Newsletter
Friday October 21st, 2011

Dear Visitor

Greetings!

We are heading into the silly season so it is time to dust off your dancing shoes & get ready to party.

This month's edition is all about fun!  Not something that is traditionally associated with the path of the yogi but at SunYoga we do our best to challenge that stereotype, right?

Love Claire xx

Confessions of a Pleasure Seeking Yogi...

Sounds like the title of a tacky porn movie, doesn't it? No doubt there probably is at least one (if not several) versions of this theme already in existence… research project someone?

Excuse me for bringing the tone down a few octaves… let’s get back to business.

Over the last 2 newsletters we have investigated the first 2 yamas (the moral & behavioural codes of Yoga), Ahimsa & Satya, which mean acting from a place of non-harm and truthfulness.  There are 3 more yamas and here’s a brief low down of what they’re about:

Bramacharya - Traditionally means celibacy or abstinence. For us sexually active beings – we can interpret Bramacharya as being mindful of how and why we experience sensory, sensual or sexual pleasure. Are you acting from a place of honesty and truth? Is it harming any body else? Does this act bring you closer to your divine nature?

Asteya - Non-stealing, non-greediness, not wanting that which does not belong to us. If we obsess about what we don’t have then we are blind to the enjoyment of what we do have.

Aparigraha - Non-possessiveness, non-hoarding, not desiring more than we need. When our hands are full and tightly closed, is there any way we can reach out to or hold something new? Are we allowing the abundance of life to flow through us?

Engaging with the world around us with the 5 yamas in mind guides us towards a healthy, happy and truthful existence. They all affect each other and work beautifully together.

It is helpful to remember whilst pondering over the yamas that they were written by the yoga sage Patanjali about 2000 years ago, in a very different world. They are not gospel to be blindly followed without question. They are guidelines to be experimented with, tried out and shaken up. The big picture and purpose of yoga is to become more whole; more aligned with your true spirit and more at home with who you are. It’s a living, evolving practice that bends and flows with you as you move through life, and as life moves you…

Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans: it's lovely to be silly at the right moment ~ Horace

This process of experimentation is very dear to my non-conforming and rebellious spirit. I am often disappointed by the narrow representation of yoga and yoga people represented in the media.  You open a yoga magazine and all you find are images of The very Beautiful & very Nice People. There are no chubby, ageing, unfashionable or grumpy people…

We all know that an average yoga class is populated with ordinary people; all ages, shapes and sizes, including the teacher. Yoga helps everyone, is for everyone, and is not limited to being young, flexible, gorgeous, or having the latest yoga gear.  

I remember the day that I went to the paint shop & selected the colour to paint the studio feature walls.  It was a delight to discover that my bright orange choice was so appropriately named, Play School. It was a big thumbs up to go ahead with my endeavour and be bold about making having fun at yoga school important and something to be cherished.

He who lives without folly is not so wise as he thinks ~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

The very essence of the yamas is to act from your individual place of integrity. For me that integrity means shaking up the serious study of the ancient wisdom and tools of Yoga with fun, folly and ridiculousness. Experiencing yoga with the heart of a laughing Buddha. Having fun with the process and not taking it all too seriously!

And so, the last word goes to pleasure seeking Pooh:

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called...  ~ A.A. Milne

Belinda's Banter

Funny, Sunny Yoga

People come to yoga for relaxation, stretching, to help with recovery from an injury or a variety of other reasons. My students for one weekly class come because it is fun. Yes, you guessed it – I am talking about my children’s yoga classes.

We move, cartwheel, skip, roll around, stretch and dance. We talk, laugh, chant, sing, roar and growl. We bark in down dog and mew and hiss in cat pose. Some traditional yoga asanas are in the mix along with other activities which explore our bodies, minds and imaginations. At the end of the class the students all take cushions and blankets and set themselves up for relaxation, their favorite part of the class. (Something they have in common with many of my grown up students!)

Although these classes are all about having fun the teachings of yoga come through, bringing wisdom as well as joy to both myself and my students. I have learnt from them to not take life too seriously, that it is okay to have fun along the way and that if all else fails a good laugh always makes you feel better.

So next time you find yourself challenged by a difficult asana, let your inner child out and have a bit of fun with it. Laugh if you fall out of a balance and smile if you find your face is strained in trikonasana. Not only will yoga be more fun and your heart lighter but you will make it look easy, even if it isn’t!

Love and much laughter,

Belinda xxx

And one more thing...

Yoga for Wine Lovers

We are hoping to do a live demonstration of this cute animation at our end of year get together...

Maybe you will help us in our attempt? Thanks to Lynda for sending this one in.  Hope you like it!

Click on the picture to view the You Tube video.

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