I’ve been in London on an 8-day Yin Yoga Training with Norman Blair and 12 really interesting and amazing yoga teachers and have committed to sharing my thoughts here each day …
Day 8 (Wed 18th April) LAST DAY!
It’s now Thursday and I’m back in Bath. I didn’t write yesterday as when we finished, I headed straight for Victoria Coach Station.
Top tip: the National Express coach was really great, I highly recommend. Yes, it’s a longer journey but it cost £11 return – yes, really – compared to over £100 by train. Plus added bonus: the driver.
My driver to London sounded just like Andy Hamilton – “just as long as he can see over the steering wheel” texted Michael (my husband). My driver back home really needed more yin yoga in his life. He used his horn no less than three times and tutted and sighed more times than I could count – I was sitting at the very front. I think he needed a break.
So key learnings from my yin yoga training overall:
– The mind is malleable. Change is always possible. This is the beating heart of the practice of yoga.
– We need more MATHS and less ANTS
ANTS – automatic negative thoughts
MATHS – more affirming thoughts
– Everything but everything is connected and everything has consequences. Just because we don’t have a big experience in a class or a big sensation in a pose, doesn’t mean change isn’t occurring. Change is always occurring. Maybe we need to learn to say hello to the quiet mouse who is trying to speak to us (or maybe ‘squeak to us’) rather than looking for the roar of a lion.
– I love practicing and teaching yoga. I also love my family, my cats and my garden. Listening to music, festivals, walking and camping, playing the violin, cooking and so many other things. So many things.
– Yoga is just yoga. It is magical but it isn’t a magic wand. And people, I’m just a lowly yoga teacher, not a doctor, a nutritionist, a physiotherapist or a councillor (even though I may be very interested in topics from all those disciplines and happy to share my thoughts!)
I look forward to seeing you in class soon. More blogging to come, but every other week or so from now on.
