The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

With its
hectic traffic and heavy pollution, Cairo is definitely not easy on your nerves
or mental health. Even if you sweat it out on a treadmill, a lot of pent-up stress can manifest itself in your tense joints, your
hips and your glands.

Vinyasa yoga focuses on connecting breathing with
movement in a series of flowing, connected yoga postures. The goal of vinyasa
is to gain strength, flexibility and mental concentration as well as detoxification through the practice poses
known as asanas.The flowing sequence of these poses is intended as a moving meditation, where you focus on your breath and movement and allow your mind to completely let go.

Vinyasa yoga
is perfect for anyone curious about yoga but more interested in the stretching
and sweating aspect of the practice than the meditation. You’d better be fit,
though; because Jill Bodley at Reform Pilates in Zamalek will definitely work
your muscles sore.

Having
practiced yoga for eleven years, Jill is an affable and very capable instructor
who will calmly guide you through the postures. Her laidback nature and clear
description of the postures make it easy for beginners to transition into the
moves while keeping pace with the more advanced yogis.

Jill usually begins
the class with a few seated postures for warming up, where she encourages you
to use the ujai, a relaxed diaphragmatic style of breathing through the nose,
making an ocean sound at the back of your throat. Then you begin a series of
sun salutations, with every set or two changed ever so slightly. Jill’s classes
are never boring or repetitive because she always mixes up the routine. Between
difficult postures, she’ll ask you to take a vinyasa if you want, which means
going through the sequence of plank, cobra then downward facing dog, the latter
being a particular favourite and is usually held for several breaths until you
ease your body more into a deeper stretch.

Because the
class is small with a maximum capacity of six people, Jill is hands-on and will
check your progress by during every posture and either ease you into a deeper
stretch or correct your hip or foot alignment.

Even if you
have zero knowledge of yoga and its benefits, Jill’s classes will leave you
with stronger muscles, less back stress and a newfound respect for yoga. No
matter how fit you think you are, expect to sweat considerably and to feel your
body trembling through moves such as warrior 3 pose or the triangle. Your
steady cycle of breathing will provide you with a calmer mental state that will
help you persevere through more complicated postures.

Towards the
end of the class, Jill may ask you to try a headstand or a backward bend, and
even if you’re still a beginner, you may find that your body is capable of much more
than what you thought.