Yoga

You don’t have to be young and bendy to ‘do’ yoga!

Many people can feel intimidated at the idea of joining a yoga class since it is often advertised by incredibly flexible, slim, youthful people. This is not a prerequisite to practising yoga, but may be a result of practising it!

What is Yoga?

Yoga is not just making shapes and stretching! The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit ‘yug’ which means to bind, to join or yoke. It also means union and this is the most commonly used translation. This ‘union’ is said to be of many things from the union of one’s body and mind to the union of the individual with the universal. On a basic level we are aiming to join our body, breath and mind in our activities. This is what makes it more than just an exercise regime. In fact there is a lot more to yoga than the postures, or asanas, which are commonly portrayed.
So what is yoga? It can be described as many things but most simply it is the science of life. Yoga is not a religion and can be practised by those of any faith or none. Hatha yoga is the most commonly taught form in the west and is comprised of a practical series of exercises to develop one’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual abilities. The main elements are Asana, the posture work; Pranayama, breath awareness and development; concentration practises (Pratyahara and Dharana) leading to meditation (Dhyana).

Jenni's teaching style

I trained with the British Wheel of Yoga, the main governing body for Yoga in the UK and whilst the training is thorough, there is no prescribed fixed style, which allows each teacher to find their own path.
My style is student focused with classes being designed to develop each students abilities in a safe, structured practise. My classes provide a well rounded practise and include all the main elements of yoga: postures, breath work, mental focus and relaxation.
I teach postures with an emphasis on mindfulness, moving with the breath and good alignment. I encourage students to work with, not against their body and to develop a greater awareness of their physical, emotional and mental self. I also introduce some yoga philosophy to help students better understand their practise.

What are the benefits of yoga?

Where to begin, there are so many! I often think of the 5 ‘S’s as a guide: strength, stability, stamina, suppleness, serenity. And each of these can be applied to your body, your mind and your emotions. Below are some examples of benefits I and others have experienced, although this list is by no means exhaustive of what yoga can do for you.

Physical benefits include: developing core strength, good posture, muscle toning, better flexibility, increased bone density, improved balance, reduced tension and pain, improved digestion and lymphatic function, hormone regulation, better sleep, increased energy.

Mental benefits include: clarity of thought, better and longer concentration, more able to focus, improved decision making, more positive thinking, reduced stress, more effective learning.

Emotional benefits include: emotional calmness, self acceptance, more able to cope, greater appreciation of the little things in life, more laughter, less addictive behaviour, more loving to others.

One-to-one and private classes

Why do one-to-one classes? For beginners they are an ideal way to start yoga. Many find the idea of walking into a large room of strangers as a complete novice somewhat intimidating. Private classes enable you build a solid foundation for your yoga practise. The individual attention ensures that you fully understand each posture and practise and how to adapt them to your body. Each class is designed with you in mind, focusing on areas and practises that would bring you the most benefit.

More experienced students find that they are useful for deepening and fine tuning their practise. One-to-one classes provide the opportunity to develop any areas of interest, learning more advanced practises, or to focus on particular ‘problem’ areas.

One-to-one classes are also useful during pregnancy and when recovering from illness or injury. These can be delicate times where careful attention and personal teaching is very valuable.

Whatever your level, included with a course of classes is a tailor made home practise that I will draw up for you.

One-to-one classes are available at Belsize Health and in private homes, I am also available for private group classes. Please see ‘Contacts & Booking’ for details. If you would like to become a student, please download and complete the registration form.

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A Brief History of Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practise that predates most known religions, and from its earliest writings grew Hinduism and Buddhism. The beginnings of yoga are unclear but it is estimated to have been in existence some 5000 years ago in the ancient Indus Valley civilisation. Around 2000BC the Aryan civilisation became dominant and adopted yoga into their culture. Their seers or rishis were ascetics who led very disciplined lives and adhered to a nonviolent philosophy. They lived close to the earth, observing nature, the animals and themselves. Through meditation they received wisdom about the universe and passed down their knowledge from master to student as an oral tradition.

Between 500BC and 300BC the ancients Indian texts known as the Vedas were written. This is where we have the earliest yoga texts, the Sutras of Patanjali. Yoga was one of the six ancient systems of Vedic philosophy in India, known collectively as the Darshanas. There are four main classic forms of yoga: Karma yoga (the yoga of selfless service, such as practised by Mother Theresa), Bhakti yoga (the yoga of devotion), Jnana yoga (the yoga of knowledge through study) and Raja yoga (the royal path, as propounded by Patanjali). Patanjali laid out an 8-limbed approach to yoga comprising the yama and niyama (guides to ethical living), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration) , dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (enlightenment).

Hatha yoga is a more recent development introduced by Swami Swatmarama’s book Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP) in the 15th century in which he introduces Hatha Yoga as 'a stairway to the heights of Raja Yoga’. It is based on the 8 limbs of Patanjali but is heavily influenced by the tantric tradition. The word Hatha is comprised of two Sanskrit words ha meaning sun and tha meaning moon, referring to the male and female energies in the body (much like the yin and yang of Chinese thought) which travel through channels known as nadis, the chief junctions of which are called chakras. There is greater emphasis on the physical practises of asana, pranayama, mudra and bandha to prepare the body and mind for meditation. The shift of focus is towards the purification of the body leading to purification of the mind whereas in Patanjali it is the reverse. The HYP set a new tradition in yoga.

Many modern schools of Hatha Yoga have their roots in the school of Krishnamacharya, who taught from 1924 until his death in 1989. Among his students who helped to popularise Yoga in the West were Pattabhi Jois, famous for the strenuous Ashtanga Vinyasa style, B.K.S. Iyengar who emphasized alignment and the use of props, and Krishnamacharya’s own son, T.K.V. Desikachar who developed the more sensitive Viniyoga style and founded the Association of Yoga Studies - aYs. Another major influence on modern yoga was Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh (1887-1963) and his many students, including Swami Vishnu-Devananda who founded the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, Swami Satyananda who created the Bihar School of Yoga, and Swami Satchidananda who set up Integral Yoga Institute in the US. The British Wheel of Yoga was established 40 years ago to unite the various yoga disciplines within the UK and is now recognised as the national governing body of yoga in Great Britain.