You're so great!

Dear Yogis,

It’s been another lovely week of teaching you and filled with so much pride for those of you who ran the marathon, qualified for Kona Ironman, took to yoga or running or another sport for the first time or struggle through physical challenge to stay on the yoga mat. I teach wonderful people from boxers to golfers to martial artists to everyone else and I can’t believe how lucky I am to see all these victories, share them with you and support you in some small way. 

Home Studio

Next week starts with bank holiday Monday and I’ll be holding the evening class in my Home Studio as usual. If there is more demand I’ll hold an earlier class as well – a 6.00pm class. Let me know if you would like to come at that time. Otherwise, classes as usual. Book online! I’m trying to make Wednesday and Thursday more Ashtanga-based but it really depends on who comes and what the mood of the class is. Please bring your requests along with you if there is a posture you’re trying to figure out.

Podcast

This is a nice listen  (if your start at 9.15 and skip the niceties!) of an interview with Eric Shaw, a true polymath. He gives an overview of the history and lineage of yoga. He talks about the origins of Bikram yoga and Kundalini. He says: “More people come into the door of Hatha Yoga through Bikram, worldwide, than any other practice.” Other gems: whether Nixon did yoga; if Pope John and Pope Paul VI practiced with Iyengar in the 1950s and 1960s; whether yoga is a religion; and evolution of yoga into Corporate Yoga (a fact that I love and find most interesting!). 

Some of it might wash over you. There are a lot of names and dates but, all in all, it’s a nice listen. He sites two books which are wonderful – Yoga Body by Mark Singleton and Hell Bent by Benjamin Lorr. If you need holiday reading these are page-turner .

Corporate Yoga

Yoga in the workplace is not just about touching toes and impossible postures. In fact, it’s not at all about that. The physical practice is a wonderful thing for a body not designed to sit at a computer all day. More than that, Yoga in the workplace introduces us, surreptitiously, to meditation and mindfulness.  I’m told again and again that the mindfulness helps people send a more nuanced email, deal with a difficult colleague or situation in a calmer way, and feel more contented at work. Give me a call and let’s give it a go!

Yoga ‘n’ Chill Retreat

Join up! Come! You know you want to!

The Marathon

Dear Yogis,

If you ran the Marathon last weekend, you’re amazing! I hope you got your time. I have a few thoughts about yoga for runners (below). When you get back on the mat, you will probably need 'restorative' yoga session, not a full-on Ashtanga practice! Take it easy (and write to me if you want more explanation than this)

1) feet-up-the-wall is an easy hamstring stretch with the back completely supported. You can flex and point and rotate from the ankles here too. You can part the feet, wide legs, and do an inner-thigh stretch as well. All nice.

2) You can stay there and do pigeon pose by putting one ankle on the opposite thigh and drawing that (opposite) knee towards you. Then the other side!

3) You can ‘iron’ up and down the spine by placing the soles of the feet onto the wall, push away, knees and hips over the shoulders and roll up and down with the breath. Nice and easy shoulder stand without holding it. You don't even have to come too far up. Just a bit of massaging the length of the spine.

4) You can pull the knees into the chest and drop them over to the side, arms out in a 'T' shape, and get a supported spinal twist. Then the other side!

5) Now you need to roll over onto your front and do quad stretches.  Start in Sphinx pose. Reach right arm back to hold right foot. Ease in and out of the stretch with the breath. Then the other side!

6) Finally, this is fun for the hamstrings and other strings:  You need a yoga belt.

Freebies

Triyoga says; ‘Free class for marathon runners - Bring your medal into triyoga between the 24th April and 1st May and enjoy a yoga class on us for that week’. They do this every year! Here’s the schedule. 

Home Studio

We’ve been trying out The Moon Sequence in classes this week. It seems to go down well. It’s a sequence devised by a teacher called Matthew Sweeney who is based in Australia and it’s a gentle practice. Take a look at the Moon Salutation here. It is repeated seven times: Have a go and let me know what you think.

If you haven't been to my home studio you can book for a class here! It's small, you'll find great company with lovely yogis. Monday and Tuesday classes are at 7.30pm. Wednesday and Thursday classes are at 8.00pm.

Have an excellent weekend, whether you’re running or stewarding!

Moon Sequence and Male Mula Bandha

Dear Yogis,

Tomorrow afternoon (16th April), my teacher, Valentina Candiani, is hosting a Moon Sequence Workshop in Hammersmith. I urge you to try it out. Mike Conroy, who is leading the workshop, says; “The Moon Sequence is particularly good for opening the hips and shoulders and preparing for backbends”.  Mike credits this practice for his ever increasing flexibility. You will find familiar poses (pigeon, cat/cow, camel, crescent moon) and reference to the breath, bandas and drishti. It ends with a relaxation sequence against the wall. There are no spectacular inversions, no weight bearing jump-backs, no constant repetition of chaturanga. It’s good for beginners, advanced, Ashtangis and will give new information to teachers to include in their classes. It leaves a deeper sense of peace and contentment. Here’s a link: bit.ly/1NcO6P2

Talks

I went to the British Museum for the Yoga: Austerity Passion and Peace talk last Friday. I found the first speaker, Jason Birch from the Hatha Yoga Project the most interesting and mercifully short. He showed the earliest (1159CE) bilingual yoga text – Sanskrit and Tibetan. I liked that! Yoga shared across borders through the centuries. I’m sure they didn’t worry too much about cultural appropriation. You can see his 4 minute presentation here: bit.ly/1NcOhdb

Home Studio

Hilarity overtook the class on Wednesday when we focused on the pelvic floor. Particular thanks to participants who made me use graphic description on how to engage the pelvic floor... for men!!!! I might do a You Tube on this!

Classes get booked up online now. Even technophobes are booking online. Please give as much notice as possible if you need to cancel, preferably 24 hours.

Yoga ‘n’ Chill Retreat

“Wake up with determination, go to bed with satisfaction”! I saw this quote on Facebook... and like it! This is what a yoga retreat is like. So much try or achieve as you look out over the day. So much tried or achieved as you look back on the day.

Join up! Come! You know you want to!

Helping or Hurting?

Dear Yogis

I’d like to introduce you to Lucas Rockwood and his Yoga Talk Show. It’s always a great listen. He often interviews big names in the yoga world. This week he starts his show with observations about running and yoga... Nice timing with the London Marathon coming. He always talks about nutrition. That’s his beef! He doesn’t stick to one type of diet; he talks about everything from paleo to vegan diets to genetically modified food. He asks; ‘Is your diet helping or hurting?’ He’s based in Barcelona, runs a studio and does teacher training in Thailand. He’s easy to listen to because his voice is so friendly.

Freebies

Triyoga Chelsea is celebrate World Health Day with its usual bring a friend for free from 07 to 10 April. Yes, it started yesterday! This year, the focus is to ‘Beat Diabetes’. Let’s go!

Health

I get asked about sciatica at regular intervals I’ve had it myself and, if all the medical issues I get asked about, this is the one that is clearly ahead. Here’s a nice article on the subject and if you don’t feel like reading, there are pictures!

In Our Group

This is from CaiJia and David who are yogis in my Home Studio: “Do you know anyone aged 8-14 who would enjoy being creative, making kites, drawing, and building an outdoor structure? "Artkitecture" - art, kites and architecture

“Architectural designer David Shanks and art teacher Cai Jia Eng are running a week-long art and architecture camp for 8-14 year olds from 18th-22nd July, from 9am-5pm every day. The art, design and architecture workshop is a fun and unique opportunity for children to work together to create their own paper kites, models and a pavilion in the Art Rooms and beautiful grounds of St Augustine's Priory, W5. Perfect for any budding artists or designers who want to get hands on!

“Booking information and more details available at www.artkite.tumblr.com, or email ealingmakers@gmail.com if you have any questions. “

Yoga ‘n’ Chill Retreat

Loads of you have asked for a poster to put up at work so I have attached it to this email. Thank you very much. Thank you, again, to those who posted the link on your social media. Get in touch if you want to discuss coming along. Individuals, groups and corporate groups welcome.

Do The Right Thing

Dear Yogis,

I often think about what to write in this email on my Sunday run. I try to think of yoga lessons and insights... This week, I got to Kew Bridge and found a cyclist had been in a hit & run (or open-the-passenger-car-door and run). Cyclist in shock; first-aider in charge; ambulance called; Cervélo bike un-rideable. A guy came along who turned out to be a trauma surgeon and checked him out. Two other runners came along and said they were doctors and could they help. The local Sainsbury’s lent a huge jacket to keep him warm. Others were waiting for the ambulance. It brought back, of course, memories of my own hit & run; lying on the tarmac and feeling surrounded by the kindness and concern of strangers. It reminded me that there is such an overwhelming amount of caring people with beautiful hearts out there. We just need to win, that’s all!

Workshops

I mentioned before that I would let you know what workshops I’ll be attending in case you might want to have a go at something other than a class. On Saturday April 9th I’ve signed up for Quest For The press with Ambra Vallo at Indaba. It’s about developing exercises and drills to build up strength and stability for arm balances, inversions and ‘floating’.  On Saturday April 16th I’ll be going to a Moon Sequence Workshop. Click here for details. The wonderful teacher, Mike Conroy, credits the Moon Sequence for the flexibility he enjoys. Believe me, he enjoys flexibility... that’s why I’m going! I’m also considering Become a Handstand Hero at Indaba on Friday April 22nd.

Website

It’s finished! It’s transformed! Thank you for the positive feedback and thank you for booking classes online. I have passed on all comments to the web designer who is delighted. If you need help with your website then let me know and I will pass on her details.

Second Greek Yoga Retreat

I’ve put together a poster for the Yoga ‘n’ Chill retreat. A couple of you offered to put it up in your office. Many thanks for your interest and support. If you would like me to send it to you, I can do that. And thank you to those who posted the link on your social media. It’s very much appreciated. This is the retreat that would be great for all levels. If you don’t feel like you’re the ‘type’ that would do a yoga retreat, then this is for you. It has a great balance of yoga and holiday. You won’t be overwhelmed by yoga. Whatever your level, beginner, intermediate or advanced, get in touch.

Have a lovely Easter break

Beware the ego and blow the nose

Dear Yogis,

Last week I took part in workshops dedicated to adjustments. It’s the kind of workshop that teachers go to, where postures are advanced and interesting and the steps up to a pretzel shaped impossible tangle seem deliberate and safe. However, the ego can overtake ability. Injury is a possibility! The brilliant teacher, Will Lau, came over to adjust me and I could feel my body breaking in three separate places. This reminds me to tell you that if you don’t want me (or any yoga teacher) to adjust you, or if you want only gentle adjustments, you must let me know or scream... or both. Will Lau also took us through ‘shining skull’ breathing and the top of my scull really did feel scrubbed clean with a wire brush. If you know a few pranayama techniques, it was Kapalbhati combined with Alternate Nostril. You really do need to blow the nose first!

Book Online – Home Studio

More loveliness in my lucky Home Studio this week. Yesterday we finished the class with inversions using the ‘Feet Up’ stool. The head doesn’t touch the ground and the neck is left unstressed. It’s a great prop to use if you have fear of going upside-down... plenty of people do. We conquered that fear for one of our number. And it again proved to me the immense positivity that comes from inversions. The brain/endorphins/mood seems to love it.

Come and have a go at a class here. Beginners always welcome. It’s a group class with personal attention and adjustments. Also, please consider booking through the website – although if web technology is not your thing, this is not a hard and fast rule. But late cancellations and no shows/forgotten bookings can be easily managed or remembered if you reserve the class online. You get an email reminder with the time of the class and the opportunity to cancel so that I get notification!

Second Greek Yoga Retreat

The first week’s retreat is really filling up. The apartments in the serene and lovely back bay of the island village of Kapsali are full. No worries though! There’s plenty of room on the second retreat which is the kind of yoga retreat that will suit the majority of us. You'll do yoga every day which is a big step up and quite a revelation for people who take only one or two yoga classes a week. This will be perfect for you.

Austerity, passion and peace! Yikes!

Dear Yogis,

The British Museum is putting on a special event in an attempt to tell us about the ‘fundamental meaning’ of yoga. Here we go again! It’s called “Yoga: austerity, passion and peace” and it takes place next month on Friday 8 April 2016 at 18.30–20.00. Lots of notice! I cancelled all my clubbing plans and bought a ticket. Have a look at the full description if a Friday night of talking about austerity and passion strangely interests you: http://bit.ly/2240QuI

Home practice

I had an interesting lesson in posture practice and ego last week. I had a photoshoot in my home studio for the website (take a look – incredible photography!). The postures weren't linked or logical but my standing-half-lotus-forward-fold has never been so deep. Home practice should be like this; full of surprise and fun, satisfying, not over concerned with logic. We’re more likely to practice on our own that way. However, keep an eye on the ego and ambition! The next day will tell you that a slower and more logical ride into advanced postures is a better idea. My legs took a while to recover... and a few pain-killers!

Second Greek Yoga Retreat

I’m really excited about putting on a yoga retreat for people who are not sure that the full-on all day yoga thing is right for them. This is a nice half-way point. Yoga every day in the morning will teach you plenty of new things and step up your practice phenomenally. Kapsali Bay in Kythera (also spelt Kithira) is the perfect place for relaxing and recharging, reclaiming the person that you could be without the workload and responsibilities.  Navigate over to the retreat pages. Flights for Kithira (this is the spelling airlines use) are pretty good in price – budget lines will be cheaper than BA, of course. If you were hoping to use Flight Centre, they can only book flights originating in the UK, not the Greek internal flights. The flight from Athens to Kithira can be bought on the Olympic website.

 Book Online – Home Studio

Classes in my home studio have been a real joy. On Monday we paid attention to backs and elbows! On Tuesday a small class with inversions. On Wednesday we built up to Eight-Angle Pose - called  Astavakrasana in Sanskrit. It's the kind of pose you might do at a break-dancing party. On Thursday, members of Ealing’s Special (Yoga) Branch were here. Total joy! You can always come here and work through a posture that you’re trying to figure out – we can work it into a class and find alternatives for everyone.

And it would be really nice to get some new testimonials from you – you can post them on the ‘testimonials’ page on this website

Secure, Safe and Special

Dear Yogis,

It gives me such great joy and satisfaction to teach. Last week, a yogi who is on a Triyoga Teacher Training course came to my studio to practice her assessment routine - an hour’s class for beginners. She was so good; I had such pride. I have since found out that she passed, that she kept to time, she explained everything clearly, and that she was generally amazing! She didn’t say that! She told me all about the ‘feedback’ and where she needs to improve and how she could do better! I read between the lines and saw that she was amazing!

This reminded me of the notes I made during the John Scott training in Cambridge two weeks ago. He spoke about relationships and what we ultimately need from one another: to feel secure, safe and special. This goes for the teacher/student relationship too.  Be drawn towards where you feel valued. You can see that when children are valued and loved, they blossom at school. Adults are no different! And in this crazy world of brutal ‘feedback’ – especially in the workplace - we need to make the yoga world different. We are learning, in a yoga class, how to be confident. That comes from ‘stilling the fluctuations of the mind’ and hushing the needless chatter which leads to self-doubt.

You can also think about those John Scott values in a yoga posture practice. Be secure in your foundation, bandhas, balance and alignment. With security comes safety to relax and establish freer breathing. When we take great interest in the breath we can realise how very special it is, how magical our body is... and how very special we are. Practice these values.

YOGA MAT

The yoga mat industry is mesmerising. Can you believe that you can easily spend £100 on a mat? I’m a fan of spending much less than that... but I still need a bit of anti-slide grip. Lululemon is selling off its UN-Mat. It’s a thin mat cover. It’s light and easy to carry around and it is half price at the moment – from £42 to £24: http://bit.ly/1oUwBaS (or, from the menus, Women > We Made Too Much > scroll to the bottom). Don’t worry about the colour – you can use the black side! You can also come to practice in my Home Studio and try it out.

SECOND GREEK YOGA RETREAT

The second week is different from the first – which is really filling up. Week 2 is not full on yoga – two classes a day, yoga yoga yoga! It’s all about getting away: starting the day with a yoga class and then relaxing or exploring for the rest of the day - letting the island look after you and entertain you. To that end, I have called this retreat Yoga ‘n’ Chill! Take a look from the menu bar.  Get in touch if you need more information. Secure a place with a £50 deposit. 

 BOOK ONLINE - HOME STUDIO

Come and see what it’s like to experience yoga in a small group with instruction and adjustment specific to you. You can read testimonials/leave feedback here on the Good Times Yoga website. Click on 'About Me' in the menu bar and the 'Testimonials' option appears.

Some of you are getting into the swing of booking online. For people who haven’t been here before, I can reserve the place for you. It means that you get a reminder and the option to cancel, and I get a cancellation notice instead of a no show. However, last minute cancellations mean that I can’t use my waiting list – I turned away two people this week. Please give as much notice as you can.

Friday Newsletter - Finding Your True Self

Dear Yogis

Last weekend I trained with John Scott in a weekend designed to help us “be Empowered by SELF”. Senior teachers like to talk about liberating the self and have various stories and metaphors to indicate a way to identify the self. John Scott is a New Zealander by birth and so gave a Māori saying: “If you face the sun, all your shadows fall behind you”.

Often we spend too long staring into the shadows. Sometimes we do the opposite of spending too much time looking into the future. This is how we might find ourselves in self doubt, lack of confidence, and self induced fear where the shadows are big. The saying: ‘the past is gone, the future is unknown, now is the knowing’ is about reducing those shadows and that self-induced worry about what is either passed or yet to come.

This is language I understand – but don’t worry if it doesn’t speak to you. I used to be highly empowered by the ego and identity: I was a radio producer and felt it to my bones; then a radio presenter, and deeply believed in what I did; then an author, and poured myself into that identity; then a government press officer, with my hearty politics degree; then a press officer in a political think tank. I identified with all of these masks absolutely utterly. When ego and identity and props fall away, that’s where we start to work!

Did that help? Was it just waffle? Both are valid.

Second Greek Yoga Retreat

My website is taking shape as is my second yoga retreat. It’s different to the first but in the same idyllic seaside village with the unique magic of Kapsali, endless friendliness of our Kythiran friends and a chance to stretch and unwind, relax and recuperate. With half the amount of yoga as the first week, you will get a chance to explore the island, be pampered, and take the world off your shoulders.

The dates are Sunday 18th to Saturday 24th of September. Perfect for people in highly stressful corporate jobs, especially if the idea of a full-on yoga retreat scares you slightly!  See what the body feels like without the suit and the strain

Get in touch for more information. Secure a place with a £50 deposit. Treat yourself!

Corporate Yoga

If you've been thinking about introducing yoga into your workplace and been brave enough to suggest it to your colleagues, you might have found yourself in a hailstorm of; "I'm not flexible enough", from baritone to soprano. Tell them that I'm still waiting for the magic of flexibility! Till then, yoga will help move the joints, massage the muscles, strengthen the bones and, most of all, give the lungs a good clean! (Did you know that in normal life we only use around a 1/3rd of the capacity of out lungs.) Also tell them that I've taught my 84-year-old mother, I teach people with injuries and conditions, I am qualified to teach pregnancy yoga, I have a qualification in Yoga Sports Science, and I'm sure I can cope with the odd tight hamstring.