Yoga in the Heart of Ireland

How would you like to relax, let go of the world outside and drift away into pure bliss? Well, Hodson Bay Spa is the place to go. Not only is a luxurious spa with a thermal suite and extensive unique treatments to choose from but there is also a hidden secret. And that secret is, Mevin. Mevin is a master yoga teacher who apart from been a dedicated spa therapist is also a yoga teacher. Mevin has practised yoga nearly twenty years with experience in different styles of yoga. Read on to discover so free meditation and breathing video exercises!

 

What is yoga to you?

Yoga helps you to connect mind, body and spirit. Yoga is not information to transform. When you practice you feel the transformation. And the way you can learn to live differently.

How long are you teaching yoga?

I am teaching yoga in the Hodson Bay Hotel for seven years. But I started practising when I was only fourteen.

That is quite young. What attracted you to learn yoga?

I heard Yoga brings flexibility to the body. I wanted to do a different exercise. Yoga creates a strong and flexible body. So, I felt it was what I wanted to do at that time.

You started yoga for flexibility, had you any idea of the journey it would take you on?

No, not really. I didn’t know about the goal of spiritually or the deeper connection you can achieve because I was young. Constant practice purifies the body, pushing out negative things and lifts the soul. I bought a lot of yoga books to learn more and tried to find a qualified instructor to help me deepen my yoga practice.

What type of yoga were you attracted to?

I learnt many types of yoga. I went to all classes without any prior knowledge of what type of yoga was been taught. In this way, I was experiencing each form of yoga. I had no preconceived idea of what I would learn. After these experiences, I started to study each of them.

So, after doing these different types of yoga, what did you discover is the essence of yoga?

It is the experience. The experience of what Raja Yoga brought to me, what Yana Yoga brought to me, what Hatha Yoga brought to me. It helped me keep an open mind and pass on my knowledge in my classes. When someone comes to me with a life problem, I will advise them, I will talk to them and know where they are at and what type of yoga is best for them.

So, when you say life problem. Is this emotional or physical?

It is deeper. Everyone is different. Some people would like to join a class for physical exercise like Hatha Yoga. They find doing the postures good for them. For others, they find the postures difficult and so Raja Yoga is suitable as it is more meditative where you connect to divine energies. Yana Yoga is where people like to read spiritual books like the Bible or other devotional books. They love to get the benefits of reading the knowledge.

So, when you teach, is it a combination of all?

Yes, in my classes, I teach how to relax properly, how to breathe probably with stretches and postures for alignment and connection to the breath. The mind and body connect to the whole body system to bring total benefit to specific body systems.
In today’s world, people like to do vigorous exercise which puts pressure on the heart and body. They force the body and internal organs for nothing. Yoga works with synchronised postures with breathing. We focus on bringing benefits to certain parts of the body, the lungs, the heart, the kidney, liver, pancreas, and other parts, the bones, ligaments and joints.

What is our body’s natural state?

Yoga should be included in your daily life. We need to practice some form of exercise to heal and relax the body. There are simple short yoga practices you can do. Yoga is more the exercise, the postures come from nature – cat-cow pose, bridge, tree and so on. It is completely connected with nature. Yoga compliments other exercise systems like gym workouts, swimming, running or cycling.
So, yoga is more than just exercise? How can it help me reconnect with myself?

Yes, yoga helps with your breathing and reconnection with self. We practice what is call prana breathing exercise. It is not like normal breathing.  With a breathing technique, we are releasing carbon dioxide, releasing stress, bringing clarity to the mind and relaxing the whole body system.

There are a few techniques of prana breathing to bring healing into your body, especially if you have diabetes or want to lose weight. These types of prana breathing help increase heat in the body and they restore the body.

What exactly is prana?

It is energy and chi in Chinese. There are different forms of energy in the body. We try to connect all forms of energy to create a central energy. The energy centres in the body are the chakras. There are seven major energy centres in the body. While practising the prana breathing exercise we channel the energy centres. This calms the mind, body and spirit.
When the mind is rushing you have a lot of tension and stress, so if you are given a task to do it is far more difficult if you are stressed. It is like the sea. If the sea is calm we can see clearly what is in front of us but when it is rough it is hard to bring clarity, to give good quality to our work.
So, when our minds are at ease and relaxed, we are able to do the task ten times better the while in a rushing mind.

What are the physical benefits of Yoga practice?

 

By practising yoga and breathing you can relax tension and calm the mind and body system. Some people prefer to take medication from a doctor for problems like depression, stress, tension or sleeplessness. Doctors prescribe sleeping tablets and other medication to calm the mind and body. These chemicals cause more problems to the mind, to the body. And some people get addicted to medication and can’t stop using it. This really destroys the whole body, your environment and connections with yourself and others. It disturbs the mind and body system. Yoga is natural and helps you find your own answers.

When guests stay at Hodson Bay and have the chance to do your class, what can they expect?

My classes are complimentary so you have a chance to relax for free! For these classes, I teach basic postures and breathing techniques to help relax properly. It is good to learn these techniques so you can have a fully relaxed stay. A lot of the time when you stay in a hotel you can still find you are not relaxed leaving. I feel people are more motivated, positive and happy after a class. A lot of people as to learn more and say they are going to find a yoga instructor when they go home.

Ultimate Escape & Relaxation by the Bay

So, if you are looking to really relax on your holidays, contact reservations at Hodson Bay Hotel. That is if you are lucky to vacation during the week.
Next time you book your stay in Hodson Bay Hotel check out the complimentary yoga classes.