Student Reviews at Yogatic.

Hi everyone,

Here another practice you can do in the evenings if you want to wind down. I can really recommend this just before you go to bed, you will sleep much more restful and will wake up more rested. Doing something to bring your awareness from your head into your body should be standard practice every night, whether it is meditation or yoga or some other form that works for you. The thing to keep in mind though is to do something that slows you down.

Have a good nights rest with this one!

Esther

The poses I demonstrate in this practice are:

sphinx pose

reclining big toe pose / supta padangustasana

supine eye of the needle pose

butterfly pose / baddha konasana

wide legged forward fold / upavishta konasana

head to knee pose / janu sirsasana

cross legged forward bend

supine spinal twist

I have been doing yoga for 15 years now and hate to miss a class, as it is my therapy and time out in a busy week.

Yoga helps to keep me toned and flexible and is a very enjoyable form of exercise.

A yoga class with Esther teaches you to discover your own individual boundaries and how to extend those boundaries in a safe and comfortable environment. Every class is different incorporating many different poses. The breathing techniques not only help me to achieve new poses, but also help me to deal with stress.

At the end of each and every class I leave feeling invigorated, and totally relaxed at the same time.

by Denise

I started attending yoga classes because it sounded intruiging. I also had trouble with my back and had to see an osteopath five or six times a year. I thought yoga might help.

My back has improved tremendously! My legs and core muscles have become much stronger and support me so well, that I no longer need to see anyone about my back. My last visit to my osteopath was over two years ago.

The yogic breathing is wonderful for helping me get to sleep and for spreading calmness. My weekly yoga lesson leaves me refreshed, physically and mentally.

Esther is a unique teacher who brings great knowledge and a spiritual presence to the class.

Deirdre Gray, Reendonegan.

I have been practicing yoga for about four years under the guidance of Esther, my yoga teacher, whom I find very good. Apart from the enjoyment I get out of doing yoga, I find the benefits enormous, both physically and mentally.

On a physical level I feel more flexible and agile than I used to be, my back is less rigid and I suffer less from back pain, which I’m prone to.

On the mental side I feel calmer and more relaxed, and I sleep like a log after the classes.

These are just some of the benefits I’m aware of, but I know there are a lot more that I’m not aware of just yet, so it is an ongoing process.

Pat joe

Yoga has given me a great sense of inner peace and calm. Doing yoga I feel is my time to relax and listen to my bodily needs. It has helped my back to adapt to the correct postures. All I can say yoga is wonderful.

Teresa

I’ve been attending the Boab Centre for yoga on a weekly basis for the past five year. Esther is a very experienced teacher and our exercises vary from week to week, the emphasis being on building the core strength.

The cat stretches, down-dog, warrior poses and sun salutations (just to mention a few) leave you exhausted after the hour (plus) workout, but the deep relaxation at the end makes it all worthwhile and you feel totally rejuvenated.

The purpose built boab centre together with its scenic views is a treat in itself, just to get away from it all. I definitely feel the benefits of my weekly yoga class from a mind and body perspective and I recommend Esther and the Boab Centre for yoga.

Regards

Monica

this is my eighth year doing yoga with Esther. It is the highlight of my week! It stretches, relaxes, soothes and calms me.

yes! I should be able to do this on my own by now but it is much nicer if someone is talking you through the yoga, and this yoga class carves out time just for me each week.

Esther always has something new, interesting and innovative. she seems to know every muscle in the body and how every pose will affect this muscle.

She has taught me to be present in the moment. The meditation at the end of each yoga class rejuvenates the spirit and sets the scene for a good nights sleep.

Rebecca ,49 years

During a life crisis in 2005 my sister introduced me to yoga at the BOAB centre. The curse of temporary ill health and the good nature of my sister brought me, a 50 year old born skeptic, to the world of yoga practiced at BOAB. Two years on I relish the weekly yoga sessions that truly encompass the concept of mind, body, and spirit.

The practice of yoga allows me to momentarily live within self in mind and body, divorced from the outside world. As time progresses I feel increasingly able to transfer the experience to daily life. It enables me to take a step back, to pause and ponder and take a deep breath. Follow-on decisions can be taken with greater clarity rather than flawed perceptions, conflict or the need to control.

So what is special about BOAB?

For me it is no one thing but a combination of factors that come together to provide the overall enjoyable experience.

The BOAB location at the end of a winding country road immediately provides a cut off from modern life. The view around is one of rural harmony and the sound of silence is everywhere. The old farm buildings remind me of simpler times and instill reflection on the pitfalls of modern life.

The yoga house, from the outside, is a curiosity. Its imperfect elliptical shape, simple earthy design and sod roof invites the newcomer to ponder what its like inside. Inside it became obvious that this little house was built for a purpose and by someone with a plan based on deep conviction rather than commercial gain. There are no distractions save a few lighted candles, the sweet smell of incense and a figurine of a pensive Buddha.

It is within this house that I met Esther Ekhart and the many class members who enjoy their BOAB yoga. And it is within this house that I learned that yoga is not about levitating, gurus or standing on your head.

Yoga is a practical well designed program for physical and mental health based on breathing, exercise, positive manipulation of the body, inward thought, reflection and deep relaxation.

Esther’s clear depth of knowledge, wisdom, and deep conviction coupled with her gentle, smile and supportive non-judgmental instruction makes yoga a pleasure to practice.

Occasionally she encourages the class to expand their thoughts beyond the immediate environment to the world outside, the stars and the universe or to the heart and spirit within. To me at least the invitation is there to allow our thoughts explore beyond the physical reality and ponder the spirit of our own being.

Yoga with Esther is what you want it to be and is limited only by our own depth of engagement. That is the beauty of it – mind, body, and spirit, individually for a healthy body or mind or collectively towards a new consciousness.

In practical terms the entire one and a half-hour class takes place on a 6’X 2’ mat stretched on the wooden floor. I know now but could not have perceived at the beginning that is possible to complete a comprehensive physical and mental workout on this tiny space.

The central tool of Yoga is the human breath and when I began to use it I realized that I had used it for years to induce sleep when the mind was restless. What I did not know at the beginning was the multiplicity of ways that breathing can be used and it’s importance to our general wellbeing.

The breath can be used to energize, to relax, to focus and to heal and the concept and practice of directional breathing is just amazing. When we use our breath in combination with the various poses during yoga the resulting energy can be extreme. And yet when we use the same breath to relax under Esthers thoughtful and perfectly timed instruction the calm and peace is to die for.

Inward reflection and release from the day, or worrying thoughts, signal commencement of the session. The breath is used to initially calm and invoke concentration before the most gentle of warm-up’s leads into an explosion of physical activity.

Stretching exercises combined with breathing are used to open the chest the spine and every part of the body and the gradual deepening of every pose allows the stretch to expand beyond its normal limits as the out breath is used to soften the area of stress.

With practice, the lunge, warrior, and plank pose are no longer distressing contortions but signals for a series of automated stretches and exercises designed to improve core strength, back repair and spine alignment.

Even the simple child pose, which allows the beginner a well-earned rest, becomes a tool for back expansion as learning progresses.

The finishing relaxation session is superb. As the body’s metabolism slows, the mind calms and there is nothing or no one else. The soft-spoken and seemingly distant words from Esther serve to deepen the state to where only feelings of comfort; warmth and complete safety exist. It is then that the mind floats and gently explores without fear and the idea of spirit takes hold.

It is difficult to believe that this can occur while lying flat on a hardwood floor and yet the floor provides the grounding on which the experience is built. It is testament to the power of mind over body.

This is my experience of yoga and BOAB. For others I suspect it may bring different rewards but then perhaps that is the overall idea.

Tim,

04-12-07.

Hi, my name is Jacqui, I am married with three teenage daughters, I work full time, I have 3 horses, a dog and three cats. I am involved in the Kealkill Church Choir.

Sometimes it seems there just is not enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks and demands I place on myself. Needless to say sometimes I feel stretched, just like most busy working Parents in Ireland today.

Yoga with Esther has helped me to find time to be good to myself, to unwind from all the running around.

I have been attending evening Yoga with Esther, since before the Boab Centre opened, must be 5 years. I had attended Yoga classes before in England, but I was impressed with Esther’s style of teaching.

I find my two evening’s a week of a 90 minute class, keeps me calm, balanced and relaxed in mind and body. My body is more flexible and healthy. My mind is clearer thinking and I am generally happier.

Yoga is my time to recharge my batteries, it has helped me look after my health, and therefore look after my family, I find I am a more positive person.

Going to Yoga classes was the start of a more healthy life style for me, I gave up smoking, & sugar in my tea. Last year, I lost 20bls with the help of Weight Watchers and have managed to keep the weight off. I also took part in the Bay Run (a Half Marathon) something I’d never would have imagined doing a year earlier.

Yoga keeps my body toned and I believe has an anti-aging effect on the body. It cleanses from the inside. Yoga has also helped me become more emotionally balanced and calmer, as the physical and emotional are connected, and by working on the body I also worked on my emotional wellbeing. In dealing with life’s ups and down Yoga is my secret weapon, to staying healthy and happy and a way of releasing positive energy into my body and mind.

I am extremely grateful and thank God for putting Esther Ekhart in my path. I’d recommend her classes to everyone, any age, and any size!

Jacqui Cronin, Kealkill, Bantry, Co Cork.

During the Yoga class, Esther encourages each of us to do as much as we can within our own boundaries and frequently reminds us to listen to our bodies.

As I become more familiar with the yoga exercises and poses, I find I can do that little bit more at each yoga session. My joints are more flexible, and certain muscles have woken up after hibernating for twenty-five years. At the end of each yoga class, I walk out feeling uplifted and exhilarated. THANK YOU ESTHER

Bridget (64 years old and growing younger)