Just started teaching Monday morning hatha flow classes at a wonderful new place on Newington Green, N16. Genius idea of yoga classes with a creche so mums — and dads or carers — can enjoy their yoga, get toned and calm their frazzled nerves while the tots have fun in the creche downstairs. And afterwards everyone enjoys cake! It can be so hard to find the time to go to class with little ones around and they don't always let you do your own practice at home!
Most of the tots are young and mums are keen to get back in shape, toning their abdominals and strengthening pelvic floor muscles, so forearm plank, vashistasana variations and surprisingly even navasana (boat pose) are great hits! Occasionally noise of gurgling drifts up from downstairs giving parents a chance to practice pratyhara — withdrawal of the senses, and learn to take their awareness within! Something we all probably need to practice!
Today when the little ones popped in, the mats were still out, they plonked themselves down, hips and spines beautifully aligned. One arced his upper back stretching into a perfect backbend, while a little girl sat down, picked up her toes and lifted up into a supta konasana — reclining angle pose still holding her toes — clearly wondering why her mum needed to work on those wide-legged postures! Even the tiniest tot held his feet and drew his knees into his armpits while relaxing on his back — classic ananda balasana or happy baby to you! It's almost as if they pop out with an inbuilt knowledge of yoga and spend the first few months demonstrating tricky poses with ease! If only we could keep that flexibility and ease of movement for life!
*Classes have taken a break for Summer! Back in September. Keep practising!
Monday, 15 July 2013
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
That pose!
Sometimes the pose we like the least is the one that deserves more attention and sometimes the very thought of a pose can make us so tense that we will not allow our bodies to relax and work into it through the breath. Have you noticed?
When you next do your practice, watch when your mind subconsciously makes a grimace and you feel yourself stiffen. What pose are you doing?
It could be the full wheel backbend (aka crab) Urdhva Dhanurasana or a classic seated forward bend — Pascimottanasana.
Back off a little and assess your technique and why you don’t like the pose… but try not to back off so much that you ignore the posture and leave it out!
Observe whether your breathing changes and whether your mind wanders, races or freezes. Chances are both your breath and mind are freezing at the very thought of doing the pose. Noticing your reaction is the first step to conquering the posture — or your feelings towards it! Instead greet the asana like a contrary old friend… or willful child. A child can sometimes be very annoying but give them the attention they need and transformations can happen! So, instead of whizzing through the posture as quickly and half-heartedly as possible, lavish some time on it! Pick some props or tools to help you work into the pose in a different way… a bolster at the wall for your hands in Urdhva Dhanurasana perhaps and/or help from your teacher. And before you start Pascimottanasana forward bend, notice if your pelvis is rolling backwards so you are rounding into your lower back. Sitting on a blanket or block (or two) can help lift the pelvis into an upright position to support the natural curves of your spine. Then, when you are sitting comfortably, you can begin to move forward from your hips and breathe yourself into the pose!
Enjoy your experiments and pick your favourite posture in the fun poll to right!
When you next do your practice, watch when your mind subconsciously makes a grimace and you feel yourself stiffen. What pose are you doing?
It could be the full wheel backbend (aka crab) Urdhva Dhanurasana or a classic seated forward bend — Pascimottanasana.
Back off a little and assess your technique and why you don’t like the pose… but try not to back off so much that you ignore the posture and leave it out!
Observe whether your breathing changes and whether your mind wanders, races or freezes. Chances are both your breath and mind are freezing at the very thought of doing the pose. Noticing your reaction is the first step to conquering the posture — or your feelings towards it! Instead greet the asana like a contrary old friend… or willful child. A child can sometimes be very annoying but give them the attention they need and transformations can happen! So, instead of whizzing through the posture as quickly and half-heartedly as possible, lavish some time on it! Pick some props or tools to help you work into the pose in a different way… a bolster at the wall for your hands in Urdhva Dhanurasana perhaps and/or help from your teacher. And before you start Pascimottanasana forward bend, notice if your pelvis is rolling backwards so you are rounding into your lower back. Sitting on a blanket or block (or two) can help lift the pelvis into an upright position to support the natural curves of your spine. Then, when you are sitting comfortably, you can begin to move forward from your hips and breathe yourself into the pose!
Enjoy your experiments and pick your favourite posture in the fun poll to right!
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| The perfect pose is one you do anywhere just for fun... |
Friday, 26 April 2013
Musings
Why do yoga?
Why not? As a lovely yoga teacher, Judith Lasater, puts it, 'all the time you are doing yoga, you are not on the streets getting into trouble' — or something like that! She probably put it far more eloquently — but you get the gist.Yoga has tons of benefits for the body, both physically and for the emotions — from improved posture to improving the likelihood of being able to put on your own shoes with ease the morning after a jog, cycle ride or football match (read kickabout with the kids), or as you get a little older…. Yoga can help your breathing, ability to relax, sleep and concentrate, and to deal with stress. It can even lift your mood! A lot to take away from a short time on the mat.
But to benefit, you have to do it — regularly!
It’s easy to fit into your life: Simple joint rotations and cat poses to warm the spine in the morning or sun salutations to start the day, shoulder exercises at lunch time even some gentle seated twists while watching TV! Come and learn a few tips and techniques and face summer all the fitter...
And, as it happens I have a new friendly hatha flow class on Monday evenings at The Old Fire Station, Leswin Road, N16 (7.30 pm). Now you have no excuse!
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