I always like to have a theme to our classes as it gives our practice a deeper meaning beyond the physical body and makes it more interesting when we come to the mat each time. Over the next few months as something a bit different, I will be choosing a quote each week that we can think about at the beginning of our class, take it into our practice and come back to it at the end of the class too. I love a good quote!
I think about my first teacher Trixie a lot and when I’m teaching too as without her I wouldn’t be teaching without her love of yoga that came across so strong in classes. It makes me smile when I think all those years ago, about 25 now, I would never have thought I would be teaching myself and in one of the rooms where I practiced myself. I like to think she would be happy to know there are so many people who enjoy yoga and I can pass down what I learnt from Trixie. In our classes there’s many people that went to Trixie over the years and I practiced in the room with some of them long before I was a teacher all those years ago when we didn’t even know each other.
Trixie used to teach an Iyengar style class and would often mention a quote every now and again in class from Mr Iyengar who was known as the grand master of modern yoga and pioneered the use of props to make poses accessible to a wide array of students. He practiced yoga in to his 90’s. So for this month I will be using a few quotes that I really like and would be good to take them into our focus for our classes.
Yoga For Light On Life
Look after the root of the tree, and the fragrant flower and luscious fruits will grow by themselves. Look after the health of the body, and the fragrance of the mind and richness of the spirit will follow.
Week 1
In our yoga practice, if we connect to the ground first then our postures become steady and stable and we remain rooted in the present moment. Yoga essentially gets us connected to our own body and we want to look after our own body, coming back to simply basics by eating healthy food and drinking enough water so we can flourish.
This practice of yoga is to remove the weeds from the body so that the garden can grow.
Week 2
Our yoga practice gives us an opportunity to see what we can let go in class that just doesn’t serve us anymore. We release tension and tightness that we don’t even realise that we are holding. In our own life we can let go of the things that we don’t need too.
Asana done from the brain makes one heavy and done from the heart makes one light.
Week 3
We can feel into a pose and expand from our centre so that we feel a sense of lightness while bringing attention to all the parts of the body. Being attentive allows us to feel sensations in the body and even become aware of the sensations of the skin of the body.
As breath stills our mind, our energies are free to unhook from the senses and bend inward.
Week 4
The breath is something that we discover in yoga to be just as important as the poses. It’s a tool that allows ourselves to direct our attention to being present and not being drawn into the forever changing energies of the outside world so that we can find a calmess within to move through life with grace and ease.
The flexibility we gain in asana is the living symbol of the suppleness we gain in relation to life’s problems and challenges.
This Month’s Music
Here’s the usual selection of music that Vicky has been listening to this month.
| Artist | Title |
|---|---|
| Jai Uttal | Gauri’s Dream |
| Zentral Ztation | You Are Enough |
| Fred Westra | Breathing |
| Josh Brill | Waters Of Miriam |
| Wah! | Om Mani Padme Hum |
| Kai Franze | Savasana |