Kim Henry is a professional contemporary dancer based in Montreal, Canada. She’s a yoga, nature, music, and food lover. Fascinated by human beings and movement, she is passionately curious. She has been collaborating with 500px community member and light-painting master Eric Paré on the dance project Little Circle since 2013. Their latest pictures and videos can be found here on 500px and on ericpare.com.
Eric Pare and I both love yoga. We have been practicing it for a few years. So it’s just normal for us to do yoga before a photo shoot, and whenever we travel—whether it’s on a beach, in the deep desert, or on a carpet made of stinky spinach ramen on a rooftop. Here are some tips we would humbly like to share with you guys. These are things that I would’ve liked to be told, because we’ve all been beginners at one point. Namaste!
Choose the kind of yoga that fits your needs
When you think about yoga, you might think about those, “I can bring my foot to my forehead” kind of pictures, or “I’m meditating on a top of a mountain” kind of thing. Well, yoga can be all of the above and none of the above. To each his own practice. Traditional, dynamic, soft, with music, with tools—the possibilities are almost endless. Depending on your personality, you can find a type of yoga that fits you well. Here are a few examples:
Are you looking for A) Stress or anxiety reduction? B) A way to spend energy or sculpt your body? C) A soft and progressive activity? D) A meditative and/or spiritual practice?
1—Hatha-yoga
2—Bikram yoga, Power yoga or Ashtanga yoga
3—Iyengar Yoga
4—Jnana Yoga or Kundalini Yoga
Personally, the first time I did yoga I was scared of getting bored. I was pretty young, and I was coming from an athletic background. I needed something that would make me feel like I was “doing” something intense. So I did a 7-week Power Flow yoga session. It was what I needed at that moment, but I have to admit that the main thing I got from that was to learn how to relax and let go of thoughts at the end of the class. It basically helped me solve the insomnia problem I had at that time.
Accept your limits, most of them are temporary
Yoga is a good way to connect with yourself, and to do a scan of how your body feels at a particular moment. We each have our own physical/psychological limits. Work with them, not against. Nobody cares if you don’t do that fancy advanced variation today. That’s not the point. Physical limits are rarely a problem; there are many variations that can fit any level for a single yoga posture. Us not accepting them and pushing our body too much is a problem though, because it can lead to injuries.
Don’t aim for shapes or ideal aesthetic positions
You might be tired of the, “Focus on the journey, not the result” type of preaching, so I won’t go there. But if you get into yoga to reach that crazy poses you saw on the profile of a yoga-superstar, it might take more time and effort than you’re motivated to put towards that aesthetic goal.
If I get myself a nice camera, and I take a few classes on photography and Photoshop, should I expect to get crazy professional results right away? Well, same thing here. We all have our own learning curve. Let’s enjoy it.
Let’s sum it up
No, you don’t need to be flexible to do yoga. But you will gain flexibility and agility through your yoga practice.
Yes, you might feel pretty clumsy or not elegant at the beginning. Don’t worry, you’ll smile at this in a few weeks or months from now.
No, you don’t need any fancy or expensive yoga gear to start. What you do need is comfortable clothing, curiosity, and an open mind.
Yes, it takes just a few times to start feeling a major difference in your body. Start now, do it every day, and never look back.
Finally, there are plenty of good information and even classes available on the web if you’re curious. Here is a good starting point if you need to read more before jumping on a yoga mat. Happy International Day of Yoga!
We hope Kim’s tips gave you a spark of inspiration to try out yoga. To see more serene and sublime yoga poses captured on camera from the 500px community, scroll down.
See more in our yoga photo gallery.