The saying ‘practice makes perfect’ is fundamental to yoga. Seasoned instructors like Hansen Lee owe their enviable flexibility to hours of yoga routine at home, outside hours from the studios. While he’s a huge fan of communal classes, the TV host and emcee can’t live without self-practice, which he invites you to try for extraordinary inner peace this International Yoga Day.
When showbiz personality Hansen Lee isn’t charming an audience or pumping weights at the gym, yoga sessions balance his inner state of being. Regular self-practice has made him more agile and youthful, too, with a dose of self-reflection that’s tangible if you’ve ever experienced one of his energising yoga classes.
Although yoga isn’t competitive in nature and preaches kindness to self, the practice is a beneficial discipline to one’s body, mind and soul. Hansen is living proof that the more you self-practice, the more you’ll mature in your yoga journey. Whether you’re a novice or a regular wishing to start a personal routine, there’s no better time than International Yoga Day on June 21, to adopt a safe and secure routine from home, plucked from Hansen’s personal experience.
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Self-practice teaches you to trust your gut instinct and intuition
“I love the communal aspect of practicing yoga for its collective, calming and introspective energy, that also helps people center themselves. But a self-practice, in my opinion, is paramount to further your yoga journey. As there isn’t someone giving you cues or making adjustments to your alignment, it forces you to trust your own gut instinct and intuition while you are practicing.
There’s also the practical aspect of having the consistency and access to the practice that ensures that you get the most out of it.”
Building your own home yoga practice
“In the beginning, if you have no experience learning some of the basic sequences at studio classes, I’d recommend getting some direction from an experienced yoga teacher online. You can find them on YouTube, YogaGlo or Cody App. Once you have familiarized with what you need to do on the mat, I highly recommend trying it out on your own.
It is totally ok to not know exactly how each pose or movement should be done, a lot of the benefits really come from figuring it out
As long you are practicing with a sense of mindfulness, attention and kindness towards yourself, your practice will grow and it will be uniquely yours.”
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