PRESENTER (British): Good morning everyone. A new community program called Yoga in the Park will begin this Sunday at Hyde Park. Two yoga instructors, uh. . . me, Tom Blacksmith, and my wife Pragya Malik, will be offering free hatha yoga classes for anyone who fancies a bit of exercise outside while it’s still warm. The classes will be begin at 09:00 sharp and continue for one hour and fifteen minutes. All participants should be over the age of 16. Free mats will be provided, and the session is open to newcomers and experienced yoga practitioners alike. If you’re a newcomer to yoga, I will be teaching a gentle beginners class to increase flexibility and introduce students to basic breathing techniques. For those of you who are seasoned yoga students, Pragya Malik will be teaching an advanced class consisting of advanced yoga poses.
Now, Yoga in the Park was started with a simple goal in mind: to spread the awareness of healthy yoga practises among the community at no cost. Both Pragya and I have heard a lot about people who are interested in yoga, but are unwilling to pay the high club fees at yoga studios. As a result, many people attempt yoga at home, either from books or by watching videos online. The problem? A lot of injuries can occur without professional guidance. So, Pragya and I decided to offer our services for free one day a week in a public space. We’re both certified instructors who received our certification in Mumbai. We studied there together for six years. After getting married in India, we returned to London and opened our studio several years back in 1998.
Just to give you an idea, hatha yoga originated within Hinduism and it is one of the oldest styles of yoga in the world. It is probably the most common type of yoga that is taught in the West. In a way, it’s designed to help restore balance. It involves a little bit of meditation, some deep breathing, and exploring some different physical poses. So, it’s a great way to manage stress. But there are also several other health benefits to hatha. For example, it increases flexibility. It also helps with blood circulation. Physical as well as emotional, mental and spiritual balance can be restored through practising hatha yoga. Of course, there are many other benefits, but these are the most common benefits that my students mention after attending classes regularly.
Finally, we’re excited to be offering the class outdoors. At our studio in Soho, we teach indoors, so it’ll be refreshing to be practicing outside. The warm sunshine this time of year and the fresh air will make the classes even more pleasant.