Regularity and Simplicity

Regularity and Simplicity go hand in hand.

A long time ago, before I even contemplated training to be a yoga teacher I practice Astanga Vinyasa yoga. I longed to be able to practice 6 days a week as the tradition prescribed but the time it took to do full Primary made it almost impossible to fit into my daily routine (without getting up at 4.30am or something equally foolish!), so it turned out that apart from my bi-weekly Astanga classes, my mat stayed in it's funky mat bag!

Over the years, with my discovery of Viniyoga and Satyananda (both of which traditions I draw inspiration from) and especially my discovery and training in Yoga Therapy, and of course becoming a teacher myself, I began to find that the more simple you kept your practice, the more regular your practice would be. I know that my 30 minute practice every morning does me far more good than struggling on my mat for 2 hours and only managing it once a week.

Once I began my daily practice I noticed that other things in my life became routines as well. For example, I get up early every morning to do my yoga practice even though I don't really have to get up as early as I do, it just feels right these days. I have also found my life becoming more simple. I no longer crave the excitement I used to and am happy here at home with my belove and my kitties!

When I work with clients on a one-to-one basis I have two pieces of advice I give them for sticking to their self practice:-

1) Keep it Simple - Don't make hugely ambitious goals for yourself that you will never keep. Let's start with 20 minutes of yoga 2 or 3 times a week.

2) However simple the goal STICK WITH IT!!!! If you don't feel like getting on your mat just do it anyway. After a few weeks you'll just step on your mat regardless.

With more routine and regularity in my life, my life has become better. All my adventures these days begin on my mat!

Namaste

Day 15 - British Weather

We had storms in the night last night so we awoke to a rather misty grey morning.

As part of Project Fitness I do a 2 mile walk on the days I don't go to the gym. I walk to work with Andy and then take the long route home. It's a nice walk along the river and then through the back streets - generally peaceful and there are always cats that want a stroke!

It wasn't the most pleasant of weather this morning though. It was quite cold and the air was really damp. Oddly that is the sort of weather I love the most. When I lived in Australia I missed those grey damp British days more than anything. Island weather. Call me insane, but that is just the way it is.

It's fresh and invigorating and the damp haziness changes the sights and smells around you. I find walking a very meditative experience and different weather always leads to different walking meditations.
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I have a new Yoga Therapy client this afternoon. I am looking again at working on pawanmuktasana with her.

Namaste yogis - have a great Wednesday!

Choices

I had to make a decision this year. I had to decide which of my classes to cut back on.

During the last 6 months of 2008 I was teaching 2 regular flow classes a week, 1 gentle yoga class, 2 pregnancy yoga classes, 1 mum and baby class and a voluntary class at a cancer centre. It was too much. I was so drained that I wasn't giving any of the classes my best shot and I was bringing the wrong sort of energy to my students.

So I decided to merge the two pregnancy classes and run a booking system - first come first served - and to give up one other class.

I ummed and ahhhed about giving up the voluntary work, but it gives me so much happiness to know I am putting something back (no such thing as a selfless good deed after all) that I couldn't do that. So I had to look at my least lucrative class.

Mum and baby yoga. Not so much that I don't have a lot of interest, but more because of the nature of being a new mum it is very hard to commit to a weekly class and whilst 6 or 7 people would sign up for the class only 2 or 3 would turn up each week. So much as it breaks my heart to do it and much as I love the little ones, I have decided for now to put my mum and baby classes on hold.

My yoga teaching is going in a completely different direction to the way I thought it would. I thought I wanted to teach children, but I am finding myself going further and further down the yoga therapy route and I must follow my heart here. I've enjoyed teaching the babies but I have to give it up to put the right sort of energy back into my other classes.