Recently I have been looking for new and exciting ways to improve my mental and physical health. Yoga has always been something I’ve wanted to try, but I must admit I struggled to find the motivation to visit an actual yoga studio and join a class full of people who are probably more experienced than me.
When I came across the opportunity to take part in a virtual yoga class taught by an Olympian, from the comfort of my own home. I knew it was time to push the boat out and step out of my comfort zone!
This online mindful yoga class was led by the amazing Pauls Pujats. Pauls is an Olympic pole vaulter. He was a finalist in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and is now training for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics!
I was super excited to meet Pauls and learn more about his training, and how he uses yoga in his fitness routine. Pauls learned yoga from the yoga master and Buddhist monk Vladimir Kalabin. He has been practising his yoga skills for over 10 years now, so it is safe to say I was in expert hands!
To start off the lesson, Pauls asked what I wanted to get out of this session, and I said I wanted to learn more about yoga and improve my flexibility. Pauls then ensured that the class was tailored to what I wanted to learn, which made the whole experience feel really personal!
He then began to teach me “yoga flow”, which involved focusing my breath to enter a meditative state. Pauls was so helpful and made sure I was doing all the positions correctly, teaching me to pair my breathing with fluid movements to perfect my yoga flow technique.
He then moved on to Shavasana. I laid down on the floor whilst Pauls prompted me to relax each part of my body one by one, until I was in a complete state of relaxation. This was a magical experience, and I almost felt as if I was sinking into the floor!
To finish the session, Pauls answered my questions. I was particularly interested in finding out how to improve my balance. He showed me two moves that if practise doing every day, I’ll have perfect balance and be that little step closer to being a yoga expert myself!
Thanks for reading!
I would highly recommend this class if you, like me, want to get into yoga from the comfort of your own home. Pauls was amazing and made my first yoga experience very enjoyable. At just £19 this session is amazing value for money, not to mention you get to meet an Olympian!
