Yoga For Pleasure!

Good Yoga is one of the greatest pleasures of Humankind
Svatmarama (Hatha Yoga Pradipika)

Welcome to Hazel Morrissey Yoga in Belfast 

The main purpose of this site is to introduce you to the pleasure of Yoga.

Pleasure is traditionally associated with the five senses, how we respond to the world and environment, pleasure is a feeling of wanting more of something, and we become attached to the objects of those five senses to continually bring us satisfaction. Whether it be food(taste)  sex(touch)  music(hearing)  perfume(smelling)  art(seeing), we look outside to these external sources for fulfilment and happiness. But Yoga brings us a new pleasure which is more durable and life-enhancing, a pleasure which is not dependant on sensory stimulation, but arises from within us.

As teachers we often spend time stressing the health benefits of Yoga practice, how it de-stresses the mind and stretches the body, how you can lose weight and improve your fitness etc,  however the main reason for practising  Yoga is because it is extremely pleasurable! Unlike all other forms of exercise it has a quality that is unique and quite mystical. We begin to stretch, to learn how to engage with the breathing process, turn all of our energy and focus inward and pay attention!....

As you attend Yoga practice not that much may have changed objectively, but somehow you begin to see things in a new light, feel more relaxed and positive. Hard to explain I know, but like everything else we do, it has to be experienced first hand to make it believable.

It’s a way of letting go of all those roles we play and the demands of responsibilities we take on, a sense of surrender to a state of just being who we are, not doing anything to prove it. We find the joy of discovery of our own bodies again even though we may be stiff or feel awkward, these are only signs that everyone has limitations and concerns. But the body doesn’t lie or confuse, if we choose to listen  it always tells the truth, there is no faking it. Yoga teaches honesty and patience and the pleasure we receive is pure pleasure, not tainted by guilt or regret.

Tension and stress is what defines the life situation of so many people, we give our energy to others who demand our time our emotions our efforts, we feel burnt out highly strung with tension lodged in all our muscles and joints. We feel pain and distress.   Pain however can be wake-up call to change our condition and take positive steps to make beneficial changes

As a Yoga teacher for over 20 years I often observe after class how students faces glow with an inner beauty. Something about their attitude and posture tells me they have felt that deep soft relaxation and contact with an inner world that results in shining eyes and happy smiles.

So make space in your life for Yoga practice. Step on to a path which is a truly tried and tested method for health, harmony and pleasure.