Resolutions for a New Year: All star hacks for a healthy new you
If you’re looking to deal with “pandemic pressures,” or just be a healthier version of yourself, a spiritual teacher is recommending one practice you must incorporate.
Cairns
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AFTER two years of living with uncertainty, many people across Far North Queensland are looking to find peace and escape what one Cairns yoga instructor called, the “pandemic pressures.”
Wild Heart Yoga Tribe studio owner, Jay Horton, 29, said no matter what people want to achieve with health and fitness in 2022, being able to hit the mental pause and reset button is critical.
Mr Horton has been teaching at his Edge Hill studio for five years and said no matter what sport or other fitness activity you may be into, yoga has enormous benefits.
He said being able to balance out all the pressures of your work and home life is important to avoid being overwhelmed particularly with the spectre of the pandemic lurking in the community.
“The main benefits people get from yoga is mindfulness, they learn how to connect their mind, body and this is what makes it different from other sports or going to the gym,” he said.
“It’s not about achieving the perfect posture, it’s about the resistance of the body putting energy into healing and the liberation and freedom mentally that yoga can give.”
Mr Horton said no matter your age, fitness level or background, there’s a style of yoga which will work for you.
But he said the first step is to give it a go – and to let go.
He said the studio offered a range of styles that promote healing, flexibility, strength and alignment.
“So many of us are stuck in a worry about the future or the past,” he said.
“Yoga brings mindfulness which lets us be in the present, be in the moment.”
And in case he sounds a little too airy-fairy, according to Roy Morgan Research drawn from Australian Bureau of Statistics data in 2015-16, around two million Australians regularly participate in yoga.
And a scientific review by Australian and UK scientists published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2021, found that a regular yoga practice can also help to alleviate the symptoms of depression common in many mental health disorders.
The review involved the researchers analysing 13 studies that included more than 630 people with mental health problems. and findings included that study participants who practised yoga experienced a significant reduction in symptoms of depression and the more yoga participants practised each week, the fewer symptoms they showed.
For Mr Horton, being able to share the benefits of yoga to a wider community is a significant part of what motivates him to run the studio which offers 30 classes a week and several more intense workshops each month.
He said Wild Heart Yoga Tribe offers seven variations of yoga from slow and claiming Hatha through to energetic Vinyasa, Power, the reconnecting Kundalini and the gentler Slow Flow sessions.
“We have students of all ages from teenagers through to seniors with a very diverse mix of people,” Mr Horton said.
“It’s good that our classes bring together a variety of people who might not normally ever meet, there’s a real melting pot of the community here.”
While for some people, yoga is the main game, Mr Horton said its also hugely beneficial for those who also love to play intense sports.
“Yoga helps you focus, helps you be in the moment and achieve one of the hardest things which is mindfulness,” he said.
“Being able to pause, process thoughts and breathe fully, feel your heart beating and be where you are is important.”
He said the simple things can be the most challenging, as many people don’t know how to relax and slow down.
“Our goal is to make yoga accessible to everyone,” he said.
WALKING TOWARDS A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
WALKING her beloved dog Bindi along the Cairns Esplanade, local resident Nell Riccardi might not be the fastest but she is certainly one of the happiest people out on a Sunday morning stroll.
For Ms Riccardi, stepping out in the early morning sunshine, enjoying the water views and stopping it seems, every few metres, to say hello to other dog walkers as Bindi greets their four legged friends with a happy sniff and a woof, makes these Sundays all the more precious.
“These walks are lovely, they allow Bindi and I to socialise,” she said.
“It’s really good for her to get out and meet other dogs.”
Ms Riccardi who uses a walker, is proof that you don’t need to pound the pavement to enjoy the benefits of staying active and getting out in the fresh air.
She’s not alone, with the Heart Foundation saying that walking at a brisk pace for just 30 minutes day can lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes by 30 to 40 per cent.
Along the 2.5km long Esplanade paths any morning, hundreds of residents and visitors can be seen strolling, running, jogging, walking (with and without dogs) or simply enjoying the stunning water views.
Many people also stop along the way to use the “green gym” small exercise stations located along the foreshore, while others are having fun on the sandy volleyball courts, skate plaza or cooling off in the lagoon after their walk.
WHEELY GOOD WAY TO STAY FIT
YOU don’t need to wear a yellow jersey or spend a fortune on a flash road bike to have a great time and have enjoy good health on two wheels.
While there’s plenty of people for whom jumping on their treadly is a fun and frugal way to get around town while they stay active and healthy, for those who want to go the distance and improve their riding skills, there’s a number of regular bunches around Cairns who like a challenge.
One group comprising a couple of dozen of the city’s keenest riders meet up for the weekly Cardiac Ride.
On Sunday the bunch included Cairns Cycling Club’s junior track cyclists, Chloe Buckley and Will Emeleus, who have been selected for the Queensland squad.
Along with a dozen other riders, they took off on the weekly training ride where they will clock up at least 50km to keep fit for the annual FNQ Hospital Foundation fundraiser, the 333km Cairns to Cooktown ride.
Cairns Cycling Club coach Richie Bates said interest in riding is increasing.
“We have around 200 riders in our club ranging from those who want to race to recreational cyclists,” he said.
“There’s a much broader church of people looking to ride a bike nowadays, which I think is really great.”
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