Ashtanga Is Not For Everyone

Dear Yogis 

During our magical Kythera retreat this year, my guru Valentina dropped the bombshell that the physical practice of Ashtanga is not for everyone. Well, I have to admit, I never suggested Ashtanga to my mother! My teacher David Swenson, a famous Ashtangi, says that it is our duty to teach anyone and everyone that comes to our classes and, if they have restrictions or disabilities, find a way to modify the Ashtanga practice to include them. His teacher, Pattabhi Jois, would say that yoga is not for lazy people; everyone else can try.

Valentina says very definitely that Ashtanga is not for everybody. It is an advanced practice and some people should be in a gentler class for a much more subtle practice. It made me think that Ashtangis spend years, decades, revisiting the same postures for a truer practice. Ashtanga is not like other studies; we don’t ‘qualify’ in the first weeks, months and years... or ever! But people are impatient, want to be advanced and want to join the connoisseurs’ club. It’s not at all like that but the gym doesn’t warn you that there will be highs and lows, many frustrations, you’ll be a ‘beginner’ for much longer than you might have expected, and then there’s the unexpected journey of the soul!

It doesn’t have to be Ashtanga! There are plenty of other reasons to practice (and teach) yoga...

Training

I’ve signed up for two days’ training with Ourmala to learn how to teach yoga to refugees (written about in the Evening Standard here.). The training is about significantly improving mental and physical health, reducing loneliness and enabling people to feel safer, more confident and take part in life more. Come with me! The training is held in Richmond on January 16th and 17th.  “You don’t need to be a yoga teacher or even a yoga practitioner to attend.”

And all of this is inspired by my yogi friend who taught refugees in Chios, Greece, recently. Put 11.00am on Sunday December 15th in your diary. We’re teaching a charity yoga class to raise money to send yoga mats to the organisation my friend volunteered with, Chios Eastern Shore ResponseTeam. Decathlon, Ealing, has kindly donated our venue for the class. You can sign up here by clicking the Book Now button. Open to all. Bring children! You can make a little donation on the day for little ones! We want to collect your unwanted yoga mats to send to the organisation. Monday raised is for shipping costs and any left-over, to donate to their work.

Home Studio

Plenty of room next week apart from Wednesday’s class which is the popular evening. The Thursday 6.00 class is popular too, for people who want to come straight from work . See attached for class availability. For those of you who have been coming for a while, please write a small review.

Christmas Presents

What about a day yoga retreat? I spent a Sunday recently on a press trip at Foxhills golf course for a one day yoga retreat. The next one is on Sunday 19 January, Warm Up For Winter, for £190 and I have a discount code - YOGARETREATTS - for a 10% discount

• 9am-9.30am – Arrival/welcome

• 9.30am-11am – Morning yoga practice (dynamic)

• 11.30am-12.30pm – Nutrition talk

• 12.30-2pm – Lunch/explore the resort

• 2.30pm-4pm – Afternoon practice (restorative)

• 4pm-8pm – Use of the spa facilities

• Cost of dinner not included in the package

• Overnight stay

• Check out 11 am

The Address is Stonehill Rd, Ottershaw, Lyne, Chertsey KT16 0EL. It’s a really nice experience!

Yoga in the News

The Evening Standard has:  2 energising morning yoga sequences to wake you up for the day.  It’s a nice little example for absolute, total beginners. The sequences couldn’t be shorter.

Here's a good question from the HuffPost: What's The Difference Between A Cheap Yoga Mat And An Expensive One? Read about mats that have cult following, mats that knees love, sticky or slippy, thinner or cushioned, eco-friendly or landfill planet-killers.