11 Yoga Ways to Zenify Your Shanghai Summer
While the thought of bending yourself into a sweaty knot is not most people’s idea of a good time, we all have at least one yogi friend who totally ‘namastes that sh*t’. We spoke to Andrew Wang who is a yoga teacher for BYMB and asked him to tell us why we - Shanghaiers who mainly love brunch and free flow wine - should consider taking up yoga.
It's a sweaty detox after a long Friday night
We all know you probably went hard Friday night. So why not get a sweaty yoga detox session in before Saturday morning brunch. You will feel a lot better afterwards and not waste a whole day recovering from Friday night.
You'll regain some flexibility
Most of you probably sit at a desk Monday through Friday and due to things like shoes and chairs we have lost a lot of the mobility in our hips, shoulders and ankles that our ancestors had. They used to hunt, throw rocks, squat in order to go to the bathroom...most of us, do not. Time to reclaim that flexibility back.
You'll increase your strength
While yoga isn’t weightlifting, it actually works in a similar way. Holding your own body in certain poses can be a challenge and it improves your strength and endurance. Right when you’re on the brink of giving up, and you think you can’t hold a pose for one more second, count to five. You’ll see improvements in no time.
It will help you work on your focus and concentration
Disconnect from your cell phone and instagram for 90-minutes. Today, we are bombarded by all sorts of media, information, and funny cat videos. More importantly we are constantly bombarded by advertisements in the media which make us feel inadequate with our bodies and undermine our self-image. Take a digital detox and focus on all the things you can do with your amazing body, instead of comparing yourself to others. Learn to love your body.
You can take a long savasana after a long week
Even if you don’t LOVE yoga, everyone loves a long Savasana after a detox yoga class. The harder you work during the class, the sweeter the rest afterwards.
You'll meet new and interesting friends
Yoga students have a life outside of just Yoga (believe it or not…). People come from all walks of life. Come meet new friends in the Shanghai Yoga Community.
You can start living a more balanced life
Work hard, play hard and then you need to re-energize. Yoga is the perfect way to get a little zen back in your life.
Get to know your body
Yoga helps us understand our bodies better. Where our strengths are, and more importantly where are weaknesses are. You will definitely know where you’re tight after a yoga class and can work on stretching during or after work to help open up the body.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable
Every student has poses they love and other ones they are extremely uncomfortable in. By purposefully placing ourselves in an uncomfortable position, we can learn to breathe and relax into and fight our genetic programming that tells us to give up and come back to comfort. Our minds are programmed to seek pleasure and avoid discomfort of pain. Become mentally stronger by reprogramming your mind and body. But always practice safe, and feel free to ask your teacher for alternatives if a pose is hurting you.
Yoga teaches us to be okay having off days
Some days, our practice is amazing. Some days our bodies and mind and breath are disconnected. We all have off days in life, on or off the mat. Yoga teaches us to be okay with who we are at every moment.
You'll have fun during class!
Try new poses, inversions, backbends, arm balances. None of us are born with these skills. We practice and fail, A LOT before we get it. Have fun and keep trying.
Namaste!
If you’re interested in taking part in a Yoga class with Andrew, then sign up with BYMB by extracting the QR code below.
About BYMB
BYMB (Build Your Mind & Body) stems from the founding partners’ lifelong love of all things that nurture a beautiful mind and body. BYMB is a community for yoga lovers, providing exclusive classes in unique locations throughout Shanghai with world-class instructors.
How to use BYMB and book a class?
1. Follow BYMB on WeChat
2. Click “Classes” to see all the classes available
2. Scroll down to see all the classes available and select the one you would like to join
3. Example: Select 'Pink Party' and click 'Sign Up' to register
4. Once you signed up, select WeChat Pay to purchase the class and voila! You are registered!
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