Origins Of The Yoga Mat
/Dear Yogis,
Did you ever stop to think about how the once humble yoga mat turned into a multi-billion dollar industry? How can mats cost way over £100? My teacher David Swenson mentioned once that, when training in Mysore, they went to a near-by prison and bought prisoner-made mats. Inmates had to weave cotton mats and the results happened to be perfect for Mysore yoga practice, non-slip and sweat absorbent.
In the early 80s an Iyengar yoga teacher called Angela Farmer promoted carpet underlay cut to towel size for yoga practice. This introduced the idea of a yoga-specific sticky mat and her father, in London, became the first ever yoga mat retailer. (Apparently, they fell apart easily!)
Non-slip is the most prized feature and today, for the modern yogi, eco-friendly is becoming a requisite. If I were buying today, I would be looking for machine washable. In addition, I would recommend yogi sox. I have no idea why I took so long to convert. I like this one, Toesox. It doesn’t slip off the foot.
Classes
OK. Last call! This is to say I will put the prices up to begin in February.
1. Online, I have charged one ticket per household but that will change to one price per yogi. (That was a legacy of lockdown when my online classes started as free classes and people practiced with family).
2. In-person classes will go from £10.50 to £12
3. Online will go from £5.50 to £6.50
Monday and Tuesday = Stretchy class at 7.00pm – this is the popular one.
Wednesday = Sun Salutations, Strengthen & Stretch at 7.00pm – this is the new one.
Friday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30-9.30am – this is the one that pushes you.
Saturday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30 – 10.00am – this is the longer one, pushes you more!
Yoga in The News
The BBC has: Yoga became inmate's 'best friend' after Prison Phoenix Trust classes. ‘Selina Sasse, director of the trust, said the approach was established in the 1980s by founder Ann Wetherall. "She had grown up in India and she knew how helpful yoga and meditation were, so she thought 'if I could bring this to people who are in prison, it might really help them change their lives.'"’
MSN has: Willem Dafoe shares his daily exercise routine to help maintain his health. "As I get older, ashtanga is very useful for health and peace of mind, obviously,"... "In certain things, I am not as strong, as flexible as I once was, just superficially. But other things, I am actually better at, you know? Like breathing, for example. I am better in touch with my breath."
Surrey Live has: Study finds staggering yoga and weightlifting effect on people with depression. “Yoga was found to be surprisingly more effective for men, as well as qigong, a holistic exercise system focused on moving meditation, rhythmic breathing and accessing meditative mind states... For women with depression, the review found strength training was more effective".
