For Jewels Are Made When We Touch

Dear Yogis!

I’ve often wondered how it will be to teach in person again. One major part of teacher training is how to assist and adjust a yogi. You can then go to special workshops about how to adjust. I’ve been to plenty. But do people want to be touched and tugged, pressed and pushed? Before my teacher training, all of my yoga was learnt in gyms and I don’t remember this gusto to heave people into shape.

But isn’t it natural to touch? Hasn’t the pandemic’s lock-down shown us what we took for granted in human interaction – a handshake, a slap on the back, a hug? My Ashtanga teacher David Swenson is a huge advocate of adjustment and, as you would expect with such an experienced teacher, joy comes from his assistance. He says: “It’s human to touch. Adjustments are wonderful. You don’t have to use so many words. It’s a connection. It’s humanity. There’s a role that adjustments play. We can look at it as a method of creating a muscle memory. A good adjustment is a good memory. A bad adjustment is a bad memory. If someone is abused or damaged or injured, it’s a bad memory but it doesn’t mean that adjustment is bad”.

“It has to be sincere. You communicate, you ask, you look and you understand. And you ask yourself, what is the purpose behind adjusting?” He says: “My goal is to facilitate their practice. I’m serving the needs of the student. The teacher is the servant of the student. We’re there for their benefit, not for my ego. My approach has always been the same… and I understand there has been heavy-handed adjustments or miscommunication and miss-steps, but it doesn’t mean adjusting is bad, it’s just that something went wrong in the lines of communication where it became one person imposing… like the waiter comes along and says ‘I don’t care how you ordered the food, this is what you get’.

Remember when you return to class to let the teacher know if you like adjustments or not.

Zoom Classes 

I’m looking forward to teaching Conference Room Yoga today. The workplace wanted yoga that doesn’t demand mats or that people take their shoes off. They want a stretch and to feel good afterwards. Perfect! Wherever we start, we start!

Don’t forget the 5.00 class today for an end-if-the-week stretch.  For all classes and especially today, you can book here.

Yoga in the news 

The Irish Post has: Hindu leader slams Roy Keane after Irishman blamed YOGA for his 'worst ever performance' in football. This is hilarious. I’ve spent £££thousands on training to teach yoga to athletes! Roy Keane said: ‘he tried yoga for the first time a few days before Manchester United faced Real Madrid in 2003. He said it completely drained him and caused him to massively underperform and he never tried it again’. (Who was the teacher?! Ashtanga, I bet!). At the end of the article he’s quoted: "Myself, Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] and David Bellion do it and I think it has been a good help to us," he said.

HR News has: Why Offering Yoga to Desk-Based Employees Can Support Their Health. Bringing yoga into the workplace…could help companies ensure staff wellbeing, and reduce the costs of absenteeism (which was estimated to have cost the UK economy £18 billion in 2019) and staff turnover. It can also create a more upbeat work environment by supporting employee’s wellbeing, helping them to feel happier and healthier, and less adversely impacted by their sedentary roles.

Huffington Post UK has: How To Enjoy Yoga If You Struggle To Sit Cross-Legged. “Propping up the hips helps to relax tight hip flexors by slightly tipping the pelvis forward and can prevent the tingly feeling in your feet and legs as it assists blood flow, … If you don’t have a block, you can prop yourself up on stacked blankets and/or cushions, you can also place blocks or rolled blankets underneath your knees and thighs to help the inner groins to relax.”

Have a lovely weekend.