Pauli White Yoga

Growing up Pauli always felt a sense of impending doom and it took her years to realise that what she was experiencing was not normal. “I was always reassured by loved ones that it’s just my personality – that I am too shy, too careful, too pessiistic, too introverted – and that if I tried to be more open and optimistic, I would feel better. Yet despite my best efforts, that dreadful feeling didn’t go away.”

Pursuing a career in landscape architecture in a digital, corporate world left her feeling demotivated, discouraged and, ironically, extremely isolated from nature.

“In my early twenties I fell into my first major depressive episode. Caused by my undiagnosed general panic disorder, this brought me to face one mother of an existential crisis. With panic, anxiety and depression buried in my heart, I did what any millennial would do in such a crisis – I borrowed some money and went off to India to learn yoga.”

Yoga taught Pauli to breathe fully and mindfully through the daily practice of pranayama and asana. Learning the tools to calm herself when anxiety creeps in has made a huge difference to her everyday life.

I TEACH YOGA AT Y O G

an intimate urban sanctuary in Kloof Street, Cape Town that offers hatha and restorative yoga in the company of green goodness, because plants + yoga = happiness! Y o g is lucky enough to share a beautiful studio space at The White Lotus, where you can also practise Pilates and Nia. www.yogstudio.co.za

Pauli’s favourite restorative yoga pose is balasana – CHILD’S POSE. Here’s how to practice it:

*Kneel down on the floor and touch your big toes to each other as you sit on your heels. *Once you are comfortable, spread your knees hip-width apart and inhale. *As you exhale, bend forward and lay your torso between your thighs. *Broaden the sacrum across the back of the pelvis, and narrow the points of your hips so that they point towards the naval. *Settle down on the inner thighs. *Stretch the tailbone away from the back of the pelvis as you lift the base of your head slightly away from the back of your neck. *Stretch your arms forward and place them in front of you so that they are in line with your knees. *Release the fronts of your shoulders to the floor. You must feel the weight of the front shoulders pulling the blades widely across your back. *To release the asana, first stretch the front torso. Breathe in and lift from the tailbone while it pushes down into the pelvis.

This is a restorative, calming pose that relaxes and rejuvenates the body. It encourages concious breathing and calms both the body and the mind. The stretch in the back relaxes the spinal column. It calms the muscles, helping to alleviate pain - especially in the back, neck and shoulders. The knees are also stretched and relaxed, and the tendons, muscles and joints are healed and made ready for functioning. The pose resembles a fetal position, and is said to provide physical, mental, and emotional solace to the being. This pose truly promotes positive feelings, transporting you back to your childhood days and stripping you of ill feelings and arrogance.