I believe in informed careful movements, breathing work, meditation and a conscious healthy lifestyle.
Even though most of us strive towards improvement and aim to learn more advanced and cool looking Yoga poses, the real work of Yoga happens within much deeper layers than just our physical bodies. It is a process which can take time, often a lot of time and cannot be rushed even if it takes a lifetime or longer, because the benefits are so worthwhile.
Cultivating body awareness in the modern world poses a true challenge. The majority of us come to Yoga through the physical practice of the art and this is ok, we need it and for some of us this will be fulfilling, however for many others the physical practice of Yoga alone will not be fully sufficient.
There was a time when every single Yoga pose was a challenge to me. The forward folds, lotus pose, backbends and the headstand all seemed to be unreachable.
After many years of practicing the purely physical practice of Yoga alone, primarily the Ashtanga Vinyasa method, the original stiffness that I had being experiencing had become a distant memory. I had now become the ‘flexible student’ and this was the point where I came to realise that Yoga could perhaps hold more for me than just performing some challenging yoga postures and bringing the my leg behind the head. This actually started to feel very superficial. Had I only being scratching the surface of Yoga? I knew that there was more to be explored.
Today after more then ten years of (almost) daily Asana practice, I feel that I only began to practice ‘real’ Yoga once I added Pranayama and Meditation to my routine. Within weeks of their addition my body began to feel more nourished and balanced. My mind was more relaxed and my internal development and growth began to unfold. The correct breathing techniques are key, this coupled with sitting in a still state and shifting the mind from awareness towards feeling the breathing and then flowing towards a meditative state ignites the transformational process.
This entire process is ongoing without any firm destination. The path followed is the real aim. It is a path of determination, of devotional practice without expectation, it is grounded with humility. Somehow this begins to reflect from the physical mat as well. The sweetness and merit of the practice seems to spread, to shine within a larger spectrum reaching even the most hidden corners of the self.
This is my exact aim when I share Yoga, I am there for both the stiff and flexible students, I am there for both the students who want only the physical benefits of Yoga but I am also there for those students who seek to explore and find more beyond the Asana practice. Without pushing, without preaching I offer a safe environment where those that seek more can avail of the opportunity to just ‘be’ whilst simultaneously learning the tools needed to unlock and reveal the fruits that the practice of Yoga offers in the most organic of ways, whilst keeping the joy and curiosity for Yoga with an open mind and heart and deepening the entire experience.
I seek to enable the students to connect with their own inner teacher. This is what it all boils down to. Everything is in constant change, our bodies, our needs, our desire, our diet and environment, even our teachers. We move, we create, we have our families and our children. We work, party, worry and fight, we both grieve and we love. We are never again the person that we were yesterday and we do not yet know who we will become tomorrow. Nevertheless, if we learn how to be there for ourselves, then we will always possess the opportunity and choice to find healing and our own light irrespective of the circumstances.
This is not a promise. But it is a chance.
I study and teach
Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow
Classic Hatha Yoga
Yin Yoga
Yoga Therapy
Yoga Nidra
Pranayama
Meditation