If you want to get back on a path of health and fitness, there is a perfect place to do so in Lagoa.
Carl and Inna Hawker have been running Just Body Fitness Gym/Yoga Centre at the Parque Empresarial do Algarve (in front of Fatacil) for around 10 years, helping people get back on track to that point in life when they felt good with their bodies and mind.
Offering a fully-equipped gym with health and dietary plans, daily yoga classes and a massage room, it will have you feeling great in no time.
It is the perfect place to come and train whether you live in Portugal or are just here on holiday. It is different from most gyms as it is on the first floor with an open view of the surrounding area, through ample windows that keep it light and pleasant to train in all-year-round.
The gym is equipped with a full range of machines that are easy to use and, with the help and guidance of Carl and Inna, you will find that both body and mind start to feel better almost immediately. As it is not equipped with overly heavy weights, you won’t find the normally loud and rough body builders there, which makes it a pleasant place to spend an hour or two each day while improving your health.
The yoga classes are held on a daily basis and are perfect for those who wish to work on a lighter form of improving body and mind. Carl Hawker is a leading yoga teacher in the Algarve who, through intensive training and enriching travel experiences, is sharing his knowledge and insight at the Lagoa gym.
Carl Hawker’s story is a familiar one: “I was going through some problems about 20 years ago, and a friend suggested I try yoga. I did one class with a teacher in Lagos and never missed a day from then on.” Describing the clarity he felt after a few months, and seeing the improvement in the lives of his friends, whether mentally or physically, Carl made the decision to follow this “amazing path” and share it with others.
In the belief that one must “tune the body to ultimately tune the mind”, Carl began with the physical path of Hatha yoga – what we commonly call yoga in the West – before doing extensive reading and engaging in the practice of Raja yoga, the royal path of meditation. Alongside visits to India, where he spent time in ashrams and studied under different masters, Carl undertook several courses, from beginners to advanced, with the International Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA).
Although yoga – meaning union – comprises various different paths, Carl chose to teach Integral Hatha Yoga. Considering it “one of the most comprehensive forms you can learn”, the class combines the physical training of Hatha, the chanting of Japa yoga, the meditation of Raja yoga, and Pranayama breathing.
Once again, he emphasises the physical side of the practice and notes that during the class, every muscle of the body is used. “How can you find peace if every time you sit down, you’re in pain?” When asked if yoga is for everyone, Carl replies: “It is everybody’s birth right to find the peace that’s inherently inside us. In today’s materialistic society, most people will never find that peace, and yoga helps us find it.”
Classes take place daily and private classes are also available.
(+351) 282 342 022
[email protected] | www.justbodyfitness.com
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