The culinary highlight (besides the chocolate) was definitely Shari’s very tasty quesadillas. I was a bit zoned out as I’d just had an extraordinary 2 hour Thai Yoga Massage from Adriane which was awesome. Highly recommended!

It was nice to get to know my fellow Ashtangi’s a little better and Doug made an excellent suggestion of extending invitations to non-yogi’s too which will keep things interesting.

If you didn’t get an invite I probably don’t have your number or just forgot. So if you couldn’t make it and would like to come along some time then let me know your mobile number so I can send out a text.

Happy moon day!

Guy

http://www.ashtanga.com/html/macgregor2.html

2 weeks ago I committed to practicing 5 days a week. Fortunately there was a moon day on the first week ; )

I’ll be writing regularly (now that things are a bit more settled) about how I find the Mysore practice over the coming months.

Today I’m off to Chris Swain’s workshop on the spine which I’m looking forward to. I’ll be taking some pictures so check out the gallery later in the week - You might even see yourself!

It’s good to be back!

I’m faced with having to box all my possessions. This presents another opportunity for me to consider my relationship with my stuff. Moving is hard work and it makes sense to shed stuff I don’t need. Which brings me neatly to my record collection. I’ve spent years collecting records. I’ve not bought any for a few years now and I don’t actually play them anymore.

Records are deceptively heavy to move. So why keep a thousand records I don’t listen to? Especially if I have to pack them into boxes, load them into a van and then carry them up 4 flights of stairs to a new flat. Time to start listening to some of those records before I move.

In the last 2 months everything has changed - my practice, my relationship, my work space and now my living space. It’s been an incredibly tough time but somehow I don’t feel weakened by it. I don’t think I’ve given up on anything, but I don’t feel like I’ve had much control over things. Which reminds me of a rather charming proverb that always makes me smile: “If you’re not enjoying the ride then let go of the tiger’s tail.”

So what are you holding onto? Does it serve you well?

I wander if this fine soap will help my practice?

: )

We’ve added a new Workshops section where we’ll put all the info we have about upcoming workshops.

If you’re interested you can register for email updates so you don’t miss out.

Over the coming year we’re looking to attract more guest teachers from the UK and abroad to take workshops in Brighton. So if you’re a teacher and would be interested in doing a workshop in Brighton then drop us an email at info@ashtangabrighton.com

Thought you might be interested in an upcoming yoga holiday! It’s in beautiful unspoilt Western Crete from 24 June to 1 July. You stay in a small hotel with its own pool, 100 metres from the beach. Yoga twice a day - a mixture of Ashtanga and Hatha with meditation, pranayama too. Teachers are our very own Brighton-based Janaki and er…me (Davy Jones). The holiday costs £410 excluding flights. More details on the Free Spirit website or visit our website or email: janakiyoga @aol.com

It’s a led class and an introduction to 2nd series. I’m hoping that it will help to strengthen my back after all the forward bends in primary series.

I love my morning practice at bnhc but the change of doing a led class and exploring some of the Asana in second series was rather refreshing, so I hope to make this one a regular.

I’m sure you’ve never done this yourself ; )

My recent back injury was the trigger for the conversation. It went something like this:

Every person who I told about my injury who doesn’t do Yoga suggested I stop doing it.  My Dad in particular was rather vocal: “Guy you must stop this crazy Yoga!” I patiently tried to explain (again) that my injury was caused by me not listening to my body and that it wasn’t the Yoga that was doing it to me. This was followed by a long silence on the phone.

When having this conversation face to face this is normally the point when people start rolling their eyes and looking rather bored. With a “if you’re not going to take my advice then you deserve it” attitude. I’m exaggerating for effect slightly here but not much.

So am I crazy to continue to practice through my injury? In the quest to get some answers I’ve been to a doctor, osteopath and sports masseur and spoken to nearly everyone I know about back injuries.

Noone knows what is wrong with my back. I have no answers. I’m on the waiting list for a referral to the back clinic which could take a few months. I’m skeptical that I’ll get any answers there either.

So I’m faced with taking responsibility for my injury and recovery, how do I do this? I make mistakes (mostly) and I do my best to listen to my body. I know we’ve all heard it before in virtually every Yoga class or workshop “Just listen to your body”. Well it took a very painful experience for me to start listening. If you’d asked me 2 months ago if I was “listening to my body” I would have been rather offended at even being asked.

I now have a zero tolerance attitude towards any pain in my back when I practice, I bend my knees as much as I need to when doing forward bends and I’m real gentle on my back-bends.