7 Things We Learnt About Yoga From Amafah Mubashir

Everyone has different things that help them relax. Some people watch netflix in bed, others hang out with friends and some do yoga. Yoga is known to increase flexibility, improve circulatory health and maintain a balanced metabolism. A lot of celebs such as Meesha Shafi and Mawra Hocane swear by yoga, but what exactly is it all about? We asked Amafah Mubashir to answer some of the questions you guys sent in regarding it so keep scrolling to read 7 things we learnt from her:

1. Every Body Type Can Do Yoga!

For all those people that are under the misconception that yoga is only for a certain body type, Amafah is here to say that’s wrong! Regardless of what kind of body you have, you can still do yoga (and anything else you want to do in life!). “You don’t need a specific body type to practice yoga. You can be of any size, any age – as long as you have the motivation to do it, you can do yoga,” says Amafah.

2. Yoga Can Help With Period Cramps

Lets all just agree that period cramps are a nightmare. They result in lazy days spent in bed with hot water bottles and chocolates. But according to our expert, if you gather some energy and hit the yoga mat, you can actually experience a reduction in pain! Amafah, who has PCOS and terrible cramps, says, “yoga really helped me curb the cramps.”

3. Practice Makes Perfect

The more you do something, the easier it gets – that’s a rule of life. It applies to yoga as well. You might not be able to stretch till your toes or have the same flexibility as your instructor in the first class, but that’s normal and expected. Amafah says that “as long as you’re going to your class regularly and doing your asana practice, your flexibility will improve.” Practice and consistency in your practice makes all the difference.

4. Yoga Can Help With Your Mental Health

There have been studies that claim that there is a link between yoga and mental health. It’s been known to reduce stress and muscle tension, and just like any workout, adds to building confidence and sense of self. Our expert too, says that “A lot of people do come in here to work on their inner peace and their mental well-being so if the breath flow and asana practice works for you, it works for you.”

5. The Yoga Poses Not To Do If You’re Pregnant

Pregnancy is an amazing experience, but you often have to make changes in your routine keeping your baby and pregnancy in mind. One such change is the kind of yoga poses you do. Doing yoga while pregnant can be beneficial, but Amrah says “you don’t want to put pressure on your belly in any way. In twists, you need to be careful you aren’t compressing your belly in any way.”

6. Reki Is Energy Healing

Yoga uses some terms that not a lot of us are familiar with. Asana? Is that something to do with a sauna? Is it a breath movement? In actuality, it’s a yoga posture. Similarly, reki isn’t something many of us would know a lot about. But Amafah, who happens to be a certified reki practitioner breaks it down for us. “It’s energy reading. It’s like going to your therapist without talking. I do an energy reading with you and then if you want to talk about it afterwards, you can. Sometimes visuals pop up, sometimes emotions, sometimes you can even just fall asleep.”

7. Yoga Is Good For The Skin

We are all always looking for ways to get healthier skin. But before we layer product over product, we should also be aware of the more natural methods through which our skin can improve. Exercise in general is meant to be good for your skin because blood flow is increased so, your skin cells are revitalised. Yoga has similar benefits and Amafah says “any inversion where your legs are over your head is amazing for the skin.”