Since I have been practicing yoga, I have learnt something new about myself after each and every class. These lessons make me more aware and encourage a greater sense of self. Yoga encourages and facilitates of self-awareness. Yoga helps me to realize I cannot control everything and it prepares me for the unexpected.

Before doing yoga, I was not very aware of my body, I could feel my hands, my feet, and where my head was on top of my neck. I know that at that time I thought I was aware of my body. Since the first day I practiced yoga, I realized I could actually control my muscles! I found I have the power to relax them one by one, to tense them, to release them, and stretch them. That was a big discovery in that first class, that’s the main reason why I found the yoga practice to be so powerful, every day I was becoming more aware of my body, such a discovery!

hot yoga

The yoga is practiced in a hot room were once the class starts, you are not allowed to leave. And as a result you will benefit from just being there feeling all the energy of the others. There is a mirror in front of you in order to correct your postures, in order to appreciate and be aware of every inch of your body, and to smile at yourself, which is a great way to use that mirror. In the hot class the teacher does not practice with you, instead the teacher uses her voice to guide you. You need to shut off your mind so that you can listen to the instructions. All these ingredients of the class mixed together help to cultivate more self-awareness. The voice of the teacher is loud and every person must find what feels right in each pose, and what is too much for your body.

Since the beginning of every yoga practice my body becomes more in tune with myself, and slowly I begin to become more aware of where my breath is and how my body is that particular day; I become more aware of everything that surrounds me. Sometimes this is not an easy process, as my mind jumps from one thought to the other like a monkey the whole day; so to stop that little monkey inside my head is not an easy job, might take some minutes, might begin to jump again during a pose, and is ok to be aware of it without just trying to stop it. I find that the class is a process for me, too slowly peel away my ego, layer by layer; with the help of the teacher’s voice, with my breath and the mirror. Every breath is a new chance to be aware of everything around me, to be aware of my own self.

The more I practice the more I find a deeper awareness of my body, and this is when my practice evolves and the more advanced my practice becomes. And for advanced I don’t mean super challenging poses, but more meditation, more honoring what my body is saying and paying more attention.

Yoga is being present, being aware of how I act, how I respond, were I respond from, how is the other and how is everything around me. That’s why I look for the yoga in daily life and take all the learnings that happen inside the room to outside the room, sharing my strength with everyone around me.

Ana Lopez

After dedicating her full attention to hot yoga for two years in Madrid, Ana fell in love with hot yoga and its benefits. She got certified with Evolation Yoga in 2014 and now she is teaching yoga in Helsinki, Finland. Ana owns a hot yoga studio there as she has discovered that Finns can really benefit from yoga with the hard climatic changes that surrounds them. She truly believes in healing the human body with the energy of asanas and correct stimulation.