Yoga & Zumba with Lena

4 Aug

My wife, my daughter and I recently experienced early morning Yoga at Warren Strand with Lena*. We were so uplifted by the experience, our subsequent chat and the wellbeing and mindfulness potential of West Cork, that we decided to add a new section to the website - “Mindfulness & Wellbeing”. We will add other experiences, activities and practices that we come across and that fit in with our ethos and values in this section.

*We paid for the session, this is not an advertorial (we don’t offer advertorials) and Lena did not know who we were.

*Lena O’ Driscoll, Yoga & Zumba Instructor - Warren Strand, West Cork. Ireland. Images(©) by* *Michel Colaci Photography*

Lena explains about her practices and their benefits:

Reconnecting with nature is the theme and emphasis around both outdoor Yoga and Zumba classes to benefit body and mind, make you feel more in tune with yourself and the world around you. There is no denying that no matter what, nature will always help you to be calm, have more clarity and make you feel better! Many of the poses in the yoga practice are named after animals and their movements. Taking classes outdoors can help people to open their minds up to whats around them even if it’s just simply enjoying the birds song. It will make you more present and fully awakens your senses. A cool gust of wind or even the smell of blooming flowers to make you be in the moment. It is a change to your usual routine. By practicing outside, you will appreciate the beauty in the little things you normally take for granted.

*Images(©) by* *Michel Colaci Photography*

The sun and vitamin D: During the winter months, we miss the sun! Starting or ending your day with a class outside means an added vitamin D dose. Vitamin D is essential. It is a great mood booster, keeps our bones strong and muscles healthy. You’re healing, maintaining and improving your body with vitamin D from the sun. Soaking up the vitamin D naturally during the classes helps to bring about greater vitality and energy. A bonus is being in the magic of a sunrise or sunset class.

Lastly, outdoor yoga and zumba benefits your mental health. It’s not new to us that getting outside, back to nature and moving our bodies is good for our psyche’s and can expand our consciousness. Practicing yoga and zumba outside combines exercise, releasing endorphins and the natural world. These two work incredibly well together, improving your sense of self, from feeling more confident and happier to carefree and open. Yoga is such a beautiful practice and one that can be taken up any time, with minimal equipment and time. Right now more than ever, we need to take care of ourselves; know who we are; draw our attention inwards to our inner dimensions and reality; exercise our bodies; be able to express ourselves in Zumba and enjoy the outdoors when we can.

I have always admired the Yogis that went out into the wilderness to be at one with nature and in West Cork one has the opportunity to do the same. Yoga encourages you to reflect, relax, destress and most importantly, reconnect with nature. What could be a more liberating, exhilarating and wonderful way to enhance well-being than being grounded to the Earth’s energy; looking at the view of the ocean; having the grass or sand surrounding you; hearing the noise from the sea waves and breathing the fresh air into your lungs.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga integrates the mind, the body and the spirit and forms a strong connection to the heart. It helps people to re-connect with their soul and soul purpose, expands consciousness and clarifies things in people’s lives and can help to fullfill personal destiny. With the wisdom gained through self-awareness, you will come to know yourself deeply, directly, and powerfully. With regular daily practice, you will see your body transform, feel more energetic, and actually be more happier and more compassionate. The practice of yoga is a decision to believe in yourself against all odds. It is a choice you make to walk down a self-empowering path toward your own liberation from suffering and to true freedom.

Many of us do Yoga and Zumba in studios, halls or rooms where it can be too crowded, sticky and hard to breathe so, I offer an alternative and relief from the busy indoor classes most of us are used to by taking my services to the beach and park.

Having a deep admiration and fascination with Brazil, Colombia and Portugal and how the people live there, I thought to bring a taste of Latin culture to West Cork for a positive experience. In South America, I saw that people are always happy, dancing and having fun. We can do the same here in Ireland having more of an open culture so, Zumba on the beach could be ideal to raise the vibes.

What a delight to see people lift their spirits and get high with the cheerful beats and rhythms of Zumba’s Basic Steps: Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia and Reggaeton.