As some of you will know, I completed my 200+ hr teacher training earlier this year. The first four day module was held in Soho Triyoga (now sadly closed). On my way there, I stopped to admire the Liberty clock above the archway to Kingly Street. I love the ‘sun’ clock face and the gold on black. I noticed the words below it:
“No minute gone comes ever back again
Take heed and see ye nothing do in vain”
A tourist sauntered through the arch but didn’t even notice the clock. She was about to walk past but stopped when she saw I was taking photos of it. She looked up. We smiled at each other and went about our different days.
I arrived at the studio in Kingly Court early enough to get a space in the front row, quite near the centre. I find I focus better when near the front. I was a bit disappointed to see so many of us. Around 30. I’d hoped it would be a smaller, more intimate group. On the other hand it's interesting to watch smaller groups forming and reforming. Contrary to my secret fear, I realised I might not be the oldest student there. The majority of students were in their twenties or thirties, a few in their forties and just two or three of us in our fifties and sixties.
Bridget, our teacher and guide, is the kind of person who makes you feel good just by being there. She's warm, funny, caring and quite possibly the most graceful and flexible yogi I've ever practised with. She is a living embodiment of Anusara Yoga and I feel so lucky to have learned from her. She is living proof that older doesn't mean weaker, less flexible or any other kind of 'less'. I am in awe of her. She's a total yoga goddess, a true yogini.
She was one of the original teachers of Anusara and has developed her practice over many years. Anusara, which means 'in the flow of grace', starts and ends with the heart. It is indeed a very graceful and flowing style of yoga, one that is kind and always inviting us to discover our best selves and the best in others.
Bridget’s class management was brilliant. She’s very creative in how she seamlessly shifts the group’s dynamic simply by moving from whole group (2 lecture style rows) to walking the room, bringing us in to a circle, forming twos or threes for partner work, group work, online work, homework, etc. She commented on day 2 that it was interesting to see how students had kept to the same places. Creatures of habit.
Bridget had four or five assistants in the room, qualified teachers working towards their next qualifications. The assistants were great. Always there to answer our countless questions, encouraging and supporting us in more challenging poses, reminding us to soften, sharing tips and things that have worked for them.
My classmates were an amazingly varied group. Sandra, so lovely and full of smiles. The 'amazon', glamorous in her leopard print leggings, a ‘tigress’ yogi. Mary, the humble warrior, brave, strong and bubbly. Sylvie, the Audrey Hepburn of the group, graceful, classically chic, kind and friendly. Jade from Singapore was funny, thoughtful, very driven, a tough cookie with a heart of gold. Emmanuelle, tall and gamine, self assured and first to speak up. We are all still in touch and practice with each other weekly.
The asana practices were varied, some quite challenging for in terms of strength like the handstands or repeated chatarangas. Maintaining some of the poses for longer periods of time had us all grimacing at different points. Even 'just' sitting comfortably on the floor could feel challenging after an hour or two.
I reached crisis point on day 3 (Saturday). I had a raging migraine and typically this would have to be the day we were practicing handstands. I did try. Twice. But my head throbbed and I didn’t trust my arm strength enough to fully extend my legs against the wall. Eventually I went to the bathroom. I wept hard, silent tears. It all came out. All the self-doubt and anxiety about not being good enough. I began to wonder why I was so thrown by my headache and the handstands.
That day proved to be a turning point for me. The next day, I found the answer to my ‘weak’ arms. They weren't weak. It was my shoulders that I had to work on. We learned about Muscular and Organic Energy. The breath feeding the whole body. Bridget explained it in a way I could really understand. The strongest metaphor she used was that of a wet suit. As we breathe in the skin tightens and holds the flesh firmly in place. The muscles hold and move in towards the bones, just like pulling on a wet suit (muscular energy). Breathing out the wetsuit softens as the body 'drapes' itself over its strong framework of skeleton and muscle.
We learned about ‘spiralling’ in and out. I got glimpses during the practice of just how effective these principles of alignment are. How much less effort is needed when we use our inner muscles as well as our outer ones, when we use our breath to help align the pose. I didn't manage an independent handstand, but I did manage to hold a supported one for at least a few seconds before losing trust in my arms.
In the evening I did my own practice and it was then that all I’d learned began to naturally assimilate and work for me. I was developing new skills and having lots of fun exploring them.
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