Here at Camyoga, we welcome anyone and everyone (unless you’re a dinosaur… that’d be a bit awkward to fit you in). This includes teenagers, like myself, however angst-y we may be.  

I, as a 16 year old girl, can tell you how much yoga has helped. When I’m about to screech, “You’re ruining my life!” at my family, I take a nice long round of Ujayi breaths and re-connect to the universe, and everything seems fine and dandy again! I’m not telling you that yoga will be your answer to all teenage related issues, but it’s a good start to getting rid of that frustration. Let’s get started!

YOGA BUILDS MUSCLES:
As we go through puberty, bodies tend to often feel a little imbalanced. Imbalanced bodies, meet your best dream – YOGA! Yoga helps to strengthen and lengthen your muscles, meaning you’ll not only feel more confident but also feel a heck lot healthier and stronger.

YOGA LENGTHENS MUSCLES:
Raise your mudra if you have lost some of that childlike flexibility! I know, I know, it sucks – one minute you’re doing the splits and cartwheeling around and the next it feels like you’re a plank of wood. Now obviously these are just the physical benefits for teenagers, but there are a lot of underlying psychological benefits. Yoga also helps you get that perfect posture your grandparents are always nagging you about.

YOGA GETS YOU SPIRITUALLY CONNECTED:
Not all yogis are into the spiritual side, but honestly if you open up to it I think it is so beneficial. You can feel more present, more grounded, more intuitive and more compassionate. It’s like opening up a box of awesome-ness that’s inside of you that has been locked by every negative moment in your life. Open up that box everyone, and find your happiness.

YOGA HELPS THAT ANGSTY MIND:
In yoga, we practice gratitude a lot. Feeling gratitude is hands down the one feeling that has helped me start to get over my silly first world problems. Everyday wake up with a grateful heart, and watch your woes go by.

If you’re treating your body with love and care, making it fit, healthy, bendy and happy, it’s so much easier to walk into a room and feel confident about yourself. That’s another perk of being a teen (sense the sarcasm), it can be easy to lose your self esteem. With the media pushed in everybody’s faces, teenagers especially can create a warped vision of what is ‘good’, or what they ‘should’ look like. You’re not a biscuit cutter, so be proud and be happy that you’re you.

Water by my side, new yoga top on, purple block sat next to me. I was ready to flow.

Andrea Price joyfully guided the room through a dynamic flow routine that was exciting and energetic - she combined more advanced postures with a comforting smile and let everyone have a go, with the option of relaxing in a child’s pose.

Calming music playing, smiles all around, everyone getting a bit of sweat on – that’s what it’s all about.

I certainly felt the ‘chaturanga’ burn and the warrior III wobbles the next day, so if you’re looking for some detoxing and invigorating movement, go with the flow and sweat that asana off.

My dear Camyogis, dear Louise!


For months I have known this day would come. I don’t know how many letters, sentences and lines I have formed in my head, moving towards this moment. What to say, how to express my innermost feelings in a clear, honest way? Probably the best way is just to dive in from where I am right here, right now. No place other than that, remember? As we have been practicing over the last few years – discovering power in the simplicity and honesty that arises out of the present moment!

I became a firm believer and practitioner of moving through our practice (life!) in a slow, mindful pace, especially in the face of challenge and change. One step at a time, one day at a time, one breath at a time, .... On another level – the power of the ‘practice’ (whenever I say ‘practice’, I refer to the extended practice of how we live our life on and off the mat!) is not always the final ‘posture’, the destination we’re heading towards, but what we need to learn is found on the way – within the transition itself!

If we lose the transition, if we lose the connection, we lose everything we could otherwise learn and experience on a deeper level on our journey towards that ‘posture’ (that destination). Whether it’s the first time ‘Down Dog’, or the thousand’s time – each time you move through it, it’s a different transition, it’s a different experience, so it’s likely to feel different; you learn something different – but if you rush through it, you miss out on something! So, finally the moment has come. I’m going through some transformations. I will leave Camyoga as a regular teacher, moving on, going home. It has been an incredible ride. More transformative and expansive than anything I could have ever imagined, as I sat in front of some of you for the very first time, almost four years ago. Teaching my first Thursday ‘flow’ class in English, gradually becoming more confident, more authentic, as I began to realize a simple truth – that the inspiration and all the answers we are looking for lie within us; All we need to do is spend some time with ourselves to discover it! Stop, listen, observe, and breathe.

Our true teacher is within ourselves!

That is the incredible power of surrendering into the present moment. We never truly know how amazing things will turn out, and often, it is beyond our wildest dreams. We just need a little faith. We need a little faith in the scariest and most breath taking moments of our lives, and then we witness how it often turns out to be the most life affirming and transformative element of our future. And even more, the magic of transformation is that not only do we evolve and grow, but everyone around us miraculously does as well, “because we have been blessed with new eyes, (or 'no eyes') new vision, and a whisper of space that is grace between the proverbial 'rock and a hard place', so to speak” (Veronique Fleming).

As for now, I do not know exactly what my next steps in Germany will be, but whatever they are, I am certain I will move forward with a wide open heart, filled with gratitude and joy over the last few years at Camyoga!

There are not enough words to express my gratitude for the gift this sacred space has provided. I bow to every single one of you who have blessed Camyoga and my life with your presence and trust. I bow to Louise, who keeps preparing the soil for all these yoga blossoms to beautifully emerge; all the students, teachers and amazing staff, who have been there along the way, deeply committed to do something beyond the ordinary. Realizing that indeed, there is nothing more valuable and precious than that anywhere.

As one of my daughter’s Kung-Fu teachers, Craig Gallacher, says, 'the source of transformation is awareness, focus, resilience, and integration'. In my own words – start to create a relationship with yourself. Be present. Spend some time every day in silence; keep coming back to your own body, mind and breath. See what inspiration lies within you, what discovery can you dig up from your own beautiful mind! And then bring exactly that into the world!

You have left a deep imprint in my heart! Thank you for simply being who you are.
Bowing to the great unknown future;
 Deep peace, love and namasté,

Andrea

PS. Please come and visit me on my new website: andreapriceyoga.com; Get in touch with me, tell me how you’re practice as evolving, and write to me with any questions you might have – I promise I’ll answer each and every e-mail (andrea.price@t-online.de)

As I walked into the Barre Concept class, the energy in the room suddenly became contagious. A warm, bouncy and excited sensation completely filled my body (if the sensation was visible, it would be that really fun pink kind of colour). The lovely Amy Holly kindly asked if I’d had any experience, and I explained that I’d done ballet before but never something like this, but as soon as it started I knew it was for me.

Barre Concept is a low impact workout, meaning if you have any issues with loads of jumping, or have low blood pressure and feel woozy when moving really fast, but still want a sweaty total body workout, it’s for you. The small movements that Amy Holly sneakily adds in throughout the hour boosted the workout completely, targeting each different little muscle group, making it interesting, exciting and innovative. It’s the day after, and my legs feel like jelly!

Another thing I loved about Barre Concept was how strong and lean it made my muscles feel. As soon as you’d worked your ballet behind off, you would combat the tightness with dynamic moving stretches meaning you won’t be left with short little rock-like muscles, you’ll have long, lean beautiful bodies ready to arabesque and plié through life!

You may dislike the pace, or the music might not be your kind of thing but honestly when you throw yourself into it, it’s incredibly fun! One thing I am noticing more and more through this journey is that if I leave my silly self-restrictions, everything is one hundred million times better. Next time you’re trying something new, wrap your inhibitions up in a recyclable bag and chuck them away – you don’t need them! Throw yourself into it, and the best feelings and results will come.

If you want to have a lively workout, similar to a blend of a ballet class and a Jane Fonda workout, that gives you elongated and elegant muscles, try out Barre Concept!

Mundane Monday Morning. Mondays don’t have to feel rubbish, but sometimes that slightly damp feeling you get come Monday morning just rains on your Sunday parade.

That’s how I felt today, anyway, but instead of wallowing all day I went to Yoga Open at 1:00pm.

The class was led by the gracious and inviting Meredith Gunderson, and as I left the studio, having finished the class, my whole spirits had been lifted.

“Rise up to the day!” Meredith chanted as we moved through different asanas – even in the first 2 minutes, I could feel myself exhaling that mellow mundane feeling, and inhaling a feeling of brightness, a feeling of excitement about the week ahead and the opportunites there are to take.

Different postures were peacefully introduced to us, whilst that ‘mini yogi posture checklist’ was ticked off with the help of the gentle reminders to keep tailbones down, sternums up to see the sun.

The Yoga Open class follows a classic Hatha style of yoga, which allows all ages and abilities to come, pop their leggings on and de-stress – yogi style! Teachers vary, so all classes will be a little different, but generally Hatha yoga is like a warming mug of hot chocolate: it’s calming and feels wonderful (unlike hot chocolate, it doesn’t contain chocolate but you can grab a cacao smoothie on the way out if you’re feeling frisky)!

So come, de-stress, rid of those unwelcome feelings and get your Hatha on. You can view the class schedule here

I don’t know about you, but I love how yoga gives me freedom. A flow style yoga class gives me that sweet freedom whilst making me feel invincible. Yoga Flow Open class glided me through (hopefully) gracefully and freely.

The Yoga Flow Open classes rotate teachers, which means it’s refreshing and reviving each time. The class gently allows individuals to move at their own pace, find their natural movement and range of mobility – with the use of props and modifications, you can devise a gentle and calming practice OR a more invigorating, heated practice.

It was a scorching hot day, but the natural movement of air in the studio combined with some cooling style of breathing allowed my previous stress from the morning to melt away slowly.

The class I went to was instructed by Laura Hughes who led the class beautifully, making sure if anyone had any injuries that she needed to be notified of. I’m pretty sure all yoga teachers are lovely, but at Camyoga there is a real sense of genuine interest and passion for yoga which leads the students to feel the embrace of trust much easier in a class.

The class focused mostly on the key, essential asanas of a yoga flow, and having a teacher there to remind you of the “mini yogi posture checklist”, as I like to call it, (stuff like navel drawn in, tailbone down, etc) is super helpful as it really helps you to move deeper into your practice. We also focused quite a lot on different Mudras (hand gestures) that had different benefits and feelings attached which further helped to deepen the entire practice. If you’re more into a solely stretching style class, this one may not be for you but I encourage you to try it as it lifts your spirits and feels exhilarative as you twist, glide and rock your way through the hour.

Overall, I loved this style of class – the flow followed by some gentle seated postures was the perfect afternoon pick me up, so if you’re feeling like you want a lively lunch hour, bring a packed lunch and go flow-ga!

Yoga teaches us to calm the mind, and draw our attention inwards. In return, we get paid through the amazing feelings of energy, gratitude, self-love, peace and other pretty great thoughts and feelings (uhh, not to mention strong lean yoga machine bodies). But it takes hard work, dedication and devotion to your practice and I have decided: I’m Esh, sixteen years old and so ready to surrender to the gorgeous practice of Yoga. So here's my journey to becoming a yogi. Wearily, I stepped into the studio ready for my first Iyengar Yoga class. At Camyoga, there is a massive variety of classes to suit everyone, and the best thing is to try a little bit of everything and stick with the ones that move and groove how you like. Coming from a self-confessed Vinyasa-flow-freak, Iyengar Yoga was pretty different, but wonderful.

At the beginning, you take your props (e.g. blocks, pillow and chair) and take a relaxation however you like (for example, laying in reclined Baddha Konasana). This instantly helps you to rid of your inhibitions, and open up to the practice. The props help to deepen and further the practice, and as I walked out I could feel my tailbone tucking down, sternum lifting up – it’s a feeling of openness, not just in your body but also in your mind as you feel more free. Even drinking my mango smoothie afterwards felt different!

Iyengar yoga not only can ease your daily life (for example, if you fancy doing a yogi squat in the middle of Parker’s Piece, you may find yourself sinking into it happily) but also your own yoga practice (in a fast paced yoga flow class, injuries will be prevented because you now know the best alignment). It can be suited to everyone and help improve whatever you do for a living or how you go about your day.

So whether you’re a Jivamukti junkie or an Ashtanga addict, I can safely say give Iyengar a try to further your knowledge and precision of alignment.

Contrary to belief, Yoga is not just about flexibility and postures. Chanting and mantra recitation have accompanied yoga practices for thousands of years. So, what benefits can chanting bring?

• Your energy increases and your mind becomes sharper
• A study by Dr Alan Watkins [senior lecturer in neuroscience at Imperial College London] showed that while chanting, our blood pressure and heart rate drop to its lowest in the day. Doctors say that even listening to chants normalises brain wave patterns, adrenalin levels and lowers cholesterol levels.
• You feel vibrant and flowing with creative ideas
• You gradually become more in tune with every thing in life
• Neuro-scientist Marian Diamond from the University of California found that chanting helps block the release of stress hormones and increases immune function. It also keeps our muscles and joints flexible for a long time
• Chanting can build your confidence and releases your inhibitions
• Chanting is fun, easy and always available to you (and hey, it’s free!)
• Using chants as part of our exercise regimen, helps facilitate movement and flow of the body during exercise
• Chanting removes blocks and connects us directly to the heart, leading us to experience a natural harmony with the world around us

The overall experience is like a meditation with voice. You will leave feeling free, energized, uplifted and joyful for the day, week or weekend ahead.

If you're keen to give it a go, why not try one of our chanting workshops this June, there are three to choose from. Maybe you'll even become addicted and want to take them all :-)

Nada Yoga - the yoga of sound Kirtan! Chanting from the heart  Chant Your Life! with Nikki Slade

  Feeling confused about BARRE classes?

Here's a list of our top 6 misconceptions of barre classes:

1.) I don’t have any dance experience, so it will be difficult to keep up in barre classes.

2.) Barre is basically ballet and is only for women.

3.) Barre doesn’t give you any type of cardio workout, so what’s the point? I can simply stretch at home!

4.) Barre classes are hard and you need to get in shape beforehand.

5.) I have to be super flexible to take a barre class.

6.) I will have to buy ballet shoes.

            

So, what is BARRE?

So, the good news is: you don't need ballet shoes, don't need to be super flexible and you really don't need any dance experience!

BarreConcept is a low impact, total body workout performed at a ballet barre that will appeal to everyone. Small isometric contractions are performed and integrated with an interval training approach that improves cardiovascular fitness.

Posture, flexibility, stamina and core strength improve, resulting in a body that is realigned, rebalanced and works harmoniously and efficiently.

At CAMYOGA our barre classes are suitable for everyone as various modifications are given to suit the abilities of all students, so just come along and give it a go!

Click here to book and see our barre class schedule to find out when it’s next on.

Travelling can be extremely stressful at times, can’t it? By the time you’ve packed, sorted out all your documents, itinerary, accommodation, found someone to look after your pets and water your plants, and finally rushed to the airport (fingers crossed there’s no traffic!)… here you are, about to embark on your trip. Not exactly a stress-free way to start a day or holiday, let alone a business trip. And, by this time, you haven’t even had to deal with check-in queues, security, passport control and sitting in cramped seats for hours. Given how exhausting air travel can be, it seems obvious why more and more airports are taking to the idea of airport yoga with a dedicated space. After all, yoga is known to be relaxing. There are several good reasons why airport yoga is a great idea, here’s a list of a few:

• The muscle stretching encouraged by yoga postures is a good way to cool down after walking, or other aerobic conditioning, while deep breathing and meditation also help;
• It can help manage stress;
• Space devoted to relaxation allows you to take time to unwind and stretch before and between flights and enjoy a calm, quiet space;
• It gets your circulation going after remaining inactive during long flights;
• Last, but not least, yoga not only benefits your body but also your mind.

If you are already into yoga or thinking of taking it up as a practice, you may be interested to know that recent studies published by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology also indicate that continuous yoga practice lowers heart disease risk as much as conventional exercise, which, in turn, lowers cholesterol. This way you can keep up your practice even when travelling, so what’s not to love?

Furthermore, Statistics Canada estimates that the number of global yoga practitioners is as high as 250 million, with 2.5 million in the UK alone. With such high numbers, many argue that if smokers have their own designated area, why shouldn’t yogis?

So, which airports offer these yoga rooms? This is a brief, and by no means comprehensive, list but it will give you a bit of an overview.

SFO International Airport San Francisco, California Terminal 2 This is the world's first airport yoga room.

DFW International Airport Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Hallway between Terminal B and D

BTV International Airport Burlington, Vermont Level Two

ABQ International Sunport Albuquerque, New Mexico Level One

RDU International Airport Morrisville, North Carolina Terminal 2

HEL International Airport Helsinki, Finland ORD Chicago O’Hare International Airport Chicago, Illinois Mezzanine Level of the Terminal 3 Rotunda; near the Urban Garden

LHR London Heathrow Airport London, UK (coming soon)

Tip: if your airport doesn’t offer a yoga room, you can still benefit from some mindfulness. Simply download the Head Space, Insight Timer or Happiness App (just to name a few; there are many more out there).

Safe travels!

What is Mysore?

Mysore is the place in India where Sri K Pattabhi Jois taught and his grandson Sharath still teaches. For thousands of years yoga was taught from teacher to student, taking a student through his or her own development at an appropriate pace, this is how Pattabhi Jois taught the students from the West that first arrived at his Shala in the 1960s and 70s and is how students are still taught today in Mysore. Mysore yoga is a form of Ashtanga yoga

How is it different from a 'led' Ashtanga class?

In this style of class the student is able to practice at the pace appropriate for them.  It is not a led class where everyone is doing the

same thing at the same moment with verbal cues from the teacher at all times.  Everyone still does the same sequence of poses, but at his/her own pace.  This style of teaching allows students to receive more individual attention and physical adjustments from the teacher.

Do I have to be advanced, or can a beginner to Ashtanga or yoga attend?

Mysore is suitable for all levels of practitioner and can be very helpful for recent beginners because the student will receive individual help from the teacher.  Its almost like having a private lesson in a group setting.  Just coming along with an open mind and being receptive to the learning process is all you need to attend these classes

The more experienced students can practice independently with the teacher giving them assistance in the areas that they find most challenging, and for beginners more time is dedicated to giving them instruction on learning the sequence, they will be given a few postures at a time so that they can memorize them in the right order and they may repeat shorter sections of the sequence to help them remember it.  There are also some sheets of postures to refer to if needed.

Why is it slightly longer than other classes?

This class is slightly longer so that students can attend at any time which suits them, as long as you give yourself enough time to complete your practice including relaxation at the end. This could be as short as 30 mins or up to 2 (1.5?) hours.

What are the benefits of practising at Mysore style classes?

The student will receive more individual support from the teacher and can do their practice at the pace that works best for them. As the practitioner learns the sequence and becomes more independent it gives them the opportunity to cultivate a personal yoga practice that they can do at home or anywhere in the world. Instead of passively listening to a teacher or watching others the practitioner leans to find their own focus making it a more personal and meditative practice.

Ashtanga is traditionally a morning practice and all the classes in Mysore, India are in the morning and always have been. Practicing first thing in the day is a wonderful way to start your day!

Come try Mysore yoga yourself at Camyoga on a Tuesday and Thursday Mornings - book here

This is the most consistent chickpea curry recipe i have ever encountered - perfect every time!

Adapted from an original recipe from Sarah Brown

2 Onions 1-2 Chillies 1 Tbsp cumin powder 1 Tbsp coriander powder 4 Tbsp oil (olive or sunflower) 400g can tomatoes 1 Can chickpeas (or 250g cooked chickpeas) 1/2 cauliflower broken into small florets. 250 ml vegan veg stock 2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander Lemon juice to taste (1/2 - 1 lemon) Salt and pepper

1. Place onions chillies, 1/2 - 1 tsp salt, pepper, cumin and coriander into food processor and blend with a little water to make a paste.

2. Fry the paste in the oil for about 10 mins on med heat, allow it to brown a little.

3. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins. Add the cauliflower and cook for a further 10-15 mins until cooked.

4. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Add the lemon to taste and coriander just before serving.

Serve this delicious chickpea curry with rice and pickles as a main dish, or as a side dish with any other curries.

I quite often double up the quantities as it keeps really well.

6 reasons why you should become a yoga teacher straight from the mouths of our Camyoga teachers

1 - You make a positive difference to other people’s lives

“What I love about teaching is to have the possibility to share knowledge and/or experience with other people so that they too might feel the benefits and happiness it gave me.” Jozef Wiewel

“i like the idea of helping people or influence them in a positive way” Hakan Aydin

2 - Become a yoga teacher - keep fit and healthy and it does not have a retirement age!

“It's probably the one and only job in the world which makes you healthier and happier the more you "work" (with no negative side-effects!)” Andrea Price

“Yoga teaching goes with you throughout your life. I am still teaching 30 years on from my training, and one of my first teachers only retired at 75.” Beverley Nolan

3 - It enriches your own spirit and mind; to be in “satsang” – to learn and grow yourself from other like-minded people

“Teaching enhances one’s own personal development because as a teacher you are forever expanding your knowledge.” Kari Knight

“Teaching is a two-way dynamic, and everyone you meet is unique. I learn a lot from everyone” Beverley Nolan

4 – You become part of a positive and proactive community

“Social connectedness supports us. Practicing yoga in the community in the company of others brings social connectedness. Other benefits include sharing positive energy of love, compassion, kindness.” Kari Knight

5 – As a yoga teacher you can help people to reconnect and re-energize

“To guide and to inspire others that yoga means finding connections and links to all life – life is precious , all beings are worthy, lets make the planet a better place to live on and off the mat “ Andrea Kwiatkowski

“It may sound like a trite FB post, but you have something not only practical but amazing to offer people: a way back to the lived experience of the body” Beverley Nolan

6 – It’s a great and enjoyable job!

“You get to teach something that you love (and have the perfect excuse to do as many yoga courses and workshops as you want)” Paul Fox

So there is it, from the horse's mouth so to speak. Thank you to all the yoga teachers that took part, though I must say I can't believe nobody mentioned the great clothes you get to wear to work (have you seen the leggings they have for sale at the moment?!) If you are interested in becoming a yoga teacher take a look at our courses and workshops here or email us at tt@camyoga.co.uk

“with teaching comes responsibility , you guide , like the translation of Namaste says- “the spirit of yoga in me guides and honors the spirit of yoga in you” – that in essence is what your ultimate reason should be about” Andrea Kwiatkowski  

                 

Today there are 30 million people regularly practicing yoga around the world but what has made this ancient practice so popular?

1. Firstly think Jane Fonda in lycra! The 70’s and 80’s brought us the fitness boom in the US. This movement led to interest in many different forms of exercise, including yoga
2. Numerous research studies reveal the physical and emotional benefits of yoga, adding scientific weight to this ancient practice and attracting even more followers
3. Yoga is an ancient 5,000 year old practice; it has travelled and shifted and hybridized. Think of Yoga like an ancient tree with many branches and roots from its original self. It moves with the times and endures. With so many fad diets and workouts it has stood the test of time
4. Yoga is illuminated to the masses through its celebrity followers; think Madonna and Sting in the early days and now a whole bucket load of famous faces swear by the practice like Charlie Theron and Robert Downey Jnr. There is nothing like celebrity endorsements!
5. It is accessible to all – it suits all ages, shapes and sizes – it does not require high levels of fitness nor any special equipment just the body and the mind (and preferably a mat!) There are over 84,000 different postures and variations of yoga – so take your pick!
6. Yoga can heal - it is therapeutic and can be used successfully with conditions such as insomnia, back problems, digestion problems, asthma, improving circulation, anxiety and weight loss — just to name a few. It is often recommended to patients by osteopaths, acupuncturists, and other medical practitioners.

7. Yoga is regenerating - it benefits ALL systems; the circulatory, glandular, digestive, nervous, musculoskeletal, reproductive and respiratory systems. Everyone has something that could be improved by yoga practice
8. Yoga is a non-dogmatic spiritual practice but it is not religious. It is enlightened and special and spiritual and as humans we are attracted to this sense of something else in our lives
9. Yoga is an antidote to the negative effects of our modern lives; busy and stressful, running around the ant farm being bombarded by so much external stimulus – Yoga has the ability to calm us, to take us away from the madness and teaches us to 'be in the moment'. It helps us to balance ourselves – to add a little more Yin to our Yang!
10. Yoga is now a billion dollar industry; immaculate studios, fashionable clothes, accessories, retreats, DVDs, famous faces and famous juice cleanses – these all keep the yoga wheel turning – we see it in advertisements, on social media, TV and films – capitalism is fully involved and agree with it or not it does promote and maintain yoga within popular culture - and lets be honest; the more people that discover yoga, the better off we will all be! Namaste

David Swenson ran a ‘flying and floating’ workshop at the Camyoga Studio loft in Great Shelford. 60 people attended and for the first 26 minutes so did our very own Tom Hallam. Here is his own words, he explains this inspiring experience;

What is the hardest aspect of flying?

This question was proposed early in David's fantastic workshop, to which the answer being; the sudden deceleration at the end! I only managed to catch his first twenty six minutes (yes, very specific; I recorded the audio!)  before returning downstairs to continue helping behind the scenes.

However, in that time, the amount I learnt from his words and actions is highly valuable to anyone wishing to develop their yoga practice to the next level. I wish to share some of those special twenty-six minute-moments with you, now. Comical and wise, David gave insights of knowledge into the practice of Ashtanga Yoga that was wholeheartedly digested by his captivated audience;

In this universe it would seem that everything is comprised of opposites. Up-down, right-left, front-back winter-summer male-female inhale-exhale birth-death. The two components of Vinyasa; movement and breathing, I look at as though opposite forces. What do they represent? A rather abstract question, contemplate this for a moment...[row]

What does movement represent, what does breath represent? (various answers crop up)[row]

Well let’s look at movement first; the gross, external, physical, mechanical aspect.[row]

The breath represents the invisible practice, everything we cannot see. The energetic, internal, subtle aspect.[row]

What does yoga mean? Union.[row]

What does Hatha mean? Sun and moon. Opposite forces. The union of opposing forcing.[row]

This Vinyasa is a beautiful manifestation of taking these opposing forces and creating a balance between them.[row]

We'll talk more practical things, jumping through and jumping back, this is part of it, right? That jumping around I was doing, is also a manifestation of Vinyasa, but this is also Vinyasa. *demonstrates* [row]

Anytime we move with our breath in that precise manner, it’s a Vinyasa. It’s not only jumping. Any questions so far?

...

I've been practicing Yoga since I was thirteen. So, five years now." * class laughter*

 And that was in the first four minutes. The ball was rolling. This was preceded by many more anecdotes and stories that simply do not hold the same power as if you were present in the room. Needless to say the laughter was hysterical. His style of teaching and delivery were unique, it was lighthearted, relaxed, professional, and completely in control.

I intermittently checked in on the class, and observed sixty people in what appeared to be a dance. There was such a strong sense of unity. I can understand from this why more and more people are gravitating to Yoga every day. It is to these inspiring teachers, like David, we thank. And also to the dedicated Yogis, who traveled far and wide to attend this three hour workshop. Until the next time. Keep practicing!

Namaste.

Thomas Peter Hallam

David Swenson will be returning to Camyoga in 2015 – watch this space!

What is the theory of Yin & Yang?

In essence this ancient Chinese philosophy means two halves that together complete wholeness, two opposite yet complementary energies which are always in movement, never static but always balancing and rebalancing into a state of perfect harmony. We encounter examples of Yin and Yang every day. As examples: night (Yin) and day (Yang), female (Yin) and male (Yang)

How it is relevant to my life?

In our busy and often stressful lives our personal harmony can be seriously off balance. Perhaps you deal with an excess of work and not enough relaxation, lots of time spent thinking about the externals of life (deadlines, daily choices, opinions) and a lack of inner contemplation. Striking a balance with ever changing states of energies is hard (really hard!) but it is also possibly the path to a more contented and harmonized existence

Yin and yang are a wonderful way to generate greater self- awareness and make interesting connections between our own conditions and all our possible interactions with the world we live in. Yin and yang allow us to connect ourselves to everything around us so that we can quickly decide what we need to do to bring ourselves back to a more balanced state when feeling any discomfort.

Yin and Yang in Yoga and Simon Low

Yin and Yang yoga started in the 1970’s but has only recently gained international popularity. Simon Low (who will be at Camyoga in 2015 running workshops) discovered this form in 2001 and is now one the foremost experts in it. Here are extracts from his website explaining this popular form of yoga

                           

"In appropriately balanced combination, the 'whole' is greater than the sum of its two parts, offering the most effective & inclusive approach to yoga that I have ever experienced in over 20 years of teaching & practice. I continue to recognize Yin & Yang Yoga's incredible effectiveness as a modality for health"

Read more about Simon Low’s visit in 2015 and book into his workshops

Please come and experience Yin Yoga yourself at one of our evening classes held at Central CAMYOGA

To read more about Simon Low visit part 1 of my blog on this Yoga legend here

Simon Low has over 20 years’ experience as a yoga teacher and is internationally acclaimed. Here are 5 things you should know about the charismatic man who will be visiting us next year!

1 - Simon spent 14 years in the music business. It was high flying and fast paced; a life representative of the ‘work hard, play hard’ moto. It wasn’t till he was in his mid-thirties that he first discovered yoga and started his path to become to yogic mogul he is today!

2 - Simon Low was a founding member of one of the first ever yoga studios in the UK – The Triyoga studios in London. Since then he has continued to delve into the world of yoga; founding the Yoga academy, running international courses, retreats, writing books and yoga videos (Yin and Yang Yoga with Simon Low), he has contributed and been covered by various national papers

3 - Simon is a LEGEND in Yin & Yang yoga (Yin and Yang to be explained in part 2) Simon is famous in the world of Yin and Yang yoga. He views yoga practice as a balance between the body and mind, the spiritual and the emotional, the physical and the mental. He talks of Yin yoga practice as a form of therapy to actively change negative patterns within our minds. This can have successively positive and lasting effects on our wellbeing and is something that is at times forgotten in the modern world within the focused ambition to improve the physical body. “the essence of yoga…is observing our mental attachments, observing our patterns – the whole process of yoga it to undo patterns and to really open us up to the reality of how our mind shapes our experiences”

4 - Simon is an open minded scholar. Simon first trained to be a yoga teacher with Dr Larry Payne at Samata in Los Angeles and has spent over 20 years studying and exploring a varietal wealth of physical, energetic and spiritual practices. You get a real sense that he has studied an incredible amount with gusto and he intertwines his style of yoga with what he learns about anatomy and physiology among other areas of interest

5 - Simon is passionate and outspoken about safety. He teaches his students that they must understand the need to protect themselves and that yoga can cause harm if not practiced correctly. If he believes a classic asana may have the potential to damage he will apply adjustments, for example with Warrior II pose, which he considers to put strain on the lower lumbar area.

In the proximate chapter of this blog we will focus specifically on Yin and Yang yoga and Simon’s teachings within it.

Simon comes to CAMYOGA in 2015: A weekend with SIMON LOW

Research and quotes taken from: Telegraph Interview by Anna Murphy. Interview by Christina Maningo for In The Loop and from Simons own website

Pete Blackaby author of Intelligent Yoga' and pioneer of the 'Humanist Yoga' approach pays a long awaited visit to Camyoga next week for a two day intensive open to teachers and students alike.

In his book 'Intelligent Yoga' Pete introduces the following ideas:

Themes that I think are worthy of debate are the following:

1. Yoga as a modern practice. Most serious students of yoga will know by now that there is a big disconnect between the type of yoga that is practiced in the majority of Gyms and yoga studios today, compared to the type of yoga described in the texts revered by most yogis. There have been a raft of books in recent years pointing out this disconnect. If we take this as our starting point that current yoga is a modern practice, what from the past can we legitimately carry forward into the future and what needs to change? What differentiates modern yoga from exercise?

2. Perhaps most contentiously can we take the ideas of chakras, kundalini prana, and other ideas of subtle energy as reality or are they simply a metaphor for experience, which is certainly the perspective I take. If we take this view and strip out much of the metaphysics how do we now differentiate yoga from other forms of exercise?

3. Anatomy. Yoga is flooded with books on the anatomy of yoga. Having taught the anatomy of yoga for many years, I now feel it can be a red herring leading us down un-useful ways of thinking. There is a place for anatomy, but largely to help explain why some movements are unhelpful, or why some people can do certain poses and others not. What anatomy cannot do is inform about how to move. To understand movement we have to study movement and see how anatomy supports it, not the other way round.

Join Pete 13/14 November Camyoga Shelford BOOK HERE open to teachers, trainee teachers and students

This November, we welcome Pete Blackaby, author of Intelligent Yoga, back to Camyoga for Taking Yoga into the 21st Century - two days of practical workshops. To give you some background on Pete's extensive body of work, here's a potted history of his life in yoga:

"I started practicing yoga seriously in 1978 as a student of the Iyengar system of yoga, after six years I took their two year teacher training programme and qualified in 1986. I continued in this system for a further four years.

From 1987 -1993 I studied Osteopathy at the college of osteopaths at Regents college London, qualifying in 1994. In 1995 I co-ran a two year teacher training course with John Stirk and Sophy Hoare, and ran a second one in 1997. I also taught anatomy and physiology at the Chiron Centre for Body centred psychotherapy in Ealing between 1995 and 1997.

In 2002 I became involved in the British Wheel of Yoga, (the governing  body in England) and ran a two year teacher training programme for them. I no longer train teachers, but have been running courses for teachers since then. My interest in the last 15yrs has been to put some scientific underpinning to the practice of yoga both in the bio-mechanical sense and in the mind /body relationship.

Currently I teach functional anatomy on the London yoga teacher training course and have input in two other local courses. I also teach the anatomy module at the Esther Myers yoga studio in Toronto. I am regularly invited to teach throughout England Wales and Scotland. The current project I am involved in is a two year course for teachers called 'Grounded Yoga'. There are five faculty, myself teaching bio mechanics, Professor Peter Connolly teaching philosophy, Dr Christine McHugh teaching homeostatic regulation through yoga, Diane Farrell teaching the psychology of the body, and Taravajra, teaching mindfulness. Our aim is to help students understand how yoga can bring productive change to the body, the mind, and the breath and improve our sense of relationship to the environment in which we find ourselves.

What I hope students will gain is a clear and reasonable synthesis of the salient points of yoga practice. What is important to consider in practice and what is less so. These understandings will be based on recent research findings. Whilst recognising that there is no such thing as certainty when dealing with human beings it is useful to know the main perspectives that are out there when dealing with bio-mechanics and the body/mind relationship. At the very least I hope to clarify what the debates are, and more particularly help students navigate some of the ideas with confidence."

Join Pete Blackaby for Taking Yoga Into the 21st Century at Camyoga Shelford, 13-14 November, 10.00-17.00. Camyoga graduates receive 10% off when booking the weekend. Click here for full details or to book online.

BRAND NEW CLASSES:

• Mysore! Tuesday & Thursday mornings
• Lunchtime Yoga Open on Mondays and Thursdays
• Lunchtime Mindfulness drop in class Tuesdays (from sept 16th)
• Hot Pilates (from 24/9)
• Hot Yoga Beginners and Yoga Basics 8pm Tuesdays
• Saturday Iyengar with Shali from 27/9
• Midday Jivamukti from Sunday 28/9
• Yoga Open Sundays 6pm at Shelford
• View the full schedule here

THEY'RE BACK!:

• Mondays 8pm Hot Yoga and Yin
• Wed 11.30 Flow with Andrea Price at Shelford
• Thursdays Forrest with Rosalind and Yin Yoga with Andrea K
• Sunday Yoga Open and Flow at new times
• Paul Fox, Andrea Price, Andrea K, Karen Stamper and Mark Stevens are now back from their Summer hols!
• View the full schedule here

INTRODUCING OUR NEW TEACHERS...

Beth Onuha — will be taking the Monday 6.15pm Hot Power. Hailing from the US, Beth brings a wealth of experience having taught at the world famous 'Stroga' in Washington DC.

Meredith Gunderson - will be taking Yoga Open Mondays 13.00-14.00. She's recently returned from teaching and living in Bangalore. Welcome back and welcome to the Camyoga teaching team, Meredith!

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Rachael Blyth - will be taking Sunday Yoga Open at Shelford 18.00-19.15. Rachael trained with internationally renowned yogi and healer Ana Forrest, founder of Forrest Yoga, and has also studied yoga nidra with Uma Dinsmore-Tuli.

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FORTHCOMING WORKSHOPS:

12/10 - Turning Your World Upside Down with Rosalind Southward

08/11 - Transformational Breathing with Alan Dolan