Yoga Unveiled showing Sunday 17 April at Screen on the Green, Upper Street

If you have been practicing yoga for a while, I'm sure you have also become curious about the history of this rich, ancient spiritual tradition.

I get students asking me for advice on where to begin, what to read first etc.

I'd say the documentary Yoga Unveiled is a very good start that will give you a comprehensive overview as well as introduce you to some big names in yoga.

5000 years worth of history isn't particularly easy to sum up, but Yoga Unveiled does an excellent job in explaining yoga's beginnings, its many branches and how the tradition came to the West.

The 2-disc DVD runs 3 hours and 15 mins but Screen on the Green is showing a 2 hour abridged version, which will be followed by a Q&A with the film's director/producer, Gita Desai.

Do not miss the opportunity to enjoy this on the big screen in company of fellow (local) yogis and yoginis.

You can buy tickets here. And feel free to email me if you're coming so we can meet up before or after the screening, which runs from 10am til noon.

This event is organised by Yogamatters to celebrate their 15th birthday. Read what I have to say about the yoga shop.

See you there!

Yoga workshop Saturday 16 April in Stoke Newington

The 'Asana and Anatomy' workshop is back on popular demand!

Jane Bowyer and I are running this again since so many of you didn't get a place on the first one.

Here's the workshop info:

A workshop ideal for anyone who wishes to take their understanding of asana and their own body in asana further than what can be achieved in a normal yoga class setting.

Come and explore in depth some of the most common asanas taught in your regular class. It may be the poses you can take ‘on autopilot’ but lack a true understanding of, or it may be the asanas that still elude you but you don’t know why.

We will teach you the basic anatomical and mechanical functions of a pose to give you an idea of the building blocks that make each asana work. The emotional and spiritual significance of each pose will also be covered. Once you have this knowledge, you will know better how to approach and deepen a pose safely and with ease. You will also know when to hold back and the reasons why.

The emphasis is on learning in order to apply what you have learned immediately to your practice because, as Sri K Pattabhi Jois once said, “Yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory”!

All levels welcome and catered for. Beginners need to have attended a minimum of five yoga classes prior to this workshop. Yoga mats, blocks and straps are provided.

About your teachers:

Jane Bowyer is a REPs Level 3 yoga teacher. She describes herself as a spiritual being with over 16 years of yoga practice. A teacher since 2004. Because she was never a naturally flexible person, she feels she is living proof that everyone can acquire supple body through yoga. Her influences are Sivananda, Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Yin yoga, Iyengar and Hatha.

Adèle Craciun is a REPs Level 3 yoga teacher, who began practicing 12 years ago to help her combat stressrelated illness. She has been teaching since 2007, finding solace and inspiration in many different yoga styles. She has a particular interest in anatomy and kinesiology. Adèle is also a REPs Level 3 Pilates Instructor.

Cost: £30 in advance
To book, email adele.craciun@gmail.com or jane.bowyer@gmail.com

Time: 15.30-18.30

Place: One Life Studio, 9-20 Barn Street, Stoke Newington, London N16 0JT

We look forward to hearing from you!

Silly Yoga Advert

It's late this sunny Sunday morning and I'm about to head out on my first outdoor run in... a while. But I've been sort of stuck on the internet.

Some of you may feel that aimlessly surfing the net is simply a way of putting off the slightly daunting task of a first run, which will only make me realise how much my cardio fitness has slipped.

But I'm sure you'll agree that it's when you're not supposed to be on the internet that you stumble upon the best (and most random) stuff. Here's what I found:

Right! Fav (but dusty) running shoes - check. iPod loaded with awesome tunes - check. Mobile phone and money for potential cab ride home - check.

Thought for the Day - It all starts with you!

A very dear Brazilian friend of mine sent me a birthday card last year with this inspiring message:

Pilates almost-private-lessons in Hoxton Square

I have often comes across yoga students who at the mention of the word 'pilates' pull a pained face, as if I had said 'piles'. It seems many yogis find Joseph Pilates' exercise system uninspiring and downright boring.

I find it fascinating.

To truly benefit from pilates requires a great deal of concentration as the exercises often aim to make you consciously engage very deep set muscles. This can be a tough and sometimes frustrating learning process (and you will have off days just like with anything else). But the postural awareness that this brings not only makes your yoga practice stronger but it will also allow your body to function better in every day life.

In my opinion, anyone who has time to be bored doing pilates is simply not doing it properly. And if you find yourself thinking about other things in class, then perhaps you haven't found the right teacher to inspire you - yet.

I'd like to introduce you to my inspirational pilates teacher Mel Noble:

Mel teaches mini-group as well as private lessons at Hoxton Square Pilates every Monday. The mini-groups (maximum three people at a time) run from 7-10am and are fantastic value at £23 per hour. The one-2-one sessions start after 10am and cost £55 per hour.

This is not mat-based pilates like you may know it from clubs and leisure centres. Instead, you get to use equipment like The Reformer, The Cadillac, The Ladder Barrel and The Wonder Chair. And they really do work wonders, especially with Mel's knowledgeable and patient guidance.

I see it like this: I spend £40 on a decent 60 minute sports massage that loosens and relaxes me. Here it's almost half price for the same sensation with the added value that (rather than just passively being manipulated) I am learning how to use my body correctly, slowly working away the bad habits and weaknesses that lead to the tension and stiffness in the first place.

To get in touch with Mel, please email her directly at Melanie@pilatespoint.co.uk.

Don't forget that I teach pilates too, but the mat-based variety. Have a look at my time table to see where and when.

Keep checking in for more tips on great pilates classes in London!

Thought for the Day - Change

What a lovely farewell yoga session at King's Hall today!

I was very touched by all the kind words afterwards and feel blessed to have met so many beautiful people there. It's a privilege to have been a small part of each individual's yoga journey.

As many of the students are still adjusting to the idea that I'm no longer teaching on the Saturday, I wanted to remind them of the positive side to change and read out this anonymous quote:

"Change is something that we shouldn't fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they are meant to be."

Post-yoga Pogo Party 22 January

As some of you may already know, 22 January will be my last regular Saturday yoga lesson at King's Hall as the brilliant and lovely Ann Pidcock will be taking over thereafter and I can finally allow myself to have one day off in the week. Knowing me though, it will no doubt still be filled with yoga and pilates as I hope to attend more classes and workshops to benefit my personal practice but of course also my teaching and my students.

So, I thought we should have a little social to mark this occasion. Join me after class to celebrate or commiserate but, more importantly, eat a lot of cake at the vegan Pogo Café on Clarence Road.

Oh, and if you're not a student of the class, you are very welcome anyway to come mingle with like-minded yogis and yoginis!

Also want to let you know that this is not the end of my days at GLL. I am taking on a yoga class at Clissold LC from Monday 17 Jan (20.30-21.45), which will be a long stint of cover that finishes in April.

I have also been given the ok for a yoga class at King's Hall Mondays. Looks like it will be at 10.30am, but it has still not been decided whether it'll be a 60, 75 or 90 min session.

Keep checking in on the blog as I will update my teaching time table as soon as I know.

See you on and off the mat!