w1ll.co A GUIDE TO YOGA IN MODERN LIFE

w1ll.co A GUIDE TO YOGA IN MODERN LIFE

Our modern lives can sometimes feel overwhelming and stressful. With the responsibilities we have to juggle - work, our health and our relationships, we can often forget to take time for ourselves. It s little wonder so many of us can sometimes feel we lack clarity, purpose and feel off-balance. This is why more and more people are turning to yoga as a way of balancing themselves and reducing the stress of their daily lives. However, there s still a strong misconception that yoga is a practice reserved only for those who have an innate ability to perform all those difficult-looking poses or the ones who wish to become vegan and are seeking a more spiritual path. "AT W1LL, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT YOGA IS FOR EVERYONE. IT'S NOT ABOUT BEING PERFECT, IT'S ABOUT BEING IN TUNE WITH YOUR BODY, INCREASING YOUR MOBILITY AND STRENGTH TO FIND MORE BALANCE." Our modern lives are busy and stressful, and yoga can help us all to navigate it more calmly, mindfully and with more purpose. In this guide, we re going to look at what yoga is and how you can start incorporating it into your life. We ll also offer you some inspiration from the founder of W1LL, businesswoman, entrepreneur and mother of three Jacinta McDonell. After reading this guide, you ll understand why yoga is so important, how it can help you become a happier and healthier person and how you can get started with practising. w1ll.co 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 WHAT IS YOGA - AND WHY SHOULD YOU START PRACTISING IT? 4 YOGA CREATES A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU 5 YOGA IS EASY TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE 6 W1LL YOGA BREAKS AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL MOULD 7 START INCORPORATING YOGA INTO YOUR LIFE w1ll.co 2

WHAT IS YOGA - AND WHY SHOULD YOU START PRACTISING IT? You ve probably seen plenty of images of toned, beautiful people holding what appear to be impossible poses on your Instagram feed. They re often set against stunning backdrops and accompanied by hashtags in a language you don t understand. It doesn t exactly make yoga seem accessible to everyone! In fact, the idea that yoga is only for the incredibly beautiful, flexible and fluent in Sanskrit couldn t be further from the truth. Yoga is something anybody can do, and you can easily fit yoga into your daily routine, reaping the benefits for both body and mind. The modern approach we take at W1LL is all about the following principles: Anybody can do it: You don t need to have done any yoga before to get started. Simply start out with our intro class and learn the foundations of the key poses, and build from there. Everyone s body is different: Your body is unique. It will respond differently to a pose than someone else s - and that s completely okay. Yoga is about getting in touch with yourself, it s not a competition. We don t encourage comparison or judgement and understand our bodies feel different from day to day let alone year to year. Consistency is key: It builds our strength, purpose and allows us to progress. This is the whole premise of why we design our classes in 12 week seasons so we allow progression and evolution before we move to the next season. Yoga is a practice: Even those who have been practising yoga for years find certain poses difficult. Sometimes you can do postures well, and sometimes your body will be feeling a bit sore and not too flexible! As a practice, yoga isn t about pushing past your limits, it s about knowing your body well enough to understand when it s time to pull back. And you will improve certain postures over time the more you do them. w1ll.co 3

YOGA CREATES A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU Over half of Australian workers have jobs that involve sitting at least some of the time, Safe Work Australia has found. In fact, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that on average, we spend 39 hours every week doing sedentary activities. We sit down at our desks during the working day, we sit on the couch watching Netflix, just as we do when we re driving or catching public transport. Health problems are on the increase as we spend less time being active and more time immobile. Sitting down for prolonged periods of time has been associated with musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and poor mental health. Yoga practice has been proven to have some incredible health and wellness benefits that can combat the sedentary nature of modern life. Let s look at some of the ways it can help you: Yoga can improve your cardio-metabolic health: A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found yoga practice performed by study participants improved body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Harvard University research also shows yoga helps lower blood pressure in people who have hypertension. Yoga has a positive impact on weight loss and maintenance: Harvard University research also found those who practice yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week over a four-year period gain less weight during middle adulthood, and that people who were already overweight when they began practising lost weight as a result of practising yoga. Yoga makes you happier: An increasing amount of research is being done into the psychological benefits of practising yoga. It s been shown to improve mental health, reduce stress, increases energy and feelings of positive self-esteem. The bottom line: Yoga will make you happier and healthier! Just ask W1LL s founder Jacinta. Jacinta s yoga journey began back in 2009. She d recently launched the Anytime Fitness gym franchise in Australia, was working a lot and trying to fall pregnant with her second baby. She started going to yoga studios to de-stress, and found it had a big impact on her wellbeing and stress levels. w1ll.co 4

"I STARTED TO NOTICE IF I DIDN'T GO FOR A WEEK THE DIFFERENCE IT HAD ON THE OTHER DAYS THAT I HADN'T BEEN. SO I STARTED TO APPRECIATE WHAT A PRACTICE COULD DO, EVEN IF IT WAS JUST AN HOUR A WEEK." As a mother, working professional and entrepreneur, yoga helped Jacinta manage her everyday stress and allowed her to get more in touch with how her mind was working. One of the powerful things about yoga is it gives you time to stop and reflect on your inner dialogue - those thoughts you re having that could be helping or hindering your personal growth, your business growth, or just your life in general. And with the help of yoga, Jacinta s gone from strength to strength! With over 455 clubs in Australia, Anytime Fitness has grown to be Australia s number one health club chain. The mother of three hasn t stopped, either - W1LL, her latest business venture, is proof of that. YOGA IS EASY TO INCORPORATE INTO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE Even practicing yoga for just 30 minutes a week has amazing benefits. You ll get the most out of going to a studio class and learning how to perform the poses - it s important to do them right so you don t injure yourself. But the great thing about yoga is you can do it anywhere! Here are some easy beginner poses you can practice in your own time: Downward dog Child s pose Warrior Cobra w1ll.co 5

With online classes, you can practice poses like these in the comfort of your own home. Technology now makes it easy for you to practice yoga wherever you want. W1LL s online classes give you the benefit of an instructor guiding you through your practice, and you won t need to leave your bedroom or living room! Available on your laptop, phone, tablet or TV, it s yoga in your own time. W1LL YOGA BREAKS AWAY TRADITIONAL MOULD FROM THE In traditional yoga classes, you might find that sanskrit words or phrases are used, which can be difficult to understand, especially if you re new to practising. So W1LL has taken a modern approach to an ancient practice. We want to make sure everyone feels at ease in their practice, so we ve designed our classes to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone. No matter where you re at in your yoga journey - just starting out, familiar with the basics, or have been practicing for years - W1LL offers you a judgement-free environment. At W1LL, we re proud to be unconventional. The concept behind W1LL all started with Jacinta s dissatisfaction with traditional yoga studios. "DURING MY YOGA PRACTICE I STARTED TO GO TO MANY DIFFERENT STUDIOS HERE AND OVERSEAS. I LOOKED AT WHAT I LOVED ABOUT YOGA AND ALSO STARTED OBSERVING THE THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STUDIOS I WAS PRACTISING IN. I STARTED TO QUESTION 'IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS PRACTICE? HOW WOULD I ENJOY THIS MORE?'" w1ll.co 6

Six years ago was when Jacinta first had the idea to start her own studio, and at this time not a lot of thought was put into the experience people had in yoga studios - the way things sounded, looked and felt. Jacinta sought to change all that, which is why W1LL is centered around music. Rather than simply being in the background, as it often tends to be in most yoga classes, music leads the practice. Jacinta and her team have also put a lot of effort into making W1LL s yoga studios aesthetically beautiful to make you feel comfortable while you re practising. And by incorporating alignment and massage into the classes, W1LL is an all-round sensory experience; a modern take on an ancient practice. START INCORPORATING YOGA INTO YOUR LIFE W1LL offers classes to suit all levels of experience. If you re interested in trying out yoga and experiencing the benefits for your mind and body, our beginner studio classes are a great place to start. You don t need to have done yoga before, and our expert instructors will guide you along your journey to ensure you get the most out of your practice. Visit w1ll.co today to find out more about W1LL and to sign up for a class. w1ll.co 7

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