June 2020 - Ballito Umhlanga

With a commerce degree and a
corporate job working for Africa’s
largest retailer, Tasia had no
idea that her path was going to
change dramatically when she
went to her first yoga class ten
years ago in Cape Town. “I was
instantly hooked and began to
experience the powerful and
practical healing benefits of
integrating mindful movement,
breath-work and meditation
into my life. This physical and,
more importantly, inward
transformation left me inspired
to share the gift with others.”
She completed her first teachertraining
course in 2015, left her
corporate job a year later and
started The Mindful Movement in
2017.
Why is breath-work important
and how does it differ from
meditation?
We go through most of our day
not giving our breath much
thought, but it is the very thing
keeping us alive. Checking in with
the quality of your breath can
have a dramatic impact on your
overall holistic health. Breathing
practices are on the rise. This
is because, unlike meditation
where we are aware of our mental
chatter, breath-work allows us to
disconnect from the mind and
reconnect with our body and
energy. From this elevated state
of awareness, we are able to
heal, grow, and expand. Breathework
is a great tool to pull out
when you’re feeling stressed,
overwhelmed or off-centre.
Who can benefit from breathwork?
There is a misconception that
healing arts are for individuals
who are struggling or suffering.
And yes, breath-work is very
supportive for stress, tension,
anxiety, depression, fear, grief,
sadness, anger, trauma and
insomnia. It is, however, also
nourishing for someone who is
doing well and feels ready for
the next layer of love, peace,
gratitude, clarity, connection, and
insight.
You’ve been offering lockdown
virtual Move With Me classes.
What advice would you give
someone who is anxious or
embarrassed to join an online
class?
Start by checking if the class is
suitable for all body types and
fitness levels. An experienced
teacher or instructor will be able
to modify a class for all levels.
Be honest and communicate if
you have any injuries or major
concerns before you start the
class. I always keep my students’
video and audio off during a
group class so that no one can
see you. So, you can feel free to
roll out of bed and jump onto
the Zoom class, if you wish. I
personally do this to minimise any
external distractions and support
the students in cultivating a
deeper mindfulness practice.
Can kids join in too?
Yes! I one hundred percent
encourage getting the whole
family involved, especially
children! Learning the art of
attention and self-awareness is
such a beautiful holistic gift and
benefit of yoga, something that
will stay with you and your family
long after you roll up your mat.
Details: https://www.
themindfulmovement.
co.za/, email: hello@
themindfulmovement.co.za
or Instagram: @themindful_
movement
COME, JOIN THE GET IT
CLASS…
Tasia is offering exclusive, free,
online classes twice a week for
our Get It readers for the month
of June! Join the 45-minute
breath-work, yoga and a short
meditation Instagram Live class
at 7am on Mondays and 4.30pm
on Wednesdays. While the
class is free, Tasia is collecting
donations on a pay-as-you-can
basis for the Durban-based
Orenda Foundation’s One
Drop Project to help give
under-resourced communities
the opportunity to have safe
drinking, cooking and cleaning
water.
WATCH NOW
Tasia invites Get It
readers to join her
free weekly Instagram
Live classes
June 2020 Get It • Ballito Umhlanga 27