a note.

Sometimes opening your eyes to knowledge's blind spots can reveal fresh solutions to old problems and give you an appreciation for the unknown. ...this is the journey I am on right now with all this yoga stuff. It's both terrifying and tremendously exciting to step away from my old dogmas, question assumptions and challenge paradigms, but change is hard!

I'm currently taking my time to adjust my work flow and research and implement new skills. It hasn't been easy to admit that there are plenty of gaps in my knowledge of how the body works and moves, but i'm taking the responsibility of unlearning and relearning to heart and hopefully this little space I tend to on the world wide web reflects that, tips and hints of things to look at always welcome!

Hello Again

Greetings to you, oh cultured individual of great taste and elegance, 'tis me with details of my Autumn goings-on...

Goodness gracious me, I've been gone a long time, my holiday was bliss; time stood still, I made pots, spent time alone, got the wrong train back from the coast, visited inspiring places, went swimming everyday, forgot my passport in a hotel room, bought some fake gemstones from a dude who's sole job seemed to be to get tourists high (fun times) and now I'm heading back to London where I intend to put on the greatest yoga classes, retreats, workshops and courses ever staged since the last lot of greatest things I ever staged. Jokes.

 

So, without further ado, here is a list of things you might like to come and do...

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******* Workshop *******
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"It’s a basic act of humanity, of movement, of utility. To squat is to be."

The three most prevalent human positions:

1. Lying down (LOVE this one)
2. Standing
3. Squatting

Do you do the third one?

Well dammit friend, you should.

Squatting is a primal pattern. Basic and important and being able to practice it with ease will fill your body (and heart) with goodness.
And what do you know, I can help you! In just a few brief days - 13/09/2014 -  I'll be teaching a workshop at The Sunflower Centre about rehabing resting squat related functions.

We will:
• prepare and mobilise the spine, hips, ankles and knees and many different muscle groups along the way
• work on various limiting factors so that you leave the workshop with individual things to work on (and a challenge to keep squatting part of your day.)
• play with some of the asana that evolve beautifully from a resting squat

Where?
The Sunflower Centre
81 Tressillian Rd, London SE4 1XZ

When?
Saturday 13th September 2014, 14:30 - 16:30

Who?
EVERYONE is welcome and it will be an intimate affair, 8 spaces only!

What do you want from me?
£25, and picture of your favorite pet.

If I've caught your interest and you would like to join me to see what all the fuss is about click send me an email to book.

If you can't make it, but would still like to know what all the fuss is about then click HERE for an informative read.

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**** ReTREATS! ****
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"Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin, as self-neglecting."
--William Shakespeare, Henry V.

If you are in need of some TLC then I (and Willy S) highly recommend booking yourself onto a  WellbeingYogi weekend retreat with me and AdventureYogi.

I have two more for you to chose from this year...What you waiting for?!

WHEN and Where?
Friday 19th-22nd September in East Sussex.
Friday 7-9th November in Oxfordshire.

WHY?
detailed explanation:
www.rachel-and-yoga.com/news

 

***********
******* Of COURSE! *******
***********

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few” ― Shunryu Suzuki

I am pleased to announce that I will be teaching another two small group beginners courses at Triyoga Chelsea. If you, or someone you know/like/love, is interested in inspiring your/their beginners mind with the beautiful basics of this stretchy art then purchase some lycra and click here.

The course is limited to 10 people, so one-to-one attention will be plentiful, and will cost 85 of your hard earned pound pieces. I can think of much worse ways to spend that money.  Oh and that price includes 50% off a 5 class pass, worth £32.50. It's a win win.

WHERE
Triyoga Chelsea
372 king’s road, London, SW3 5UZ
020 7483 3344

WHEN
Saturday 27th September - Saturday 18th October
14:45 to 15:45
or
Saturday 22nd November - Saturday 13th December
14:45 - 15:45

WHY
Because why not?!
Or, if you would prefer a more intelligent answer, then feel free to drop me an email.

***********
******* Recommendation *******
***********

If you find yourself North of the M25 this Autumn, specifically in Manchester or Bradford, then I highly recommend going to see No Guts, No Heart, No Glory by Bradford based Common Wealth Theatre. It is a site-specific performance event staged in a boxing gym, based on interviews with Muslim Female Boxers which explores being young, fearless and doing the unexpected. Common Wealth have been working closely with five 16-22 year old Muslim women and former National Champion Ambreen Sadiq to devise the show to make sure it represents a young Muslim female experience.

A story anchored in movement to help young people feel braver, to live how they want to live, so that they are free and confident to make their own choices tomorrow. A truly beautiful thing.

***********

Could there be more? Yes there bloody is, but I just ran out of juice and time. If you would like to find out more go to my website and click on the button which says <<please tell me more and put ten quid into my bank account, here are the details>>

Failing that read all about everything on my facebook events page. Also, I'm told,  that you may wish to click these ridiculous corporate buttons...

Like Follow

You have an incredible attention span if you got this far, I lost focus after 'Squatting is a primal pattern',  so THANK YOU my friend and enjoy the rest of your day. I leave you with this; a picture of summer and a quote to help you on your way...

Love,
Rachel 

  

 "When you go out into the woods and you look at trees, you see all these different trees. And some of them are bent, and some of them are straight, and some of them are evergreens, and some of them are whatever. And you look at the tree and you allow it. You appreciate it. You see why it is the way it is. You sort of understand that it didn’t get enough light, and so it turned that way. And you don’t get all emotional about it. You just allow it. You appreciate the tree. The minute you get near humans, you lose all that. And you are constantly saying ‘You’re too this, or I’m too this.’ That judging mind comes in. And so I practice turning people into trees. Which means appreciating them just the way they are."

-- Ram Dass

Lessons

What I learned from the sea.
I love to be near it. To hear it, see the way light plays of it. I like standing, swimming, running, floating in it.
It teaches you respect, that you're supposed to be on dry land. being in it is a crazy dare. The sea is in charge.

“If you don't become the ocean, you'll be seasick every day.” 

― Leonard Cohen.

  Image by me.

thought

What one thing do you do for yourself each day, just because it makes you feel good?

I take time before leaving the house.  I'm not naturally a morning person and I really don't like being rushed. Ever. So on a daily basis that means waking up with enough time to stretch a little, shower (mostly ; ),  prepare a proper breakfast, drink coffee,  put on an outfit (rather than “any old thing,”) put on jewelry and perfume.  Even on the days I teach at silly'o'clock.
It's important to me and it means I greet the world ready.

be kind to yourself, you're wonderful. 

Something real.

This yoga stuff is just the best gift i’ve ever given myself.  Something sustainable and real and very, very deep.

(photo of me in the park)

Hanging instuctions

1. Find a suitable tool (branch, bar, whatever.)
2. Decide to do it.
3. Keep doing it...

After that, it’s a breeze.

(Photo of me hanging out)

Making

Along side teaching yoga I am an artist, print making and photography being my primary means of expression...although i'll try my hand at most things, ceramics is my current obsession!

The disciplines I have trained in and favor always involve lengthy processes (I think I like the process of making more then the final product!) and it is the repetitive functional movements involved in the making that keeps me present in what i'm doing. The print making and ceramics particularly require strength, an intelligent use of the body and ease-full breath to get the job done.  When it dawned on me that the physicality of the body was such a large component of what I do I became really interested in the different ways we train the body for tasks like this. I love watching musicians and artists of all kinds work. I find the movement patterns fascinating.

Print of my Grandma and polaroid's taken in Iceland and Norway.
See more work here and my inspirations here. 

Tunring into my Mother

"...Your mother has charted these waters before you and has learned the hard lessons. And now we are learning them, finding ourselves choosing so many of her same paths. It's partly adulthood and partly our genes taking over. There's nothing to be guilty or embarrassed about: More likely then not, your mom was cool long before cool existed, and she deserves the credit. Soon enough, I hope to have kids of my own, and I'll wear my mother prouder then I ever have. I hope I can love them with the same tenacity and grace that she loved me."

 -- Rebecca Parker Payne
(From Turning into my Mother for Kinfolk Magazine)

photo: me and my mum.

Jump!

I'm working on a new website...WATCH THIS SPACE...

My Nose

The air retreats each moment.
I feel it laugh
and march away from
the space around my nose.
All I am stops here.
My nose is my farthest outpost.
Here wilderness space begins.

I surround the only heart
I will ever encompass.
Heart of the table
Heart of the air
Heart of my wife
elude me.

In my mind
a disorderly army
finds it hard to breathe.
So I have raised
a white flag.
Naturally, it is fluttering
from my nose.
—Stephen Frank, “My Nose.”
Photography Credit (me!) by Mari Valen 

Practice

"You should not be practicing to have a “good” practice, but instead to keep steadiness within yourself. Practice happily regardless of whether it is “good” or not. Sometimes some postures will not be possible, but when you accept the good and the bad and everything becomes equal for you, that is yoga."

 -- R. Sharath Jois

Home practice can be a challenging thing to get started with, but once you get going it is well worth the effort. You get to learn, explore and play at your own pace, to suit your own energy needs and (most importantly) you learn to listen to your own intuition. 

There's is no template for a perfect home practice and it certainly doesn't need to be complicated. All you need is yourself so lets go over a few of the things you do not need... 

1. You do not need a dedicated yoga space, you don't even need a mat. you just need enough space to move and breath. simple. 

2. You do not need to practice for a set or extended period of time. Sometimes I only have time for 5mins sometimes 2 hours. It all counts. 

3. You do not need to find a space where you will be uninterrupted. There will interruptions, invited or not. Can you remain in your body, gather your focus, and start again?

4. You do not have to be a yoga teacher to come up with sequences. Go to class to learn the basic rules (I gravitate to teachers that teach to make themselves redundant) and then come home and play with those rules...maybe even break them...I do what feels good for me in the moment, it's fun!

5. You don not need to achieve anything. It's not a competition and there is not final goal and that's the beauty of it all.

Now go, be free and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

(photo of me and my dirty feet...more Yoga Do's)

Happy Mum Day!!!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥

It might be hard to get 'well-grounded' in shoes like these, but i LOVE them!!