Hilke Oskam, certified yoga teacher and coach, answers all your questions about the different yoga styles and their benefits.
Jeanne is joined by Hilke Oskam, a certified yoga teacher and coach. They explore the benefits of yoga and talk about the common misconceptions we have about practicing yoga. Hilke explains that yoga is for everyone and that there are different styles with different benefits.
Hilke goes into detail about Hatha, Nidra and Yin styles of yoga and talks about the benefits this can have on stress and anxiety. Jeanne also explains how she integrates yoga into her routine.
Links and Follows:
Hilke Oskam: Instagram
Jeanne Retief: FIGGI Beauty Shop | My FIGGI Life Blog | My FIGGI Life Podcast | Instagram | Facebook
Blog Post: Meditation For Overthinkers Like Me
[00:00:00.410] - Speaker 1
Good morning, FIGGI goddess, and welcome to another episode of the My Figgi Life podcast. Today we're going to be talking finally, we're going to be talking about yoga, the benefits of yoga, why you should practice yoga, and also how I incorporate yoga into my routine related to my anxiety disorder.
[00:00:24.450] - Speaker 2
Welcome, goddess, to your sacred space. This is my Figgi Life podcast, where we openly discuss life's wins and losses on our journeys to self-discovery. This is your best life. This is your FIGGI life. And now here is your host, Jeanne.
[00:00:43.320] - Speaker 1
Welcome back, FIGGI goddess. I'm so excited about this episode. Today I'm going to introduce to you Hilke Oskam. Hilke. Hails from Delft in the Netherlands, the birthplace of Johannes Vermeer. Although her journey started in skincare fashion design and social media management, she has been passionate about yoga for decades, with her first interaction with yoga being 35 years ago, when she was part of a small class that did yoga in a circle on Monday evenings. Over the years, she tried many different styles of yoga, but for the past seven years, she has been practicing it more intensely on an almost daily basis. In 2020, she completed her yoga teacher training in two variations of Hatha Yoga and continues to constantly add to her qualifications and education with further advanced studies, particularly in Nidra and Yin yoga. Welcome Hilke. So nice to have you on the podcast.
[00:01:38.530] - Speaker 3
Thank you so much. I'm excited to do this podcast with you.
[00:01:41.780] - Speaker 1
I'm so excited about this episode in particular because I talk about yoga so much on my blog and on my podcast, and I have so many questions from people asking me things like, what kind of yoga do you practice? How does meditation incorporate into yoga, especially when you're dealing with a panic or anxiety an related disorder? So I can't wait to delve into all of this, but I think we can agree that nowadays, everybody has probably heard, tried, or seen some form of yoga. So before we begin, I think it's best to ask you to set the record straight for us. What is yoga? And by connection, what is it? Definitely not.
[00:02:19.980] - Speaker 3
That's not an easy question to answer, but yoga is not a competition. Yoga is not put your willpower on something and do it. Yoga is more like a lifestyle, and if you enjoy it, just do it. It happens. You learn you're getting better. It's not a problem if you can't do a pose perfectly, like your teacher, for example, of your neighbor, you're doing it for yourself.
[00:02:44.020] - Speaker 1
I also see it that way. It is really a lifestyle, and it isn't a competition. And that's why I actually prefer yoga because a lot of other more intensive exercises. To me, it doesn't make me feel good. It doesn't make my body feel good. So, can we say that yoga really is kind to the body in many ways? It's a way to practice movement and flexibility.
[00:03:04.450] - Speaker 3
I think it's correct. And maybe if you do it, like if you go to India and take a retreat, it's a lot about practicing and doing it the correct way. And it's a lot about it's not power, but you can be forced into, opposed, but if you do it in your own way, it's really friendly and really easy. Just let it happen. For me, that is yoga.
[00:03:26.650] - Speaker 1
There are some misconceptions, common misconceptions people have, I think for yoga, because you see yoga on the TV and in movies and all the celebrity’s practicing yoga. So is yoga something that is really just for super athletes or very flexible people?
[00:03:44.840] - Speaker 3
No, it is not. Yoga is not about being flexible. It's not dulled. It's not only for women who are super or men super sporty types. Everybody can do yoga. If you like to do it, just do it. You learn during doing yoga, you're expanding all the time.
[00:04:03.220] - Speaker 1
You're learning, you're expanding, you're growing. And I think what I really like about yoga is that it's one of the exercises for me that really, really has that mind and body connection, which I think we lack a lot in our rushed lives. Is this something that is drawn into most yoga styles?
[00:04:21.590] - Speaker 3
I think it's in every yoga style because your body awareness is during the practice. And if you concentrate of the class or the instructions of the teacher, your mind is getting empty of your daily thoughts or your daily business. Your concentration is on you and your mats during class. So the connection between body and mind, for me, it's in every yoga style.
[00:04:44.410] - Speaker 2
You're listening to the My Figgi Life podcast.
[00:04:49.450] - Speaker 1
A lot of us also practice Pilates or have been engaged in or know something about Pilates. And a lot of people tend to get confused between yoga and Pilates because I think there are some things that may overlap. But what is the main differences between yoga and Pilates?
[00:05:06.860] - Speaker 3
There are a lot of similarities, but Pilates is more of a repetition of movements. For example, if you are doing something with your legs, there's also always a repetition of movements. And yoga is more about getting into a pose and holding that pose. It's more like a static pose and you're holding that and you're getting more into the pose.
[00:05:28.130] - Speaker 1
Tell us a little bit also about the breath work, because Pilates focuses, or seems to me like it focuses a lot on your breath and how you breathe and the belly breathing and all of that. Breathing is also an important component of yoga. But still, it's not the same principle, it's a different way of doing it, right?
[00:05:44.720] - Speaker 3
Yeah, it's just the opposite with Pilates, for example, if you do yoga, if you're bending forward, you're breathing out. If you're lifting your legs, you're breathing in. And by Pilates, it's the other way around. I also did a lot of Pilates, and in the beginning when I did more yoga, I was always confused because it is the other way around with breathing.
[00:06:11.430] - Speaker 1
Your expertise are a lot, as you've said, also in hatha yoga, and I know this is quite a common style of yoga, a lot of people are interested in it and want to practice it. What is hatha yoga?
[00:06:24.320] - Speaker 3
Yeah, it's one of the oldest styles of yoga, and it's the basic style of yoga. That's the easiest way to explain. So, for example, the more familiar names in yoga, like Yangar, their style is like a hatha yoga style. It's a very old one.
[00:06:42.580] - Speaker 1
And does it include a lot of sun salutations and flows, or is it more of a static pose kind of yoga, moving from one pose to the next?
[00:06:52.210] - Speaker 3
Yeah, the traditional hatha style is sun salutations, but also doing one pose and doing the next pose. And sometimes if you're a very traditional style, you do a pose and then you're standing up and you're going to the next pose. And sometimes they use the connections between the chakras or your energy lines in your body to connect to poses.
[00:07:17.620] - Speaker 1
People are often surprised to hear this, I think, about yoga, but even just this style of yoga, it is quite, or it can be quite a cardio workout, because holding these poses and these shapes does take a lot of commitment from your body.
[00:07:33.090] - Speaker 3
Yeah, if I make a sun salutation, I just start with a basic round. And always in the second, third and fourth round, there are some additional poses and they are really about strength. I use a lot of variations with warriors blanking and downward dogs. One leg up and then blanking. So, the sun saturation in an active yoga class is all about building strength.
[00:08:00.670] - Speaker 1
What kind of physical shape do you need to be in to practice hatha yoga?
[00:08:04.900] - Speaker 3
Everybody can do it. For example, the studio where I'm working, we have two styles of hatha, the easy one, and that is without a sun salutation, and that's for everybody. But also in an active class, if you are a beginner, you're welcome. And as a teacher, I will oversee that. That person can everything in class.
[00:08:26.450] - Speaker 1
And I think that's the one thing that I love about yoga so much is that sense of accomplishment that you get, because it really is so inclusive. Even though your body may not be able to go as far as, for example, like you said, your neighbors, it is nice to see that if you keep practicing, then you can stretch a little bit deeper and you can go.
[00:08:47.610] - Speaker 3
A little bit further, and that's what Hotam. If you stay longer in a pose, your body is getting there. If you're doing your first twist in the morning in a glass or your first forward fold, you may not even touch your shins or the floor. But if you're doing the second or the third one, you can reach much further, your body has to adapt and.
[00:09:09.260] - Speaker 1
It’s amazing what your body can do. You may not think your body can.
[00:09:12.770] - Speaker 3
But it can actually breathe with your action, your physical action. And the breathing will help also to getting more comfortable in a pose.
[00:09:21.420] - Speaker 1
So, Hatha yoga, as you said, is for everyone. There are different levels of it and it's really more of moving from one pose to the next and committing to that. And it can have different variations where you focus more on strength, et cetera, as you've explained. So what then is Nidra yoga?
[00:09:38.940] - Speaker 3
That's the complete opposite of Hatha yoga. Nidra yoga is very popular at the moment because it's called yogi sleep. And they say if you do yoga Nidra for 1 hour, it's equal to 4 hours of good sleep. But you're not sleeping. And that's a misunderstanding. It's a guided meditation. And if you do it for the first time, it's so relaxing. But if you do it more often, you can go deeper into meditation. And it is between sleeping, dreaming, being awake. Sometimes if you give this guided meditation, you're using numbers. And while using the numbers, your people in the class, they hear the numbers, so they don't fall asleep. They are in between this consciousness and unconsciousness. It's really special.
[00:10:26.380] - Speaker 1
You don't have any poses during this type of yoga. It's more a corpse pose and meditating.
[00:10:32.480] - Speaker 3
Yeah, you always start with light movements, maybe some twisting, some bending, some side bends. It's really mild and quiet movements. And then you're lying down and you're covered with a blanket. Maybe you have a bolster under your knees, or you can use a mask on your eyes if you like that. And then the teacher is telling or reading the scripts. And mostly there are two scripts, one as a preparation and then you use the real meditation scripts. In the end there's always ten minutes. Maybe there's nothing, no voice, no talking, nothing. And then you're getting your people back by starting to talk and then you're guiding them back.
[00:11:18.720] - Speaker 1
And how long does a session like this usually last?
[00:11:21.870] - Speaker 3
It's common to do a session of an hour, but sometimes I use a small yoga needle script at the end of my easy Hatha class and then it can take between 15 or ten minutes.
[00:11:34.590] - Speaker 1
This seems like an amazing way to calm down. So I would think that this is probably a very good practice for people with anxiety related issues.
[00:11:44.760] - Speaker 3
It can be. But on the other hand, just lying down and doing nothing is very difficult for a lot of people with anxiety if you start with an easy yoga class. So, there are some movements, there is some time in between for resting poses and there's a small starting meditation and a savasana, for example, ten minutes at the end, like the end relaxation. I think that's a better beginning than doing the yoga Nidra and feeling really uncomfortable for an hour because you don't want to lie down for an hour if you're not used to that.
[00:12:18.170] - Speaker 1
That makes complete sense to me because I took so many years to get into meditating. I tried and quit so many times. I only really, really got it down about three years ago and yoga helped me with that a lot because I was one of those people. It's very difficult for me to just sit down and not have my thoughts go 1000 km an hour and then get frustrated because you can't get your thoughts to stop. And with the yoga movements, it really does help to put you in another space.
[00:12:48.950] - Speaker 3
Because if you're doing the movements and your teacher is guiding you through the class and the movements and the poses, your mind is really wide open. It's closing down almost, and you're more aware of yourself. And then it's more easy to do the meditation. And if you can start with five minutes, you can build it up.
[00:13:13.950] - Speaker 1
So, we've had the two opposites. Now we've spoken about Hatha Yoga which we've stated is a little bit more intense. The Nidra Yoga which is really about relaxation and going inside yourself and having a guided meditation. So, what is Yin yoga then?
[00:13:28.850] - Speaker 3
The poses you're getting into are five or seven minutes per pose. So, you're building it up. It also can be three to five minutes. It depends on the type of class or your teacher. But you're always using props like a bolster, a cushion or a block that helps you to achieve the pose. And it's about breathing and letting it go. So, if you go into a Yin pose it can be really uncomfortable. And that's also a mindset because in the beginning there's a lot of resistance if you can let it go by breathing and just let it happen. Your body softness and it's more relaxed and the post gets getting more comfortable and it's about calm, deep stretches and it's your joints and your muscles.
[00:14:16.540] - Speaker 1
I have a pretty brutal travel schedule and when I've been on a plane for many hours, I love this because it really is what you're saying. In the beginning your body is almost kind of angry with you like no, I don't want to do this. And then after a while you get more and more comfortable in it and your body really does feel so much less tired and fatigued after doing sessions like this.
[00:14:39.450] - Speaker 3
It can be really relaxing but also healing because it's a really soft way of stretching. And because of you used props, you can also use a belt if you're bending forward, and it is really heavy or you're really stiff. If you use a belt, it's like an extension of your arms and your legs. So it supports you in many ways by using props and it makes it much more easier.
[00:15:05.550] - Speaker 1
So, if we are talking about props, the main props that we can usually see obviously is your yoga mat, a bolster or your yoga block. But if you are a beginner and you're interested in doing yoga, maybe through a YouTube video at home or a class that you take in your local community, what are the key things that somebody has to have?
[00:15:24.020] - Speaker 3
A math is your first priority, and it has to be from a good quality, not a slippery mat, not a thin mat, but a good mat. Not too thick either because that's only good for like Nidra or maybe yin. But I like a Bolster because you can use a bolster in many ways. You can sit on it, you can use it as support in many poses. And I also like a belt because a strap you also can call yeah, a strap is more better than a belt. If you use resistance bands, it's more an elastic. But a strap is like a COTS and one, you can use it as the connection between your feet and your leg.
[00:16:04.370] - Speaker 1
We've been talking about the different styles of yoga and especially the styles that we've been talking about related to meditation. Would you say it's a correct assumption to say that meditation really is a key part of any type of yoga?
[00:16:17.940] - Speaker 3
I think you can say that, but in different styles. Most of the time when I start a class, I always do this small meditation for getting into the class, fading away your day or your evening, just getting into the class, getting into your body, getting ready to start your yoga movements. And in the end, in the relaxation, there's always sometimes a guided meditation and sometimes just the savasana that people do their own meditation by being silent in their body and in their mind. And that is the most challenging for a lot of people. If you prepare a class then always getting the last 20 minutes, you're building it down so your movement is getting slower, your voice is getting more on ease and so you're guiding people to this meditation moment. During savasana, you see the bodies getting more softer, quieter. Sometimes you see it almost happen and it takes also minutes to getting them back. Because if I start talking again, you see that some people, they're not reacting.
[00:17:25.170] - Speaker 1
I've actually moved my gym into my office or my office into my gym so that I have more. It really helps me, especially if you've had like a series of stressful meetings to just have that space where you can just relax and ground yourself again and just come back to this moment and not be so anxious. If our FIGGI goddesses want to start with yoga, they've never done yoga before. What kind of practice or yoga practice do you recommend for beginners?
[00:17:56.380] - Speaker 3
A good way to start is to type on YouTube, maybe Sun Salutation and pick a really easy one and try to do the movements of a sun salutation because in a sun salutation there are all these poses, there are grounding relaxing and you have this flow. It's also like a meditation because you repeat a lot of movements on the same way. I think it's very meditative to do a sun salutation basic several rounds. And it's easy to learn that's a.
[00:18:29.520] - Speaker 1
Hatha form of yoga, right. So, a great way would be for them to seek a hatha type of yoga class that has some sort of sun salutation where they can kind of get into it and see how they progress. And then for our more intermediate and seasoned yoga, or yogis, I don't know if that's what you call, but what kind of new challenges or tips could you recommend for them if they want to take their practice a little further?
[00:18:56.110] - Speaker 3
I like to be challenged by more intermediate poses. I, for example, learn how to do a headstand or do an arm balance like a crow. I think that's really challenging. And if you have a good teacher, they can teach you and build your strength so you can do it. And it's also about challenging your mind because like a crow pose, for me it's really challenging because I'm always afraid that I fell forward on my nose or my teeth. But while building strength, I'm getting more confident because I know I'm strong enough to do it. And if you do it on the right way and your teacher is guiding you properly, you would be amazed what you can do.
[00:19:36.230] - Speaker 1
That's so true. I was also struggling with crow pose for a long time. I finally got it.
[00:19:43.930] - Speaker 3
How good is that feeling?
[00:19:46.330] - Speaker 1
It's a wonderful feeling. And you know what really made the difference? What really, really made the difference is I follow this amazing yoga teacher online, and she said that you have to push your body forward like you're going, but you don't want to because you're scared, right? So, you don't think about going forward. But it makes such a difference if you do it that way, by challenging yourself like that, with newer in a safe way?
[00:20:09.350] - Speaker 3
Yeah, the safe way is always number one. And on the other hand, I tried a headstand for a long time and I could not do it. I don't know why, but then I thought, all right, I'm not going to practice it anymore. And after a few months, I thought I'd try it. And suddenly I just did it. And that's what I mentioned in the beginning of our conversation. It's not about willpower, it's about letting it go. And then you're strong enough. Doing your practice every day over a few times in a week makes you so much stronger. And suddenly you can do it. You surprise yourself and you can do it. And try sometimes another style. If you do always hotter yoga, try another style. If it's gin or ashtanga or vinyasa. I really like vinyasa, but that's more about challenging poses. Just try it.
[00:21:00.310] - Speaker 1
I think that yoga gets so confusing because there are so many different styles, and especially because we're so influenced by the media with yoga, because you're always seeing it everywhere. So just understanding kind of what Hatha is, what Yen is with Nidra. Are there any other forms of yoga that are quite prominent that we haven't mentioned here today?
[00:21:23.740] - Speaker 3
Ashtanga and Vinyasa, there are more power styles. You also have the restorative, yoga, that's more similar, like yin, and that's more supportive ways of yoga poses with blankets and bolsters. And then you're staying much longer in a pose than in a yin pose. Sometimes you only have four poses in one class, and it's also about stretching and about resting in a pose. What you now more see is the combination of different styles. So you see a lot of classes, they're called Yin and Yang. The classes starting with a header style, and then the second half of the classes, yin poses, and then you end with an end relaxation. You see a lot of these classes nowadays.
[00:22:10.650] - Speaker 1
If our listeners were to be interested in a yoga class and to join, what would they look for in a yoga teacher? To know that they are being guided by somebody that understands what they're doing, that they're going to be kind of in a safe space. What do they need to look out for?
[00:22:24.830] - Speaker 3
You can always see what kind of teacher training they did. I would recommend, if they have these classes, you can try a free trial or book just one class and see if you have a connection with this place or this studio. You need to have a connection if you're doing yoga, you need to have a connection with the space, with a teacher.
[00:22:43.580] - Speaker 1
Yeah. And that's important what you're saying, because I think we sometimes forget that you are allowed to ask for credentials. It's somebody that's teaching you some kind of physical exercise with your body. So it's completely within your rights to ask, listen, what is your credentials? What kind of certifications do you have? And then to maybe try it for one class or an hour or so.
[00:23:03.640] - Speaker 3
Yeah, and most places they have proper websites. So, you can see, you can read reviews. Maybe they have an Instagram page and you can see what they are posting. You can check them out online, but the best check is follow a class.
[00:23:20.320] - Speaker 1
If our listeners want to read more about you, see what you're about, or follow you, where can they go to find you and to connect with you?
[00:23:28.800] - Speaker 3
You can find me under my name on Instagram. Most of the time I post my day or my activities at the yoga studio.
[00:23:35.990] - Speaker 1
And if you are driving, don't worry. In the episode description, I will put a link to Hilke's Instagram page for you. So, you can just click on that and it will take you straight to where you need to be. Thank you so much for joining the my Figgi Life podcast today.
[00:23:48.600] - Speaker 3
Thank you.
[00:23:49.670] - Speaker 1
So FIGGI. Goddess. Thank you so much. We'll see you again next time. And remember that everybody deserves to celebrate.
[00:23:56.150] - Speaker 2
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