Help us put an end to human trafficking in India with the global event, Yoga Stops Traffick.  All monies donated go to the Obanadi Seva Trust. Camyoga is one of many studios around world that will be partaking in this event.  Unroll your mat and join in 108 sun salutations to raise money and awareness. The event kicks off at 2pm and you can join in or just come and watch or donate.  All are welcome. Check out some pictures of the preparations in Mysore.  The salutations will be led by Obanadi residents at the Mysore Palace:

Camyoga is excited to be hosting an art exhibition by Susi Watson launching Saturday April 17 from 19:00 - 21:00 and lasting till April 24. In this art series, Remembering What We Know, Susi explores questions and insights that she has encountered over the past year, during her transition from America to the UK and her practice at CamYoga. 'Remembering what you know' is all about transformation, embracing change and following your dreams.

Many of us in Cambridge can relate to the transition of moving to a new place and taking up life in new surroundings. Camyoga itself has become a hub for transformation  and exploration into deeper self-knowledge.

The series is an opportunity for us to reflect on questions and images, in the hope that it may: - ignite an intention during practice - encourage nourishing conversation - inspire us to visualize our own questions, answers or ideas - further our own practice, whatever our passion may be.

Find out more about Susi at her website

It is not too soon to be thinking about longer days, the relief of warmer weather, and summer holidays. In Sabina yoga retreats are just around the corner. For a limited time we are offering  £100 Off either week. You can join Louise Lloyd and Mark Stevens in week one, or Howard Daly and Pilar Carrillo in week 2. Dates are: July 28, 2012 - August 11,  2012 This retreat is an all inclusive life changing week at one of the most gorgeous retreat centres in the world. A mix of Yoga, breath work, therapies and meditation.

Everything at In Sabina is perfectly arranged with taste and style and with yoga in mind. There are seven acres of lush grounds comprising a natural spring, gardens, pond and swimming pool amidst a tranquil and rustic setting. The surrounding area is unspoilt farmland, and the house and grounds are peaceful and quiet. There are two yoga spaces for yoga and meditation, an indoor yoga studio, and a magnificent 15 x 10 metre architect designed covered outdoor wooden platform, which sits in the valley surrounding by verdant unspoilt nature. The food is a highlight of the holiday, three meals a day of beautiful vegetarian food in abundance prepared by a specialist vegetarian chef. All adding up to the perfect environment for a yoga holiday.

Why not take a look at a video clip of Louise Lloyd teaching in In Sabina last year?

Families are welcome and for more info and booking click here

http://youtu.be/Ynpf2nXsDvw

Our first donation day of 2012 was a huge success.  We raised more money than we ever have before to give to our charities. Thank you to everyone who came out and gave generously.  We hope you enjoyed the full day of fantastic classes all by Camyoga teachers donating their time.  The day finished with a fantastic satsang with Mark Stevens.

All the money you gave is going directly to Camfed, Arthur Rank Hospice, and Freedom from Fistula.

Did you try the cupcakes?

The First Donation Day for 2012 is coming up soon.  Right after the new year we will have a full day of classes all by donation.  Mark your calendar for this event on January 7.  We had posted our first two charities: Circus Starr and Freedom for Fistula.  We sought your input for our third charity.  With your suggestions we decided on Camfed. Camfed's Mission:

"Camfed fights poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa by educating girls and empowering women to become leaders of change. Our goal: To improve the lives of two million children by 2013."

Thank you all for your suggestions and we look forward to seeing you at our donation day!

We have just put our next donation day schedule together for the new year.  Please join us on January 7^th 2012 for a full day of classes all on a donation basis.  All monies will be given to charity.  This day's donations will be going to Circus Starr (Arthur Rank Hospice) and Freedom for Fistula, as well as one more charity which we haven't chosen yet.  What are your thoughts for the third charity?  We would love to hear. Check out the full day of classes!

Studio 1

10am – Beginners Flow – Rachael Moore

11.15am - Acro yoga – Howard Daly

12.30pm – Ashtanga Introduction – Emma Lindsay

1.45pm – Yoga open level – Anna Jackson

3pm - Restorative Yoga - Anna Jackson

Studio 2

8.30am – Ashtanga – Howard Daly

10am – Detox Flow – Louise Lloyd

11.15am - Yoga Open Level - Nikki Davies

12.30pm - 1.45pm – Hot Yoga – Jennifer Hersch

2pm - 3.15pm – Hot Yoga - Pilar Carrillo

3.45pm – Jivamukti – Mark Stevens

5pm – Satsang – Mark Stevens

"No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted."

-Aesop

Camyoga is happy to welcome Sam from Mouth Music Catering.  She has been whipping up vegetarian delicacies for the Cambridge area and now we get a bite of the action. Sam's catering is contemporary, fresh, and imaginative, not to mention delicious.

"We'd like first to dispel a pervading myth... Vegetarian food is not just about vegetables. Or tofu. Or lentils..."

It's all about the food, but not just how it looks on the plate.  It's about how and where it was grown, the packaging, and how it gets to your plate.  Mouth Music Catering is a business with the big picture in mind. And here at Camyoga we like to support mindful practices.

We hope you will stop into our cafe, or stay after class, and take time to enjoy food that was made with care and love.  We are always serving our Illy coffee, yogi teas, and fresh juices as well. om nom nom...

The 'Yoga Dealer' is coming to Camyoga before he hits the London Yoga Show.  Michael Ganoon trained in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd series of Ashtanga with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.  He now travels the world, teaching, inspiring, and sharing his love of the practice.

Camyoga is thrilled to welcome him on Wednesday October 26 for a workshop on opening your heart and finding the elements of backbending.  You don't have to be a backbending superstar for this session, it's open to all levels and abilities.

Love your ashtanga?  Then Join Michael on Thursday for a Full Ashtnaga Vinyasa Count class. It is a rare opportunity to practice the "full form" with the correct vinyasa count in Sanskrit.  Book here for both events.

Want your ashtanga anywhere? There's an app for that. Michael has released the first ever ashtanga app for iPhone and iPad. This app is personally tried, tested, and approved. It has beginner and advanced options, great pictures and instructions, and simple to use features. Check it out! 

We sometimes avoid the poses that we think we just can't do, the poses that maybe our bodies weren't "built" for.  Hanumanasana is just one of those poses. Full splits are something we feel we either can or can't do.  But even the naturally unflexible have hope in this pose.

Warming up the body and the key muscles is important as is the consistency of practicing.  The way to get better at hanumanasana is to do hanumanasana.  Sounds simple, right?  But then why do so many of us just avoid the pose altogether? Check out the following video for full split prep poses...

http://youtu.be/BgPTT6tQz20

Take inspiration from Hanuman, the monkey god for whom the pose is named before you take this leap of faith.  Hanuman leaped across an ocean in order to help a friend he loved.  And so this massive leap represents the expansion of his heart, the love that allowed him to take this step. In the full version of the pose we add in the expression of the heart opening. Take a look...and give hanumanasana another chance.

http://youtu.be/zUkMuJdOyZ4

Join Andrea this Saturday, August 27th,  for her next Jivamukti masterclass.  This 2 hour class from 10:00 - 12:00 will be inspired by the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.  This Yogic text covers topics such as asanas, pranayama, chakras, bandhas, kriyas, nadhis, and mudras.

Don't worry if you don't fancy yourself a yogic scholar.  Andrea's well rounded classes are dynamic, physical, inspired, and thoughtful.

Camyoga hosts Andrea once a month for a series of masterclasses and this one is sure to be a sellout.  She has an advanced certification in Jivamukti as well as certification in yin and restorative yoga.

Don't miss this one!  Sign up here

Donation day this past Saturday was a huge success as we raised £737 for charities!  Thank you for your support.  The monies are being equally donated to Tiba Africa Foundation, Peace Boat, and Arthur Rank House. Enjoy these pictures from our great day!

Saturday August 13 is Donation Day at Camyoga.  We are donating all money to three wonderful charities, some close to home and others global.  The teachers will be donating their time.  Here is where your donations will go:

Arthur Rank Hospice Charity Providing specialist palliative care in Cambridgeshire

Tiba Africa Foundation Helping to reshape communities and the lives of individuals in Kenya through transformational breath.

Peace Boat an organisation directly involved in the Japanese earthquake relief.

You just simply make a donation and can attend as many classes as you like. Everyone is welcome, and it is a great opportinuty to introduce new people to the centre, or to try out new classes you have been wondering about! The cafe will be open all day.

Here is the schedule:

• Studio 1 10am Beginners yoga - Rachael Moore 11.15am Pilates - Howard 12.30pm Nia - Nicola Price 1.45pm Kids yoga - Howard 3pm Acro yoga - Howard
• Studio 2 8.30am Ashtanga - Howard 10am level 2/3 flow - Pilar 11.15am detox open flow - Louise Lloyd 12.30pm Restorative yoga - Beverley 1.45pm Beginners yoga - Nikki Davies 3pm Jivamukti - Mark 4.15pm satsang - Mark

Please spread the word..........

We are offering a weekly treat for all you detox loving yogis out there.  This week is the start of Detox Wednesdays.  Enjoy our new Detox Salad or Detox Juice for just £2.50 all day every Wednesday starting June 15 (regular price £3.50). Pop into a morning hot yoga class, an evening detox flow, or start your day right with Mysore.

In the mix:

Cucumber, mint, ginger, apple, and milk thistle.  Leaving you feeling fresh from the inside out. Good for the kidneys, liver, stomach, and colon.

We've been growing a garden right at Camyoga.  Many of the herbs and greenery you eat in our cafe are as locally sourced as it gets.

Simple and cleansing.

In the mix:

fresh greens and herbs, served with a dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, fennel, crushed chilis, and s&p.

Post yoga perfection.

Namaste!

Every month we will have a "get to know section" of the blog where we find out a little bit more about a student or teacher.  It's a way to learn more about the people you see in the studio and on the mat next to you.  This month we get to know Marion Poerio, a new student to Camyoga, who has found her way to us after discovering yoga at LaFitness.



Name: Marion Age: 24 Occupation: Teacher

What brought you to yoga?

I ‘found’ yoga about five months ago after going through a pretty bad time in my life. Like most people, I found myself living in the fast lane without pausing for breath and inevitably burned myself out. Yoga was always something I had wanted to try, perhaps for the wrong reasons (“I want to do the splits”, “I want to lose weight and not have to put too much effort in”, “I want to be one of those cool people that ‘do yoga’”), so I seized the day and went to a class. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, that day was a massive turning point.

Yoga has changed my life. It has helped me to re-balance and centre myself, to become more accepting and forgiving, to reacquaint my mind and body, to be gentle and kind to myself, to smile through the pain, to make friends with my inner critic, to discover the power of the breath. And these are just some of benefits it has had on my mind. The physical benefits are also miraculous. If I continue I’ll never stop…

What do you do when you are not doing yoga?

As I’m still in the process of recovery, I’m not currently working as a Primary school teacher like I was beforehand. So on the rare occasion that I’m not immersed body, mind and soul in yoga, I am either nose deep in a good book (so many books, so little time), working on my proofreading course or trying (I repeat; trying) to write a novel. I also practice mindfulness meditation on a daily basis which ties in perfectly with yoga.

What is your favorite yoga pose and why?

This is like asking a mother which of her children is her favourite. I couldn’t possibly choose. However, I find both the mountain pose (Tadasana) and greeting pose (Namaste) incredibly powerful. Standing in Tadasana creates such a stable energy that roots you to the earth, while Namaste channels grace and gratitude and encourages a sense of inner peace that is truly uplifting.

What is your least favorite yoga pose and why?

I try not to dislike any yoga pose; negative energy really doesn’t have a place in the ethos of yoga. Of course, there are those poses which are more challenging (some actually seem impossible) but these poses more than any, need to be the ones that I embrace and learn to love. It is so tempting to dislike the yoga poses you find difficult but I am trying to silence my inner critic, listen to my body, and let it ease itself into those poses when the time is right. Smiling always helps too!

What is one quality you have taken off the mat and incorporated into your daily life?

Balance. Love. Lots of love. Sorry, that’s two.

An interesting fact about me that you may not know is…

... I can make roses out of paper napkins. Not quite on a par with turning water into wine but at least it looks pretty.

Coconut milk makes this broccoli soup a creamy delight without feeling heavy.  The Dandelion Cafe is always whipping up a fresh vegan soup.  Served with wholemeal bread or ciabatta, and a healthy dash of love, our soups satisfy.

Check our board each day to see what's on.