A Yogi’s Christmas Dream

Muuyu.com, the Tree of Life.

As the party season approaches, it’s becoming increasingly important that we take some time to check in with ourselves as 2014 draws to a close, this being the year during which we all got our heads around our new favourite buzzword, ‘wellness’.

The only trouble, however, is finding the time to do so. But even if it’s just five minutes of focused breathing and mindfulness, it can make the world of difference to your sense of balance. As we struggle to fit in time for a yoga class or a rejuvenating massage that requires us to get to and from a specific venue and thus might encourage stress, along comes Muuyu.com to make our lives that bit easier.

Muuyu.com, for any budding yogis that might be reading, is an online yoga platform which enables you to do yoga classes at any time and in any space that suits your own schedule. But here’s the clincher: what sets this apart from everything else you might find for free on YouTube is the fact that these classes aren’t just pre-recorded videos, they’re actually live interactive classes with teachers from all over the world.

Founded by?yoga?teacher Matt Devine, with the Irish Siobhan Colgan hard at work at their HQ in Berlin on the site’s content, the concept of Muuyu has been in development since early 2013 with the original goal being to provide a platform for?yoga?teachers around the world to grow their own businesses by connecting with?yoga’students across the globe.

So whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, you can find a fully certified, insured and experienced practitioner to suit your times. What’s more, the interaction with the teacher allows you to advance at your own pace as the teacher can help you to alter or remedy your postures just as you would in a class face to face.

We caught up with Siobhan and Muuyu’s finder Matt Devine, who share how practicing yoga over the forthcoming festive period can benefit every one of us.

?Christmas is often a time when we feel overwhelmed, stressed out or just plain exhausted.? Our routines are out of whack, we overeat and drink too much and we get stressed out by the amount of money we spend throughout the season.

A 30 minute?yoga’session or even 5 to 10 minutes of breathing exercises can really help to combat the build-up of stress.? By concentrating on your breath and your body movements you become present in the moment and with yourself. And once you are present with yourself it’s easier to be present with the people around you and to start genuinely enjoying the Christmas experience you’re all sharing.

Equally, while parties and family dinners are great fun this endless round of busyness can leave you feeling panicked and overwhelmed. Carving out some simple time for yourself to practice?yoga?or meditation puts the control of your life back in your hands.

And finally, we all tend to over-indulge at Christmas which puts pressure on our digestive system, may affect our sleep and can leave us feeling sluggish and drained during the day. A quick, light?yoga?practice can assist the body’s functions and so improve your overall health during the Christmas season.?

Yep, we’re sold. *ommmm*

Find out all you need to know and more at muuyu.com

@CarolineForan