Charitable Yoga Class on Saturday, 30 November 2024 - see WORKSHOPS page
About pranayana
Why Ashtanga?
MY YOGA JOURNEY
I have always been active and interested to try a variety of sports to figure out which appeals more. I first tried yoga in 2000 and immediately realised it was exactly what I was looking for. It did not feel like a sport, yet it was dynamic and required effort. Through regular practice I learned how to 'listen' to my muscles, ligaments and joints and appreciate how far to go into a twist or a back bend safely (the mind-body awareness).
Having moved to London in 2008 I discovered the multitude of yoga shalas (schools) where I tried a variety of yoga lineages such as hatha, iyengar, bikram and ashtanga to name a few. Ashtanga (translated from Sanskrit as 'eight limbs' ) felt right for me. I went on to train with Sarai Harvey-Smith, Ryan Spielman, Chris Croft and more recently with Jane Piddington and Brian Cooper, learning from their wealth of experience and developing my own style and techniques of teaching yoga.
MY OWN YOGA PRACTICE
No two days of my yoga practice are the same. There are days when the body does not feel as flexible or as strong or able to balance as the day or a week before. Like holding your breath when diving under the water, some things are instinctive and you really have to 'listen' and trust what your body 'tells' you, without willing it to contort into asana (pose). It is days like these when the remaining 'limbs' of ashtanga yoga help me center and remind me that yoga is not about holding a perfect asana. It is about finding the strength in the body and the mind to step on the mat and evolve through reflection, meditation, breathing with whatever asanas are accessible to me then.
I continue to challenge myself with the new asanas as my body becomes stronger and more flexible. It is my own daily yoga practice that forms the basis of my teaching; my own experience of progressing through each asana.
Pranayana classes - what to expect?
I hope to share my enthusiasm for yoga and inspire others to enjoy its many health benefits such as stress reduction, weight loss, facilitation for stronger and more supple body and mind.
You do not have to be flexible to attend a yoga class, just willing to do yoga. Modifications for each pose will be provided for different levels of ability so that you can assess what level of challenge your body is ready for on the day.
Classes will include various asanas each week to ensure that every inch of your body is engaged to build strength, balance and mobility evenly in your body.