Practical & Sustainable Yoga Mats & Clothes - Explained

Best guidance for Hatha Vinyasa / Restorative Yoga / Meditation classes taught in an urban yoga studio. 

NOTE: This advice is NOT from a HOT YOGA STUDIO.

CONSIDER THIS WHEN BUYING A SUITABLE YOGA MAT

The yoga mats we recommend are based on the type of practices we teach at Seva: Hatha Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga and Meditation.

Since the lessons focus on developing strong foundations from feet up, what this means is that your mat needs to offer a high level of steadiness while you are moving or standing still. Mats that are both sticky on the floor and under your feet or hands, work the best. 

The next thing we value greatly is comfort when in floor postures, either on knees, hands, belly or back where it supports your body weight. You want the mat to offer just the right amount of thickness which can absorb your body weight without sinking to the floor.

So we recommend you consider a yoga mat with these specifications:

Note that sustainable materials will always be the most durable and eco-friendly
So choose one made of Natural Rubber / Jute / High grip rubber
4mm to 6mm Thickness 
1-2.5kg in Weight
Minimum cost: $75 +

Here is a site with some reviews of the kind of mats that are quite popular with the above specs: 

https://www.reviews.com/best-yoga-mat/ 


TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING YOGA CLOTHES:

There are many schools of thought on yoga clothing and at Seva we value practicality and sustainability most, when recommending the correct clothing for practice. This applies to both men and women and we recommend you consider the following tips;

#1 While there are many fitness clothing brands, chose the ones that fit well, are durable and promote comfort and confidence. Eg: if you feel that you get hot very easily, wear a singlet underneath your full sleeve top. And for ladies, you can opt to a crop top under your singlet / tshirt / long sleeve top. You are allowed to change out of and into whats right for you, in class. But over time, this fluctuation in body temperature will reduce, so you won't need to worry about this for too long.

#2 Always choose materials that are fitted and flexible which assist in feeling light and mobile.

#3 Choose natural fabrics that are suitable for the warm or cold season, ones that allow you and your skin to breathe. 

#4 If you're attending a Restorative or Meditation class, chose clothing to support stability in your body temperature which will support your focus while still. Clothes that promote a natural warmth but not overheat or cool you.

#5 Avoid Synthetic and Polyester fabrics because they trap sweat and become breeding ground for bacteria on clothes and body.

Here is an article on fabrics used in fitness to consider before buying:

https://www.shape.com/fitness/clothes/10-fitness-fabrics-explained 

Remember: You don't need much to practice yoga and the attire and props do not define you as a practitioner. However from a pragmatic sense, the correct attire and accessories do assist and support, should you chose to invest with the right intention and clarity. 

Many get swayed by appearances in magazines and websites but Practicality and Sustainability will always help guide you when you chose the ones right for you. 

Practicality refers to suitability of the item for the type of activity you will be participating in and Sustainability refers to being both good for your health and how long you will be able to use those materials. 

Practicality and sustainability don't need to mean the cheapest or the most expensive. You can define what they each mean to you by just starting wherever you are right now, on your yoga journey. Then work your way to the best for where you want to go next.

Did this help you? 

If you have questions or comments, share them below so we can have a conversation about this.

Why Is Being Present So Hard?

Hi my friends,

One of the chief complaints with many of my clients is about the unending mind chatter they find themselves in. This is also a big issue as it becomes a cause for relationship breakdowns, communication barriers, limited self expression and loss of joy in life.

It's a commonplace for many experiencing difficulty being present in personal, spiritual, professional activities because of this never ending chatter. And if you look this up you will find many names for this issue like depression, anxiety, stress disorder, schizophrenia and on and on and on.

Has diagnosing helped with the problem yet? What about the medication? Have they helped dissolve the overactive mind's nature to be overactive? Have we been able to medicate without distorting the person's energy and spirit? I am yet to find the perfect example. Not saying medicine does not help but the question is not about the diagnosed condition. The question is about how did the mind get in that condition in the first place? And just to clarify I am here sharing my personal opinion from my own experiences and from having worked with clients that helped me arrive at my understanding of the cause.

And very commonly I found it to be; DISCONNECTION from a very early age.

As one grows and matures, they start to notice their inner uncontrolled mind's way, a growing disconnection appears within their life, their storyline, body, mind and spirit. These minor fractures in connectivity to one's whole self, can also show forms of conscious adaptive behaviors, coping mechanisms, unconscious behaviors and then behavioral patterns to being some acceptable way, that neither changes nor improves the situation. Fear starts to make itself more visible, anxiety increases and everything becomes conditional.  Eg: I'll be happy if ____ when ______.  Or I will do it when I have ______. Or I can't, not me. Or If s/he does this then I might _____.

When we look at ourselves so closely, having accumulated decades of experiences, is it of any wonder there are so many thoughts and beliefs that need our attention and review? But where most people chose to back off or distance themselves is when they feel guilt or shame arising from not feeling Okay in life (especially being a grown adult)!

Of course education on self-awareness, personal development is never on anyone's priority list since the common man's story is systematized from birth to death starting with academic development, to increasing the net worth, growing the blood line, and keeping up appearances on what's working better than ever.  Also because we are not encouraged to seek education on how NOT to dump our stuff on others and practice self-care and be better friends, partners, colleagues and parents.

And sooner or later, the patterns of disconnection do dominate and sabotage success or forward movement.

So what's the solution? CONNECTION. It's also a rite of passage! If you believe you were not born to work, pay bills, and feed mouths and sleep through life only. If you believe that you were born to learn, grow, love and serve, then it is a rite you will be called to take. Yes, your inner / higher self will call you out. The inner chatter will get louder till you do something about it. 

Establishing a Connection to your personal life, storyline, body, mind and spirit is a rite to reclaim personal power, integrity and sovereignty.

Connection is also the fundamental pillar of increasing health in all areas of life like finance, career, relationships, vocation, spirituality, business and creativity. But it takes special effort and willingness to develop and open our hearts this way.

So all and all, this article is about understanding and thinking differently to pave a way from disconnection to connection. To invite ourselves to become friends with the inner chatter. Getting out of the falsehood that some day the volatility will vanish in one swoop second. That some mystical experience will take away all the disconnection we have been cultivating by and without choice in all this time.

Ever since I can remember realizing the urgency to respond to my inner chatter's call, I have invested multiple thousands in dollars and hours for developing myself, educating myself for my mind and body. To have cultivated a strong heart to create a life that supports my well being despite the storyline I was born into. And I want you to know that its available for you too.

The dividends come in many and unexpected ways and I am so grateful to get to share with you this possibility of deeper connection with yourself. Allowing your higher self to guide your steps, breaking the ties with disconnection and growing stronger from within.

All my programs are tools of self-awareness and personal development to creating a different mind, body and life trajectory. And if you're curious - go to www.sevayoga.com.au or send a message with your questions.

What did you think of this article? Please comment below with any questions you have or if you had any Aha moments of your own.

Much love,
Supriya Roy (Ayurveda Practitioner, Yoga Teacher Trainer)

Are you Practicing Or Performing yoga?

Hello my friends,

Scorpion pose / Vrschikasana

Have you ever thought about how the advanced yogis can do a scorpion pose so effortlessly? Think back, maybe you dismissed it thinking "Ah, that'll never be me" and forgot about it?

Okay how about something in the media? Have you thought about how Oprah became one of the most influential women in the world? What about the players in your favorite sport team? How do they keep winning all those games? Last one! That role model at your workplace or your circle of friends? Do you wonder how they manage to show up 110% every single day?

Would you believe me if I said: Because these people are special, born with super-powers, with special privileges over everyone else? Or would you believe me a little more if I told you that it took Oprah many failed attempts to find her personal best, and that every one that shows up extraordinarily today has had to put in their own personal practice to be the person they are with such ease. I have a suspicion you'd believe me if I confirmed that the extraordinary level of presence does not happen overnight, nor is it accidental.

You might say "Of course Supriya, we all know Rome wasn't built in a day" and "That's why I don't really think about these people too much because I don't have that much time to practice like them".

There is another insight to the act of practice and I recently found a great example through an interview I watched on classical Indian music. Arijit Singh (one of my fave) an acclaimed indian singer said that he would never perform classical songs, because it is not for performance to an audience. His guru would never allow him to perform while he was still in training because he went on to share that what is for the audience will always be judged and during a practice we are not doing it for anyone else but just ourselves. Lastly, he said what he sings to practice (classical music) is to understand music, and it is not something the audience has the right to hear.

Proof of extraordinary performance lies in the quality of practice.

We were assigned to instruct Parramatta Eels for a whole year. Before starting we expected to be working with athletes that were ready to tackle yoga poses like they tackle their big games.  Much to our surprise, most of them had long term injuries and they needed to be taught yoga poses that helped them manage and improve their healing process. What we noted was that these guys would literally spend 90% of their time practicing, starting from the break of dawn, working with many specilists developing as athletes, and only 10% of their time was spent in games. You all know the rest (I don't) but I'm sure they're a very successful team people can count on.

How can we learn from this?

The awesome yoga videos on Youtube or your yoga instructors are not in practice mode when they are showing you the form. What you don't realise is that there is a personal practice behind the finished product. This is the intelligent way to do things, in any role. It helps prevent injuries and tiring trying to be the teacher and everything else in life. Right?

Then why is it that we forget that our regular practice time is NOT a demonstration?

Yoga is not a supplement for anything else. It is a self-awareness program. Your time for practice is to learn about yourself, how you can better understand your own emotions, energy, body and mind. The more time you spend in practice you get better at listening to yourself and become a better partner to yourself.

We often come to the mat with baggage from our day and automatically start pushing the body in and out of yoga poses, the same way we got to class, without even batting an eyelid. Don't get me wrong yoga poses, the form is an important part of the practice too. However you are not a machine, and you are not performing for a show. Your time on the mat, is that sacred time, to check in, re-fill and return to balance.

On the mat, let your guard down, especially with yourself. Hot Tip: when you are in practice mode, you are not in a place where there is a haste of getting out of the pose. Unless you're in the wrong place. You can change your pose, and should be able to hold steadily for as long as instructed, calmly  breathing. So how you set up your mentality matters since auto-piloting is very close to performing.

A yoga practice - be it for a beginner, intermediate or advanced practitioner will always allow room for self-reflection, comfortable breathing and stability before any further progressions are taken from a very safe place of connection to the body.

Connection is everything. Yoga is not a race toward another fancy yoga pose (that comes and goes). But its developing a readiness, a quiet confidence and trust in one self to hear instructions correctly to keep moving forward, steadily. Then you can bet you will sustain your growth and development in whatever you put your mind to. You won't just be a one hit wonder :)


You might be seeking different information on how else yoga can transform your life, your practice and the way you see this world. I'm sharing my 13 years of experience in a yoga teacher training program starting this September. If you've been practicing yoga under a teacher for a couple of years and feel these queries within, you can head over to THIS SITE to see what the course entails and Apply ONLINE. Applications close 10 September 2019 and the next one will commence in 2020.


Please share your comments below and share if this article was useful to you. Has it helped you understand yoga or your practice? Did you have any Aha's reading it? I would love to know.

Thank you for allowing me to share my insights with you.
Supriya Roy (Ayurveda Practitioner & Yoga Teacher Trainer)

3 Tips to Improve Your Yoga Inversions

Hello my lovely yogis,

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

I'll be teaching a workshop called 3 Yoga Inversions in August and there I'll be showing you how to improve your inversion practice in 3 easy ways.

We will learn to apply my 3 tips to each inversion and hopefully you will feel safer, confident and encouraged to take 1 more baby step toward your personal inversion practice.

Tip #1 is STABILITY:
This is a MUST with all inversions since one of the worst enemies of an inversion is that wobbly feeling. So the number 1 practice for when you're on your neck, hands, arms or head is learning how to stabalize the parts that wobble.


Tip #2 is COMFORT:
When it comes to feeling comfort in inversions, you might be thinking "is that even possible?" Yes, when you know that it's a mind trick. Just know that Tip 1 is all about creating that physical comfort and the rest of the discomfort is coming from your mind. If you don't mind your mind, it will give you all the grief. So you must train it to keep the attention from going toward fearful thoughts of landing on the person next to you, face planting or toppling over to the other side.

Tip #3 FOCUS:
Ultimately all inversions are designed to improve your mind body focus. Don't be fooled into thinking you won't lose your focus. In fact, you will need to work even harder at it. So make sure you remember this, just in case your mind thought that by doing an inversion you get focused - no, it's a chance to develop your ability to focus. :)


Well my friends, I hope to see you at the workshop where I'll be teaching you how to put these tips into action in 3 variations of yoga inversions. Hopefully we will try a Headstand, Forearm Balance and Handstand and come out feeling like the books say we should: THE KING / QUEEN OF ALL YOGA POSES.

Workshop will be held at 9am on 11 August 2019 at Seva Yoga studio, Parramatta

>>> By the way, let me know if this article helped you. I'll be sharing more along the way as I have been teaching this stuff to my trainees and students and thought to share it here as well.
>>> Did you like this blog? please give it a like and share it
>>> Got a question? Post it here and I'll write back.

Supriya