Wild, Gyrating Yoga

Dear Yogis

Like a bug to a light bulb I did the David Sye workshop at the Yoga Show. I’m drawn by his endless positivity and funky James-Brown-inspired soundtrack. The actual practice is wild: lots of shaking, pulsing and gyrating. While moving our hips in an obscene manner he tells us off for not living with maximum happiness and admonishes us for wasting time instead of living life to the full. Every time I’m with him I come away with tremendous gratitude and feel a little less imprisoned behind my own bars.

This month’s Om Yoga magazine has an interview with him. Here are a couple of extracts from the article. His father, Frankie Vaughan, wanted him to train with a Hungarian teacher called Clara Buck ‘who emphasised freedom and following one’s inner teacher’. She’d say: “You didn’t come here to be a yogi, you came here to be a human being”. Also in the article he says: ‘Once you understand that celebrating life comes from within, you realise you’re on an exploration and it’s about preparing to leave this world. Yoga is teaching you to enjoy your life as much as possible while preparing you for infinity.’

Here’s something from him you can put into practice immediately. When you have a problem, he said, don’t meet it at the energy level you are in. Go out and run, dance, do yoga, do anything to come back with higher energy. Then meet the problem from this higher place. Guess what; it works! More compassion comes. Your higher and more energised self gives you more thoughtfulness and awareness. You think about the opposite point of view and you avoid getting into an arms race of arguments or resistance.

Home Studio

Just for a little while the Thursday evening Ashtanga class will start at 8.30 while I look after a corporate yoga class. This will finish on November 22nd and possibly before. This might suit one or two of you. I’ve added a Tuesday class at 6.00 next week because all the other Yin-style classes booked up. Come to class! You can see what’s available on my website.

Training

Eden Yogis, don’t forget Alain’s new Ashtanga classes: Monday 8.20-9.20 and Wednesday 2.00-3.30 – a rare 90 minute class in a gym! Lucky devils! I’ve signed up for a couple of things that you can join me in. Next Friday, 9th November, I’m going to Triyoga Soho for Adam Husler’s Heavenly Hips + Tight Bits. For yoga teachers there’s training with my teacher Valentina Candiani  - 40hrs Aerial Yoga Teacher Training on the 8th-9th and 15th-16th December. I need to go to some aerial classes before that so if you fancy coming with me let’s arrange a date.

Yoga in the news

As yet another Home Studio yogi succumbs to the lure of Lulu Lemons, Bloomberg tells us: Yoga pants built a $48 billion industry that's replacing jeans, plunging denim into an existential crisis! ‘Years ago, research was limited to focus groups and feedback from store associates who would query their shoppers. Now there are fabric labs, especially in the athletic-wear space. Lululemon’s research arm does motion-capture testing and uses pressure sensors that allow researchers to test how garments work as they move’. Hence the price!!!

Happy November