SATYA

When: Every week!

Where: Satyagraha / Vinyasa (Experienced) @ Indaba, NW1, the Light Centre, SW1 or Triyoga Chelsea, SW10

How much: Drop in 16 GBP

Satya is the Sanskrit word for “truth”; agraha means "great enthusiasm and interest”, the two words combined may be rendered as "the firmness of truth” or "the force of truth.”

I practice with Stewart Gilchrist every week, I always try to squeeze in at least one class with him. I have not been practising with Stew for long, a bit more than 2 years maybe. I remember distinctively when I accidentally landed in one of his classes. It was about 4 years ago, I was still in my orthodox Astanga primary series days, and his class was quite a shock: high octane, hot, fast paced…and what on earth was his saying? Was it sanskrit? Or maybe Scottish? Whatever that was, I was not ready for that.

But some sort of seed was planted, and I got back after a while - not sure exactly why - as I started my ISHTA 200h TT.

Yes, the practice is intense, very - almost saturated. At times I wished it was slower. But I always leave with a big smile on my face. Endorphines apart, Stewart always injects a unique combination of philosophy and secular yoga principles, humour, everyday life issues, modern society in a very strong vinyasa sequence. And he is so experienced I have no fear when I practice with him: not sure how he does it, but he infuses that confidence that I always need on & outside the mat. No kidding, he actually managed to bring me into postures I thought I would have never been able to (e.g.: Niralamba Sirsasana, oh my). "If you decide you can't do something, then sure enough you'll find you can't," Stewart often tells us. “Practice. You’ll get there."

Ask Stewart what style of yoga he practices. ‘I practice yoga’, he will tell you. He is a firm believer of the simplicity of yoga, the simplicity of breath and movement, the simplicity of sound and the simplicity of life. It is only us who make things difficult and complex - I start to believe it.

Stewart is no guru, I would not like him so much otherwise. There is such a lovely community spirit in the class, a peaceful and kind hearted tribe - with the occasional overachievers, but this is London after all. And, every week, I feel part of the tribe: even though I hardly know who these people are, they do not even know my name, every week it is comforting to come together for our bhakti practice.