There was a time when GemLife Pacific Paradise resident and former physical education teacher Fiona Keatinge thought yoga was too slow for her but that was before she had a full appreciation of its many benefits.
“I was always such a physical and active person and when I first tried yoga I thought it was a very slow process … too slow for me,” she said.
However, as she took on more demanding roles at work and the stress levels soared, she started taking body balance classes which involved a combination of yoga, Pilates and tai chi and suddenly found there were many benefits associated with the art of yoga including stress relief.
Although attending weekly classes for the past 15 years, Fiona considers herself a relative newcomer to yoga and since moving into GemLife Pacific Paradise just before Christmas last year, has been taking part in yoga classes at Mudjimba Beach on Sunday mornings.
She says beach yoga always makes her feel so much better and gives her an opportunity to focus on herself and her innermost thoughts. “I feel brighter, happier and in touch with nature. It makes you slow down and really listen to your body more while also giving you time to stretch your muscles, breathe and recover from whatever life throws at you.”
Fiona can’t wait for the new outdoor yoga studio to be built at Pacific Paradise. “I’m very excited because this is a very active community where such a facility will be used often, especially if we can get a teacher to hold regular classes here. Even my husband Gerald might join in. It would be something for all ages.”
At 65, Fiona believes her generation is very different to that of her parents. “We are more active and more in-tune with our general health, watching what we eat and the need to do some form of gentle exercise to keep everything working well.”