Yoga

Is it necessary to register for the yoga evening?

Yoga evenings on Tuesdays: No, registration is not required, but it is advisable to contact us before attending for the first time.

Over 55 Yoga evenings on Wednesdays: Yes, the prerequisite is a definite registration for 15 yoga evenings (= 3 trimesters per year). For space reasons, the upper limit for participants is 8 people, who should participate as continuously as possible so as not to block the space for other interested parties.

Anything special I need to know about the different yoga evenings?

Yoga evening Tuesdays

• Yoga mats are available in the hall, but due to the large number of participants it may be useful to bring your own yoga mat, especially if early arrival cannot be guaranteed.
• Please arrive for the yoga evening before 8 pm if possible, as we start with an initial relaxation that should not be disturbed.

Over55 Yoga evenings Wednesdays

• Yoga mats are available in the gymnastics room.
• Please arrive early for the yoga evening before 5.30 pm.

What can you expect from us?

The strong increase in the number of members in the yoga section at Team Munich confirms the interest in yoga among athletes. Around half of the yoga evenings are now attended by a fixed group of participants, with an average of 12 to 15 participants. Of course, there are no other entry requirements apart from a stable state of health. Why is that? Surveys confirm this: More and more sports enthusiasts appreciate being able to consciously enjoy relaxation and meditation in addition to the physical exertion of sporting competition, e.g. football, basketball or tennis – to name just a few of the 20 sports offered by Team Munich. This relaxation in turn promotes motivation and willingness to perform in active, physically demanding sports and releases energy that can be successfully utilised in competition.

Yoga can also be quite strenuous, depending on how the yogi*nis approach it. In our yoga evenings, we start with pure relaxation, for us holistically orientated people of course in all three areas – body, mind and psyche. Then comes the breathing exercise with conscious and deep inhalation and exhalation, because breathing connects us rhythmically with our surroundings, as our yoga teacher Maximilian never forgets to emphasise. The initial relaxation and breathing exercise together last around 30 minutes.

And then it starts: now it’s the body’s turn, although breathing is of course always observed and emphasised.

Physical exercises in yoga are called asanas and are also organised systematically. Static exercises such as the boat on the stomach and on the back as well as the shoulder stand – also known as the candle – are followed by dynamic exercises such as the twisting exercises while standing. It is important that we never practise one-sided exercises, but rather follow a forward bend with a backward bend, i.e. practise balancing exercises. The same naturally applies to the sideways exercises, always to both sides. And then there are the yoga exercises with a series of body movements in sequence, e.g. the cat variations or the sun salutation. All the exercises have names that do not always have anything to do with the exercise itself, but help regular participants to familiarise themselves with the sequence of the yoga evening. The physical exercises are always interspersed with relaxation, according to the basic yogic principle of rhythm: tension follows relaxation, which is followed by tension and relaxation, and so on.

Maximilian emphasises emphatically: “Yoga is also an exercise in slowing down. It’s never about going faster, higher or further. Rather, in conjunction with breathing, it is about “as slow, concentrated and mindful as possible”. He does not consider yoga in the original sense of the word to be yoga methods that focus on performance, such as sports yoga or power yoga. This body-centred part of the yoga evening lasts around 45 minutes.

A yoga evening is rounded off with a 15-minute meditative final relaxation: this is usually introduced with a text meditation and accompanied by relaxing music.

How much does it cost to take part in the yoga evenings?

For club members, the participation fees are already covered by the annual membership fee of currently 100 €; non-members pay 10 € per yoga evening. Incidentally, it is an open offer: your participation depends on your availability. For profitability calculators: The fee is already worth it with the 11th participation (per year!), not to mention the fact that membership opens up access to other club sports.

The cooperation with the Alten- und Service-Zentrum under the title “Yoga Ü55 für ältere Lesben, Schwule & Friends (LGBTIQ*)” (= Yoga over55 for older Lesbians, Gays & Friends) has been in place for several years. This means that Team München members can take part there at no extra cost, as they have already paid a membership fee.

The costs are listed here once again:

• Members of Team München: they take part in the yoga evenings free of charge, as they already pay a membership fee of currently 100 €
• Non-members of Team München: Contribution per yoga evening 10 €
• The main advantage of being a member of Team München e.V. is that you can also take part in all the other sports organised by Team München.