Sunday 2 March 2014
A Sleepy class
Where: Life Centre
When: wednesdays 8:15 pm
This class was a recent find and I thought I would share it. Tired from a long day at work, I decided to leave later than usual from work as this particular teacher I had bookmarked for a long time. Her name is Lucy and upon lying down in a rather busy studio, I immediately felt her grounded, warm approach and knew I had come to the right spot. I don't quite know how she did it but she found enough minutes prior to class starting to go around and ask everyone about their injuries and for the first time in my life, I told her that yes, I do have an injury but it is not as physical as other ailments. Mine is insomnia and i have relentlessly suffered for many weeks now, trying all sorts of old wives' solutions to stave off sleeplessness but to no avail. So, when I rather reluctantly told Lucy about this, her response was of genuine concern and one which I had not been expecting. To my surprise, she had actually been planning a class to teach postures for sleep and throughout class made several educated references to asana and sleep, including a mention of the doshas and how to ground before bed. This all made perfect sense and I was relieved to be taken under her wing and annoyed that I had not come sooner.
There are certain teachers who don't profess guru status and yet still hold their own in a class, inspiring confidence and a down to earth approach which is actually so needed in such an unlevelling city,. Her soft but earthy voice stilled my mind and the well-selected postures felt good in my weary body, deprived of so many weeks of sleep.
I went to bed happy that night and hopeful that there are some old wives' tales that may actually contain some all important truth.
the best thing ever written about yoga
i think this might be the best thing ever written about yoga
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/01/the-tyranny-of-the-yoga-industry-ruth-fowler/
http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/01/the-tyranny-of-the-yoga-industry-ruth-fowler/
Kundalini time
When: Sun 9 Feb, h 12.15 -
13.30
Where: Evolve, SW7
How much: 16 £
Kundalini has been on my yoga-to-do
list for a while. I have heard & read about it, but - probably due to some
stupid prejudice - I have always carefully avoided any kundalini class in the
yoga studios I normally go to. But why? Why choose (or not, in this case)
something without taking a closer look? Ignorance, indolence, judgement…what a
yogi am I if I let these rule? One of my teachers advised me: ‘try it, but you
are not going to like it’. Mmmm. A yogi friend who wanted to practise with me
today: ‘sorry Anna, I cannot do kundalini’. Double mmmm. And there all these
freaky stories about kundalini awakening...To be honest, given the premises, I
was not exactly looking forward to this class.
To minimise the shock, I decide to go
to my regular studios, Evolve in South Kensington, for my first kundalini
experience. The teacher at Evolve is Sivaroshan Sahathevan, one of the most
popular in London. ‘Hi Anna. Are you here for Kundalini??’ the receptionist
seemed quite surprised. I do not know much about Yogi Bhajan, who bough it to
the West in the late 1960s, but I have read they use many ‘Kriyas’ to strengthen
mind, body and spirit - which seems very interesting. I am told they use many
mantras, and they chant too, and they even meditate! Anyway, I get to the studio
10 minutes before class and the teacher is already there. But despite the all
white attire (turban included), she does not look at all like Sivaroshan…’I am
Maren, welcome’, as she greets me with a soft German accent. I tell her this i
my first time - I am the only one apparently in a class of seven - and she warns
me that the practice is very deep and powerful, tailored to help me connect me
with my true self. And she also tells me that it may feel weird…The whole
practice is with eyes closed and apparently there is quite a bit of chanting
(thumbs up). Today she has chosen a Kriya aimed at maintaining perfect health.
which mainly involve work around the hips and the navel. The next 75 minutes are
a few repetitive and pretty intense exercises (each repeated for 3 to 5m, either
sitting or laying on our back) targeting the arms to start and finish but for
the majority of the class the svadhistana and manipura chakras - all chanting
mantras to help us maintaining the rhythm of the practice. As a result of each
exercise the body felt different indeed. And yes, I could feel the energy
moving, in quite an uncontrolled fashion though: I had this sense of vibrating
and shaking, but not quite the deep ecstatic sensation Maren keeps talking
about. Is that my kundalini? The final meditation is not as balancing as I would
have hoped (5 minutes with the right arm extended, with left fingers touching
Ajna chakra felt a bit strange) but I have been quite intrigued by the very
strong flow of energy I have experienced. I understand now why some can find
this practice destabilising. Well, guess my kapha these days keeps my kundalini
sleeping tight...
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