What the class members say.......part 2

1.       How long have you been practicing yoga? 

Almost 2 years

2.       What do you feel you get out of your yoga practice? 

It's helping to keep me mobile and it's challenging me to attempt postures and exercises that I wouldn't do at home on my own

3.       How do you feel your life has changed since you have been doing a regular yoga practice?

I now have strategies for dealing with the stresses and strains of everyday life - breathing exercises, shoulder and neck exercises.

4.       What is your favourite posture and why?

I like forward bends because I have discovered I can do them!  Also because I can really see myself improving with practice.

5.       What would you say to someone who is thinking about attending yoga for the first time and a little afraid to take that first step?

Be brave and do it!  It doesn't matter how little you feel you can do at the beginning, you will improve.  You have nothing to lose and lots to gain.  I always feel better after class and miss it if I can't go.

 

 

(questions kindly answered by one of my Friday morning class members)

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What the class members say.......Part 1

I am hoping to provide some of you with some inspiration to get back to a yoga class or to begin your yoga journey.  I am going to be publishing some answers to a questionnaire I gave out to my lovely class members about their yoga practice and what it means to them.  Here is the first one - enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

1.       How long have you been practicing yoga?

On and off for 40 years. Gaps in years when my children were younger or when I’ve had too many commitments to go to classes. About 20 years in all.

2.       What do you feel you get out of your yoga practice?

I feel relaxed yet energized. I feel good about myself. Probably because I feel I’m taking responsibility for my own health and fitness. I think I can sum it up better how I feel when I don’t do weekly classes for a long period. Sluggish, lazy, a bit de-motivated and definitely creaky

3.       How do you feel your life has changed since you have been doing a regular yoga practice?

 Well, I’ve always been healthy and have no medical issues really, but now I’m getting older (62) I notice that I can’t join in conversations with people my age about medical problems or compare medication. Is that a downside? Don’t think so.

4.       What is your favourite posture and why?

Rag doll and forward bends. They just keep your back so supple. Also, any poses that make you stand up straight. This forces you to think about your posture.

 Also the warrior. This makes me feel strong

5.       What would you say to someone who is thinking about attending yoga for the first time and a little afraid to take that first step?

Maybe try a few classes and see how you get on with the level taught in each one. Also, teachers have different approaches, and you need to find a teacher that you respect and want to emulate.

(E.g. a teacher who bullies you into poses because they think it’s good for you although you may be capable, may not really be your style)

Also, you can pick up yoga on holiday, say in a local class or on a beach (sorry that sounds a bit superstar-ish but hey, why not)

You can pick it up any age. It’s never too late. You can’t do that with a competitive or speed based sport, so you would never feel at a disadvantage,  classes are almost always sociable and friendly.

You don’t need any expensive equipment. Very little initial outlay at all

The very best thing is that you can arrive at a class with the weight of the world on your shoulders. Well that’s how is seems, and afterwards think…. Now, what was I worrying about?

Eleanor Hamer  (Friday morning class member)

 

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Never Stop Learning.......

I am delighted to say I have just received my certificates from the last two courses I have studied.  It’s been quite a long and challenging slog as I have been incorporating as much physical yoga practice as possible to compliment the theory I have been studying.  I believe it is imperative to do as much practical training as is possible.  Anyone can pick up a book and start to memorise facts, but to put it into practice is when the real learning, understanding and transformation begins.  Needless to say it is worth it, as human beings I think it is natural for us to want to learn and explore throughout our whole lives.

Hatha Yoga Teacher (Advanced)

This seemed an obvious choice of course for me as I found myself needing to delve deeper into all aspects of yoga - especially philosophy.  In this course I studied the roots, history and philosophy of Yoga, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the Eight Limbs of Yoga and also covered Vedantic philosophy and Ayurveda.  I studied more advanced postures, including safety aspects, teaching points and guidelines for physical, mental and spiritual benefits.  The use of pranayamas, mudras, bandhas and kriyas were explored, as well as meditation techniques, mantras and the connections between asanas and the chakra system. 
(This course has been awarded a Level 4 NCFE accreditation)

Yoga Therapy – Level 3

I began this course with the study of digestion and nutrition, this was written by Rosalind Sinnett SRN. I also studied first aid and hygiene and then studied further therapeutic treatments using basic shiatsu and remedial massage. The course continued with the study of cellular dynamics, response mechanisms, neurology and reflex action. The course also involved control techniques and treatments for common conditions.  My aim is to integrate this knowledge into my teaching, to bring further benefits to my yoga class members.  It was certainly a very challenging course with some concepts which really engaged and enthralled me throughout!

I hope that continuing my studies I can evolve and become a more effective teacher, of course yoga teaching is not an academic subject and really all we do as yoga teachers is try to pass on what knowledge and experience we have gained to others.......

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Keep on Keeping on........

No one wants to think about getting old, how life will be for us as elderly people.  I regularly have conversations with my oldest class member Mary (aged 95) about how important it is to keep on with the practice. "You just have to keep moving" says Mary - in fact this is almost a mantra for her!  She has been doing yoga for so many years - constantly and consistently getting back on her mat.

I wish I could take her round to all my other classes, introduce her to all the other class members, some of them in their late teens and early twenties and I want to say "Look at Mary - follow her example, don't wait until it's too late, make yoga a habit for life!"  In fact any kind of exercise regime is obviously good for us but yoga is something sustainable, it can be modified for all the different periods through your life.  During illness, pregnancy, old age, an activity to do with your children, even to help you though hard times and bereavements.  Oh and remember yoga is not just asana (postures), sometimes practice may be meditation, yoga nidra or the yoga of selfless service if that is what you need.

I love welcoming young and some not so young new members into my classes and enjoy hearing how much they enjoyed the session, but often after a few weeks they stop coming.  In my heart I hope I ignited a spark of interest in yoga in them and hope they have kept on with their practice at another class or even at home.  What I fear is that they have abandoned the practice, thinking they may come back to it at some point.  It makes me want to shout - "keep at it - sometimes it will feel like an effort to get to class, sometimes you might find a session boring, sometimes you might decide you don't gel as well with your teacher as you first thought - but just find another teacher!  Please don't give up!!"

When I teach my senior classes, I can see how much yoga has enhanced their lives, how much easier everyday life is due to the fact their joints and muscles are more comfortable.  I admire their stoicism during difficult times and know that yoga has given them this precious gift of being able to cope with whatever life throws at them.  This gift is available to everyone - it is our choice whether we accept it and keep practicing, or if we leave it for another day..........

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The One Flaw of Woman....

For those of a Hindu faith - this time of year sees a celebration termed as Sharad Navarathri, this is a time when feminine power is celebrated.  Coincidentally we have also seen the young teenager Malala Yousafzai speaking out about her continued fight for education for girls in her homeland, even after the horrendous injuries suffered at the hands of the Taliban.  It has prompted me to dig out another reading from my Mum's vast collection.

She has read this in her yoga classes for many years and it is one which I do on occasions when I am not feeling too emotional, as I know that when I read it, it makes me want to cry!!  I am unsure who originally wrote this piece but will happily credit the author if anyone knows who it is!

The One Flaw of Woman

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime.  An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"  And the Lord said, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her?  She has to be able to run on cups of tea and left overs, have a lap that can hold four children at one time; have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart and she will do everything with only two hands"

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "only two hands - no way!  That's too much work for one day.  Wait until tomorrow to finish"  But I won't the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart" 

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord"  "She is soft" the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough.  You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

The angel moved closer then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.  "You have a leak in this model"  "That is not a leak," the Lord corrected, "That's a tear!"  "What's the tear for?" the angel asked.  The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord.  You thought of everything!  Woman is truly amazing!"  And she is, women have strengths that amaze men....

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.  They smile when they want to scream.  They sing when they want to cry.  They fight for what they believe in.  They stand up to injustice.  They don't take no for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.  They go without so their family can have.  They love unconditionally.  They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.  They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.  Their hearts break when a friend dies.  They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.  They have compassion and ideals.  Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

Please share this with your wives, mothers, sisters and any other special women in your life to remind them how amazing they are - because if there is one flaw of woman it is they tend to forget their worth......whether it is something on a grand, global scale, or something within the family or local community - this is for all the women out there working tirelessly for others :)

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Start Where You Are......

First off I have pinched the title from one of my favourite writers/teachers, Pema Chodron, she has the ability to write simply and effectively without sugar coating anything but making everything in life make sense.

'Start where you are' seems like an obvious statement - where else would you start?  You can't move back or forward in time and start then!  But sometimes we don't want to accept where we are and to use a cliché - we want to run before we can walk.  The same is true of yoga practice and also teaching of yoga, you have to start where you are - you cannot be an experienced yoga practitioner or teacher in an instant, or maybe in a whole lifetime......so just start, that is all you need to do.

Recently I was chatting to my Mum about our yoga teaching and I mentioned to her how I cringe when I think back to my first teaching experiences (just covering a few classes for her to begin with) that I was barely scratching the surface, just teaching a few poses that I was reasonably confident with and really just feeling my way through.  When I compare the classes back then to my classes now (which I also question at times) I feel these days the classes have much more of my own yoga experiences and practice woven through, along with the several years of teaching experience I have so far, but I am always left feeling there is so much more to learn.  My Mum then reminded me of a class she taught right at the beginning of her yoga teaching career, I reckon it must have been about 1985 and I was in the class (aged 11 or 12 at the time) and she played some really upbeat 80s pop and the yoga postures were sequenced rapidly together, I can remember really building up a sweat!  This was the height of the 80s aerobics trend and she said she felt that it needed to be 'jazzed' up in order to sell the idea to people!  Back then yoga was not really a mainstream practice.

Of course pretty soon she settled into teaching her very traditional yoga classes, with waiting lists of people wanting to join, but she too had to start where she was then.  She is still teaching yoga and the classes are no longer accompanied by Bananarama and Duran Duran songs!

So remember when you begin your yoga practice (or anything for that matter) you just have to start where you are, things will inevitably change and you will most probably look back and question decisions you have made, but remember all we have is now, there really is no point in looking back, or too far forward for that matter.  Just start where you are........take that initial step and begin.......

Growing Up and Dealing with Change......

As we slip into September, I can already taste a bit of Autumn in the air!  I know everyone will be blogging about the change of season and I dare say I am bit early with this observation but I can definitely feel a change in the atmosphere.  I have always loved the transition from summer to autumn, it always signifies change.....going back to school, summer holidays just a distant memory, time to get the woolly jumpers out - I do love a snuggly jumper!  For me this year it seems altogether more significant, my youngest son starting school, my eldest son moving into the juniors and I am adding a parent and toddler yoga class to my schedule. 

It will be so strange with both boys at school, more time to plan my classes, more time to study, more time for my own yoga practice.  I am also feeling the need to de-clutter the house, I tend to feel I can think more clearly when the house is clutter free and my desk is not hidden amongst papers.  I don't know a great deal about Feng Shui but I know the basic rules are if something is broken either mend it or throw it away, and if you haven't used something in a long while then get rid of it.  This is fine for things like an unused fondue set or an old sandwich toaster but I struggle a little with things like baby blankets and toys that the boys have played with a lot.  I realise that I need to practice some 'non-attachment' to these items, but I am a sentimental old soul!!  I have done really well getting rid of our wheelie bug bee toy which my eldest had since he was one and then my youngest used too.  My other half convinced me to put it on eBay and sell it.  It was quite difficult for me to do this but the lady who bought it seemed so delighted that I felt really good about some other kids getting as much joy out of it as my children had  (but I still miss that little bee sometimes, he had been around us for 7 years!)

I do have a box of treasures, things which I cannot throw away, the little cards from the hospital from when the boys were born, their first sleep-suits, many books and photos.   In my opinion it is ok to keep these things so we can look at them when the boys are all grown up and remember all those special times.

Being human involves times of change, nothing stays the same and for the most-part I do love the excitement and challenge of change.  As human beings I think we need it for our spiritual growth and development.  That said, this particular period of change seems very significant for me and a little sad as my babies are now not babies any more and are growing up fast, so my mission now is to do my best to help them to cope with the challenges of change in their own lives so they can welcome it and not fear it........and perhaps not be as sentimental as their silly old Mum!!!

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