady, tucked in, then straighten your legs and lift your feet straight up over your shoulders and hips until your legs are completely straight overhead. Keep your gaze fixed and hold for 5-6 breaths (or longer if you desire).
When you're ready, lower your feet down, one at a time, and bring your knees back to the mat. Rest in Child's pose for three breaths.
Trainer's tip: Make sure you are always firmly pressing into the elbows so the shoulders are lifted away from the ears. This takes the pressure off your head and neck, which can cause injury if done incorrectly.
karen@khaleejtimes.com