Patanjali and Props

Dear Yogis,

Well! Working from home is here to stay if you’re a Twitter employee. For many others there’s no returning to the office this year. Many other offices will only let certain departments back. Here’s what this means... you need some yoga props!

Yoga props have not been around since Patanjali times! They are not mentioned in the Yoga Sutras. This doesn’t mean that yoga with props is inauthentic, though! Step away from that thought! The history of props is... really quite funny. Dharma Mittra’s ‘first version of a block was a large telephone book covered with foam and cloth’. His prototype bolster was hand-sewn pillows of different sizes and shapes. David Swenson made wooden blocks for a studio after they sacked him as a teacher because nobody liked his classes! There’s a particular Iyengar Chair and a back bench for backbends. Most obviously, the wall is a prop for inversions.

My suggestion is that you collect a few yoga bits and pieces. Of course, the trusty belt can help you into lovely stretches or advanced postures. If you’ve been to my studio/other yoga studios you’ll have used bolsters. I’m attaching pages of an Iyengar book for motherhood to illustrate bolster use but these postures are for everyone. Back in normal times, Alaric Newcombe in his advanced yoga classes would start with these very postures. For pregnancy yoga, these postures can be held at the end of a class when everyone else is doing Wheel and Shoulder Stand.

Finally, there’s a specific yoga blanket but, believe me, that can be any blanket!

Training

One of the things I find helpful is scottjohnsonlife on his Instagram account for his 6.00am chanting. We have a bit of a chanting house! At 6.00 in the evening the London Buddhist Vihara chants the Ratana Sutra on Facebook. On Instagram I also like live early morning practice with mysorehousemadrid.

Home Studio Zoom Classes

Thank you for such wonderful attendance. I can’t believe it. Please tell me if there’s a posture you want to work on or if you have need of a particular stretch – neck? Back?

I’ve made a couple of booking mistakes and I do apologise. Clumsiness will even out soon. Also, I must make clear that you book just one place for one household. I guess I should say it’s one payment per camera!

Class booking is via goodtimesyoga.co.uk/book-online . You can use Class Pass and Pay-What-You-Like are on goodtimesyoga.co.uk/livestream-yoga-price-options . Some of you prefer my bank details. No problem.        

Yoga in the news

Women's Health has: 13 Pairs Of Maternity Yoga Pants That You And Your Bump. Obviously this article has extra relevance because of Lock Down! Well, ‘an ideal pair of stretchy bottoms built for a growing baby bump needs to have a few key attributes: It supports your belly without applying so much pressure that it feels constricting, it's made from breathable fabric, and ideally, it adequately supports your back too. Then, of course, there's the matter of style’.

Runner's World has: Lululemon are offering free yoga classes for runners. ‘To help simplify things, Lululemon have launched their ‘Community Carries On’ hub, with a dedicated section on yoga for runners.’

British GQ has: Best yoga clothes for men to strike a more stylish tree pose. ‘Where yoga leggings fast become synonymous with affluent yogis who rarely miss an opportunity to namecheck their favourite instructor at brunch, a comprehensive yoga kit for men is a very simple combo of T-shirt and either shorts or yoga pants.’