Festival of Life last weekend in London

Wow! What an experience that was. Firstly how exhilarating to leave the peaceful and loving bosom of Avalon and venture into the hectic stimulation that is central London.

It was good to catch up with friends and familiar faces from the alternative festival scene. The event was well attended with standing room only for many of the talks and demonstrations. I was particularly pleased to meet Lisa and Hector from Raw Gaia, the raw, vegan skincare company whose products I have been using in my treatments since the summer.

Also present were two of my raw food heroes: Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes who individually and now jointly are spreading information about the raw lifestyle. They just got engaged, lush!

An alround uplifting and inspirational event.

Savasana: the yogic art of relaxation

Whatever our style of yoga, we conclude our pratice of postures with savasana, the ultimate relaxation pose, literal meaning: corpse pose.

When I was new to yoga I would often collapse gratefully onto the mat at the end of the practice, in relief. I would lie there for a few minutes, then I would start to think about breakfast or the day ahead or whatever.

Over time, I have learnt that there is so much more to savasana, often referred to as the most difficult of all asana. It may also be the most rewarding as it has the potential to rejuvenate. When we still the physical body we allow the awakened prana (vital energy) to move through the nadis (energy channels) nourishing and revitalising us on a cellular level. It is a deep and delicious feeling to be fully relaxed yet alert and awake.

To achieve this blissful state we have to consciously surrender the physical body. This means a deliberate letting of muscular tension, which is most easily achieved if we are practicing regularly, ideally on a daily basis and integrating pranayama and breath awareness.

The obstacles to a successful savasana that I have observed in myself and students are two-fold. In the first instance we may be overtired and savasana becomes a prelude to sleep, indeed we may find ourselves drifting off, gently snoring. You may have experienced this for yourself in class! In the second instance the mind is overactive, we can relax neither body nor mind, we are nervous and restless.

Savasana also has a therapeutic application. It is invaluable when dealing with anxiety and stress and during times of intense emotions, such as shock and grief when we need to take time out. Due to its restorative nature it can also be useful during menstruation.

In a typical 90 minute yoga class we can maybe spend 5 minutes savasana. As part of a home practice or as yoga therapy I would suggest maintaining the pose between 10 - 20 minutes for optimum benefits.

Further reading : 'Light on Pranayama' by BKS Iyengar, Chapter 30: Savasana

Autumn Equinox

The autumn equinox has just passed. The time of year when day and night are of equal length. We can enjoy a sense of summer with the recent warm sunshine whilst knowing that autumn and winter lie directly ahead; berries have ripened and trees begin to shed leaves. 

Here in Glastonbury autumnal mists are very much present in the mornings, which have a noticeable chill! 

In terms of yoga we may relate the seasonal rythm to the rythm of the breath. We may observe a moment of balance, a pausing in the cycle of expansion and contraction. Following our inhalation, in the moment before exhalation occurs, there is a brief pause, a moment of stillness. This is repeated at the end of the exhalation. By directing our attention to the breath and savouring these pauses we connect to our own perpetual rythm.

In ayurveda, the autumn equinox is also taken into consideration. We will be beginning to making adjustments to our daily routine in terms of adjusting to the cooling temperatures and longer evenings.

It feels wonderful to receive sunlight at this time of year, absorption of UV allows the body to produce vitamin D. And it makes us feel good! I really like to get out in the sun as much as I can this time of year, get it while it's here!