Something seismic and awfully tragic happened in the Ashtanga world this week. Sharath Jois, inheritor and the senior-most authority on the Ashtanga system, died suddenly of a heart attack in the US. Many people reading this will have practiced with him and will be heartbroken.

The class I’ve introduced on a Wednesday evening is a class I’ve honed from years of teaching corporate classes. People who turn up to yoga-at-work have a multitude of reasons for taking time out of their busy day for an hour of yoga. I’m a huge believer in Ashtanga but it doesn’t cover all needs.

Happy Diwali! Happy Halloween. Happy November! That must mean the OM Yoga Show at Alexandra Palace has come and gone. It marks the end of October and the time of year when the clocks go back and we begin the descent into the darkness of winter.

For the last few weeks I’ve been checking weather reports hourly to see if the clouds will change their minds. When we get our balmy summer evenings, stretchy classes outside are very sweet.

I wonder, these days, if there’s a proper sea-change happening with Ashtanga. I think it’s coming out of its strict unwelcoming phase back to its rightful no-drama, be-mindful home. I do hope so. Ashtanga is such a valuable practice. Everyone should do it or an approximation of it.

Well! Strength & Conditioning on Monday lunchtimes, 1.00-2.00, is getting overbooked so it’s Almost time to start a second one. Here’s a taste of things we do: for a warm-up we do modified Sun Salutations. These are actually Fun Salutations because stay awhile in plank and do plank variations. Then arms with weights. Then legs including ‘Bulgarians’ and some knee strengthening. Core work including ‘Russians’ and, everybody’s favourite, Lying Leg Raises.

I’ve been thinking a lot about faith recently. My friend died. Often he referenced his Catholic beliefs as part of his reasoning. But that’s not what brought me to my little lightning strike of realisation. Faith, I think, is in yourself; in your inner trust and confidence that you will do the right thing. My precious friend did this with mountainous kindness and natural generosity.

I saw this quote about the meaning of Christmas from A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens.

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

Happy December 1st. Have you thought about your New Year’s Resolution? Start early so you get a good lead-in. Be up to speed by January 1st 2024!

Happy November!

One of the classes I took at the October Yoga Show last was all about the Vagus Nerve: ‘The Vagus Nerve, Psoas, Anxiety Connection Workshop’ with Janie Larmour from The Centre of Yoga in Australia. Have a look here at the class plan of the workshop we did.