If someone had said to me 5 years ago that “You will become a Sauna Yoga instructor“, I would have laughed.
Now I´ve completed the basic Sauna Yoga instructor training. And it feels the most natural thing for me.
Life is funny!
“Find yourself in silence”
Silence. I´ve thought a lot about silence during the last 5 years. And I´ve been in silence a lot too. In nature while walking in the forest and at home watching our little princesses sleeping.
And in sauna. Very familiar place of silence for Finnish people. A space that has natural slowing down and calming effect on people. Not only Finnish but on all people.
No matter where I´ve experienced it, I´ve learned how silence nurses the wellbeing of mind and relieves tensions in my body. Silence have taught me mindfulness, being more present in my life. It has taught me to listen to my body and mind and stay connected to myself. And see clearer what are the most meaningful things in my life.
We all need some silence around us to be well and feel balanced. We need quiet time and silent spaces for our mental and physical wellbeing.
That´s what I´ve learned during the last 5 years.
The first time I heard about Sauna Yoga was when Tiina Vainio´s book “Sauna Yoga: Finding calm and relaxation” was published. “Interesting”, I thought. However, Sauna Yoga did not get my full attention back then. Just a year before I had found ashtanga yoga and my life was full of baby stuff. I had no time for anything else.
In the beginning of this year I saw the Sauna Yoga video above. In the end of the video there’s a sentence: “Find yourself in silence“. I realized that it is something I truly believe in. I have personally experienced how silence has taught me to know myself better and helped me to grow who I really am.
I have found myself in silence.
I read more about Sauna Yoga and watched more videos. It became clearer to me that Sauna Yoga and my thoughts about wellbeing had more in common than I had known.
I contacted some companies that I knew in my home region and asked if they would be interested in to let me arrange Sauna Yoga for their customers. They all were! I was stunned and happy.
A new, exciting piece in my life’s puzzle (and SaimaaLife puzzle) had found its place.
Just like the piece related to my co-operation with Visit Finland had found its place a while earlier. After I had realized the similarities between my blog and Visit Finland, and especially their theme “Silence, please“.
Sauna Yoga – Simple exercises for different abilities and ages
Simplicity. That´s another thing why I think Sauna Yoga is great.
After I had fallen in love with ashtanga yoga I thought a while to become an ashtanga yoga instructor. But ashtanga yoga is one of the most physically challenging forms of yoga. Because of that it´s not the most suitable yoga for all.
I think that everybody should have a chance to enjoy the positive physical and mental effects of yoga. Like my mom for example. She has been interested in yoga already a while. However, I can´t recommend ashtanga yoga for her. But Sauna Yoga I can. The oldest Sauna Yoga customers are over 80 years old, so my mom has still many decades to go!
“Sauna Yoga sequence is a 30-minute exercise that consists of six poses. Sauna Yoga is suitable for everyone regardless of age, size, gender or level of fitness and requires no previous yoga training experience.”
Warmth. That´s the third reason. I love how the warmth of sauna pampers your mind and makes you feel calm and relaxed. Not to mention how the mild heat enables the muscles to stretch effectively, yet gently.
And like in all yoga-based exercises, when you physically stretch, you also feel that your mind opens up and more and positive thoughts start to flow. I Looooove that feeling!
“A Sauna Yoga is practised seated on sauna bench in a mild temperature of 50°C. A sequence of simple, yoga-based poses and the quietness of the sauna pamper the body and the mind and make way for a thoroughly relaxing experience. The combination of the mild heat and gentle yoga poses relieve tension in the body and calm the mind.
SaimaaLife starts a partnership with Sauna Yoga International Ltd.
As I´ve said, things go forward when you work for them.
So here I am. Standing next to Pekka Nikumatti, the amazing Sauna Yoga teacher. My Sauna Yoga instructor certificate in my hand. Ready to start a partnership with Sauna Yoga International Ltd. A company that already has more than 60 corporate partners in Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Spain. Soon in Germany too. There are currently over 200 trained Sauna Yoga instructors. I´m SO excited and proud to be one of them now!
Practice, practice and practice. That´s what I´m going to do during the next six months. I´m going to practice so that I´ll be a qualified Sauna Yoga instructor in the beginning of next January. Then I´ll start my first Sauna Yoga lessons in Kruunupuisto Punkaharju. (All of you my Finnish readers in Savonlinna region welcome to my lessons then!!)
You´ll hear more about Sauna Yoga in my blog in the future. For example, next autumn I’ll meet the developer of Sauna Yoga, Tiina Vainio and find out what she thinks about wellbeing. I can´t wait for that!
In many ways Sauna Yoga is something totally new to me. But as I said, life is funny. A thing that used to feel strange, may become the most natural part of you over time. I´m just a rookie in Sauna Yoga right now but I also know that this will be a good thing for me. A great thing! My decision is considered and more importantly, it is made with heart.
And one thing that I´ve also learned during the last 5 years is that the decisions that you make with you heart, are good decisions. For you and for your wellbeing.
I´m ready for new adventures!
