Yoga is a fundamental ingredient in the Four Seasons Chiang Mai experience, with a choice of classes and styles for guests to choose from and enjoy.
Yoga – meaning “union and merger” in Sanskrit – has its roots in Indian metaphysical philosophy. Practising yoga, we strive to bring a balance between the mind and body by remembering our true nature and our deepest self.
Yogic movement, breathing, postures, relaxation and meditation help us achieve this ultimate aim. Meanwhile, as we practise, yoga helps our body by realigning its posture, improving flexibility, strengthening our muscles and achieving harmony within our internal organs.
All yoga sessions are conducted in the Yoga Barn looking out on the Suthep mountain range, two small lakes, lily ponds and a terraced working rice farm complete with its own family of water buffalo.
Group Classes: these are suitable for all levels, from beginner to advanced. Begin your day by inhaling the clean air and stretching your body into stillness, or after a busy day relax with yoga to soothe the muscles and mind for the evening ahead. Classes are limited to five people.
Private Classes: With a private yoga session, you can choose to enhance your yoga practice or simply experience yogic relaxation for the mind and spirit. Private classes can be arranged throughout the day to fit in with your other activities.
Simply Yoga: An introduction to yoga for yourself or for you and your partner, this wonderful, simple class is for the true beginner. It starts with easy stretching and an overall body warm-up, followed by gentle yoga poses and introductory meditation techniques. The class is designed with the purpose of teaching basic yoga philosophy, leaving you with a pleasurable first impression and a desire to continue your yoga journey.
Yoga-Lates: This series of exercises combines classic Pilates techniques with traditional yoga practice. It blends the principles of Pilates, which concentrates on core strength and correct body alignment, with the appropriate yoga postures, ensuring a perfect harmony of body and mind.
Yogic breathing and Buddhist walking meditation: In pranayama (yogic breathing), certain yoga positions enable you to engage your breathing in different parts of the respiratory system so that all parts are given a maximum workout, ensuring balance and equilibrium. To complement pranayama, the teacher will also use Buddhist walking meditation, a practice well-known for its simplicity and effectiveness. Placing each footstep in a delayed, purposeful manner ensures that the mind is in complete agreement with each walking motion, resulting in higher levels of concentration and greater serenity.
Hydro-Yoga: The class combines the supportive and therapeutic elements of water and the harmonizing effect of yoga. Using the natural resistance of the water, the focus is on linking one movement with another, smoothly working all muscles. The refreshing, soothing qualities of the water lessen the impact on the joints and gently stretch the muscles, resulting in a complete body-mind experience. Offering a greater physical challenge compared to the same exercises performed on land, it is highly effective in relieving stress.