Newsletter April 2017

Have you felt the effect of the spring energy lifting your spirits? You can see the effect on the animal and plant kingdoms as they wake up and start growing or scuttling about. With this energy I get too many ‘good ideas’, my mind gets busy and I just end up dead tired. It’s good to remember at this time the real meaning of yoga: to quieten the fluctuations of the mind so that one can rest in peace. It is up to us how we spend this light spring energy, we can choose to help others or help it on self-aggrandisement. Only the selfless thoughts will bring peace. We won’t find lasting happiness in the material world.

‘Dead Tired’ = dead or cut off. We tire mostly from head stuff or activity in mind. When our energies are streamed or channelled by our daily practice our mind returns to its natural state of balance and harmony. This is by no way a selfish act as we then have the energy and desire to serve our fellows. We only suffer in mind. We are some of the fortunate few who know how to allow our minds to ‘shut up’!

One student gave me a philosophy book and the best bit was written on the inside cover; “We create our own world, we suffer from ourselves.”

So how valuable is your daily practice?

Teachers, if you are Awake your whole class can change; it only takes one person and the atmosphere changes. The biggest present you can give anybody is to give them attention. It’s like my bees. If I had an angry hive (high pitched buzz) and picked out the queen bee and replaced her with a friendly queen (low sounding buzz) within hours the whole hive would be friendly. Bees are the perfect community and work as one. Once in 24 hours every bee will need to touch their queen. I learnt a lot from my bees!

Homework

Please read Patanjali’s 1st Sutra (it contains all the others)

Practice your standing postures with intermittent forward bends. Keep your feet firmly on the ground and strengthen your legs.

The April weekend at Asthall Manor was a great success and many thanks to Sabash for his illuminating and practical talk on Anatomy and Physiology, it was much enjoyed. Well done Mandy Ellesmere and Tanya Hawkes who both passed their assessments with conditions. We all receive feedback after assessments with points that are strong and points that need strengthening. Please, if you are ready to take your assessment let us know so that we can prepare your paperwork and arrange for an assessor in advance.

I am happy to tell you that the next weekend will be held at Lane House Farm on 20th and 21st May. The yoga will be in the New Beaconsfield Hall in Shipton under Wychwood (OX7 6BQ) – a spacious practice hall with underfloor heating. There will be a warm welcome for you at 10.00 am. Talks, pranayama meditation and most meals will be in Lane House Farm. Let us know if you would like to stay the night.