Kavi in concert at the Shekinashram

Tuesday evening I attended a wonderful and uplifting concert at the Shekinashram in Glastonbury. Kavi is a soulful singer and musician and for a little over an hour he delivered a beautiful and intimate acoustic set of his songs. The themes of his work are divinity, bliss, self-knowledge and love. I would recommend that you check out his work. I was particularly touched by his humility and grace.
This is a link to his MySpace page : www.myspace.com/kavihockaday
Enjoy!

Dedication to the practice

"Do your practice and all is coming," 

The words of Sri K Pattabhi Jois of Mysore. It has become a well-known yoga aphorism. Discipline is required to maintain our practice, in the context of our busy lifestyles.

I am preparing to teach this evening and it is raining heavily, it has been all afternoon. I am moved to wonder if the weather might affect attendance levels in class, the British autumn is in full swing and it is dark well before class begins at 7.15pm.

So in advance of this evening's session I salute my fellow yoga students who will be expressing their dedication to the practice and joining me later.

Om shanti

Yoga as part of Olympic training schedule?

I have been approached by an athlete who is in training for the 2012 Olympics. He wishes to integrate yoga into his training schedule. Its a wonderful thing that yoga has become so well known and respected, that its' benefits are being sought by our most talented and dedicated sportsmen.

Naturally one thinks of the increased flexibility as an outcome, which can deliver increased athletic performance and prevent injury. However yoga is a complete spiritual science delivering across all areas of experience; increased concentration, a calm, focussed mind and an elevated sense of general wellbeing.

Full Moon yoga tonight

Tonight the moon is full and this of relevance to our yoga. Tim Miller, a well respected and highly experienced pracitioner and teacher of ashtanga vinyasa explains:

"Like all things of a watery nature (human beings are about 70% water), we are affected by the phases of the moon. The phases of the moon are determined by the moon’s relative position to the sun. Full moons occur when they are in opposition and new moons when they are in conjunction. Both sun and moon exert a gravitational pull on the earth. Their relative positions create different energetic experiences that can be compared to the breath cycle. The full moon energy corresponds to the end of inhalation when the force of prana is greatest. This is an expansive, upward moving force that makes us feel energetic and emotional, but not well grounded. The Upanishads state that the main prana lives in the head. During the full moon we tend to be more headstrong."

In the ashtanga vinyasa method, practice is suspended at the time of full moon, due to the risk of over endeavour and injury. Other traditions celebrate the full moon, integrating goddess wisdom and using this time for the purposes of spiritual expansion. 

Gloria Drayar runs full moon yoga sessions in New Mexico, she explains,

"I believe we have this amazing ability to create what we want in our lives. During the full moon, asking for what we want is very powerful. So we have this powerful way of creating whatever we want or need and the moon adds to that." 

I will be teaching class later this evening in Glastonbury. My approach will be to acknowledge the full moon, its grace, beauty and power. To use nadi shodona pranayama to cleanse and balance. Perhaps in a warmer climate we would take the opportunity to enjoy an extended savasana outside, lying on the earth and bathing in the moon light. 

Full moon blessings to all yogis. 

Om shanti.

New to yoga? Shop around for a teacher

This post is prompted by a conversation at the end of class today when we were sharing feedback. It was one guy's very first yoga class and for this reason I advised him to try as many different classes and teaching styles as possible.

He seemed surprised by my suggestion, should we not stick to one teacher? he queried. Well yes, undoubtedly this is good advice. As we progress in yoga it becomes necessary to focus and define our practice and make a commitment to our teacher or style of yoga. This echoes the classic Hindu gurukul system of education, whereby a student or seeker would attach themselves to their master, often in a residential context in order to recieve guidance and instruction.

However, at the start of one's yoga journey it is worth exploring a little; after all we have in the West an abundance of different approaches to yoga. When I found yoga I was fortunate to be living in London. Within a fortnight I had clocked up yoga hours in Sivananda, Kundalini, Ashtanga vinyasa and Scaravelli styles. Phew! Even those classes I did not enjoy were helpful in the sense of letting me know more what I did.

I wish all new yogis maximum joy and excitement as embark upon their yoga journeys

Namaste.

What is ashtanga yoga?

At the end of class today, a student asked about ashtanga yoga. 

Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi, astau angini advises Patanjali, the hindu sage who scripted the Yoga Sutras, the seminal yoga text. He outlines a complete system for spiritual self-realisation through yoga detailing eight limbs: astau - eight. So correctly, ashtanga yoga refers to a classic integrated practise.

Ashtanga vinyasa, as taught by Sri K Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, South India is a popular and influential yoga method from which forms such as power yoga and dynamic yoga are derived.

Ashtanga vinyasa is firmly based on Patanjali's sutras, indeed Pattabhi Jois is a noted academic and has written an excellent overview of the 8 limbs. However in recent times the term ashtanga is widely understood to be synonymous with his method.

I am often asked, "What type of yoga do you teach?" In fact I teach Patanjali's ashtanga yoga, but to prevent confusion invariably reply ," Classic integrated yoga ." 

Maybe there is a case for being bolder and reclaming the term!

Kate Moss: Golden girl of yoga?

Kate Moss is making headlines all over the planet and she appears to be doing yoga! British scupturer Marc Quinn has cast a lifesize statue of the supermodel in 18ct gold.

Having observed the statue from various perspectives, it would seem that Kate is heading towards dwi pada sirsasana, an advanced pose requiring openess in the hips. I find myself wondering whether Kate is a yoga student. Clearly she has a high degree of natural flexibility.

I include here a photograph of an accomplished and dedicated yoga practitioner, demonstrating the state of the asana.

Ashtat Centre: hope for the future

Those of you who are familiar with Glastonbury will know of the Ashtat Centre, located at the top of the High Street.

Opened in 2007 by Michael Vincent, artist and spiritual seeker, the Ashtat has hosted a wide variety of classes, workshops and exhibitions. I have run group classes there and continue to use the space for private yoga and therapies.

Michael is relocating to the Suffolk Coast and the great news is that the Centre is to be taken over by a couple who intend to retain it as a healing/creative space which is fantastic news for Glastonbury town, locals and visitors alike.

Autumn is here!

Well autumn has well and truly arrived with the sharp chill of the morning and the darker evenings. So many conversations I have had this week upon this subject.

My body has reacted to the sudden change of temperature manifesting as a heavy cold, which I interpret to be a sign of low immunity. So I am staying warm, resting, and eating a fruit based diet. I am also taking Echinacea and Goldenseal herbal supplements.

It is time to reconsider one's yoga, in the light of seasonal change. In my personal practice I am emphasising heating pranayama, using ujjayi breath to heat myself internal and expel toxins. I want to maintain a vigorous practice emphasising the standing poses sequencing using vinyasa to create a dynamice flow.

Equally important I feel is the need to include restorative poses such as supta badha konasana and making sure I get a decent savasana. Thus preventing the body from becoming over-fatigued.