Kalimera from Kythera

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Dear Yogis

Kalimera from my favourite spot in the world, Kythera in Greece. One day I will run a yoga studio here! It’s a place where I yearn to bring anyone who is special to me and it’s a place where fantastic yoga can be found, thanks to Kiros Tzannes. He has been our guest teacher on our Kapsali retreats of the past two years. If you are looking for a holiday suggestion, come to Kythera and take daily classes with Kiros. Tell him I sent you!  For the class timetable and directions email him at: kithiraaikido@yahoo.gr. He also invites his own teacher, Kristina Karitinou , to hold workshops here every year. Come with me for the next one!

It’s a joy to get to know this island and practice yoga here. I know more people in class here than I could ever know in a London studio: Sara the herbalist from Mylopotomos, Maria Schina the artist. Antonis from Banda Landra, Dimitri from Aerides gift shop in Chora, neighbour Pauline and next-door neighbour Harry in the village of Friligianika. If you come here you’ll see how enchanting this island is.

I’ll be running an Ashtanga retreat here next year at some point after September 15 (low season). Let me know if you might be interested in a less intense retreat and I’ll do a second retreat, depending on interest.

Home Studio

Back to normal next week. There are still a few places including on Bank Holiday Monday. Book a class. Pregnancy yoga on Tuesday at 6.00 is into its third week, If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass this email on. The next obliteration of home studio classes will be during the first week of August when I fly to Finland to study with Manju Jois.

Social Media

The first time I got Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana) I got a fellow yogi to take a picture of me. The first time I got Bhujapidasana: Shoulder-Pressing Pose, I wished I had someone to take a picture of me. I completely understand if you want to take photos in class. It’s ok to take a break from meditation! In a corporate class your work colleagues are unlikely to object to photos but a gym class is different. If you’re also a member of a running club or boxing ring I can come and teach you there – you can even book a photographer. Come to my home studio and I’ll take a photo of you from a particularly fine angle.

Free Yoga

A wonderful yogi sent a review of a free Lululemon classe: “It's a very popular class. There must have been at least 50 folk in attendance and even then not all the mats were taken! They use the shop floor which has lovely high ceilings which l really liked. They had two teachers; one leading the practice and the other assisting. The assistant was very attentive. Her job was to make sure we were doing the poses correctly so she walked round and gently corrected poses. I'd recommend it. I'll definitely be going again”.

Yoga is internal. The rest is circus.

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Dear Yogis

May 18th (yesterday) marks the death anniversary of Sri Pattabhi Jois, simply the greatest teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Every time I practice with one of his students I wish I had been lucky enough to meet him. They talk of a magical time with him. They quote him endlessly and some of those quotes announce themselves on T Shirts and profile pictures such as ‘Body is not stiff, Mind is stiff’. Another one that gives a clue of the depth and breadth and height of the practice: “This yoga is not for exercise. Yoga is showing where to look for the soul – that is all”. For those of us in the spiritual slow lane, there’s no need to beat ourselves up; he wanted us to engage in the physical practice. “99% practice, 1% theory”. (Phew!) In an attempt to touch some of the Guruji magic, I will be studying with his son, Manju Jois, this year.

Home Studio

I’m away next week in Kythera, Greece. There are no classes in my Home Studio. Is it time for you to spread your wings and see what other yoga classes are out there? Yoga West in Acton has a variety of classes including pregnancy classes. There’s plenty online that you can do. I have a few short practices on my website. Here’s one of my teachers online, Kino MacGregor, with a 30-day challenge. Most of her ‘tutorials’ are so short you can zip through a few at a time and the final one is only 30 minutes. For Pregnancy Yoga, a highly, highly experienced pregnancy yoga teacher, Lolly Stirk in Notting Hill Gate is a teacher to go to with all questions or worries. Online, try this with Katy Appleton who is a pregnancy yoga teacher trainer.

Write and let me know what yoga you did. There are plenty of places here the week after next. Book a class.

Yoga In The News

I love Ryan Giggs because of all the young guys who have come to try yoga because of him. He really has been a yoga inspiration. Last weekend the FT wrote about how yoga prolonged his career. He says: “Yoga was first about injury prevention, but later it became about recovery. The day after a match, the adrenalin would still be in my body. But the following day, when I got out of bed, everything would hurt, so I would do yoga then. It made me more aware of my body.”

Not to be outdone, boxer Anthony Joshua reveals he uses yoga to lengthen career . He says: 'The hardest yoga pose I've done is the downward facing dog. I just don't understand why you have to hold it for so long’. 

Have a lovely weekend and a yogic week.

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes

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Dear Yogis

The week whisked by in electrified haste. Of course, it’s hard to get through seven days without someone telling me they are not flexible enough for yoga. The latest, an athletic cyclist, left me marvelling at how many people want to tell me that they can’t touch their toes. It’s a sweet confession.  Soon he’ll find out that he’ll wow the crowds with the muscularity of his chaturangas! And then we will need calming music...

I often get asked about the music I play in class. Here’s a list of a few, with links:

Home Studio

We had our first pregnancy yoga class on Tuesday and more have booked for next week. The time is 6.00-7.00pm. If you can’t make it there’s plenty online that you can do. Try this with Katy Appleton who is a pregnancy yoga teacher trainer.

Last night I had a request to include Lotus Pose – Padmasana. Unfortunately, Lotus doesn’t just come when summoned but it is a posture that is achievable. I never thought my body would let me have this one... and then it did! Here are a couple of things you can do: the simple Ashtanga Primary Series leads up to it eventually; a Jason Crandell Essential Sequence; and, the thing that finally, surprisingly, gave me Lotus, Jim Bennitt supine pigeon-to-Lotus. Here’s a clip that gives a hint of what to do. I’ll show you if this is something you want to try.

There are plenty of places next week. Book a class.

Training

This Sunday I have Ashtanga Yoga 2nd Series Workshop with Andy Gill. Join me. Don’t forget that Lululemon has free yoga. They provide yoga mats and just ask that you get there 15 minutes early. Sweaty Betty also has free classes.

Whatever you do this weekend, have fun!

Yoga for abs

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Dear Yogis

What a beautiful morning after a week of grey! Before setting off for my favourite gym, I want to suggest something un-yogic! Last Sunday I did a workshop on the Building Blocks to Jump-Through & Jump Back (catastrophically devoid of either, my feedback was detailed!) and then went to meet a weights coach for a private session. If you get the chance, do the latter. You will achieve more, gain more self knowledge, and dread the sight of stairs for a few days! That’s ok; it’s good to work hard and feel the muscles.

My session involved four drills, mostly addressing my weak lower abs, (I can’t do a hanging leg lift, not even to bring my legs up to 90°): dead-lifts (30kg with the bar and one 24kg dumbbell) supine lower-abs curls (weight disk on legs and holding 2.5 kgs), squats (holding 14kgs to chest) and split squats. I just couldn't recommend it more. He's happy for me to recommend his coaching to yogis! We met in Broadgate so If you work near there and you’re interested, I’ll put you in touch.

Home Studio

Pregnancy yoga! It’s time! The Tuesday 6.00-7.00 will now be a pregnancy yoga class starting next week. I have teacher training in pregnancy yoga and I’ve been asked over and over again to provide a specific class. It’s here! One person has already booked. Please pass this email on to anyone you know who might be interested.

It’s been a great week in my lucky Home Studio with the usual sprinkling of regulars and newbies. Headaches made an appearance too so here’s an article that might be of interest if a busy day continues to pound away in your head like a drum kit. Try not to skip a yoga practice.

Yoga in the news

Very exciting to read that a Chihuahua festival in Gerrards Cross in August will attempt to break the official Guinness World Record for the largest dog yoga class, currently held by Hong Kong and their 270 dogs.

Thank you for all your lovely feedback and your endless enthusiasm. Have a lovely weekend.