Amina Taha: Yoga Phenomenon

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While most of us tend to lose control amidst the current circumstances, a few can get a grip on life and find peace amongst the chaos. Amina Taha, the Egyptian-born, Dubai-based fashion designer found peace, serenity and solace in yoga at the age of twenty-seven. Her first yoga class opened up more than her shoulders – her heart was immediately hooked to the practice and then was immersed fully in the yogi-mentality that she lives by now. To find out more about Taha’s blossoming journey from a novice yoga apprentice to a fully committed yoga instructor, read on.

How did you initially get into yoga?

I got into yoga during a transitional phase of my life. I was in a new city, waiting to start my first job ever as a fashion designer. I had a month before starting my work, and I was curious about yoga so I google-searched a nearby yoga studio and ended up in an intermediate hatha yoga class.

When did you study to become certified, and where?

About a year and a half into my practice in 2016, I traveled to New York City to partake in a one-month intensive two-hundred-hour teacher training course at YogaWorks. The year following that, I moved to New York and completed my three-hundred-hour training course at Lighthouse Yoga School led by Jared McCann.

Can you tell us more about your experience of becoming a mentor?

I don’t consider myself a mentor, more of a teacher who aspires to connect others to their inner teachers. I think we are all our own mentors.

What message are you trying to convey through your teachings?

That anything is possible with practice, faith and love. It is all within us. There’s a lot of noise caused by our constant busy minds, and that noise can be the real obstacle. When we take a moment to let that go while focusing on our breath, we get out of our way. By default, it allows the unlimited within us to lead instead.

How is yoga helping with mental health issues, especially during this lockdown?

Most simply, during a lockdown, we are moving our bodies much less. Physical yoga practice helps us move, and that movement is healing both body and mind. It allows us to release tension from sitting all day, on our laptops or phones, and so on.

On a deeper note, the fear and uncertainty that comes with the pandemic can cause mental stress as we realize we are entirely out of our comfort zones. It leads our nervous system to be in a state of stress — fight or flight mode. A yoga practice with all types known to it, allows us to tune into our breath, and use it to manipulate the nervous system into a more relaxed state. That is when our immune system works best, so it helps our bodies be better “prepared” in case of illness.

Our breath directly influences the nervous system, and that is a powerful aspect of yoga. It’s an incredible chance for all the worries and thoughts that consume us to subside for a little while and create a serenity state of mind.

What poses do you recommend for any beginner at home?

I recommend starting with a gentle, guided beginner practice. There are many free classes on YouTube, and I also have a beginner series on moving.co that teaches the foundations of a yoga practice.

Do you have any advice for others who may be struggling?

What helps when I am in a dark place is to shift my focus to gratitude. Gratitude-based meditations or even gratitude journaling can be way helpful, as we turn our attention to any simple three things that feel good at the moment or in general.

Tell us about your favorite yoga pose and why?

It constantly changes! Currently, it is handstand because whether I’m feeling tired, sleepy or excited, doing a handstand always brings me into my focus. It is the coolest physical posture I have ever learned, and it still amazes me that I can hold my balance on my hands despite having never done it as a child. Aside from all the fear and doubt, it has taught me that when the determination is strong, fear becomes redundant and irrelevant.

What is your dharma, your life mission?

To share with authenticity and wholeheartedly the wonders of this practice.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting on their yoga journey?

Always find a balance between effort and ease. Don’t let your practice be too intense or too easy, either. Find that sweet spot and stay there. Believe in yourself and visualize doing what you would like to do, knowing it is possible. Put in the work, the hours of failures are what make it all possible. Use your practice as a curious exploration. Let go of your thoughts and notice your breath, in that space, is where your inner magic lives.