Moving Into Mindfulness

When you’ve practiced yoga for as long as Tanya Kocsis (@yogawithtt) has, over 20 years, and has taught for over 10, it’s hard for her to remember a time she wasn’t practicing yoga. As a person who has always been active with many different sports, it wasn’t until her twenties that she was introduced to yoga, through watching her mom doing a yoga class in front of PBS. Although they hadn’t discussed it, Tanya shares that her mom was taking a reprieve from her daughter and son who kept her busy and on her toes.

Tanya remembers that she got her start after college, it was an exciting time, but didn’t know who she was yet. She didn’t feel like an adult, but felt she needed to be an adult. We’ve all been there.

Yoga provided the nervous system regulation she needed at that time. She learned it was okay to be uncomfortable, it’s okay to not know. It wasn’t just a physical practice for her. The physical practice of yoga was actually a gateway in, because moving her body in a concientous way allowed her to tap into the mindfulness piece, the nervous system regulation that vastly improved her mental health.

Tips for getting started:

If you would like to try yoga, but have no idea what to do, there are so many tools and information online that can help. Here are some thoughts from Tanya.

1. Find a group class- you can look online, or ask your friends who go to yoga, what might be a good place to go to in your area. Before walking into the studio, it is helpful to contact the studio and let them know you are starting and what class would they suggest you start with at their studio, so you can have a better opportunitiy to have a good first experience. Choose the one you felt most comfortable talking to when asking what would work for you in their studio. Wear comfortable clothing, bring a mat (or you can usually rent them from the studio), a hand towel and water.
2. Go with a friend- Sometimes going alone can be intimidating. Find a friend who would like to go with you, to make it more fun and comfortable.
3. Online Classes- You can go online and find classes free classes on YouTube. Make sure to pay attention to how long the practice will be (some as short as 5 minutes to as long at 90 minutes) and what type of practice it will be, as there are many styles of yoga you can do- from Hatha, to Vinyasa, to Iyengar. Familiarize yourself with the different types of yoga so that you can choose one that is right for you.
4. Guided meditations- You can find guided meditations on Spotify or Apple Music. Meditation is very much connected to the practice of yoga. Guided meditations can help you focus and also let go of stresses we carry with us every day.
5. Remember that movement is an act of self-love. Our bodies are medicine, they need movement. Choose to do what you love or what you’re interested in. Do it regularly, be open to learning and positivity, and let it be love.