Minding your mind
Dublin based, Wexford born Maura Rath begins her days at 6am for her personal yoga practice before joining her online community for the 7am club.
This 30 minute kind yoga class follows a monthly theme and finishes with a blissful meditation suitable for even the most easily distracted. Her community gained momentum throughout lockdown with Maura admitting that it brought a whole world of online yoga that she didn’t know could exist. She now divides her time between her online classes and her new Dún Laoghaire studio. Niamh from The Hali Team spoke to Maura to learn how it all began.
You’ve built an impressive yoga community in recent years. Can you share your journey to yoga and how it has shaped your life?
In 2011 I moved to New Zealand where I joined my first yoga class. It was Bikram style, which is yoga in 42-degree heat. The girls were all in their Lululemons and I was so stiff, I felt quite out of place. I actually didn’t enjoy it at all, but the spiritual side really appealed to me. I was working long hours in a corporate job at the time, and the best part of my day was getting to my yoga class. It helped me to reset and I felt like I really got addicted to it.
In 2017 I bit the bullet and I travelled to India so that I could study yoga where it originated. On completing my training, my initial plan was to come home and teach one class on a Saturday. I thought that would be enough – but I fast realised that I couldn’t go back into an office and that yoga was what I needed to do.
When I joined your 7am club I felt like I began my day in a state of calm, I was mentally clear and ready for the day. Is there an ideal time of day to practice?
For me, the morning is best. I only practice for about 10 or 15 minutes before I teach. It means that my brain is feeling clearer, my body is working better and then it’s a more enjoyable day. Traditionally yoga is practiced morning or night, so it’s whichever suits you. As long as people can find time that works for them, that’s the main thing.
Yoga connects the body to the mind like no other exercise. In your opinion, how does yoga affect our mental health?
Yoga gives you a better awareness of your body and brings everything in tune, you feel more in control when everything is connected. If you’re breathing and moving right and you feel good in your body then the mind starts to feel good as well.
Yoga has the power to take you out of your mind and into your body.
You describe the practice of yoga as a moving meditation, linking movement with breath. Can you share the benefits of such a practice?
I encourage my yogis to deepen their inhale as they move, bringing more oxygen into the body and the mind which allows your blood to flow better. The noise of your breath can just flush out all the over thinking. It brings your cortisol levels down and helps destress.
People have two nervous systems, the sympathetic is associated with the fight or flight response, and the parasympathetic system is where you slow down and relax. We should spend more time in this system, and with just 5 to 10 calming breaths we can make the switch. Yoga has the power, in just 20 to 30 minutes to take you out of your mind and into your body.
What advice would you give to beginners?
People always say that they can’t even touch their toes, so yoga couldn’t be for them. I tell them to bend their knees and they will reach their toes! Just start. Since lockdown we don’t have to commit to a studio, we can do it from our own home, just choose a five minute class on YouTube.
I always advise to start small because if you sign up for something that’s too strong or you feel like it’s out of your league it might turn you off it.
For people who can’t fit a lengthy daily practice into their schedule, how little is enough?
Start small! Shorter more regular practices are actually more effective. If you did ten minutes, three mornings a week, after a couple of weeks you would see a massive difference in your flexibility and mindset.
When you let go, you start to really grasp the magic of the practice.
What advice would you have for anyone joining you in meditation for the first time?
There is a misconception with meditation that it is about emptying your mind, which is impossible. I love taking people on a journey through visualisation style meditation. Simply let your thoughts be. Let them pass like traffic passes by, but don’t attach yourself to them. Your work and life is going on outside of your yoga mat, but you can stay there and just breathe. Again you can start with two minutes, sometimes people start with ten and it’s overwhelming, but everyone can do two minutes.
Be kind to your mind
Beyond using yoga to calm our minds, we can make small changes in our daily routines to benefit our mental wellbeing. Eni from The Hali Team who uses mindfulness techniques daily advises that simply put, it is the ability to be fully present. To be aware of our surroundings and to not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by life.
The first step to living mindfully is to to listen to the world around you. “Notice the sensations of things, the food you eat, the air moving past as you walk,” says Professor Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. “This may sound small, but it has the power to interrupt the ‘autopilot’ mode we engage”.
The practice of mindful eating in particular has gained substantial momentum in recent years. People are more aware of the importance of being present and increasing their food experiences. Our daily routines are busy, we eat standing up or walking to our next meeting and it is no secret that such habits can harm our digestive system and provoke issues. Anything done too fast usually means less focus and quality.
So how do we enhance our eating experience?
With these four easy tips!
- Take three deep breathes before your first bite.
- The first two breaths to bring yourself into the moment and third to focus on the scent of your food (even chocolate has one!).
- When you take your first bite focus on the flavours you are sensing, really take 20 seconds to recognise the various flavours present (it helps when you
are eating something you love). - Make sure to chew each bite 20 to 30 times.
- Avoid watching TV or playing on your phone, pay attention to your surroundings and simply observe.
The ground beneath
How often do you find yourself rushing without taking in your surroundings? Meditation isn’t all about being still, mindful walking helps us to bring our attention to the present moment. Slow down and pay attention to the ground we are walking on and it’s texture – is it grass, tiles or wood? Start your journey with a visit to your local park or beach where you can feel a different surface beneath you. We love Tully Park and Killiney beach. Take off your shoes and feel the grass or sand, it can have a healing and grounding effect.
Pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths to help you focus on your surroundings, the various sounds
and smells.
We invite you to slow down and share your favourite walking trails with us @livewithhali.
Minding your mind
Dublin based, Wexford born Maura Rath begins her days at 6am for her personal yoga practice before joining her online community for the 7am club.
This 30 minute kind yoga class follows a monthly theme and finishes with a blissful meditation suitable for even the most easily distracted. Her community gained momentum throughout lockdown with Maura admitting that it brought a whole world of online yoga that she didn’t know could exist. She now divides her time between her online classes and her new Dún Laoghaire studio. Niamh from The Hali Team spoke to Maura to learn how it all began.
You’ve built an impressive yoga community in recent years. Can you share your journey to yoga and how it has shaped your life?
In 2011 I moved to New Zealand where I joined my first yoga class. It was Bikram style, which is yoga in 42-degree heat. The girls were all in their Lululemons and I was so stiff, I felt quite out of place. I actually didn’t enjoy it at all, but the spiritual side really appealed to me. I was working long hours in a corporate job at the time, and the best part of my day was getting to my yoga class. It helped me to reset and I felt like I really got addicted to it.
In 2017 I bit the bullet and I travelled to India so that I could study yoga where it originated. On completing my training, my initial plan was to come home and teach one class on a Saturday. I thought that would be enough – but I fast realised that I couldn’t go back into an office and that yoga was what I needed to do.
When I joined your 7am club I felt like I began my day in a state of calm, I was mentally clear and ready for the day. Is there an ideal time of day to practice?
For me, the morning is best. I only practice for about 10 or 15 minutes before I teach. It means that my brain is feeling clearer, my body is working better and then it’s a more enjoyable day. Traditionally yoga is practiced morning or night, so it’s whichever suits you. As long as people can find time that works for them, that’s the main thing.
Yoga connects the body to the mind like no other exercise. In your opinion, how does yoga affect our mental health?
Yoga gives you a better awareness of your body and brings everything in tune, you feel more in control when everything is connected. If you’re breathing and moving right and you feel good in your body then the mind starts to feel good as well.
Yoga has the power to take you out of your mind and into your body.
You describe the practice of yoga as a moving meditation, linking movement with breath. Can you share the benefits of such a practice?
I encourage my yogis to deepen their inhale as they move, bringing more oxygen into the body and the mind which allows your blood to flow better. The noise of your breath can just flush out all the over thinking. It brings your cortisol levels down and helps destress.
People have two nervous systems, the sympathetic is associated with the fight or flight response, and the parasympathetic system is where you slow down and relax. We should spend more time in this system, and with just 5 to 10 calming breaths we can make the switch. Yoga has the power, in just 20 to 30 minutes to take you out of your mind and into your body.
What advice would you give to beginners?
People always say that they can’t even touch their toes, so yoga couldn’t be for them. I tell them to bend their knees and they will reach their toes! Just start. Since lockdown we don’t have to commit to a studio, we can do it from our own home, just choose a five minute class on YouTube.
I always advise to start small because if you sign up for something that’s too strong or you feel like it’s out of your league it might turn you off it.
For people who can’t fit a lengthy daily practice into their schedule, how little is enough?
Start small! Shorter more regular practices are actually more effective. If you did ten minutes, three mornings a week, after a couple of weeks you would see a massive difference in your flexibility and mindset.
When you let go, you start to really grasp the magic of the practice.
What advice would you have for anyone joining you in meditation for the first time?
There is a misconception with meditation that it is about emptying your mind, which is impossible. I love taking people on a journey through visualisation style meditation. Simply let your thoughts be. Let them pass like traffic passes by, but don’t attach yourself to them. Your work and life is going on outside of your yoga mat, but you can stay there and just breathe. Again you can start with two minutes, sometimes people start with ten and it’s overwhelming, but everyone can do two minutes.
Be kind to your mind
Beyond using yoga to calm our minds, we can make small changes in our daily routines to benefit our mental wellbeing. Eni from The Hali Team who uses mindfulness techniques daily advises that simply put, it is the ability to be fully present. To be aware of our surroundings and to not allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by life.
The first step to living mindfully is to to listen to the world around you. “Notice the sensations of things, the food you eat, the air moving past as you walk,” says Professor Williams, former director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre. “This may sound small, but it has the power to interrupt the ‘autopilot’ mode we engage”.
The practice of mindful eating in particular has gained substantial momentum in recent years. People are more aware of the importance of being present and increasing their food experiences. Our daily routines are busy, we eat standing up or walking to our next meeting and it is no secret that such habits can harm our digestive system and provoke issues. Anything done too fast usually means less focus and quality.
So how do we enhance our eating experience?
With these four easy tips!
- Take three deep breathes before your first bite.
- The first two breaths to bring yourself into the moment and third to focus on the scent of your food (even chocolate has one!).
- When you take your first bite focus on the flavours you are sensing, really take 20 seconds to recognise the various flavours present (it helps when you
are eating something you love). - Make sure to chew each bite 20 to 30 times.
- Avoid watching TV or playing on your phone, pay attention to your surroundings and simply observe.
The ground beneath
How often do you find yourself rushing without taking in your surroundings? Meditation isn’t all about being still, mindful walking helps us to bring our attention to the present moment. Slow down and pay attention to the ground we are walking on and it’s texture – is it grass, tiles or wood? Start your journey with a visit to your local park or beach where you can feel a different surface beneath you. We love Tully Park and Killiney beach. Take off your shoes and feel the grass or sand, it can have a healing and grounding effect.
Pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths to help you focus on your surroundings, the various sounds
and smells.
We invite you to slow down and share your favourite walking trails with us @livewithhali.
Follow @yogawithmaura to begin your mindful journey as part of her community.
Learn more at yogawithmaura.ie.
The Hali Team also recommends the Calm app to help you on your way. Learn more at calm.com
