Didn't See That Coming

Dear Yogis.

My Ashtanga teacher, David Swenson, says that when you are new to yoga, you collect yoga postures as though you are building up a huge bank balance. He follows this sentence by saying that; ‘At my age, you start giving them away to charity’. It’s a funny line. But isn’t it the case that while we think yoga is all about acquiring postures, having phenomenal physical abilities, getting better and better, that fact is that we are really in the opposite business of discarding: ridding ourselves of a unnecessary thoughts, unwanted energies, useless attitudes, unhelpful approaches. That’s the yoga trick and you don’t see it coming!

We are training, in the length of a class, to make the mind a more skilful instrument for our daily use. The goal isn’t touching the toes but removing the barriers to a life less complicated. By practicing breath-focus and a handful of postures the mind de-clutters. With a quieter mind you take a quieter attitude to life and perhaps the noise of unsupportive relationships, unsuitable jobs, and unhealthy patterns become obvious. In the hush, our internal compass can direct the soul towards its rightful course. Yoga postures are interesting but not nearly as interesting as the choices we make in life having discovered yoga. It describes my life and I didn’t see it coming!

Home Studio

My little home studio is not operating next week. (I’ll be training with Manju Jois in Finland and hopefully finding some interesting material for next week’s email!) Classes here start again on Monday 7th August. There are plenty of places to book. (If you are not altogether sure if you’ll be free, please book late rather than cancel late. It’s proving impossible to operate a waiting list.)

While I’m away I’d love you to discover other teachers. The brilliant Jenny Fearnley is taking over the Eden Fitness gym classes and you can also take her classes at Yoga West. (Come with me tomorrow, Saturday, to her 8.30am class if you like). If you fancy wandering further afield, discover classes with Andy Gill near Tower Bridge on a Saturday morning. (I mentioned his yoga retreat last week.) What about some fun this evening at Lumi Power Yoga in Hammersmith with Friday Night Funk & Flow? Let me know if you fancy it!

Yoga in the News

The Guardian sports the headline: ‘Yoga in the office? Firms should help us stay well, says public health chief’. The chief executive of Public Health England wants workplaces to help improve employee wellbeing and public health by combating stress and preventing/managing poor musculoskeletal health. Actually, the article barely mentions yoga but cycling comes up trumps! HR Magazine recently found that employers and bosses believe that cyclists are more productive and had more energy than non-cycling colleagues.

 DJ Goldie is at it again in the Belfast Telegraph talking about how yoga saved his life. (Actually, I’ve heard him talk about it and it’s... a good thing!)

The Daily Mail had a yoga campaign this week with daily articles from a teacher called Barbara Currie who is in her 70s. Here’s yesterday’s article – the final one. It’s an inspiring read.

Have a lovely weekend. Good luck if you’re taking part in the London-Surrey 100.

Diet and Yoga

Dear Yogis.

Sometimes I get asked about diet – in particular a vegan diet. Before going any further I have to say that different diets suit different people (Ayurvedic principles) but, probably, everyone needs to look into supplements. Here’s a lovely podcast by my favourite podcaster Lucas Rockwood about exactly that. He had a blood test done and, in this edition, discusses the results with a doctor. They are a bit longwinded but it isn’t often you hear people talking about digestive enzymes and detoxification pathways and the effects of plastics and pesticides and heavy metals. It’s never a waste of time to hear talk of B12 deficiency, or if the sun gives enough Vitamin D (discussed at 27.35)? Artificially lowering cholesterol is a fashion... what are the consequences?

Does this have anything to do with yoga? Is there a philosophical case for a yogic diet? Jivamukti Yoga believes so. I have taught many people who instinctively tweak and improve their diet without any prompting.

Home Studio

There are plenty of spaces in my Home Studio next week. More and more new yogis are coming along; some ordered to attend by partners, all leaving with a sweat and a smile. Every day I reflect on how lucky I am. Many people book a few weeks ahead and so I need to say that there will be no classes in the first week of August. I’ll be training with Manju Jois. (Lovely interview with him here.) When you find that no classes show up in the booking system for the full week, that’s why.

Retreat

I’m not taking a retreat this year but there seems to be more and more interest in yoga retreats. In order to take the plunge and commit to a teacher for a non-stop week, you need to have confidence in their teaching, their kindness and their knowledge of yoga and its intelligent variations for different bodies and needs. You’ll have heard me mention Andy Gill in class and I’ve mentioned his workshops in previous Friday Emails.  If you’re looking for a recommendation, you couldn’t be safer than in his classes. He has a retreat coming up later this month at EcoYoga in the Scottish Highlands. Have a look.

Yoga Festivals

Having been to my first yoga festival, I’m hooked! Here are a few if you fancy some Outdoor Omming. CAMYOGA’S ‘Waterfront Yoga Festival’ is a free, packed event for just one manageable day, Saturday August 5th. Then, the Soul Circus Festival is outside Gloucester in Elmore, August 18th – 20th.  There you’ll find Maxi Jazz from Faithless DJ-ing a yoga class, giving a Buddhism talk and DJ-ing the ‘After Party’. You’ll find brilliant teachers I’ve mentioned before like Marcus Veda, Dan Peppiat and Ambra Vallo. Finally, Wanderlust 108 bills itself as a mindfulness triathlon. You have a 5k run, a 90-minute yoga session and a 30-minute guided meditation for £21.80 – £30. It’s in September on the 23rd and starts at 7.30 in Victoria Park, London. Celest Pereira from triyoga will be teaching – I have taken a January 1st class with her and she is very inspiring. Here are a few more options.

Yoga in the News

The Kilted Yogis are back. The Scotsman reports that they have a book called Kilted Yoga: Yoga Laid Bare.

Heart Chakra of the World

Dear Yogis.

I found out some lovely things about Glastonbury at last weekend’s Yoga Connects Festival: that Glastonbury is the Heart Chakra of the globe (who knew?); that howling at the full moon after Omming at the universe is normal; that hugging is preferred to shaking hands. Hanging out in a field with yoga nomads, sunscreen and vegan food is an excellent way to spend a weekend. You meet teachers who get invited from country to country, perpetually travelling to antique lands and foreign fields to teach. I made a resolution to go to more yoga festivals.

I have two new recommendations and if you get a chance to study with the following, please have a go.  Jim Tarran taught a beautiful, fun class entitled ‘Experiential translation of yoga philosophy’, quoting yoga sutras and ancient texts. Stewart Gilchrist, for the fast-paced and energetic, similarly quoted constantly but like a man possessed. He said that we may find practice physically hard but that is because we are stuck in Anamaya Kosha, the gross body. We aim to practice with the Pranamaya Kosha which is the breath and the energy body which we feel pervading and surrounding our physical body. True that! As usual, it was a privilege to practice with Ambra Vallo and Eugene Vegan Butcher (see attachment below).

Home Studio

There are loads of spaces left next week and lots of cancellations these days so last-minute bookings might also be possible. Come along. It’s less hot and we can put in more energy. This week we explored the Intermediate Series for a change. (Just a caution; when booking online click the 'Complete Booking' button and whitelist emails that come from the @simplybook.me.)

Summer Training

Yoga West has started it’s Yoga in the Park sessions held on Chiswick Back Common, Turnham Green Terrace. Triyoga has teamed up with lululemon to offer a series of free Sunday morning yoga classes at their Chelsea and Regent Street stores.

Yoga in the News

I teach yoga in a few companies so I found this from The Entrepreneur interesting: “How Can You Reverse Your Company's Work-Life Imbalance? Through Yoga.” It says employees’ expectations of the work environment have changed and bosses have to keep up. It’s not parking spaces or free food or old-fashioned perks that are needed but “a change from within” via self-improvement, happiness, sanity and implementing yoga values.

I once worked at The Telegraph as a sub-editor. We called the paper The Hurleygraph. Here’s an article that shows why.

Enjoy your weekend.

Magic Wand Yoga

Dear Yogis

Ahhhh, the absolute magic of yoga! Last week I was feeling nauseous, shaky, hot and dizzy before having to teach two evening classes. I had walked a while in the sweltering day and felt as though I had walked across whole continents! Legs Up The Wall posture was a god send and absolutely instinctive. Without any deliberation, my body seemed to know that bed rest or sofa slouching was not going to cut it. The posture is a magic wand! So much so it’s on my website now. Absolutely everybody can do this and I also used to start my Yoga for Sports classes like this. After half an hour I was completely restored.

Gratitude

In Greece recently I taught this sequence to friends including the just awarded MBE, Chris Shurety, for services to music. He founded the orchestra I was a member of for a decade, he introduced me to Kythera where he held orchestra ‘retreats’ and he is the reason I started yoga retreats there. Endless gratitude!

Training

After writing this I’ll be packing for a weekend at the Yoga Connects Festival. I can’t wait to practice with Ambra Vallo and acro-man Eugene Vegan Butcher, and people I’m hesitant about but I’ll have a go such as Stewart Gilchrist (who has the kind of Om that invokes the devil!), and other teachers I can’t wait to practice with like Jim Tarran and Keef Miles. There’s even ‘Dance and Yoga’; the description is accompanied by a picture of a couple in a Tango pose. Why don’t you come! Thea Gordon-Rawlings has a spare ticket you can have for £85 (RRP £250). Contact theajgr@gmail.com.

Eden Fitness Ealing

I’m very humbled to say that the brilliant Jenny Fearnley is teaching the two Eden classes this morning(7th July). She’s a wonderful teacher and I often tell you of her workshops at Yoga West. I’m so pleased to introduce her to the lovely Eden Yogis.

Home Studio

There are a few spaces left next week. Come along. Lots of newcomers have discovered my little Bikram studio so book early. While it’s so hot, the Ashtanga-based classes will concentrate on the seated postures with the option of vinyasas. It’s a nice opportunity because classes usually concentrate on the standing postures to the point that you will probably know the standing sequence but have no idea of the order of seated poses. (Let me know if you have any questions about your booking. Sometimes the confirmation email doesn’t generate. You must click the 'Complete Booking' button to secure the space when booking online.)

Yoga in the News

For Wimbledon fans, the Yorkshire Post tells us that: ‘British No 1 Johanna Konta is hoping a combination of yoga and mindfulness can help her handle the pressure at Wimbledon. She looks to yoga for mindfulness, breathing techniques and practicing something that isn’t tennis!

I thought this was an interesting and entertaining way of describing the benefits of yoga in a particularly Red Top way! The Mirror urges us to ‘Beat your body niggles by busting a move and ease your aches and pains’.  Wind, constipation, snoring and cravings... I suppose the things they thing will be relevant for their readers! Nice article!