Sound-Of-The-Sea Changing

Dear Yogis,

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.

A teacher that I absolutely loved when I attended his workshops in London, Gregor Mahler, talked about having been a yoga zealot, sneering at students with physical limitations and looking for students 'of the gifted variety'. (What on earth is that?). But, inevitably, he went on the journey that my favourite teacher David Swenson describes when he says: ‘‘When you start Ashtanga, you collect postures and build up a huge posture bank account. When you get to my age, you start giving them to charity’.

Not Everyone Can Do Every Posture. But there’s such a joy to be had when you watch a posture go from hard to doable, from impossible to achievable and, best of all, from hated to accepted. That’s gifted.

Classes

A couple of changes. I’m not teaching this Friday. Also, next Monday is the second May Bank holiday so I’ve cancelled those classes. The Stretchy class has moved to Wednesday evening (29th). I’ll move the Monday Strength & Conditioning class too after discussing with S&C people.

This Thursday, 23rd, I’m teaching Strength & Conditioning at Eden Fitness, covering Jo’s fantastic class. Expect plank variations!

Here’s the normal timetable.

Monday = Strength & Conditioning Lunchtime Class 1.00-2.00 (only five places)

Monday and Tuesday = Stretchy class at 7.00pm (10 places)

Thursday = Strength & Conditioning Lunchtime Class 1.00-2.00 (only five places)

Friday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30-9.30am (10 places)

Saturday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30 – 10.00am. (10 places) You can book here.

Yoga in The News

The Guardian has: Bit of a stretch? Louvre to host yoga classes during Paris Olympics. ‘The world’s biggest museum is to offer visitors the chance to take part in dance, yoga and work-out sessions with instructors and coaches while gazing upon its world-renowned paintings and sculptures. The announcement was one of several on Tuesday aimed at whipping up Olympic enthusiasm ahead of the start of the Games in Paris on 26 July.’

The Guardian had (Feb) ‘The teacher cupped her crotch. She never went back’: when yoga turns toxic. ‘The most popular teachers taught borderline gymnastics classes and had Instagram followings because of their sweet, hot abs and astonishing physical abilities. And let me just say: it’s not normal. The relative ease with which certain bodies can do certain shapes is most likely due to hypermobility or a childhood spent doing gymnastics. The rest of us muggles can try a thousand times harder and never achieve it, or do so only to the detriment of our long-term health. But this kind of physical expectation made its way into mainstream classes; anyone can walk in from their normal job to a vinyasa flow class and find themselves hurt – or mortified.’

British Vogue has: Suffering From Pre-Wedding Jitters? Try A Bridal Yoga Class. “Starting my wedding day with yoga was the best decision I made,” says Pochetti, who married at Soho House Rome. “It allowed me to slow down, take a deep breath, and really soak in the moment before the whirlwind of the day began”.