“Notice the weight of the air around you, notice the surface of your skin, now begin to blur the outline of your being so it feels like no boundaries exist between you and the universe, helping you to feel more grounded and present, right here, from moment to moment” Sonja, Honestly Yoga.
Sonja from Honestly Yoga is a Mornington Peninsula legend. Her soulful Vinyasa Flows and technical know-how are second to none. Sonja is a 200 HRS RYS instructor and former Jazz Ballerina. She has trained in Ireland, Northern Italy and in the USA and is certified to teach yoga, meditation, pranayama, aerial, and kids yoga. She is also a Legacy Ambassador for Lululemon.
]]>Soulful & Inspirational - Sonja from Honestly Yoga is a Mornington Peninsula legend. Her soulful Vinyasa Flows and technical know-how are second to none. Sonja is a 200 HRS RYS instructor and comes from a jazz ballet background. She has trained in Ireland, Northern Italy and in the USA and is certified to teach yoga, meditation, pranayama, aerial, and kids yoga. She is also a Legacy Ambassador for Lululemon.
ASANA BLUE Founder, Pam, sat down with Sonja to get the low down on her journey to Yoga.
Sonja, why do you practice yoga?
I practice yoga for many reasons, primarily because it keeps me healthy both mentally and physically. My practice also encourages me to press pause on a busy life with a toddler and to re-connect with my sense of self.
I also do yoga because it makes me feel physically spacious similar to that feeling of having just experienced a massage. But also, I practice because it makes me feel more spacious in my mind. When I practice yoga my thoughts are not at the forefront of my mind which allows it to rest. This then helps me to connect with myself and others, in a more calm and open manner.
And most importantly, I practice to dwell more in the moment, far away from the past and the future. I guess they call that mindfulness these days or like to call it, being in the magic of the moment. So I do yoga mostly to be in the magic!
Why, and when, did you start Yoga? Was there a specific event that prompted you to begin your yoga journey?
I started yoga in the late ’90s, I spotted a flyer in a window which was captioned, “yoga six-week course” next to that caption was a picture of a woman dressed in a leotard with tights doing a very contortionist style yoga pose (asana). As I read the flyer I thought to myself, perhaps I should try yoga, maybe it will complement my dance background and help me to maintain the flexibility in my body.
Way back then, there were only a handful of yoga studios in Victoria and yoga had just started appearing as a practice in the West. Yoga studios and the style of yoga offered about 20 years ago was vastly different compared to today.
In my first encounter with yoga we practised mid-morning in a fairly dark candlelit room, my first session within that six-week beginner course was spent entirely on the breath (pranayama). Prior to that class, I had no idea how important my breath was to me, especially in terms of my moods and how I can use different breathing techniques to help calm me. I looked forward to every Saturday for the next six weeks, where for those two hours I thought about nothing else but the movement of my body and the flow of my breath.
Prior to my first yoga class, I had no idea just how much the practice of yoga was going to positively impact my mental health and not just my physical body. Right after my first class, I realised for the first time in my young life I was able to pivot my attention away from my busy mind which left me feeling very mentally calm.
To this day I believe that there’s really no other practice like yoga in terms of the effects it offers both mentally and physically, I have continued to practice yoga to this very day some 24 years later.
Even though yoga in the West has evolved over the last twenty years where the classes are shorter, the rooms are lighter and there’s more leggings and fewer leotards, the positive effects of a yoga practice remain the same. I am completely addicted to yoga (in a good way).
What benefits have you experienced throughout your own journey?
The biggest benefit I have experienced during my yoga journey, other than feeling healthier in my spine and less tension physically, is that I have learnt to appreciate small things much much more like really enjoying and realising how good a simple cup of tea is or a really good conversation with someone else is. I think we should all appreciate these sorts of small simple things a lot more than we do.
What is your favourite Asana and why?
This is a terribly hard question to answer, as I love so many, but I will pick three:
Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) because it feels so good for my lower back and lengthens the front of my thighs and my hamstrings.
Child’s Pose (Balasna) because it feels so nice for my whole spine but also feels like I have cocooned into myself which I find to be incredibly relaxing and calming.
Finally, Legs up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani) I love this pose for the back of my legs and my neck, both these parts of my body feel really relaxed in this pose and I love that I can do this from bed too. I normally use a couple of blankets to my elevate my seat in this one.
Do you have a favourite gesture, prayer or teaching you'd like to share with Asana Blue's YogaHUB community?
I sometimes say this grounding exercise at the beginning of a yoga class to ground whoever’s in my class before their practice begins:
“Notice the weight of the air around you, notice the surface of your skin, now begin to blur the outline of your being so it feels like no boundaries exist between you and the universe, helping you to feel more grounded and present, right here, from moment to moment”
Where can our YogaHUB Community find you?
I teach at Hot Hut in Red Hill @hothutyoga and at Two Birds Yoga in Mount Martha @twobirdsyogastudio, and at the Peninsula Hot Springs @peninsulahotsprings. You can also find me on YouTube at Honestly Yoga You Tube
Connect with Sonja:
Instagram @honestlyyoga
Facebook facebook.com/honestlyyoga/
Pinterest pinterest.com.au/honestlyyoga/
From Asana Blue and the Australian Yoga Community, Sonja we salute you and thank you sincerely for the dedication and love you bring, not only to every practice but to the world around you. xx
Jessica Hobson is the General Manager of The Yoga Foundation, an Australian based certified charity that delivers evidence-based yoga programs to people living with mental illness and experiencing disadvantage that prevents them from accessing yoga.
Jessica, do you practice yoga personally?
I went to my first yoga class when I was living in Hong Kong in 1999 - and didn’t look back. I have enjoyed practising regularly since then. It is a very important part of my life, my wellbeing, a constant friend, and something I can see myself doing forever, as yoga is perfect for all ages and life stages.
Why did you start yoga and what benefits have you experienced throughout your own journey?
I started yoga 20 years ago because I wanted to try something new with my friends. We enjoyed attending classes together - it was really quite social. I benefit in many ways: I have tools and techniques to manage stress or tension: something that is part of all our lives. I love that yoga offers so many key elements of living well: keeping active, being mindful, breathe, practising gratitude. Yoga is the whole package and adapts with you as your life changes.
What are the services offered by The Yoga Foundation?
For the last ten years, The Yoga Foundation has designed and delivered yoga programs for people who can’t access yoga easily. We work with a range of people in hardship with mental health concerns including:
People benefit in many ways from social connection, psychological and emotional changes to improving their physical condition. Many of our beneficiaries are dealing with complex conditions and struggle to find activities that suit their needs: we find that our programs enable them to achieve their goals, grow their self-esteem and confidence, build resilience and a sense of agency. It’s wonderful to witness.
How did you become involved with The Yoga Foundation?
I had enjoyed a long career in publishing and was looking for a role with social impact. That was five years ago: working as the General Manager for The Yoga Foundation is extremely fulfilling. I absolutely love it.
What is your favourite moment working with The Yoga Foundation?
My favourite moments are when a beneficiary feels transformed by yoga and embeds it into their lives.
Two of my many favourite moments are:
Yoga doesn’t suit everyone - but it does work for many and for them it can be a revelation.
Do you have a favourite gesture, prayer or teaching you’d like to share with Asana Blue's YogaHUB community?
"Anyone can breathe. Therefore anyone can do yoga”. T.K.V. Desikachar
We teach breath focused yoga and our mission is to make yoga accessible to those in need - most of who feel they can't do yoga. They can.
Where can our YogaHUB Community find you?
The Yoga Foundation run outreach programs so we do not have a studio; we teach across Sydney and greater Sydney at hospitals, specialised high schools and other NGOs. Check out our website, social platforms and video for more information.
www.theyogafoundation.org.au Facebook Instagram The Yoga Foundation Video
Yoga Foundation teacher Harriet, Mission Australia Program student Wendy and Jessica Hobson (Right)
At ASANA BLUE we believe everyone has the right to live outside the bounds of poverty, depression and anxiety.
]]>YogaHUB Member Emily King is a 200hr Yoga Teacher and former Ballerina. She is an ASANA BLUE Ambassador not only for her amazing Yoga prowess but because she embodies a beautiful soul, an amazing spirit and exudes personality, light and joy wherever she goes.
ASANA BLUE Founder, Pam Moorhouse, sat down with Emily to get the low down on her journey to Yoga.
]]>Emily King is a 200hr Yoga Teacher and former Ballerina. She is an ASANA BLUE Ambassador not only for her amazing Yoga prowess but because she embodies a beautiful soul, an amazing spirit and exudes personality, light and joy wherever she goes.
ASANA BLUE Founder, Pam Moorhouse, sat down with Emily to get the low down on her journey to Yoga.
Why do you practice yoga?
Emily: The answer to this is actually quite simple, Yoga makes me feel safe, comfortable and empowered to be me - goofy giggles and all.
When did you start Yoga and was there a specific event that prompted you to begin your journey?
I rediscovered yoga at a pivotal moment in my life when I decided to stop professional Ballet, a career I aspired to have for over 20 years. The negative self-talk and lack of self-respect took over my emotional and physical wellbeing.
I vividly remember my first yoga class and recall a nervous, embarrassed young lady defining and identifying herself as a Ballerina. As time went on, I would delve so deeply into the practice of yoga, and meet such incredible people, it was a no-brainer when I learnt my favourite teacher was offering Yoga Teacher Training.
What benefits have you experienced throughout your own journey?
Oh, so many! In my time studying, performing and being a Ballerina I developed habits where self-love was non-existent. Through my yoga journey, I have melted away the negative thought patterns and have truly developed a sense of authentic self-love.
I am still working on letting go of perfectionism. Striving for perfection is impossible and exhausting. Through Asana practice I find myself giggling when I fall, smiling when I forget the name of a pose, or confuse my lefts and rights, and most importantly I am learning to let go of the unnecessary pressure to look, be or perform in a way that is not authentically me.
What is your favourite Asana and why?
I love handstands! These days, I am upside down more than I am the correct way up! The release of perfectionism and introduction of playfulness that I lacked in my ballet training and profession have been anchored through the handstand Asana.
Do you have a favourite gesture, prayer or teaching you’d like to share with our YogaHUB community?
Favourite grounding mantra: "Show up, be seen, don't shrink." - Brene Brown.
A powerful pranayama (breathing technique) to calm a racing mind - Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing):
Learn More
Learn more about Emily on her Instagram page @emilyking_ or blog Be Moved
You can find Emily teaching classes at the following studios, but be quick because her classes sell out!
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ASANA BLUE's YogaHUB is a platform to prompt positive discussion, to introduce some of the wonderful people living, working and practising within the Yoga community. We'll hear from Yogi's from all walks of life...teachers, students and industry leaders.
We're excited to share our authentic conversations from the ASANA BLUE YogaHUB Community.
]]>We're excited to share our authentic conversations from the ASANA BLUE YogaHUB Community.
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