The Wise And The Wicked

Dear Yogis

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 196 Indian sutras in a book that everyone on a yoga teacher training course has to read. We're not ready and, as with the Bhagavad Gita and other profound and immense treatise, very little sinks in. However, a friend of mine has been recently hurt by the betrayal of someone and one of the sutras flooded back into my consciousness: "By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness".

The Yoga Sutras tell us in the first line to ‘still the fluctuations of the mind’ and then goes on to tell us how to do that. Some call it The Yogi’s Roadmap! One crucial way to keep a calm and even mind is to dwell in good company. When you think about how the wrong company agitates your waters and, by contrast, how much beautiful energy you get from celebrating good people, you can see that this sutra is a great tool or reminder of how to use your energy. There is a yogic way to approach every kind of person.

Home Studio

I’m completely delighted that new people are coming here every week. More and more people discover the magic of yoga and the relaxing, re-setting effects after a day of work. I love it. Next week I’m only be teaching on Monday and Tuesday. I’ve added an extra 6.00 class on Tuesday 19th and there is still plenty of space on Monday. No classes in the following week but people are booking for the first week in October.

Training

No workshops this weekend but join me for classes if you’re free. I’ll be at Yoga West for Jenny Fearnley’s Ashtanga class Saturday 8.30-9.45 and then I’m off to Indaba for Saskia Vidler’s Ashtanga class at 11.15-12.45. Come with me. (Then to the V&A at 3.00 for an African Heritage Tour.)

Yoga in the News

I’m still ignoring Goat Yoga but this comes close. The Debrief reviews Hilary Clinton’s recent book on losing the election and finds this nugget: ‘I did some yoga,’ she said. ‘I tried Alternative Nostril Breathing. I highly recommend it. It calms you down.’ (That and Chardonnay!) The article includes CNN footage of her demonstrating.