IN PURSUIT OF SPACE & EMPTINESS! Nobody has ever measured how much the heart can hold but with a particular worry gone for us this year it feels like there …
NEVER TOO LATE TO START FROM SCRATCH!
25 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH WALKED INTO MY FIRST BIKRAM YOGA CLASS. Before Bikram Yoga’ nothing (aside from Darren 😉 ) grabbed my attention the way it did and I …
SLOW DOWN YOGIS!
THE PROCESS of shifting attention from the large and/or final movement, the outward shape of the asana to the micro moves, deeper muscles, mindfulness and the quality of the breath …
A HAPPY LIFE LASTS 90 MINUTES
The Bliss path to Self Realisation becomes obscured ‘over time’; relatively speaking, time can be an enemy as well as a friend; your ‘Bliss suffers with the mere passage of …
GIVE WHAT YOU WANT!
If you want Love, you give Love. Yes we offer you our appreciation and Love; and they don’t cost a thing! We know as we give we will receive. In …
LOOK.AT.YOU.
“LOOK INTO YOUR OWN EYES. LOOK AT YOUR THIRD EYE. LOOK AT YOUR ANATOMICAL END POINTS. LOOK AT YOU” ~ Trisha These are our ‘broad’ 🙂 focused gaze choices at …
DO YOUR BEST
WHAT DOES ‘DO YOUR BEST’ MEAN? You hear it at school, home, work. Is it just a filler? Something people say when they don’t know what else to say? It …
IT IS NOT IN OUR NATURE TO BE STILL YET ‘STILLNESS’ IS OUR ESSENTIAL NATURE
Are you suffering from a lack of Stillness in your practice? In the consistency of our Bikram Yoga sequence there is SO MUCH FREEDOM to explore Stillness ‘in’ and ‘not …
YOGA MATTERS IS A ‘NO TOUCH STUDENT’ YOGA SCHOOL.
Just to be clear. YOGA MATTERS IS A ‘NO TOUCH STUDENT’ YOGA SCHOOL. Someone recently asked me to physically move them into a position for which I declined. Not just …
Yoga Gives for Ukrainian Peoples
~YOGA GIVES~ 10 CLASSES FOR UKRAINE ~ Watching all unfold on a screen can make one seem helpless; we want to help but pitch around for how. We lost enthusiasm …
What does Kahlil Say?
Book Posing ~ Bookasana ~ Had a few conversations with people this week about favourite books! Too hard to pick fave; makes my head spin as only a book lovers …
Your Health is Your Wealth!
“they’re gonna stick a needle in us when we’re 90 and make us live longer, whether we like it or not” This lil’ funny was on furlough for the past …
“In knowing nothing, life is most delightful”
“In knowing nothing, life is most delightful” {Publilius Syrus} or to put another way IGNORANCE IS BLISS! Let us not get distracted here by ‘proofs’ of knowledge’. We are not …
Padahastasana YM Stylie ~ stripped back posture
After first backward bend we will still be moving in the Sagittal plane to a posture that is amongst other things, a mild inversion. BUT we pause first {immediate or …
Yoga for sale…
And so continues the commodification of Yoga. Those who think Yoga isn’t for sale are mistaken. Clearly it is and it is getting all ‘wrapped up’ in the global brands. …
Year End 2021
BIG THANKS~ to YOU we’d like to send As another freaky year heads towards its end We hope that YOU at least ENJOYed The ‘Yoga Year’ that you employed At …
Christmas 2021
Is it ‘flickering’ or is it ‘TWINKLING’? ~TWINKLE unapologetically! THE WORLD NEEDS YOU. CELEBRATE EVERYTHING that you possibly can.~ Thinking of ways to say THANK YOU always gives us lovely …
Free Your Fascia !
Recommended reading for anyone involved in mindful movement therapy practices: Way back at Bikram TTC 2001 Bikram brought in some engrossing teachers from other spheres to do workshops with us …
IF YOU LET SOMEONE STEAL YOUR ‘STILLNESS’ YOU ARE THE LOSER
If we were a ‘book’ 🙂 ‘Yoga Matters’ would be the ‘title’ and ‘In Pursuit of Stillness’ would be our ‘subtitle’. Our title conveys who we are but our subtitle …
YM Fully 10 ! Poem
Yes Our Yoga School turn 10 this year, So we wrote a POEM {its how we CHEER!} Seems like yesterday we were only 9 🙂 , How we despair at the flying …
10 YEARS OF YM
~YM@10~ 19th July 2021 will be 3650 days, aprox 5000 (FIVE THOUSAND) classes and lots of ‘stuff’ has happened since YM opened its doors. WHAT DOES 10YRS RUNNING YOUR OWN …
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO STICK YOUR NECK OUT!
DIAGNOSIS: Firstly, This blog is not about the neck that has symptoms neurological or otherwise. The instructors at YM are Yoga instructors and are not qualified to assess pain. If …
12/4/21 Guidance & Protocols Still With Us
So. 12/4/21. ‘GUIDANCE’ IS STILL WITH US. Risk Assessments, Mitigation Plans and Protocols are STILL WITH US and Gov’t still expects us to promote: …“PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND CLEANLINESS… AT THE …
!Purple Alert!
!WARNING! said Jenny Joseph “When I am old… I shall wear Purple, with a Red hat that doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me!” !PIFFLE! I say “I shall wear Purple …
Momoyoga Users Please Read
***IMPORTANT READ FOR ALL MOMOYOGA USERS*** Momoyoga (‘MY’) is settling in really well as a new employee 🙂 It is here to stay! Everyone learns in different ways and paces …
We Love Momoyoga (‘MY’)
Let me tell you a little story of life for us before MY. Pre cv we were ticking along with our text/booking system, enjoying it even, keeping the connect with …
REOPENING 15th MARCH 2021
Dear YM Practitioner We are so very happy to advise that after our forced closure we will be re-opening Monday 15/3/21 and ready to go! Please be reassured all credits …
FIRST TO CLOSE LAST TO OPEN. WHY?
https://www.itv.com/…/jersey-business-leaders-say-open… WE SEE NO SIGNS of our ‘sectors reopening constantly being under review’. Jersey gov’t are way too quiet about our sector. Say it out loud folks: the trade off …
You Are Not Alone
You exist You are real You are valuable You are not alone Please. Don’t get this blog intent wrong… in no way shape or form would I wish to diminish …
WHAT DOES ‘FINDING YOURSELF’ MEAN?
Using western ‘logic’ ‘fact/literal meaning’ it is too easy to dismiss this little phrase as a bit of ‘new agey’ ‘nonsense’. To the person who hasn’t explored the idea these …
Daydream Believer
When I’m practicing Yogasana my mind is 100% ‘IN THE MOMENT’. This state did not come easily; it took a while at outset of practice to develop this strong body-mind …
Insta Yogi Vs. Yoga
With all the insta glam superimposed over Yogasana it would be easy perhaps for some to get confused about what one is seeking when they take up the practice. Some …
Social Distancing
‘Social Distancing’. Was there ever a more repulsive and alienating phrase? I had thought I read something last year that ‘authorities’ had discussed and decided to use ‘physical’ distancing instead …
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Aah dusting: an excellent way to re-acquaint yourself with classics; THIS ONE has had its 3 readings 🙂 first early 90s and it truly DID bring big CHANGE to my …
TIME TO DUST
“So Lyra and her daemon turned away from the world they were born in and looked toward the sun and walked into the sky” ~ Philip Pullman If you know ‘His …
The Doors of Perception
Just done some Yoga and feeling a bit trippy! ~ I remember reading The Doors of Perception {Huxley} thinking gad he goes on a bit about ‘that chair’! but I …
December 2020
Blessed YM Yogi Friends, This year had so much to distract, the whole planet in on the ‘confusion’; no one exempt from the negative pandemic effect either physically, mentally, emotionally, …
LIGHT ON BOOKING… 2020
With immediate effect ~NO MORE VERBAL BOOKINGS OR CHECKING BOOKINGS AFTER CLASSES in reception~ Our booking system is seriously broken folks; A system that served us for 9 years pre-covid …
YM Loves ‘Left’ :) ~ left property statistics
Our Left Property is sooo tidy these days I almost miss it’s chaos! almost… FREQUENTLY left: water bottles (hundreds over the years; cannot be kept too long for hygiene reasons) …
WE DON’T USE THE BODY TO GET INTO THE POSE. WE USE THE POSE TO GET INTO THE BODY.
Don’t mess with knees. You know I’m always ‘banging on about knees’ in class 🙂 . At YM we promote ‘HONOUR YOUR KNEES’. They do so much for us, we …
SWEATIQUETTE…
Please respect the need for ‘Sweatiquettes’… we are a tiny studio… one instructor on hand per class to do EVERYTHING… We do not have the resources to hire a team …
Light On… Credits 2020
Dear YM Bikram Yogis, Ever so grateful to practitioners for welcoming YM back on 12th June. Happy to be with you all every day. ‘Pure generosity’ invested in credits whilst …
HOW does Bikram Yoga relieve chronic pain?
We are Yoga Instructors. Although expensively and extensively trained we do not set ourselves out to be anything other than Yoga instructors. We are both qualified Yoga Therapists with 43 …
Speaking of ‘Adages’ and ‘Edges’…
“IF YOU CAN YOU MUST” ~V.~ “JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING DOESN’T MEAN YOU SHOULD” ~ Sometimes I feel like… I am speaking in adages in class and taken …
CONTAGION ‘MITIGATION’ PLAN
****scroll down to see 26/8/21 ‘Stage 7’ update**** We are so happy and excited to be able to WELCOME YOU BACK to our little Yoga school. To help you feel …
EVERYone smiles in the same language!
‘National Smile Month’ 18May-18June primarily has an oral hygiene focus thus ‘improving the quality of your smile’. It has reminded me of a story I’d like to share ~ A …
KARMA COLA
“READING GIVES US SOMEPLACE TO GO WHEN WE HAVE TO STAY WHERE WE ARE” I have often been asked for a ‘recommended reading list’ re Yoga; I have steered clear …
LOVE YourSelf
It seems these days there is a lot of intelligence in the service of madness! There is a lot of pain on display. Don’t stare at it 24/7. Open up …
LOVE JERSEY GIRL
Jersey does have a few lovely sculptures but when ‘JERSEY GIRL’ was first revealed it immediately became MY FAVOURITE of them all! One of the best things about this sculpture …
~WORRIES OF A LOCKED IN BIKRAM YOGI INSTRUCTOR~
15/4/2020 ~ My teaching skills are disappearing! Whilst the ‘Dialogue’ is ever present fundamental structure of our classes I NEVER know what I am going to say from one class …
LOCK DOWN. DAY 1 OF 83.
Nobody could have planned for this (although Bill Gates said in 2015 we should have; the documentary at the end of ‘28 days later’ said we should have 😉 ). …
~ KNOW Your Yoga Origins ~ Standing Bow Pulling Pose ~
‘Standing Bow Pulling Pose’ (Dandayamana Dhanurasana) and its predecessor ‘Lord of the Dance’ (Natarajasana) are nowhere to be found in the pre-modern texts of Yoga. The development of physical postures in hatha yoga were largely seated …
2020/21/22 cv era diary
The following is YM record of events/communications to our practitioners and protocols/mitigation updates/ focuses over this era since 11/3/2020 : CONTAGION ‘MITIGATION’ PLAN is a separate document. 29/4/22 ~ ‘De-escalation’ measures …
The Art of War
March @ YM is for WARRIORS!!! Ahhh Love FebYOUary!… BUT! Onward MARCH! 😉 ~ the start of Spring, the clocks change again, time to celebrate the Irish in you 😉 …
Little Ego Sneaks into Yoga Class
Once upon a time… Little Ego snuck into a Yoga class with its Driver. Driver had never tried Yogasana before. Everything about it was new and hard AND there was …
HOW NOW 2020?
WHAT.a.year. It has been MASSIVE in terms of our Yoga community locally AND globally. The world in its changing feels freefall and less predictable at the moment; where will we …
Christmas 2019
BLESSED YOGIS ~ THANK YOU. THANK YOU for all your Christmas wishes. THANK YOU ALL who have kept us company this year and in doing so have kept us going. …
OMG 30 Degrees ~ INTRODUCTION by Trisha
You already have reaffirmed in your mind that you can have a physicality and you can choose to get in your body and MOVE IT TO WHATEVER ITS LIMIT IS. …
~ITS A PARTY~NOT A PICNIC~
There was a little group of peeps appearing daily in our school You may think WOW that’s really ‘HOT’ but they were really pretty COOL What WAS going down? Well. …
Bikram Choudhury Netflix Documentary
~For Clarity~ and because one of our beloved practitioners asked … Thank you for asking. You/your question deserve a proper response. The time available before/after class is short and never best utilized talking …
Know Your Unconscious Mind (‘UM’)
My UM has been ‘triggered’ 🙂 and I am researching as I am writing folks and some if this is new to me but very interesting. I share it with …
Bikram Yoga and its extractions…
Bikram Yoga classes are 90 minutes. (As a matter of interest Sivananda classes are 90 minutes. Iyengar classes are 90 minutes). There IS no ‘quick fix all’ and 90 minutes …
“INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIVING A LIFE: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” ~ Mary Oliver
This piece is not written for longer term practitioners who have learned to ‘grace’ through ‘stuff’… this is written for the younger person/Yogi whose life is just ramping up and …
WHY I ‘WRITE’
Dear Yogi, I’ve been writing my Yoga essays since about 2 months after we started working with You lovely Yogis! When we were planning to open it never dawned on …
YM Bikram Challenge
***DATES FOR DIARY*** Monday 18 to Sunday 24 NOVEMBER 2019 *** 7.BIKRAM.CLASSES.7.DAYS.CHALLENGE. *** ~170~ (Yes! One Hundred and Seventy!) People have COMPLETED a Bikram Yoga Challenge with YM in 8 …
‘out of office / gone to Yoga Matters’
picked up ‘Business Life’ local mag at airport {Sep19}; ‘twas the cover that caught my attention “DUTY OF CARE, ITS TIME TO FACE UP TO STARK STATISTICS ABOUT EMPLOYEES MENTAL …
‘OUT OF OFFICE / GONE TO YOGA’ DOWNTIME
2 x 30 minute SESSIONS every Wednesday TO CHOOSE FROM: 12.15p.m. to 12.45p.m. AND 1.15p.m. to 1.45p.m. no need to book wear comfortable clothing ALL LEVELS WELCOME £5 DROP IN …
WE DID IT !!!
THE SINGING BOWL WILL BE SINGING AGAIN ~ FRIDAY 21ST JUNE ~ We have been in an interesting position of late; we have had to hand certain things over ‘emotionally’; …
You are the driver…
Dear Practitioners Having received a parking ticket at Langford Friday evening for forgetting to display ‘time arrived’ (ouch!) it got me thinking on the whole parking and driving to Yoga …
getting back to that sacred space
Excitement is starting to build… We will be starting back with our FULL SCHEDULE ~ YES! Bikram Yoga EVERYDAY! Sometimes TWICE! Because Bikram practitioners deserve to be able to practice …
PLEASE HELP US. PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN WATER…
There is only one solution to single use plastic: GOVERNMENT PLEASE BAN THEM. wouldn’t that just make all of our lives simpler? In the meantime waiting for that kind of …
The Battling Yogi
The most interesting paradigm shift that has occurred in me this last year and possibly the one I am most GRATEFUL for is the removal of resistance to DEALING with …
LOCK THE KNEE (‘LTK’)
Our classes are mixed with ‘knees’ of all sorts! healthy and otherwise AND lately a few who have nothing wrong with their knees but who are fearful of Lock the …
Joists. mmmmm. JOYsts… :)
We mustn’t overlook the JOYsts in our lives!! Soon we won’t see them but we won’t have to; its enough to know they will always be there! Our new Joysts …
Studio Update Feb19
Dear YM Yogis ~ We thought we would share a few photos (as WE ALL KNOW from our practice there is nothing like a good visual 🙂 !) It is …
Light on… YM credits :)
Hello YM Bikram Yogis We realized when one of our super kind practitioners (there are so many) came the other night very generously wanting to pay cash, even though they …
Christmas 2018
Hello. It is that time of year again. You know. The pause and reflect. It has been a ‘bit of a year’ for us personally, spiritually and professionally. I truly …
How we will roll at Langford…
Dear YM Bikram Yogi Family You have been patient and so kind to us at this difficult time and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. But we …
“IF YOU AREN’T IN OVER YOUR HEAD, HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW TALL YOU ARE?” TS Elliot
In life in its ‘shortness’ that we perceive, I believe we must seize every opportunity to STAND TALL and CELEBRATE. Whilst EVERY class at Yoga Matters is a special event; …
~ OMG Yoga Therapy ~ 6 Class Course ~
We are born to live in balance. Harmony is our natural state yet daily we strive to recreate a harmony that is already present at the very core of our …
No Devices in Yoga School
Sometimes we have to home in on the ‘etiquettes’ what they are and why we have them so people can work on the same page as us if they wish… …
THIS is the problem with Bikram Yoga
LOL. ApPARently! There is someone out there subtly trying to undermine Bikram Yoga most likely in the hopes of building their own empire on any ruins they create! Yeah, I …
~ YOGA and the MATTERS of KEEPING OUR DOORS OPEN ~
YM as a business is clearly operating on a micro level. Set up to propagate Bikram Yoga and ensure a consistent and guaranteed place of practice by 2 lovers of …
STILL IN LOVE…
…WITH BIKRAM YOGA AFTER ALL OF THESE YEARS. YOU CANNOT MAGIC UP 20 YEARS LIFE EXPERIENCE; YOU HAVE TO DO THE TIME ! THIS MONTH I’VE BEEN HAVING MY OWN …
Seriously!!!
1 in every 10 people in Jersey is a Yoga Instructor. OK. I am clearly jesting; but it does feel like that the last couple of years as Darren and …
Good Things Come in 3s !!!
3 THINGS CANNOT BE HIDDEN! Is it THE SUN, THE MOON and NEW BEGINNINGS??? OR is it INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY ~and~ SUMMER SOLSTICE ~and~ FREE YM! Yes! OF COURSE on the …
Yoga Ethics ~ Part III ~ Niyamas (Observances)
Remember from Part I & Part II we are focusing in on how you can apply Yoga ethics when you are at Yoga school and on your mat. The Niyamas …
Yoga Ethics ~ Part II ~ Yamas (Restraints)
Remember from Part I that we are focussing in on how you can apply Yoga ethics when you are at Yoga school and on your mat. The ‘Yamas’ are universal …
Raja Yoga ~ Part I – Ethics
THE TREE OF YOGA represents one of the 4 main Paths of Yoga ~ ‘RAJA’ or Royal Yoga. The Tree has EIGHT LIMBS or ‘branches’ (referencing Patanjali’s Sutras and ‘Ashtanga’ or ‘Eightfold’ …
Mad Mat Matters II
Meandering through a dept store in London this was sticking out (see pic) from a pile of mats and it drew my attention. It made me laugh ~ Yes! there …
Love is Like Breathing! You can’t ‘Live’ without it
Although hopeful, I know I am unlikely to persuade the pre-wedding party into the hot room on the wedding day for the ultimate de-stress. So, in the moment just before …
Lets talk about: Salt
Updated August19… April 18: O-O-ooh my new salt has arrived!!! never tried ‘Redmond Real’ salt before. (Yes. My world is small.) Ayurvedically speaking I always favoured Celtic ‘cos it is …
Om Om Om My Ghosh!
~ YM News ~ Darren is going where the Bengal Tiger lives… We are always studying our art (either formally or privately). Sometimes we attend the formal trainings for, as …
That’s not MY yoga alliance…
This is a slight meandering from my blog ‘Choosing a Yoga Instructor’; read this one in conjunction with that one 🙂 … {updated 2020} YOU HAVE GOT TO get past …
choosing a Yoga instructor
“so there it is work it out for yourself, BE SELECTIVE, be OBJECTIVE… be an asset to the collective, as you know you gotta get a life” ~ Jazzy B You …
ARE WE KNOWIN’ WHERE WE’RE GOIN’ WITH BIKRAM TRIANGLE?
Well we know where we’re goin’ But we don’t know where we’ve been And we know what we’re knowin’ But we can’t say what we’ve seen And we’re not little …
We Thank You with Satya
Blessed Yogis THANK YOU for all your kind Christmas wishes; we receive them gratefully and from the bottom of our hearts return the sentiments a hundredfold. We are grateful for …
Christmas mullings… 2017
Its 12.25, just had breakfast 🙂 still in jammies, HAVE NOT looked in the mirror 🙂 Saoirse’s just had lunch, Darren’s putting the food shop away, house is mess and I’m just mulling over …
Have a little local Yoga Break in a nice room…
‘Having a Yoga Break’ (coming to class A LOT) Versus ‘Taking a Break from Yoga’ (skipping a class) Sometimes a rest from your Yoga can work magic (quality not quantity); …
Designed BY Universe, Shaped BY Life
BY nature we are asymmetrical beings; parts of our anatomy are asymmetrical (e.g. contents of torso). Some muscles are highly active whilst others have been inhibited; a loop effect creates …
Me? Acting/Bored with Dialogue? No Way!
My first Bikram Yoga class was like someone had finally turned the lights on.To some this might sound over the top (I am well aware that not everyone gets this …
Driving-Tips-4-Us-Yogis
WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL if you’d factor this IN When PLANNING your next TRIP TO YM So you actually make it to CLASS ON TIME ‘Driving-Tips’ is so Yogis dodge …
Math – All the Cool Kids Are Doing It
As usual I have a number of books ‘on the go’: ‘Harry Potter’ (again! keeping my daughter company on her first reading), ‘Of Human Bondage’, ‘The Chair’, ‘The Casual Vacancy’, …
International Day of Yoga
“Yoga… embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise …
There BE seventeen (17) ways we GIVE BACK at YM
🙂 read on for how to attain a FREE praxis … We have an increase in the number of people presenting in reception believing their first class at YM is …
YM Guerrilla Yogis Abound
YM Bikram Yogis like to tout Their JOY of Yoga whilst out and about See the pic (if you are doubting) Of YM Yogis world-wide outings See! HAPPY Bikramites BE …
Challenge Amy ~ 60 Days of Bikram
HEY! Miss AMY HALL, Please Stand Tall ! You rose in the face of your CHALLENGE So we now want to give ALL this CALL C’mon EVERYBODY let’s give Amy …
OM AIM SARASWATYAI NAMAHA
Have you heard of Judith Hanson Lasater? She is: an American Yoga teacher who has taught yoga since 1971 (the year I was born) an early student of BKS Iyengar and is …
BREAKING SYMMETRY
Have you ever heard the expression ‘if your gonna be tight be tight on both sides’ ? 🙂 Think about it! One sure way your body will be MORE vulnerable …
~ ART speaks what words are unable to explain ~
Here is something we have had in the offing for some time. ‘ART’. Art can lift the spirit. Art can be life enhancing. In the eye of the beholder it …
BIKRAM CHOUDHURY AT YOGA MATTERS?
For many people their Bikram Yoga time is ideally a respite from the ‘troubles’ of the world outside the room. Other practitioners use the time to reconcile problems of the …
THE THREE GUNAS
Some very depressing things have happened in the Yoga world over the years including abuse of power and abuse of students; devastating blows to the sanctity of the teacher/student relationship; …
Lines of Energy
You can change a posture in an instant by creating a LINE OF ENERGY. You are a living being. You are a LIFE FORCE. In Yoga class we work to …
Trees for Life
It has long been on our mind that we need to do something to offset any negative imprint the running of our lovely studio may have on the environment. It …
~ WE ARE GLAD & GRATEFUL~
THANK YOU to ALL who have kept us company this year. Our longer term practitioners hold glad space in our hearts but more have joined that space this year than …
BELLY UP PART IV ~ KNOW YOUR BELLY ~
I would like YM students to become more considerate of all the layers of muscles and organs* residing in this area. Use your Yoga to tune into the deeper abdominal …
BELLY UP PART III ~ RESPECT YOUR BELLY ~
It is hard to know where to start on this point. Harder still to know where the stop!! AGNI The fire of digestion resides in the belly area. It is …
BELLY UP PART II ~ SEE YOUR BELLY ~
AT THE BEGINNING of a Bikram Yoga Class in ‘Pranayama’ one of the standard phrases in the Bikram dialogue is ‘stomach in…depression of the abdominal wall…ribs stick out’ ‘RIB CAGE …
BELLY UP PART I ~ FREE YOUR BELLY ~
THE IMAGE: my belly is nearly 46 years old. My daughter resided and was nourished in there for 9 months. She arrived via c-section. She was 8.4lbs. Like many before …
Method in the Madness!
This post might help you when explaining to friends/family how a Bikram Yoga class works 🙂 A Bikram Yoga class is not the place for deep meaningful explanations about all …
feeling your Yoga
A YOGA POSE IS A LIVING THING. Not set in stone. Your pose is ever changing. It expresses differently from personality to personality, body to body, history to history, class …
~ FEEL V. FORCE ~
After 2 posts about ‘seeing’ your Yoga I thought I better ‘Yin’ it out with a couple of ‘FEELING’ your Yoga post :). Its all about balance 🙂 : Sometimes …
~ MIRROR MIRROR ~
Do you obey what your eyes show you or do you feel your Yoga? Some might say feeling your Yoga is King but as a beginner the reality can be …
Don’t Nourish the Flourish
More experienced students taking places in front few rows please/should be aware of the newbies placed behind them and try to lead by example: remembering not to insert extra movements/quirks/flourishes …
Responsibility; the Road Less Travelled
BIKRAM YOGA IS, amongst many other things, about strength, flexibility, balance and stamina which contribute HUGEly to one’s overall health and fitness. This is a challenging beginning Yoga class and …
~ YOGA and the MATTERS of ETIQUETTE
This is another tricky but necessary post to write because some of the issues highlighted are completely avoidable if one preps for first class by reading the information on the …
~ YOGA and the MATTER of TERMS ~
This is a TRICKY post to write because we know that the idea of ‘TERMS’ attaching to a Yoga practice for some appear to conflict with a fantasy of what …
WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY TRIKONASANA ISN’T 5,000 YEARS OLD???
PREAMBLE Oh Good Lord! there’s a ‘preamble’! this one is going to be a long one! 🙂 There is so much to write about in Yoga, I often don’t know …
As Glück Would Have It !
I first read ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ not long after I took up Yoga. It was pretty mindblowing stuff at the time for me and I was a bit skeptical …
Stiff As a Board V. Bendy Like a Pretzel
My friend remembered a conversation we had recently and tagged me in a clip yesterday (attached https://www.facebook.com/BarcroftTV/videos/1052132741466371/) and… it got me thinking… 🙂 Walk down the street and look closely. …
Mad Mat Matters I
We have recently put an order in for all new studio mats. We are always excited when we get new mats; it always feels so fresh. By end of this …
The Night Before Yogi Christmas
A’fore the night b’fore Christmas, I have something to say! I’ve been thinking of things that might lighten your day Just now! It has struck me ~ You don’t need …
Yoga For Drivers – Ahimsa
It’s no secret that the hardest ‘Yoga’ to practice is all that is NOT on your mat – don’t forget you don’t practice for the glory of the pose; you …
One Quick Fix Coming Right Up…
‘How little time do I have to spend in order to get maximum benefits’ seems to be the burning question these days. Guidelines from government health organisations seem to lower …
The Hidden Challenges of ‘Doing a Challenge’
The guidelines on our site give advice on how to prepare for a YM Challenge… ‘ensure work is not going to make extra demands on you… plan your social life …
Andiappan Bound – training deliberations!
TODAY is always a good day to hop on a curve and learn something new :). I’m off to expand the old knowledge base again Yogis. Yes, I know, I …
Shapes & Numbers Celebrations
8 is my daughter today (best thing I ever made), 4 is YM (best chance I ever took), 16 years ago I ‘found’ Darren in a tent (there’s a tale! …
Illuminating… Sit Up
If you don’t practice Bikram you might wonder how complicated can a Sit Up be? It’s a Bikram Yogi thing folks! Only the Bikramites out there will be interested in …
Bikram’s Five Qualities of Mind
The Boss says: “the greatest challenge we face as human beings is controlling and properly using our own minds… The ego driven mind… does not want to give up its …
Its not singing. Its CHANTing :) ~
So ye’ve all recovered from my solo Kirtan demo on Sunday. I have anyway :). You weren’t expecting THAT in your Bikram Yoga class now were you (don’t tell Bik …
A Bikram Yoga journey can go something like this…
First class… Pranayama. OMG I feel so silly! What is that funny SOUND they are all making? Their all so serious! I want to laugh. 10 minutes in: my ARMS …
Yoga Matters Manifesto
As you LOOK into the eyes of your reflection and KNOW these are the eyes of your teacher, you REALISE there is nowhere to hide. Your smartphone can’t help you …
First International Yoga Day
HAPPY First International YOGA DAY ~ The interesting thing is that it is a political leader in India (Prime Minster) that has taken this stance to create this significant day …
“Set Your Life on Fire ~ Seek Those Who Fan Your Flames.” Rumi
We’ll provide the heat. Be it fahrenheit or centigrade from where we’re standing the temperature will be just fine. All YOU have to do is show up. Again and again. …
Yoga Etiquette Rule #101 Have you got Issues with Your Tissues?
Q: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A RUNNY NOSE IN YOGA CLASS? Do you sniff, wipe, produce your neti pot 🙂 or blow? A: YOU BLOW! You absolutely need to …
Change One Thing. Change Everything.
Change Nothing? Nothing Will Change. {May 2015} Yesterday I was unexpectedly presented with a person that I associate with being the cause of extreme stress for myself personally (Yes I …
Darren’s Back!
Darren here 🙂 and back from a fab few days of sweat in the big smoke. It was a real treat to immerse myself in Yoga and practice 6 classes …
Missing Darren
As part of our commitment to teaching we continue to educate ourselves in order to better support our practitioners. So Darren is going on a 3 day intensive Bikram teacher …
My Bunny. Again.
THOUGHTS FROM A VINTAGE YOGI ABOUT HER RABBIT (again) ~ YOGA GETS BETTER AS YOU GET OLDER!!!. I spent much time in the past working on some postures that tend …
It Doesn’t Interest Me What You Do For a Living
“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living” said Oriah Mountain Dreamer MAY I JUST EXPAND ON THIS? At YM we are not tribal and we don’t mind …
A Rose by any other Name is still a Rose ~ WHERE DOES BIKRAM FIT IN YOGA
Numbers abound in Yoga, it can all get very confusing to the beginner: 4 Paths, 8 Limbs, 6 Sub Paths, 7 (main) Chakras, 5 Points, 3 Bodies, 4 Locks (Bandhas), …
Bikram Yoga and Weight Loss addressed
Bikram says ~ ‘You’re never too old, never too bad, never too late and never too sick to start from the scratch once again.’ I’m going to add ‘Never Too …
When Does My Teacher Practice?
Q: DOES YOUR YOGA TEACHER PRACTICE ? Hello Beautiful Yogis, the short time before and after class at the studio can be very intense, checking people, settling new people, dealing …
The Power of Words
WORDS HAVE A VIBRATION All speech creates energy that radiates out to the world helping to create the atmosphere we live in. I do believe that our body and mind …
Its Not a Numbers Thing or Anything
Many product ads abound ‘Look Good Feel Better’ usually with a pic of a glowing and ‘Very Good Looking Model’ to represent how the ‘Feel Better’ quality Looks. Sadly 🙂 …
Choosing the ‘Right’
The word ‘right’ is not right! The word ‘perfect’ is not perfect! Words are so powerful; what would we do without Shakespeare’s 800 ! I fancy I have invented a …
ARISTOTLE SAID ~ “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
It is YM’s duty to propagate Yoga and its benefits and anything that helps generate interest in this discipline, or helps people persevere when they find it hard makes us …
Hey There!
Hey there YM Yogi’s WHERE DID YOU ALL GO? The last few weeks have been quite strange without y’all you know! The studio has felt empty so let’s get back …
Illuminating Standing Resting Position
STANDING. Simple in itself but more to it in a practicing Yoga scenario than you might think. I remember having conversations with fellow Bikram Yogi’s on my training and over …
Please ‘take me home’ poem
Am feeling unwanted; left at YM a long time Whilst I like it here (it sure is sublime) 🙂 I didn’t leave you, YOU LEFT ME You’ve been searching everywhere …
We Print Money !
GOTCHA! On a more serious note 🙂 ~ About Oct last {2014} I was listening to BBC Radio Jersey one evening just after 8 and the presenter said some guy …
CALL ME TRISHA… :)
I have just finished reading ‘MOBY DICK and what a great read; Poor old Ahab, he built a prison for himself out of anger and revenge. Ultimately it was his …
Once Upon a Midnight Dreary…
Watched ‘Simpsons’ last night (yeah this is what I do when I get a night off :)) and Homer’s version of Poe’s ‘The Raven’ and of course it got me …
How a YM Challenge ends…
~CHALLENGE DAY 10~ Q: “HAVE YOU EVER FELT THE LONGING FOR SOMEONE YOU COULD ADMIRE?” Ayn Rand. A: “LOOK IN THE MIRROR.” Trisha Thomas. To round up this particular Challenge …
Stop Trying So Hard and Get Back In Your Box! said no Yoga Teacher ever.
True: the hardest part of my job is trying to get people to cease ‘over’ posturing and exhausting themselves in the process but that aside… What is more important? Showing …
Never Be Afraid of the BackwardBends !
~BACK PAIN CONSIDERATIONS for your Bikram Yoga practice~ DIAGNOSIS: Firstly, the instructors at YM are Yoga instructors and are not qualified to assess your pain. If pain is severe or …
OM ~ The Original Mantra
In Yogic thinking the first word was OM, the first vibration and sound from which all others emerged. There is no literal translation of OM; its three letters A, U …
Bone Matters
We work on the 26/2 diligently, a group of people in our unique bodies. We regulars know it is clearly not one size fits all. In this post I am …
You Are Breathing Your Alive. You Are Not Breathing Your Dead. RIGHT?
You are barely breathing your still alive! It’s AMAZING! We come into this world on an Inhale and we go out on an Exhale; surely that is all we need …
Bow~WOW Asana!
Looky Looky Get ready world – a new batch of Bikram teachers comin’ off the training soon. I know why they are spending ‘$11,000+the rest’ and putting themselves through NINE …
Bikram Yoga works on you Outside & In
Which is more important? So what if you can’t get into the perceived “ideal” form of an asana? Many who receive benefits from Bikram aren’t necessarily those for whom something …
Thumbs Up!
Whist I was tightening up all my bits preparing for Part I Utkatasana today I suddenly became excessively aware of my THUMBS! I feel them, any movement, they feel strong, …
Yogi Trisha Thomas ~ 7 answers to 7 questions
I have been practicing Bikram Yoga since July 1998 with a 4 year hiatus somewhere in the middle. I took it up because of insomnia (see my piece on ‘girl …
The Running Man of Jersey III
Found Jersey’s running hero exploring the max on his way towards Egypt 🙂 ; still time to: donate on his just giving page; keep up with him on his RTR …
The Running Man of Jersey II
Having finally convinced my daughter that there really IS a man running around Jersey every day this week 🙂 I am still struggling to get my own little brain around …
The Running Man of Jersey I
Things to do for free in Jersey this week ~ stone building at Stinky Bay, backward bending at The White House, draw in the sand at The Beach, hunt for …
Darren’s Yoga Story
INSTRUCTOR PROFILE ~ DARREN So the year is 1999, I’m an asthmatic plumber with a bad back, a dodgy left knee, one kidney and a new girlfriend who is crazy …
I Am Awesome Yogi
So folks, I’m psyched! After an amazing weekend in Brighton (I even got a glimpse of their naked bike ride!! Woohooo (ok more than a glimpse 😉 possibly more than …
Bad Bunny !
Notes from a trip to meet Mary Jarvis Snr Bikram Yoga Instructor… So anyway, whilst in Brighton I asked MJ to take a look at my ‘Shocking Rabbit’ 🙂 (just …
Q. What does a Yoga teacher do when they need a break?
A. Take more Yoga 🙂 Q. Where? A. Brighton, Bikram inthe Lanes (a change is as good as a rest!) Q. With Who? A. Mary Jarvis teacher extraordinaire 🙂 Q. …
Bendy Wendy
~ ITS WORLD POETRY 2014 ~ So here is a poem for all ages (Especially 6 ½ and 43 ¾ year olds) Bendy Wendy was born supple and strong A …
Wax On. Wax Off.
I’m a lazy kinda person you know. Or at least I have the potential to be lazy; I kinda fantasize a lot about putting my feet up and veggin’ on …
A ‘Horton Hears a Who’ inspired Poem
WE LIKE IT at YM We like it A LOT! Bikram classes are DAILY And are HOT HOT HOT It’s {£11} drop-in Money WELL spent 90 minutes BIG benefits to …
Who Am I to Define Bikram Yoga?
It doesn’t belong to me. It doesn’t belong to Bikram. It is for each practitioner to discover and define for themselves. But the teacher has to try to give a sense …
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