Savasana Sadness

Dear Yogis

Have you ever found yourself overly emotional or crying in Savasana? I was chatting with a yogi this week who said that he sometimes does... even though he’s a Northern bloke! It’s no surprise at all – in any part of the country. In everyday life we build up or various personalities for work, home, friends, strangers and don many types of armour and emotional control. We layer that with tightly held opinions, politics and beliefs. On top of that, big challenges make us fight, flight, or freeze, all of which show up in the body (perhaps endless colds, perhaps thyroid dysfunction, perhaps psoriasis). The list of ingredients that make us who we are is exhausting! In the yoga studio we start to let go of those layers, those artificial constructions.

Yoga is like taking the armour off – or at least loosening it.  In class we peel back the layers, the koshas, and try to get to our truer self. Whether this is your intention when buying expensive Lulu Lemons or not, this is what’s happening! It doesn’t have to be about tears. Stretching and exercise releases endorphins so your Savasana might be in a state of bliss.

Greek Yoga Retreat

What a nightmare! I’ve had to change the dates of the retreat by one day. I found to my horror that Aegean Airlines has changed its timetable so it’s impossible to leave the island in time to catch a London flight from Athens. Both retreats are now Sunday – Sunday retreats. (Allcomers and All levels will be 9th to 16th September and Ashtanga with workshops will be 16th to 23rd). The price for the first retreat will change slightly to reflect one extra day. The website will reflect those changes later today.

Home Studio

I hope you’re managing to dodge cold & flu season. I had to cancel classes yesterday but I think I dodged the bullet. Samahan definitely helps! One yogi called it ‘magic tea’.

There are plenty of places to book for next week in my little Home Studio, especially the early Ashtanga class on Thursday. The new booking system seems to be well received but please let me know if you have reason to be unenthusiastic about it. Payment is now with Timely (debit card), not Paypal.

Cover

I’ll be teaching Ashtanga at Yoga West this Sunday from 8.30-9.45, covering Titi Rylander’s class.

Children’s Books

This week my favourite children’s books came out inthe Home Studio so I promised links. I’ve used Wai Lana’s Exercise is Fun with my niece since she was three-years old. It’s a gentle and colourful and engaging book. When she was a little older (six or seven) I bought her Babar's Yoga for Elephants which steps up from individual postures to sequences. Inevitably you have to hold your trunk in some postures. We held a teddy instead. My Daddy Is a Pretzel is a book I bought for a friend’s children (under ten) and, along with two other friends, they went off and conducted their own yoga class. It worked well.. I also bought a new one: I Am Yoga by Susan Verde. And here are some You Tubes.

Yoga in the News

The Metro this week told us that ‘Apparently, hot yoga is no better for you than regular yoga’. It’s the postures, not the heat, that benefit the body! Hmmm... but some people just like the heat on the skin.