​Last week I attended a half-day workshop with the amazing yoga teacher Scott Johnson from Stillpoint Yoga in London. The workshop was unusual in that there was a mixture of teachers and practitioners. We were encouraged to talk about the classes we attend and what might prevent us from attending.

The teachers, none of whom were shy about speaking out, talked about the technical reasons they attend certain classes and what they, in turn, expect from their teachers.

The practitioners — or non teachers — said that what prevented them from attending some classes was that they felt too intimidated.

This really made me stop and think.

I started attending exercise classes when I was really quite young. The first one was an aerobics class at the local village hall when I was less than 16 years old. I started going to the class with a friend and loved it from the beginning. My friend was less enthusiastic and pretty soon dropped out, but I carried on going by myself. The things that made me continue with the class were the fact that I really liked the teacher and enjoyed seeing the familiar faces of my classmates each week.

I think there are two main things involved in attending a class. The first one is motivation: is it strong enough to get you through the door in the first place? The second, equally important thing is the atmosphere you encounter when you finally pluck up the courage to attend.

The motivation to attend a class in the first place is almost impossible for a teacher to influence. Working hard to welcome, encourage and build trust, however? That I can do. It’s always very high up on my agenda.

Fundamentally, we’re all the same. Whenever we’re thinking about going to an established yoga or Pilates class for the first time, we assume that everyone will already be able to do the most advanced poses and will look down on us if we can’t. They’ll be serious, unsmiling and unfriendly and the instructor will make us do something we don't want to do. Something like a headstand in a yoga class or a full back-bend in a Pilates class.

As far as my classes are concerned, this is never something you’ll have to worry about! With particularly nervous students, I might suggest the option of a couple of one-to-one sessions to build confidence and familiarity. This means that when they do walk into a group class they’ll feel that they have some idea of what they are doing.

The great thing about a yoga or Pilates class is that for the most part you stay on your mat and can, in time, switch off from everyone else in the class and focus on yourself. When I attend  a yoga class and step onto my mat, I am on my own little island — an oasis of calm! One of the most important things you should do is try to concentrate on your own practice, rather than comparing yourself with other people. Try to be impartial rather than competitive or envious.

In my classes you will never be asked to do something you don't feel ready to do. I give alternatives to any complicated or advanced moves and encourage students to stop and take a rest whenever they feel it's appropriate.

Adjusting students into a deeper pose requires trust on both sides, both from the student and the instructor. I will always ask people if they would like to be adjusted in a pose. Sometimes the adjustment is simply to prevent injury or improve alignment; as a teacher, the health and wellbeing of my students is a major concern!

When you take that first step across the threshold and get to the end of your first class, the sense of achievement can be huge. I have seen the confidence of students increase noticeably after just a couple of weeks and it’s something I love to witness. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my job.

Try several classes. Choose a teacher who feels right for you. See if a friend will go with you — the first class is always the most challenging; after that it’s plain sailing! And you never know, you might just have fun and meet some new friends!

Jump in all the puddles
— taken from “Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times” by Bhava Ram

It had rained heavily the night before, which is rare where we live in southern California. The next morning, as the sun was peeking through billowy clouds, my four-year-old son and I set out for a walk to enjoy the clean, moist air. Before too long we came to a great puddle in the middle of the sidewalk. It must have been three feet across and several inches deep.

I immediately avoided the pool of water, circling easily around one side, I looked back and there was my boy staring curiously at me as if he could not believe what I had just done. With a wry smile he backed up a few steps, got a running start and took a huge leap then landed SPLAT! - smack into the middle of the puddle.

"Daddy", he said urgently as he came up to me with his feet and pants soaked, smiling with glee, "jump in ALL the puddles!" I instantly understood the lesson. I was in a state of constriction, subconsciously avoiding any potential inconvenience or discomfort and completely missing the joy of a spontaneous act. My son and I then held hands and began skipping down the walk, jumping in every single puddle along way. In no time we were muddy and drenched and our ribs ached from all the laughter. It was one of the best mornings ever.

​Not flexible enough? I always feel a sense of regret when I hear people saying this and want to tell them that they have it the wrong way round; they should come to yoga and Pilates to become flexible!

You may think that yoga and Pilates can be a bit “airy-fairy” and impractical, all chanting and praying for world peace. Let me tell you: what you do in yoga and Pilates is incredibly practical and helpful for your body, and helps you stay functional long after your contemporaries have given up on living productive, youthful lives. Read on and I’ll tell you why.

Most of us spend far too much time sitting down. Being sat in a stationery position shortens the muscles and causes stiffness, tension and tightness. It also reduces the space available for our bodies to breathe. One of the aims of both yoga and Pilates is to bring balance to the body, so lengthening the muscles can really help to get rid of aches and pains and reduce injury. 

The conscious mind governs the way the body moves. The brain controls the skeletal muscles that move the bones and joints, telling the muscles to contract or relax and move into the positions of yoga and Pilates. Each joint is surrounded by muscles that are grouped according to the movement they produce when contracting or relaxing.

Tight muscles limit joint mobility; relaxed muscles increase it. Stretching lengthens the muscular stabilisers of a specific joint, allowing for greater range of motion of that joint. Practising yoga and Pilates lengthens muscles surrounding the joints and increases the range of motion for the entire body.

Stretching the muscles creates length. Several structures are affected when a muscle lengthens, including connective tissue. As the muscles lengthen, we then find that we can move more deeply into a pose. When we start out practising yoga or Pilates, we are typically only able to hold stretches and poses for a relatively short period of time. As our flexibility increases, however, we are able to hold the stretches for longer and therefore lengthen the muscles further.

Yoga and Pilates are the perfect accompaniments to other physical activities. They give you improvements in stability and range of movement and you will find that stretching and opening the body for just a few moments each day can bring about huge benefits.

My classes are inclusive and suitable for all levels. Most of the people practicing in my classes surprise themselves by what they can do and what they can achieve in a few short weeks. I think part of the reason for this is that my students are confident in what they can do, because I try to focus on what they can do, not what they can't. 

Yoga and Pilates are not about getting into crazy positions and tying yourself up in knots; quite the opposite! They are about performing functional movements more easily, such as reaching an object on a high shelf, reversing the car or reaching down to tie up your shoe laces. What could be more practical and useful than that?

"The Heart of Yoga" — T.K.V Desikachar
One of the meanings of the word yoga is "to attain what was previously unattainable". The starting point for this thought is that there is something that we are today unable to do; when we find the means for bringing that desire into action, that step is yoga. For many people coming to yoga or Pilates a primary objective is simply that they want to touch their toes! Yoga and Pilates can make that happen!

Wise words! I also found this post on Facebook and it is both so simple and so true:

I found a book entitled, 'How to be Amazing at Anything'
It had only a single page inside and was just one word long - PRACTICE

So there you have it. If you practice, you will be excellent. If you practice, you will be flexible enough.

Which means… everyone is flexible enough for yoga and Pilates!

I spent last weekend at the amazing Life Centre in Islington, taking part in a workshop run by two exceptionally knowledgeable instructors: Susanne Lahusen and Tony Watson. We were looking specifically at the spine and the pelvis.

Following on from last week's blog and with knowledge gained from my weekend, I wanted to remind everyone why we should love our curves!

The spine, also known as the vertebral column, is usually made up of thirty-three vertebrae. The vertebrae in the vertebral column are divided into different regions, which correspond to the curves of the spinal column. These regions are called the cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, sacrum and coccyx.

The spine has four curves, from the neck to the base of the spine:

1. The upper cervical spine — a convex curve
2. The thoracic spine — a concave curve
3. The lumbar spine — a convex curve
4. The sacral curve — a concave curve

It is important we recognise that our spine has these curves and that they are there for a reason. We need the curves for the strength of the spine and to enable it to absorb impact.

Our aim, as far as possible, should be to bring the spine into a neutral position — as shown in the picture above — whether we are standing, seated or lying.

I wrote last week that when exercising it is advisable to engage the core muscles to support the spine and to encourage a neutral position, but that we should be aware not to pull the core muscles in so tightly that we actually tilt the pelvis forwards, flatten the lumbar curve and increase the thoracic curve and bring the shoulders forwards. This can result in the head lifting, causing compression in the cervical spine.

A great way to analyse your posture and see if you are standing in a neutral position is to ask someone to take a picture of you standing side on. Don't try to correct anything; just stand as you normally would and then analyse the results compared to the picture — you may be surprised!

The positions of the vertebrae in our spines vary from person to person and change over time depending on lifestyle, injury and general wear and tear. But the more we can do to bring our awareness to the curves in our spine and therefore to our posture, the more likely we are to use our bodies in the way they were designed.

Benefits of a Neutral Spine
(as summarised by Susanne Lahusen and Tony Watson)

• Minimal compression of structures upon each other
• Less muscular tension to maintain alignment
• Creates a base to move from and return to

It goes without saying that practising yoga and Pilates is a great way to bring awareness and understanding of your posture and how to move correctly. Come along to a class near you to find out more!