Newsletter - May 2020
As long as we depend on external circumstances for happiness and security we are going to feel disappointed and hopeless. You know how we feel at the end of asana practice when you come out of Savasana (corpse posture) do you have any particular desires?
When the minds quietens down the “wanted it got it syndrome” dies down.
We only suffer in the mind.
You are one of the lucky ones who know how to bring back peace of mind. The true meaning of yoga is to quieten the mind.
There are events that widen our horizon, taking us past our usual limitations and into the unknown or in our yoga practice postures that take us out of our comfort zone and into our peripheral movements.
Welcome them, make the unknown into the known and move on again.
Use this time of isolation or space to SLOW DOWN and stop running. Just let go and relax. It’s happening all round us, we are opening to the present moment now, it’s the only movement free from the imaginings of the mind.
Use these well proven ancient yoga teachings use these to take you out of the head and into the heart.
We are delighted if you would join us at our zoom class on Saturday morning from 9am – 11am with Ruth and her daughter Karuna, please email karunawhite@yahoo.com for more information. I will answer after the pranayama, as I need to see you in person to answer the question. The answer given to one student for a painful hip or knee, would not be the same for another student with the same symptoms. The answer lies in the observation. At the last retreat I went to, I offered one to one yoga class for students with problems. No one came much until a sweet lady came in with a limp and a walking stick. She walked out of the session without a limp or a stick. Lots of students then came to see me! It does work if you we willing to be receptive and open. Not allowing old ideas to cloud our views. We all suffer from being attached to our bodies. Try to correct your body as if you are correcting someone else.
The purpose of your practice is to bring mind and body back into your natural state of harmony and balance. It’s not easy to see our own imbalances, we have developed habits have grown accustomed to things like standing on your favourite leg, turning one foot in, or tilting your head. These habits cause fatigue wear and tear. By straightening, stretching and strengthening we come back into balance and you will experience more energy, strength and greater mobility.
121 With Ruth White – a tailor made practice class for you on zoom.
Incorporating.
demonstration and explanation
asking you questions about your lifestyle
discovering your weak links
watching your postures so I can see your particular needs
compiling a personal practice
the art of relaxation
Your first session will last 60 minutes and costs £60. Please phone to book a time to suit you.
It’s important to work on our weak links, we all have them.
Do you know what they are?
It’s much easier for me to correct you, than to correct myself.
In a 121 I can see you and suggest a way of working in a posture that will be most helpful for you; where to hold back and where to strengthen so that you can apply a tailor made way to practice - in our zoom class and your personal practice. Leaving you feeling energised and calm. I see you love your yoga practice and it’s so important you practice safely and not to your detriment. By working on these habitual imbalances, we can feel focused and peaceful.
When I was a student, I saved up for a private lesson with a Sylva Mehta a senior Iyengar teacher in Maidavale. It was quiet a trek from Belsize Park, the first posture was Savasana (relaxation) and I stayed in it for the whole class! She gave me the posture I most needed.
Without hands on corrections, which is such a swift and direct way to inform the body, you could be holding on to old habits and leaving out the very corrections that you need. The habits we have held in the body for years are sometimes hard to let go of in fact we hold on to them.
On a residential at Maryvale Convent in Guildford, I videoed the class from the side and from the back so that students could see themselves working in the postures. I was really pleased with the revealing results showing students alignment. I said I would show the video after lunch.
No one turned up.
We don’t always want to show or look at our weaknesses.
You don’t have to be “good” at yoga just the reverse, it’s about exposing our weaknesses and strengthening them.
A personal class is the most enjoyable experience, there is less energy spent in performing a posture correctly then one where you struggle. You will not be overloaded with corrections. 1 or 2 corrections in each posture is enough to take on board. These corrections may need to be repeated as old habits die hard.
100% focus and 0% force
I look forward to hearing from you.
With Love
Ruth