Sun Power Yoga

Mere days after creating a YogaSlut quiz I had another 1-class stand. Oops. The reason? My partner and I were travelling up to see family for the weekend and after a yoga mad week I was reluctant to go for 4 days without a single session. Thus I booked a Sun Power yoga class above the Sweaty Betty (strictly minted yummy mummies only) store in Harrogate.

What did I think? The yoga was good... vinyasa yoga mixed with sivananda yoga. Two types I really like. There was a focus on hip opening (good) and some rather painfully long holds (not so good), and all in all I enjoyed it. But it left me a bit empty. Chats around returning for yoga sessions quickly turned awkward, and it was fraustrating trying a style of yoga but knowing it was a one off class and that I couldn't expand and/or go back.

Is this the last yoga 1-class stand? Maybe. I'll certainly think twice about booking a single class without the ability to return for more!

New Yoga Teachers/Studios

I've stumbled across some new yoga teachers and studios that I am excited about.

• Red Hot Yoga Guildford - Looks a bit posey, but excited about trying the AcroYoga class (although I think it is a bit more partnery than I realised when I booked it). Luckily the heat is switched off for this class!
• Poise Yoga - Natalie has some impressive creds, and is just down the road. I'll definintely be trying out her wednesday classes. Although if I'm a big fan I have the quandry of trying to squeeze another regular yoga class into my week. Oh dear.
• Carolyn Freeman - I've just stumbled across Carolyn who does classes at the Hart leisure centre. She does one on a Sunday morning and prices for classes at Hart are only £5.40. Bargain! Worries as before with the squeezing another class in to my week, but it is nice to find a Sunday class in the area.

Quiz: Are you a YogaSlut?

A quick quiz for a bit of fun. Enjoy!

1) How many yoga teachers have you had?
a) One or two, I like to stick to the same teachers
b) A few in my time
c) Too many to count

2) Do you have a favorite style?
a) Yes, I don't like/haven't tried other styles
b) I dabble a bit, but generally like similar styles
c) I couldn't decide, there are so many. It's like choosing a favorite flower.

3) What's the longest you've been with one teacher?
a) Since I can remember/have been doing yoga/10 years +
b) A year or few
c) Wow... the longest is 3 months, she was really good (but I got bored)

4) Would you consider Naked yoga?
a) No way, sounds faddy and downright wierd
b) Maybe, for a laugh, if there were a few friends going too
c) Oh I've already done that one/have it booked

5) How many 1-class yoga stands have you had?
a) None
b) A few, if I didn't get on with the teacher
c) Too many to count... I love to sample the waters a bit

6) Did you stop half way through this quiz to google new yoga teachers?
a) What?
b) No, I might now though, this naked yoga thing sounds curious...
c) Damn, busted


Verdict

Mostly As
Yoga Devoted. You are thoroughly committed to your yoga practice, style and teacher(s). Good for you! If  you are a bit worried you are one-track in your affections, perhaps consider signing up for a few workshops. Experiencing other styles of yoga and teachers can really develop your practice and open your mind.

Mostly Bs
Yoga Diverse. A wide and varied yoga background with commitment your favorite teachers and styles. Keep doing what you are doing!

Mostly Cs
YogaSlut. This probably will come as no surprise to you, you big yoga tart (I say this affectionately as a sometime YogaSlut myself). As an experiment pick your favourite teacher(s) and try sticking with them for a while. There's always workshops/retreats if you get itchy feet!

Headstands: From good guy to bad guy

Don't you just love yoga and it's way of squishing any hints of inflated ego?

Up until very recently it only took the mention of the word 'headstand' from the teachers lips to induce me to ping up into one of my favourite postures effortlessly (trying to wipe the smug smile off of my face) whilst the rest of the class struggled to walk up into half, or took strategic trips to the toilet.

I didn't feel to guilty about being smug; I felt at ease because my headstand was the result of all the hard work put in at the Sivananda Ashram in Kerala, where headstands are a staple of the twice daily practice. Turns out it was easy mostly because I was cheating. Oops.

One of my excellent teachers pointed out that I was too far forward on my head resulting in a bent neck, which problem was compounded by the fact I was putting all my weight through my head (rather than my arms) and scrunching my shoulders and back horribly.

Needless to say I'm now feeling slightly embarrassed and trying to do it the correct way. It's rather hard. And you'll be glad to know I'm struggling along with everyone else now!

Spotlight: Sam Rao

Approach: Hatha Yoga

What are the classes like?
Sam is a very experienced teacher (the only Senior YA teacher in the South East). Classic Hatha style. Sam covers a large range of postures and although he has some favourite mainstays, the classes are always varied and expertly taught with a good mixture of ages, sexes and abilities in attendance. Focus is on Asanas with occasional Pranayama. Although it's Hatha yoga (often mistakenly perceived as the easiest type) it is still challenging but with lots of support, adjustments and guidance. Classes vary in style and content from week to week and are mostly attended by long time regulars and aimed at intermediate level, with options for beginners and those out of practice. Sam runs an excellent yoga school and there are often yoga students in the class that will assist with adjustments.

Teaching style: Sam is experienced, expert and very friendly. Approach is often quite technical with discussion around the muscle and organs involved and benefiting from various postures
Price: £10 per class, £8 with block booking

Although Crowthorne is a 30 min drive from Fleet, I happily schlepp over there when I can to attend Sams classes as he truly teaches some of the best classes I have ever attended. Much recommended!

On getting back into the habit

I have a confession to make; ever since recovering from my cold I have found it impossible to wake up in the morning and do yoga. It's really very strange. My alarm goes off and I have, without fail, found myself turning it off and going back to sleep. Grrr.

I've continued with my classes and yoga retreats. Last weekend I had a lovely break with Jill Jones @ Yoga Days Hampshire and despite the renewed excitement I could not get out of bed. Oh dear.

My former taught stomach has turned a bit, well, wobbly. And my butt has become less firm. My zen feelings have also evaporated with the lack of meditation.

What is it that makes it so hard to restart the habit despite the benefits and me missing it?

Perhaps the first step is to start a daily evening practice; maybe then it will be easier to shift to the mornings!

One month later...

What a busy few weeks! Illness, travel and various doings have derailed my yoga lesson attendance and a wedding at the weekend will derail yet further. But feelings of guilt aside my practice is continuing, and yoga skills developing, thanks to my morning routine. I've settled in to a fairly happy Sivananda morning practice. Mostly because it includes my absolute favourite; the headstand. I find a bit of upside-downing in the morning pretty good for getting the blood flowing. My weight hasn't changed but I'm pretty sure my stomach is now flatter than it has ever been in my adult life.

Yoga and Freedom

At the weekend I attended a course run by Angela Farmer and Victor van Kooten at the Triyoga Studio in Soho.

The effort of schlepping all the way into London felt, on the first day, slightly over-keen. The sessions were relaxed and rather wonderful, but a big adjustment. Angela's style is very relaxed and flowing. Sessions evolve organically from the train of Angela and Victor's discussions, and any urges that seem to occur to them at the time.

On the first day we practised perhaps 10 postures in 6 hours. This was a big adjustment for me; when I normally do about that number of postures in my 20 min morning yoga session.

My big aha of day one was reconnecting to my inner voice... I also discovered the ability to practice Nadi Sodhana (alternative nostril breathing) without the need to physically block my nostrils (which felt pretty amazing). By the end of the day I had spent so much time paying attention to my breath that I could feel subtle changes in my nostrils and breathing when my yoga partner for the day wiggled my toes in turn.

Day two followed in much the same manner. Lots of free discussion and spontaneous poses. In the afternoon discussion trailed to everyone's experience of yoga. Both Angela and Victor were taught by Iyangar so have a unique point of view on the yoga teachings of today. Furthermore there were lots of yoga students in the room that had done much and travelled much. It was the most fascinating and thought provoking discussion I have perhaps ever experienced on the subject of yoga.

It is so easy to get caught up into the view that yoga has been around for hundreds of years, and with that we make certain assumptions; 1) yoga is always safe and 2) the methods of yoga taught are complete and pure, 'as if they were written on tablets by the gods'. What we forget is that this is not the case. In fact most of popular yoga today derives from a few of Krishnamacharya's followers; Patthabi Jois, Iyangar and Indra Devi. It is not, in it's current form, very old at all.

"You may never have heard of him but Tirumalai Krishnamacharya influenced or perhaps even invented your yoga. Whether you practice the dynamic series of Pattabhi Jois, the refined alignments of B.K.S. Iyengar, the classical postures of Indra Devi, or the customized vinyasa of Viniyoga, your practice stems from one source: a five-foot, two-inch Brahmin born more than one hundred years ago in a small South Indian village."


So much of yoga today is so fixed and formed into neat, discrete postures. You must do this then this then this. The truth is many yoga teachers of today teach yoga in a way so structured it is almost stilted and forceful. But historically yoga is a rainbow of colours rather than a neat palette, there are a million postures, and a million practices that can be (and should be) completely different dependant on the subject.

Today's yoga is also very masculine, historically there were female yogis 'yoginis' but they taught one-on-one; never writing anything down. It seems sad that this yoga has been lost to time, and is not available to use. Perhaps Angela in her classes, and even myself by really feeling yoga rather than forcing it to fit a mold, can rediscover the true and feminine way of yoga.

Highly recommended, especially to my fellow girlies.

> Visit Angela and Victor's site
> Article from Yoga Journal

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice, practice, practice, practice.

Turns out Guruji knew his stuff. After a bad start on Wednesday (see my despondent previous post), I had a 20 min post workout yoga session at the stretching area in my gym that same day I totally nailed. Totally in the zone.

And yesterday my usual Thursday night yoga class I felt the strongest I've ever felt in a yoga class. It was no less challenging, but I could go so much deeper, for so much longer.

With all the morning practice, it's easy to forget just how much stronger, flexible and energetic your body feels after being awake for a couple of hours.

Off the mat I've noticed on how much more of an even keel my emotions are at. Less emotional highs and lows, little anxiety and mood swings; instead I just feel centred, happy and calm most of the time. It really feel pretty wonderful.

Om shiva pow!

Practice woes

Is it just me, or is each of my yoga sessions more flawed than the last?

I've been encorporating daily morning practices into my daily routine for a week now and feel as though I'm turning into a big puddle of gloopy gloopiness.

My muscles are strong and jump to my bidding, but as soon as my concentration is directed elsewhere e.g. figuring out what pose the instructer is telling me to do; my muscles all turn into sneaky cheats. It's like one of my classes back in secondary school; my concentration is as one of those weak, distracted teachers, and my body is the rebellious class that pounces on each second of inattention as an opportunity to start jumping on tables and throwing balls of paper around the room. The ringleaders are definitely that trickiest set muscles; the core & uddiyanda bhanda.

Little pests.

This can't continue. So, to use my analogy, how would I deal with little problem if I was a teacher? Well... I think routine, ruthless attention and possibly detention and punishment for the bad boys.

Routine
Rather than skipping around hither and thither I'll try to adopt a strict routine in the morning. Variety can perhaps be saved for when my muscles get some muscle memory and stop misbehaving.

Ruthless Attention
With the routine I no longer need to concentrate on external sources so can turn my focus inward to my pesky muscles until they behave.

Detention
After school (work), hold additional classes for those naughty muscles. Core sessions twice weekly in the evening. Work on poses that have recently become problematic (mostly downward dog of all things).

Sounds suspiciously like a plan!

Guru Karma: the good, the bad and the ugly

It seems no practice or religion that gathers a devoted, trusting following is ever truly free of those who would take advantage of this power, and yoga is no exception.

Yesterday I stumbled across an article in the NY times discussed the revelations around the Anusura founder, John Friend. The list of Friend's sins is included in gory, wiki-leaks style on the yogadorks website. The more I read about it, the more creeped out I felt. One of my primary concerns (there are many) is the abuse of the relationship and trust placed in him by yoga devotees.

Friend is not the only yoga leader to misuse his power. This article in the New York Times lists several leaders in the past that have strayed from the path (or just took a long drive in the opposite direction in their shiny rolls royce).

I confess I've had a pair of yoga teacher hairy grey eyebrows waggled at me in the past. What makes this a more of a shame is that said eyebrows belonged to one of the best teachers I've ever had the pleasure to attend a class with, who was certainly very dedicated to yoga in his personal life. No, dear readers, I did not succumb (I might even have laughed and edged away quickly), but this illustrates that this is not overblown journalist sensationalism; it's something that really happens. It was happening before the Beatles left the Transcendental Meditation ashram in India reportedly tired of it's founder, the yogi Maharishi Mahesh, and his wandering hands, and it will probably happen again.

Now I'm not sure about the whole sexual fire and fanning thereof (although I confess there are times where a yoga class has lead in that direction, but only with my dear boyfriend, and strictly off the mat), this seems a bit of a odd conclusion. My personal view is that those who are attracted to yoga are perhaps not always done so for pure reasons, to be a teacher of (overwhelmingly) lithe young females with fat wallets could perhaps lure in the bad as well as the good. Indeed being a great yoga teacher, and originally having started on the path for the right reasons, does not necessarily guarantee a teacher remains pure and will not grow to expect, or indeed encourage, behaviours that are pretty contemptible.

So what is the solution?

The ancient tradition of Guru; one who leads you from the dark to the light, is a strong one. Bhakti yoga, the practice of devotion, is traditionally one of the four main paths to enlightenment, requiring an open, loving heart. Those with talents in teaching can therefore not be suprised if they attract a loving audience, and feelings of devotion and love for our teachers can be beneficial to individual's development. How can we say to students 'see this, you should not trust your teachers' as this, aside from being over the top and unnecessary in 99.9% cases, can be detrimental to the yoga journey.

Perhaps the problem is that we put our teachers on plinths. They are inspirational and often lovable, but they are human beings, and humans are flawed. We should not look to a teacher to be the source of all truth and a beam of pure, cosmic light. They are just people on the same path as us, some may be further along, some are as lost as the people they instruct.

Time and time again I have seen that yoga attracts the vulnerable as well as the strong. Perhaps it is the job of the stronger to watch out for the weak, and us to run away if our yoga teachers start waggling their eyebrows at us.

A few days later: The Times publishes a far more sensible article: http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/29/does-yoga-really-drive-people-wild-with-desire/

On establishing (and maintaining) a regular home practice

The challenge embed a regular yoga in my daily life is better described as a battle. Tiredness, work trips, other commitments and other people sometimes seem to work in collusion to derail my practice. Again and again, the subject of how to ensure that I work a yoga practice into my day causes me to scratch my head and eventually come up with the same solution; an early morning practice.

The upside to an early morning practice is it's hard to be derailed by external forces. You claw back a bit of time from sleep in the morning when the boyfriend, the tiring day at work, or the social meet up can't stop you from your practice. That leaves only one thing to stop you from your practice; the lure of a big warm bed and blissful sleep.

I aim big and always have done. For me, morning practice meant waking with the rising sun to spent 90 mins blissfully floating through a complete morning routine. In reality this translates as 2 hours less sleep. Unfortunately I'm one of those people who needs 7 hours a sleep a night (and rarely manages to get to sleep before 11) so, looking at this logically, it is no wonder that on the rare occassion that I did manage to get up so early, I staggered through my practice like a zombie, and felt a bit crap all day.

Yesterday I came across the artice '5 Things I Love about My Morning Practice'  on Yoga Journal's website and it was a bit of a revelation. Of course; why did the perfectionist all-or-nothing part of me insist on 2 hours when 30 minutes is plenty? 30 minutes doesn't loom in my head menacingly, instead in entices playfully. As a matter of fact I lose that 30 minutes anyway as my dear partner insists on setting his alarm 30 mins early so he can get the requisite 6 snoozes in the morning (I can't begin to tell you how strange I find this) so the benefit is two-fold.

This morning I put aside that half hour and got up a little early. It was not painful, and was plenty of time to do a little meditation and run through one of my 20-min yogadownload sessions and guess what; I feel fantastic.

Teaching: The next step on the yoga journey?

I've always been enthusiastic about collecting yoga experiences and sharing them with others. I have been known to coach my friends and would love the anatomical knowledge to put together the right sequence for a particular sport, mood or muscle soreness. What is the next step in my yoga journey? Is it perhaps teaching?

Many yoginis of some experience follow naturally though to become teachers. Teaching yoga is a way of passing on the knowledge distilled through the years. It also is an opportunity to serve others, genuinely improving peoples lives.

I've always held it in my mind as something I'd like to do one day, but does knowledge and passion for yoga translate into being a good teacher? Do I have the confidence to stand in front of a class and teach? The answer is that I'm really not sure, but am finally taking steps to find out the answer.

In recent research I've been a bit gob-smacked by the price of yoga classes.

British Wheel of Yoga has 200H and 500H courses run through a number of accredited institutions. It is arguably one of the most sought-after accreditations. Typical prerequisite is 2 yrs of dedicated practice and places are competative.

You also have Yoga Alliance, which also is well respected and offers similar levels of accreditation.

Then you have several independent bodies; Independant Yoga Network, and the Yoga Register. These accreditations are easier to come by, and not as highly respected as the BWY and YA accreditations.

After some research (and personal recommendations) I came across Triyoga in London. Triyoga offers a 390hr BWY/YA accredicted course for £4370 (£4050 paid up front). This seems to be one of the best out there and, strangely, offers good value for money in comparison to it's alternatives: Sam Rao, my saturday yoga teacher, offers a 200hr course for £4000. Although the location is convenient and the price, on the face of it, lower, on a price per hr basis the Triyoga course seems better, and carries with it the BWY accreditaion as well as the YA (yoga alliance) one.

Any course you do that carries a £4k pricetag, and runs over a 1yr+ period is a bit committment. In the past this is where my doubts crept in; it is a lot of money, what if I don't like the course? Or realise I'm a rubbish teacher? I'd like to learn more about yoga but £4k is a lot to pay. Am I really sure?  I've also been somewhat intimidated by the selection criteria and interviews that seem to come with these courses. Am I really good enough? Will they sneer at my patchy home practice and my exacting taste in yoga teachers (therefore not 2 yr track record with a single teacher) mean I am automatically disqualified?

All these questions made me choose the cautious route, despite keenness to progress my learning, but then a chance discussion with one of the ladies on my course last weekend has provided an alternative.

The British School of Yoga offers a 150hr correspondance course for a mere £350. Although sneered on slightly by several institutions, this is just what I am after. An affordable (at £30 per month) solution to help me develop my knowledge of yoga, and better understand whether teaching is for me.

On Handstands and Ego

Forget Mt Everest... handstand has now overtaken Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance) as my personal challenge.

I always thought I had handstand nailed. Find a wall, kick up, simples! Turns out not. My whole body slumps into my shoulders... back bending like a question mark, belly soft, legs all over the place. No core strength etc. Bit of a shock (I was oblivious to my sloppiness up until this point). As far as I can tell I looked like a mushroom that's been attacked by 4 cocktail sticks. Certainly nothing like the image on the right. Oh dear.

My saturday morning yoga classes are really chipping away at my ego. When surrounded by dedicated yoga devotees that have been regularly attending classes for years I suddenly feel rather like a bumbling fool. Up until this point my yoga history, general fitness and (sporadic) home practice have ensured that I was relatively comfortable with the various local classes I've attempted in the past. Almost to the point where I became a little bit... how do you say... showoffy.

All that's out of the window now, and bruised ego aside that's a good thing. Without expecting to be the best I stop trying to be the best. This new state of affairs can be dangerous I suppose; if you tie yourself in knots trying to keep up the disaster awaits. But if I focus on myself, and be inspired and learn from my fellow students, that can't be bad.

Back to handstand. Some excellent articles on yoga journal detail an intro to handstand and the process of building up to handstand.

Other poses that I hope to nail one day:

• Pincha Mayurasana (Forearm Balance)
• Salabhasana (Locust Pose - of the arms-under Sivasana and Bikram variety rather than the arms-out Ashtanga version)
• Hanumanasana (Splits)

On Ashtanga Yoga...

This weekend gone I attended a yoga weekend course with the lovely Jill Jones. The workshop was on Ashtanga yoga. I've dabbled in Ashtanga in the past; I discovered Ashtanga in a free class during my first year of uni and it was a bit of a revelation. Following that initial class I watched some David Swenson videos and was, frankly, gobsmacked (pic of david on the right). I didn't have the time or the dedication to start a 6-day 90 min Ashtanga practice at home, but I dabbled in the primary series in my personal practive, and trotted over to the Burren in Ireland for a week long yoga course (which further confirmed that I lacked the willpower to be a Ashtangi).

Browsing youtube last week I found Kino Macgregor and Pilar Carillo and the numbers further dismayed me. 4 years to master the jump through, 5 years to achieve push up to handstand. This is, of course, with devotion to aformentioned 6-day practice. I started to do the numbers in my head 'so if I start now I'm going to achieve jump through and handstand aged 33, if I'm lucky'. Hold on. What am I doing? Mentions of timescales, instead of comforting me, have suddenly made me fraustrated; surely yoga is about the personal journey not the destination (certainly not showing off). What am I doing comparing myself to others?

I stumbled across this article on Ashtanga written by Norman Blair, an Astangi with some considerable experience. Interesting reading.

My reflection would be this; is is that Ashtanga leads to the competative, body obsession exibited by it's many practitioners? Or is it that the vigerous nature of the yoga attracts the kind of person that has a tendancy toward these diversions in any case? Whichever, I'm worried that my ego will not be improved by excessive Ashtanga... for me I think the slow path.

Yoga on a Shoestring

Lets face it, yoga classes today are not cheap.

I spend £13 a week on yoga classes. This pays for 2 classes; 1 class (subsidised by my gym) with the lovely Babs, and 1 class (block booking discount) horribly early on a Saturday with the don of yoga, Sam Rao. Block booking/gym classes are my attempt at saving money on yoga, but that £13 per week still equates to £56 per month which is the equivalent of membership of a very nice gym. Not that I am complaining. I enjoy yoga immensely and feel that it really adds to the quality of my life; it's well worth the cost.

The problem is the pricing is making yoga exclusive. At a typical drop-in price of £10, those weekly classes are become a luxury  for middle-uppers or professionals (yuppies) like me who work in well paid jobs with manageable financial commitments, not an affordable option for lower paid individuals or those who struggle to pay the bills. In financially trying times as these, can you really afford the luxury of a weekly/twice weekly yoga class?

I object! Yoga is a right, not a luxury. Something that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, can benefit from. But what option is there? We can ask that yoga teachers return to the days of yore when classes where a few quid for 1.5hrs of stretching in creaky church halls. But I like the cozy studios, and yoga teachers need to pay their bills too. With the ever increasing cost of yoga teacher training, and top up courses, it's not cheap to be a yoga teacher either, especially a good one with the necessary accreditations.

The alternative to is cut back on in-person classes, and dial up on home practice. My problem is that I know a few postures, and have a few flows I like to fall back on, but I rarely learn anything new on my mat at home. Home sessions at best a reiteration of known poses in peace and quiet (often 'forgetting' the challenging ones), and at worst confused bumbling that ends prematurely when I get a text message/am interrupted by the shout for dinner. Oops.

There must be another option... and after some online research, and a bit of testing, I have seen the light. Online yoga classes! These are 15-75 min guided, carefully thought out sessions, often created and let by the best in their field. They are accessed via the internet and can be audio descriptive, or led with the help of video footage, and are widely available.

I've been trialling these for the last few days and I'm utterly converted. From the comfort of my home mat, personalised yoga teachings have been beamed, via the net, to my ears. With the help of some pretty awesome teachers I've dabbled in Om Yoga, tried some far out Vinyasa flows and ahhhed my way through some far out relaxing sessions. Home practice is increasing... I find myself looking forward to rolling my mat out at home and trying the latest download. Next up Anasura Yoga... can you tell I'm excited about this?!

More....

The ups: There are thousands of classes out there that can suit any mood, of any imaginable type of yoga, led by the best and brightest of the yoga world. Forget repetitive yoga dvds/cds... there are literally thousands of hours of classes out there at the click of a button

The downs: You typically need an internet connection, and a laptop/smartphone/touchpad to view/listen to the class from your mat. A decent grounding of yoga and yoga poses is arguably necessary also; if you make mistakes or get into problems you will not have the benefit of personal guidance and adjustment that you typically get from an in-person yoga class. If you are a beginner I'd suggest attending a good class weekly, at least in the beginning, is important.

Useful sites and resources:

• Yoga Journal - Offers short online yoga videos. String several together or embed in your usual home practice.
• YogaDownload - Offers 20 min video/audio classes for free, also pay a monthly subscription fee ($10/£8) for unlimited streaming of videos up to 75 mins in length, and download of up to 6 classes per month. (There is also myyogaonline, which offers a similar service, but I found YogaDownload more intuitive, and it offers the free classes)
• Youtube - Good classes are there to be found. Be careful to chose classes led by reputable teachers rather than keeno amateurs, especially if you are fairly new to yoga.
• Podcasts - Using iTunes or similar podcast software you can stream/download any number of  classes and videos. Check out the YogaDownload 20 min classes, YogaJournal, Yoga Today... there are so many!
• Smartphone Yoga Apps - Don't bother... after trying several I came to the conclusion that they are clunky, don't offer good value for money and are generally utterly outshone by the above. You've been warned!

Bikram Yoga Postfinitum

Reflection on Bikram yoga... 1 year on.

Opinions will always divided about Bikram yoga. Google the founder, Bikram Choudhury, and you'll get all manner of debate.  I think of Bikram as yoga marmite; love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion. I'm not even sure if I can decide. Before trying it I was sceptic. Can yoga can be copyrighted, and franchised? Do I really think spending 90 minutes stretching in a sauna in itty bitty underwear-esque clothing is a good idea? Even as a self confessed yoga tart (I've pretty much sampled it all, all over the world), I was dubious.

But... I try not to judge, and when the Fleet Bikram Yoga centre opened practically on my doorstep, I trotted over with my yoga mat (oh, the attraction of a proper yoga studio out here was alluring enough).

How did it go? I'm still not sure if I can decide. In 3 or 4 months of going (more or less) 2 times a week I lost 10 pounds. I tried not to care about that, but the truth is that I'm human; you can't help being chuffed at side effects like that. Through intense effort, sweat and extreme heat I sculpted my body to the leanest it's been in about 10 years. I reached new levels of flexibility, and the small issue of poor breathing resulting in dizzy spells brought a new (necessary) awareness to my breath. All good.

So what's the problem? Well, basically it's too darn hot. After a Christmas of going hither and thither, my attendence waned. In fact by the time I was back in Fleet, and finally managed to drag my bloated post-christmas bottom over to the studio, 6 weeks had passed since my last class of 2010. It was hell. They'd installed new heating that brought the oven to a new high. Furthermore I was ODing. Expecting my body to be where it was 6 weeks ago and instead finding I was gasping and flapping around like a dying fish on shore. I spent most of the class on my back, and on finishing decided I felt like I had regressed back to my first class. Not flexibility-wise, but adaption to the climate of the classes. Was I prepared to build my immunity to the heat back up to it's previous levels?

The answer, I confess, was no. That was my last class.

Looking back 1 year later I have mixed feelings. When it was good it was magic; I was a yoga sweat machine twisting myself into new shapes. But when it was bad it was a hell's kitchen of sweat and breathlessness. I think in summary it is too hard core for me. I prefer to sink slowly and mindfully into postures. I love the individual flavour, teacher contribution and variety of a more traditional class, rather than the repetative, scripted bikram style. And I really am rubbish with intense heat.

But this is a personal opinion, and everyone has their own opinions. You can buy a £30 introductory pass that gets you 30 days of unlimited yoga. What a bargin! I recommend getting it and trying it; go to as many classes as you can in those 30 days. Then make your own decision... and let me know what you thought!

Interesting reading:
> Fleet Bikram Webpage
> Guardian: Bend it like Bikram

Spotlight: Bikram Yoga Fleet

Approach: Bikram yoga
What are the classes like? Challenging and sweaty. Set series of 26 postures (repeated each class) in a room approx 40 degrees (Celsius) and 40% humidity. Poses are typically repeated and held. No props, but bring a towel and don't wear too much (the more flesh on show, the cooler you'll be)
Teaching style: When I attended the teachers were good, especially Sue, the studio owner. Very standardised script and posture series so less individual flavour but if you love getting a sweat on and your heart racing then give it a try.
Price: Around £11 per class depending on purchasing options

The first proper yoga studio in Fleet. You have to love it for that reason... power to the yoga!

What I'm currently reading...

Writing Yoga
by Bruce Black

I'm trying to get into the habit of journalling my home yoga practice. Bruce's book gives you a kick up the butt and some pointers to get you going.

Can't help being a bit intimidated by his lyrical prose in example yoga diary excerpts. That said there is some good stuff in here, looking forward to incorporating into my practice.

> Link to the book on Amazon

I'm also constantly referring to my battered copy of Moving into Stillness by Eric Schiffmann. Not only does he have luscious long curly locks that a pantene ad model wouldn't be ashamed of, he is the master of guiding you through yoga poses via the written word (with a few photos to assist). Genius.

Spotlight: Babs, Isvara Yoga

Approach: Vinyasa/Power yoga.
What are the classes like? Babs blends Ashtanga series with more posture-focussed Hatha style yoga. Focus mainly on Asanas with some guided relaxation at the end. (see here for yoga style guide). Energetic and challenging, but not too much. Classes vary in style and content from week to week. Classes are typically attended by regulars mostly and aimed at intermediate level, with options for beginners and those out of practice.
Teaching style: Babs is energetic, enthusiastic and approachable. Some adjusting (depending on size of class).
Price: Between £5-£10 depending on class (and gym membership)

When first searching for yoga teachers in Fleet, Babs reliably came top of the list. (Note this place has now been taken by the 1 yr old Bikram Yoga Fleet, which I'll spotlight soon).

Mostly teaching during the day, Babs also teaches a couple of classes during the evening. See here for a full list.

Postures of the Week

My bad guy and good guy postures of the week this week are:


Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)
My good guy posture of the week. This is because I've recently rediscovered inversions after a lenthy spell of bikram-ness, followed by an even lengthier spell of laziness. I've picked a supported image of a shoulderstand as I have a terrible habit of putting too much pressure on my neck whilst in this posture. Very bad. This is to remind me to use support. Sarvangasana is, and has always been, one of my very favourite asanas.

> Health improving & metabolism boosting. See here for more benefits.

Salabhasana (Locust)
Hiss boo. I never look forward to this posture. Done properly it is very challenging, done lazily guilt inducing. I love backbends, but mainly the passive kind. I dream one day of being able to get my legs up as far as this lady has. I very much doubt that it will ever be easy!

> Strengthens spine & helps digestion. See here for more benefits.