11th Anniversary Of Teaching

Hello Yogis!

Happy Monday! Another weekend slips by! This weekend took my 11th anniversary of teaching with it. It was Saturday 11th February in the year of the London Olympics. It was a mid-morning class at Virgin Acton, but news was already in that Whitney Houston had died.

I spent the early morning working hard on remembering my left and my right and, in the end, decided to write ‘R’ and ‘L’ on my big toes. I drew pictures of postures on my mat in case I had a brain freeze. I had a picture of a boat and a picture of a tree! I had timed my class and timed every segment, but hadn’t given any thought to the answers I would get to my question: ‘Any injuries?’. I quickly discovered that I’m not a doctor.

Anyway, a-decade-and-a-bit later, I love teaching you, I love having a home studio and I love the freedom it has given me to look after my mum. My last office job was as the press officer at the International Institute for Strategic Studies – with my own office with a name plate outside the door! Well within a year of leaving that job, I had a full timetable of classes and was cycling around town, from class to class, instructing people to stretch and twist and balance and upend and breeeeeeaathe!

Come to class! My home studio hosted a lot of chanting and good vibes at the end of January to celebrate Mum’s 91st birthday. Monks from three different viharas (temples) came and filled the studio with their warm and protecting vibrations. Come to class!

Classes

The January bounce happened! New people are coming, old-timer yogis are coming home and there are smiles everywhere! I love it. Come to class! There’s no joining fee or membership subscription. There are no confusing deals. It’s the same price as it was in 2015. Just come! Monday and Tuesday = stretchy classes at 7.00pm, Wednesday = Ashtanga at 7.00pm and Friday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30am. You can book here

Yoga In The News

What! Wow! GQ has: David Swenson Treats Yoga Like Medicine. “But yoga is not some elite fitness program. It’s not only for people with two arms, two legs and a strong healthy body. I’ve taught people in wheelchairs, missing limbs, unsighted, people who can’t hear, people with severe arthritis. It transcends physical ability. Yoga is a tool that allows me to control the mind through my breath. So sure, there are some things I now cannot do, and, of course, I hold on to a few tricks I can pull off in front of an audience, but there’s also stuff I have to let go of.”

Metro UK has: How I Made It: 'A sepsis battle inspired me to teach yoga'. “I contracted sepsis a few years ago. It was a close call, but I survived and recovered. I was debilitated and my confidence was shattered. It took me a few months to rebuild my mental and physical health, which yoga played an imperative role in. Returning to classes with limited physical ability was also a blessing in disguise, as I was able to truly appreciate the importance of accessibility in yoga. At this point, I decided to apply for my yoga teacher training”.

LAist has: What Role Did Yoga Play In Guru Jagat's Descent Down The Conspiracy Rabbit Hole During The Pandemic? In episode 2, her friends, family, and co-workers grapple with how she changed in the final years of her life. And we explore the connections between yoga and conspiracies like QAnon. (Also, Episode 3 here.)