Purna yoga provides the key to mind, body, spirit

A whimsy quip I heard some years ago about yoga came back to me this week: "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape". With a busy Monday and Tuesday behind me, it was a tired, achey body that turned up to Circle of Life last week to try my hand at a Purna Yoga class with local teacher Irene Dunne, and test the veracity of that very quote. Purna means complete or integrated. In a world where new trendy names for different brands of yoga crop up all the time, Purna yoga is grounded in ancient wisdom. It aims to integrate mind, body and spirit through a series of postures and sequences in a flow of movement, similar in some ways to Hatha yoga. Slacking off on the exercise of late and not having done any type of yoga for many years, I definitely wasn't at my most flexible, but Irene was quick to assure me that I could work at my level in the class, focus on myself and how I was feeling. It is suitable for people of all ages, shapes and fitness. The promotion of yoga for men by footballers like Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane certainly seems to have had an effect here with four or five men in the class, keen to benefit from stretching hamstrings, tendons, and overall flexibility and strength. The Auburn Heights native has been a yoga devotee for over a decade now, having completed her teacher training while living in Sydney some years ago. "I loved it so much, I decided to learn to teach it," Irene enthused this week as she did some stretches prior to the class in the yoga studio in Circle of Life. A fan of surfing which she started around the same time as yoga, Irene describes both disciplines as "soulful" working hand in hand together. "Purna yoga is very much the art of loving yourself by living from the heart," she explained. At first, I must admit I felt a bit self-conscious on the yoga mat with the mirrors in front of me as everyone filed in for a very well attended class but within a couple of postures I'd forgotten all about it, getting rid of all of the travails of the day as your priority extends only to getting your breathing right and moving in sequence as directed by Irene. Everything else is forgotten as you really get in the zone going from the down facing dog to the bridge, triangle, bow and plank, all names of the postures by the way. Each one is really working different parts of the body, and in my case, muscles that haven't got much of a stretch in a long time! "It really can bring more flexibility and strength, as well as supporting and soothing the nervous system," Irene remarked, adding that yoga also relaxes body, mind and spirit. A lot of people with back or shoulder problems, sciatica, high blood pressure, someone who has just had a baby who wants to get back into shape get great benefits from the yoga class and doing a few postures at home on a daily basis, she recommends, along with anyone who just wants to relax and strengthen your core. What surprised me throughout the class was how many of the postures I could manage fairly, with the gentle assistance of Irene, who kept me on the right road if I had any difficulties or was going off line, at times as well she helped, seeing I could stretch a little further than I thought which was no harm! I found the longer the class went on the more flexible I felt, it's easy to see how you would notice a difference after a few short classes. Blessed with a really calming, relaxing yet enthusiastic voice, and plenty of humour, Irene certainly made the hour and half fly along, so much so that I couldn't believe when it was the very last sequence and time to relax. The lights went off and it was time for savasana, the traditional ending to a yoga exercise which many people claim is better than sleep, it's certainly not far off! This pose is about letting go completely. In Savasana, our bodies integrate and assimilate what we have just practised during the class. The focus is simple - all you do is relax every body part and let go of everything while lying on the yoga mat covered with a blanket. This part of class is difficult to describe but it feels fantastic, it's a real meditative state as your focus turns to letting yourself fall into the floor and simply breathe, paying attention to a deep inhale and exhale while at different stages holding your hands on your navel, diaphragm and chest. After a short chant, the lights were back on and it was time for home. "I get such satisfaction seeing people loving it and getting it," Irene told me after the class. "I see people's body evolve and change and a spark in their eyes leaving. Generally, yoga lifts the energy in the body throughout so at the end of the class you'll feel energised and relaxed," she concluded, something I could definitely concur with. After coming in extremely tired and achy with the beginnings of a cold, I left standing much taller, feeling lengthened, stretched and energised. I can't say that most evenings. A bonus was a fabulous night of deep sleep afterwards, and for that alone, the class is worth its weight in gold. Classes take place on Tuesdays from 7pm to 8.30pm and Saturday Mornings 11am to 1pm. The cost is €60 for six classes or €12 for a drop-in class. For further information call Irene Dunne 086 7333102 or email: irenedunne@gmail.com