“What kind of Yoga do you teach”
The answer is “A mixture of different practices I have studied over the years”.
It is very important to be flexible and adaptable when teaching a class of people,
as it’s not always possible to assess their needs straight away.
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For instance Astanga Yoga is very popular at the moment
but it may be unsuitable for the less fit.
I was introduced to Hatha Yoga initially, safe gentle Yoga for everyone. I do favour the
uncompetitive approach of Hatha Yoga and firmly believe that everyone can benefit from
such a class. I have also studied Iyengar Yoga and Astanga Yoga. I believe the Iyengar
emphasis on strength and being “grounded” is hugely important but would not necessarily
agree in holding a posture for several minutes.
It would depend on the person or the group involved at the time.
So I have already deviated from the original “Iyengar” method.
I do not believe we should be rigid in learning the art of Yoga.
To become an orthodox follower of any particular school must surely, in itself, be
restricting. We continue to learn and welcome the benefits of the different schools
of Yoga and,if we are open, we can make new and exciting breakthroughs to benefit our
own well-being.
This is what Yoga is all about for me. We have come a long way since the keep fit
classes in the local church hall, abdominal techniques that proved to be damaging to
lower backs. We all know the many and varied injuries that professional dancers have to
endure, due to their punishing schedules and hyper mobility.
We are making new discoveries all the time about the body. The very fashionable
Ashtanga Yoga or Power Yoga (gymnastic yoga), encourages a competitive element to “perform”
and can be very daunting and intimidating for those who are not super fit.
If we are too preoccupied with the “body beautiful” we tend to neglect the
emotional and spiritual sides of ourselves and an imbalance is created.
For me Yoga is about “getting in touch” with the body from the inside and responding
to the many messages it tries to send us, long before we enter a state of dis- ease.
We need to take charge of our own health and look after ourselves, spending 20 minutes
of the day breathing correctly, being in our breath awareness and using the breath to
discover how far we can safely stretch. Our breath is also vital for accessing unresolved
emotions, so damaging to our health over a period of time. The practice becomes a body
meditation through the breath revitalizing all the organs of the body.
Neck, shoulder and back pain are common problems for so many people.
It was once said that “the shoulders are the graveyard of the emotions”!!
We live in a very stressful, competitive, materialistic society that
does not allow us to “let go” on any level!! This takes its toll on our vital organs
and if we are not able to understand how these situations come about we can end up with
very crippling and painful conditions. There are self help methods to assist in softening
tissue around the muscles and joints, breathing techniques to help cleanse our lungs
from polluted environments, discovering and massaging pressure points that relate to
blocked energies in the body. These methods are all incorporated into my yoga classes
including recognising repetitive lifestyle patterns and dealing with addictions.
We also learn to deal with fears, loneliness, rejection and disappointment,
common emotions experienced by most people at some time in their lives.
This all sounds very serious but does not have to be at all. Music and laughter play a
big part in balancing the more focused side of our yoga practice.
To emerge with a feeling of confidence and to be in charge of your
life can only benefit self-esteem and ultimately improve your overall health and well-being.