Healthy Body and Mind (First Step)

Course description

Our Healthy Body and Mind course is designed to enrich your life through the harmonious integration of body and mind practices. This first step course spans 18 weeks, dedicating 4-6 weeks each to yoga, Pilates, and tai chi, along with relevant input regarding anatomy, physiology, nutrition, stress management, and breathwork along the way.

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The health benefits of regular yoga practice include:

• Increased coordination and balance.
• Flexibility and muscle strength.
• More effective lung function.
• Stronger muscles and improved bone density.
• Better quality of sleep.
• Lower blood pressure and improved circulation.
• Help manage difficult emotions including stress.
• Boost your coping strategies and mental resilience.
• Regular practitioners report increased levels of happiness, focus and energy!

Pilates promotes mobility and functional strength of all the major muscle groups in the body in a balanced fashion, whilst also having a key focus on the deep core muscles (having strong core muscles promotes better posture, which in turn, can prevent or relieve the muscle tension that builds up in our day-to-day routines).

On a physical level, tai chi improves strength, flexibility, aerobic conditioning and balance. It’s been proven to improve cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure, prevent falls and help people who have arthritis. The mental health and emotional benefits of tai chi are often attributed to the series of deliberate movements which help people to feel more relaxed, grounded and present in their bodies. This in turn lowers anxiety, stress and depression; while improving memory, focus and sleep.

As well as the practical element of the course, through the use of videos, group discussion and handouts we will also discover an array of useful topics to enhance a healthy body and mind such as:

• Sleep hygiene: top tips and its importance.
• How to recognise stress triggers and minimise their damaging impact on the body (including the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems).
• Use of safe and effective isometric and breathing exercises to reduce blood pressure.
• Learn a number of practical stress reduction breath techniques which also boost your lung capacity.
• Understanding the negativity bias: what is it, how does it impact me and how to combat its impact on wellbeing (primary and secondary stress triggers).
• Anatomy and physiology of key areas of the body eg. spinal column, and how to minimise wear and tear of important tissues within the body eg. cartilage, hip flexors and planta fascia.
• Top tips and easy hacks to improve your nutrition including how to optimise your personal microbiome to enhance your immune system and boost your mood.
• Understand the relationship between mind and body, and how you can harness the power of the body to have a positive impact on your mental health (mind-body feedback loop).

During the term, students will put together a detailed and bespoke ‘at home’ practice plan designed to produce maximum impact for their physical and mental health and help generate a life long habit/practice of tailored self care.

You will be expected during course time to reflect on your learning through the completion of a ‘Individual Learning Plan’ and to participate in regular class/group discussion – see progress section below for more detail.

Note: this course primarily uses bodyweight and a mat, it is not a reformer/equipment based class.

Course level

First Step - These courses are for complete beginners. You don't need to have studied the subject before or have any previous knowledge.

Who is this course for?

Residents of Calderdale aged 19+ who can follow instructions and operate independently. No degree of physical flexibility or prior knowledge is required. Some of the course will be seated/mat based but plenty of physical teaching aids/adjustments are used to ensure everyone is able to participate fully. This course is perfect for beginners in yoga, Pilates and tai chi. 

Whether you aim to relieve stress and anxiety, and or increase your physical wellbeing, this taster of the three disciplines allows you to progress on to further study.

What do I need to bring?

• A yoga mat if you have one would be useful but they can be provided by CAL if you forget yours or do not have your own. 
• A small towel to support your neck during certain exercises and a small blanket if you are prone to getting cold when not active.
• Wear loose fitting clothing!
• You must be able to access the web-based learning platform Google Classroom during the course. To do this you will need access to IT equipment such as a smartphone, laptop, PC or tablet, and a stable internet connection. You’ll also need to install Google Chrome Browser if you do not have this already – it's free to download and use, please visit: www.google.co.uk/chrome.