on the move...

It is time for a change. My feet have been itchy for roughly four years... I needed a place I could still have a  pilates studio and where Beatrice is free to wander (i.e. do you take dogs?). Such a place has been located and secured. An old warehouse conversion, The Gourock Ropeworks in Port Glasgow. Great location for clients as it's straight off the main road and only four miles away from here. Great location for us as four floors up and uninterrupted views of the Clyde. Five massive windows in the main room or the great hall as I shall be calling it so very light and bright. A state of the art kitchen with a built in coffee maker in the wall (who knew such things existed). An open plan ensuite bathroom in the main bedroom so one can enjoy the views as one bathes (four floors up guys, no overlooking neighbours). And because it is in Port Glasgow, an area considered undesirable we can afford to live there. Twenty- five mins on the fast train to Glasgow central station, a swimming pool at the end of the street and the worlds biggest tesco a hop skip and jump away. Brillso thrillso. The port is the new south side. You heard it here first. Come and join us and get more for your money.

the great hall

Ps Yoga weekend guys, we will have a choice of two locations that weekend...

I have been remiss

Sorry to have been missing in inaction for so long. I have been busy trying to write my novel and when I need a break from writing it I design covers for it instead. Here is one I did yesterday. I hope to be back on form soon.

Day three. Done!

So far so good. Almost! Yesterday I had sixteen portions of fruit and veg but there was a slight hiccup. There is an indian themed evening at my house. V or Father India as he likes to be called is making two different curries  for his family gathering. My job is to make these lovely mango cheesecakes. I decided to do it yesterday to keep out of father India's way in the kitchen today (not pleasant, he's not an even tempered cook).
I set about in the afternoon and before I knew it I had eaten two of the gingersnaps that I was using for the base of the cheesecakes. Oh no! On the bright side though I am still alive and nothing bad happened.
I like a detox as much as the next pilates teacher but try not to take it too seriously. I'm not a masochist.
Also yesterday I noticed my skin was looking better and my eyes are more like Beatrice's (the dog). Thats a good sign, bright, shiny eyes.
You may have noticed I'm not recording weight loss. I dont believe in scales. It can become obsessive. Unless you have an obesity issue I'd steer clear. Topshop jeans can tell you all you need to know and if mine aren't hanging off me by this time next week I'll be raging. Actually I wont because I am really enjoying all this juicing and can feel my energy coming back. Also had a great workout this morning and felt really strong. Onwards...

Day Two. Done!

an interesting way to up your veggies

Day two is done without much in the way of fuss or pain. There was a major stumbling block however. As this was a spur of the moment decision I was ill-prepared and ran out of fruit and veg by two o'clock. I had juiced everything juicable.
All that was left in the house was a bag of frozen broccoli and some tinned tomatoes so I made soup. I was disappointed but philosophical. If not fantastically nutritious at least fantastically fibrous.
After work last night I found myself in the fruit and veg isle in tesco. You cannot buy avocados after half nine it seems. So I have had to deviate slightly from jason's recipes this morning. Pineapple, apple Lime and blueberries. Later melon, lemon and cucumber. I had a slight hungover feeling when I woke but it's gone after drinking the juice. Excellent. Back on track.

Day One, Done!

not me! Jason Vale 

Started the juicing yesterday. Had three juices plus a salad throughout the course of the day. This was the equivalent to sixteen portions of fruit and veg. The idea is to flood your cells with easily absorbed nutrients which helps reduce the horrid detox symptoms you might expect. The only symptom was an almost headache in the afternoon but I skipped around it with water and a quick rebound (did you know that according to nasa rebounding is the most effective form of exercise there is- all to do with the push and pull of gravity and the effect that has on every cell in the body)

Results after one day are happily noticeable. Flatter stomach and increased energy this morning. I used Jason Vale's (also known as the juicemaster) super juice recipe.
2 apples
half a lime (peeled)
quarter a medium pineapple
quarter a ripe avocado
You are also meant to add a teaspoon of spirulina and a shot of wheatgrass (I never had any in as it was a spur of the moment decision). So far so good.
ps. dont try and juice the avocado, you need to blend it into your juice at the end with a few ice cubes. It's nice. I promise.

Lose 7lbs in 7days

It's not even one o'clock and already I have had ten portions of fruit!

I cannot tell a lie. It has been a heavy few weeks. Lots of socialising, parties etc. It all came to head this weekend when I attended two parties in one day. That means two buffets in one day! And two (too many) glasses of wine!

I actually felt nailed to the floor in this morning's yoga practice. Either gravity has got heavier or I have! Plus a few too many toxins kicking about.

Time for the big guns. In times of need I call upon Jason vale and his juicing detox. It has worked a treat in the past. All you have to do is have juice instead of solids for seven days and hey presto, you lose weight, your eyes, skin and hair shine and you feel strangely holy and blessed.

So far I have had two juices, loads of water, yoga and rebounding. I use the recipes from 7lbs in 7days, you can get it as an app for your iphone or buy the book. If you stick to the plan you can't go wrong.  I am planning on three full days then my own modified version. Will let you know results.

A quick word from Joe

"We retire too early and we die too young, our prime of life should be in the 70's and old age should not come until we are almost 100."

Joe Pilates was a true force of nature. Outrageous, eccentric and brilliant.

"Were man to devote as much time and energy to himself as he has devoted to that which man has produced, what astounding and almost unbelievable progress would be made; a progress eclipsing all he has so far successfully accomplished, miraculous as that is! Just think it over my friends"

toe sox for people with scared feet.

There was loads of controversy and hulabaloo when these adverts for toe sox came out because naked sexiness was being used to adverise a yoga product. I didn't realise you were meant to be celibate and prudish to practice yoga. I've seen the male athletic form used in loads of advertisments for sports gear. And the poses aren't exactly passive. And check out her muscle definition. I think these are fantastic images. However I do have one PROBLEM. Toe sox are good for yogi's and pilates students with slippy or scared feet (that means you are scared of having bare feet in a room where others have trodden with bare feet. Quite a scottish phenomenon). They've got tiny little grips on the sole but still allow full freedom of movement through the toes. None of the actual photos show the model using the socks for the purpose they were designed! She doesn't seem the type to suffer from scared feet either. They seem to simply be keeping her warm...(unless she just doesn't like people looking at her feet- but something tells me that's not the case!)

I want to come back as a dog

We all think our pets are special. Some of us have been accused of projecting personalities and feelings onto our animals that they simply don't have (not guilty!?)
In hinduism it is believed that gods are the messenger of Yama, the god of death and that dogs guard the doors to heaven.
In Zoroastrianism the dog's gaze is seen as purifying and able to ward off demons. Have you ever stared into the empathetic eyes of a dog when you've been ill (or hungover?). It will heal you.
The bridge to heaven is also said to be guarded by dogs.
This all makes perfect sense to me. I have Beatrice, the living proof. look...

look into my eyes

The Front Cover of My First Novel!

It has long been an ambition of mine to write a novel. I have started two in the past but got no further than the first few chapters. I never had a clear idea of what I was writing about and the structure was poor.
 I did manage to write a complete screenplay. It was called 'You're Dead'. The story of a young boy who along with the help of his sister fakes his own death. People love you more when your dead. The scenario is so convincing that in the end he is faced with the dilemma of whether he can actually come back or will he have to die for real...

I managed to get people who wanted to turn it into a movie but unfortunately they never managed to raise the funds to make it. You need a shed load of moola to make a film.
So why not have a crack at a novel? Books are much cheaper and if no-one wants to print it for you, you can always self-publish, stick it on amazon, force all your friends and family to buy it, make them write rave reviews and voila! before you know it you've got a bestseller (it really is that easy, isn't it?)
The photo above was taken at The Cannes Film Festival in 1962, where half of the novel is set.
I've only written the first paragraph but already have the cover. I call that forward planning.
There are three characters in that image. Can you guess which one is the protagonist? Here is a clue.

How Long Will You Live For?

When this question is asked in Kabuki Theatre the answered is signified by a hand clap.
Meaning, that you are only alive at that precise moment.
It is what you are doing at this actual point in time that counts.
The past is gone.
The future hasn't happened.
Your time is NOW.

Live it well.

The Smiles Returning To The Faces

For most of June it has been like living in Middle Earth (Not the Shire but the Mordor bit). I think we can safely say the Scottish weather has been bloody awful.
But not this morning, look...

it seems like years since it's been here

see that bright thing that is called the sun!

I hope to bring you more photographic evidence over the coming weeks that Scotland does indeed have a summer. We can finally perform our sun salutations with a sense of purpose. That little ray of light makes a big difference to the quality of your jumpbacks (spesh when you listen to a nice mix of' here comes the sun'). Thank you sun. I salute you in all your glory!

Practicing Yoga in The Take That Mosh Pit.

Meet Om. He is the giant robotic man who is taking centre stage on the Take That Progress tour.

I have been trying to find out why he is called that but can't so have made up my own explanation.
If you've never tried to get to the front of the stage at a Take That gig then let me explain.

There are women down there (not young) who have been waiting since the last tour (two years) for TT to grace Hampden again. They will have been standing outside waiting for the gates to open since eight o'clock that morning. They will have a plan. They will know exactly where to stand for the best view (as they will have used youtube for research- B stage, if you're wondering). They want to be close enough to smell Gary's aftershave.
Two words; Nae Messing
This is not like the pit at a rock gig where it's every man for themselves. There are unwritten rules. God help you if you dare get in front of one of them.
My friends and I were there last Thursday. We were a bit late into the fray ( lavvy and bar queues-nightmare!). Before we knew it though we were in the eye of the storm drawn like moths to a flame by the magnificent sight of Howard swaying to 'patience.'
I could feel myself getting punched in the back but let it slide as I thought it was just a bit of the usual argy bargy but the punching continued. It was like sitting on an aeroplane with an angry toddler kicking the back of your seat.
I turned around to see an enraged face, bad highlights and too much fake tan. First instinct,
"Eh, sorry doll, didnae realise you'd marked out yer territory with Buckfast"
But knowing in my heart of hearts that would only lead to getting my head kicked in (Oh god the shame, what if Howard saw?) I looked up at Big Om and thought yogic thoughts.
'Namaste', I said (not out loud)
I made myself recognise that she had a soul. I let the divinity in me bow to the divinity in her. After all we were both there for the same reason our love of the mighty Take That...

So yes Om, a symbol to keep us calm and as one in the midst of battle. Or if yoga's not your thing. They could just as easily have called him Jesus...

Glasgow Yogathon?

This is how they welcomed the summer solstice in New York City's Times Square.
I think we should do the same in George Square for the autumn equinox.
can you imagine?

The Hip little Lama

I came across this guy via Michelle Myre's Devil Wears Prana blog.
We are all fighting for our own space but what about other people?
I love this because he expresses the Buddhist message of COMPASSION in a very relevant and western way. It's just over two and a half minutes long. Tenzin Gyatso would be proud.
take a break from the madness and treat yourself

108 sun salutations. No wrist pain!

I have been planning my summer solstice sun salutations for a few weeks now.

The plan:
Paper and pen to tick off every nine salutations (so as not to lose count)
Nine times salutation A then nine times B, repeat till finish
Soundtrack, first half hour mellow; Anthony, Rufus, Leonard building up to a bit of Aretha, Amy and Etta then The Cast of Glee for when the going gets tough. Finally cooling down with Gaga at the piano and a bit of Nanci Griffith.

Most important of all. Wrist supports.

I have been having a spot of bother with my wrists. I think it's down to poor technique on jump backs to chaturanga and the fact that they are really puny and aren't developing their yoga muscles as fast as the rest of me.
I spent a good deal of time scouring the internet looking for a solution. I found some gloves called WAGs (wrist assured gloves) then was disappointed as no UK supplier (these would be perfect for body weight bearing exercises on the reformer too- maybe I should supply them?)
I found some supports called tiger paws which got some great reviews on you tube but same story. No UK supplier.
Eventually I found theses beauties.
Allow me to introduce the 'Panda Paw'

These are perfect. They support the outside of the wrist preventing hyper extension and the palm is pretty much free to allow you to really extend and spread the fingers in downward dog. I wouldn't use these during a normal practice as I want to build more strength into my wrists but they are ideal if you know you are going to be spending a lot of time on your hands or perfecting your arm balances. As they are not sold in any yoga online stores I am assuming they are frowned upon and not for the pure in yoga heart.
But if you feel wrist pain is holding you back I recommend them just don't use them all the time, you still need to bear weight to make gains.
I got mine from www.gymnasticexpress.co.uk for the very reasonable price of £20.95 (all the american gloves were three times that price, before postage)

So that was me. Sorted. Everything in place for the 4:31am (dawn) alarm and my 108 sun salutations. Fail to plan, plan to fail etc.
So yesterday I thought I'll save my arm muscles for today and instead of doing yoga I'll do an hour on my rebounder (mini trampoline). I'm not sure exactly when it happened (maybe during the kicks to don't stop believing?) but something in my left sacro illiac joint went into spasm and slowly but surely throughout the day siezed up. This resulted in me not only being unable to perform the 108 salutations but unable to actually bend forward.
There are some things you can plan for and some you cant.
Anyway how long until the autumn equinox?

F**k It

The Barefoot Doctor in his foreword to' F**K it' writes,

"The keys to liberation are universal and essentially simple; disengage from all the stories you've been telling yourself about life and who you are or should be as you negotiate your way through, and all at once you know yourself as divine, all-powerful, unstoppable and magnificent, as any divine, all-powerful, unstoppable being would"

Read it over a few times and it kind of starts to make sense.

The basic premise of this book is STOP CARING SO MUCH!!!

Or as buddhists would say, practice non-attachment. (it's all samsara to me...)

This book is a a light hearted take on a powerful message (perfect for the western mind.)

Get all the good bits of Eastern philosophy that you can't be bothered to read about, study, meditate on etc and package it neatly into two well known words that we've probably all said a hundred thousand times and voila!

It's quite clever really. I think the idea is that you stop caring about things that don't matter before you realise you never really gave a shizzle about them in the first place.

Or...it's all small stuff!

You are doing okay, you are perfect as you are, right here, right now (just imagine that was true... well it is , lucky you!)

I like this book.

If you feel in any way burdened, unsatisfied and bogged down then this little book and those two little words could be your first step in feeling a big bit better.

I know this post is probably a bit rushed and a bit simplified but as the book says, f**k it!

The Sweary Yogi

I stole this from yoga dawgs blog. Click on the link it is very, very funny.

The last scene is the best!


http://yogadawg.blogspot.com/2011/05/yoga-makes-me-calm.html

First thing you MUST do (apart from yoga) to look and feel younger.

I am obsessed with sleep. This obsession started when I was a personal trainer in London. I would have morning clients at six thirty then work on and off throughout the day in various locations usually till nine at night. For two years I never felt quite right. There wasn't time to get a full nights sleep in. I would plan sleep breaks around my schedule. I avoided mirrors (difficult in a gym) as I looked hacket-very scottish word meaning done in. If I couldn't get home for an afternoon nap then I would book out a sunbed in the gym for twenty minutes and get inside it fully clothed (if you do this remember not to turn it on-bad).

It was my plan yesterday to blog about ways to stay young but I am afraid my sleep obsession took over. I had my two morning classes, sat down with my computer then realised I was absolutely shattered (had not slept well the night before) so instead went back to bed for two hours of quality Z's.

Which brings me nicely back to an excellent way of staying young.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP!!!

If you choose to do just one thing that will help you age well this should be it.

It is a known fact that the lack of sleep accelerates the aging process and we should strive for 7-8 hours a night.
Sleeping gives our bodies the chance to recover and repair but most importantly this is when we produce

forever young

HGH, human growth hormone.
Too little HGH as an adult leads to, excess body fat, muscle atrophy, osteoporosis and thinner, wrinkle -prone skin. Let me repeat that loudly.
TOO LITTLE HGH LEADS TO EXCESS BODY FAT, MUSCLE ATROPHY, OSTEOPOROSIS AND WRINKLES!
Yikes.
So in a nutshell, get plenty of kip (8 hours max) and you will be slimmer, leaner,smoother and wont have to avoid the mirrors in the studio.
ps, Maybe even richer? We don't need Clarins when our body knows what to do for itself.

You think you are old but you're not!

Every now and then we are reminded that we are getting older. This can sometimes strike like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. A surprise slap in the face when you least expect it.

One of those times for me recently was when V and I went to see  Lloyd Cole playing. The last time I saw Lloyd Cole was at the Barrowland Ballroom. Sometime in the eighties. I was sixteen.

As I looked around his balding following that had gathered in the Fruitmarket I thought,
"Crikey, this is an old crowd"
Then it dawned on me with a sickening lurch. I was part of it! I was part of that 'old' crowd.

I sat down in my chair as they had kindly provided seating (probably to take the weight off our ageing joints).

Lloyd came on looking more like Kenny Rodgers than the young idealist. I was crestfallen. I felt ancient. I could feel myself being pulled down into a black hole of depression.

Then the music started.

Everything changed.

The faces of the two women sitting in front of me lit up with a look of pure unrequited love, an expression I recognised immediately from the girl's faces in The Barrowland all those years ago.
Slowly we began to sway gently in our seats singing quietly along. We may not have been pressed up against the railings screaming the lyrics at the top of our voices like the old days (there was no railings, we were able to hold ourselves back) but we still knew the words.

Yes Lloyd we are here and we're still ready to be heartbroken.

After the encore Lloyd announced he would be signing photos and copies of his new cd at the table up the back. We were invited to form an orderly queue. I didn't need to be told twice. I was out my seat before V had even registered what had been said,
"keep up man, keep up"
Made it to the back, second in the queue (even though was seated near the front). get in!
A couple of test shots with the camera just to make sure it was still working...and...

I may not be sixteen anymore on the outside but there's still part of me that will always be sixteen on the inside.

Your spirit is your spirit. Your soul is your soul.

Right am away to listen to 'Rattlesnakes' and dance.
Are you coming?

Tomorrows blog is 'Five ways to stay young'...

Radical Detox

Beatrice has been on a radical detox.
If you don't know Beatrice, here she is.

don't tell V I was on the sofa

About six weeks ago she was violently sick (exorcist sick). Unusual for her as she is known for her iron like constitution and ability to digest the indigestable.

The sickness stopped but her appetite did not return. Unusual again as she is known for her insatiable hunger.

A trip to the vet revealed a foreign object was stuck in her intestine. She needed to be cut open and have it removed or die. (sorry to be so dramatic but that is how it happened)

The vet said there was a possibility she may not make it but this was her best chance. Beatrice gave me a sad sorry look as she was carried away to the operating theatre (goodbye my dear mama- goodbye my beloved half-pug).

The call to prayer was put out over face book. Malas were clutched, candles were lit, rosary beads were rotated. Scotland was on it's knees.

I sobbed and waited for the phone to ring.

Good news. She was alive! A large piece of red rubber had been removed (part of an 'indestructible' kong) and her intestine was healing nicely. A further phone call to the nurse in the evening revealed that she was making a 'remarkable recovery' and was having a spot of dinner!

She came home the next afternoon (not on the bus by herself- I went and got her)

working the gaga look.

She was put on a special recovery diet for a week and as soon as the collar was off she was pretty much back to normal.

After having had the equivalent of a months worth of colonic irrigation I thought I'd put her on a high end (crap free) dog food. Her system was as pure as a puppy's so why not keep it that way.

She was five this week but it's as if she has revisited her puppyhood. She is springing about all over the place like a little lamb. Her radical detox has given her an amazing new lust for life. Good nutrition in a pure system is a powerful medicine.

They say dogs are like their owners or is it the other way around? Anyway I am envious of Bea's incredible energy. My five day radical detox starts today. Not sure about the colonic part though (I haven't eaten any plastic recently...)

My Left Hip

I really really needed my left hip to open. Having a tight left hip has been holding me back, stagnating my life, putting up barriers, a massive red light.
Why?
If I have a tight left hip I cant do full lotus.
If I cant do full lotus then how can I possibly have the brass neck to enrol on yoga teacher training. The shame!

Gravity to the rescue. I call this the hip hang.

Half lotus on the left side and hang there (bandhas on) for as long as you like. The longer the better. Come up nice and slow and lift your foot out.

Depending on the severity of your situation you may need to do this from anything from days to months to years. Every body responds differently.

I've been doing it on and off for  about two months and Joy! This week I got into full lotus (I'm not saying it was comfortable mind).

Does this mean I can allow myself to sign up for teacher training or should I wait until I've mastered this?...

Let Glasgwegians Flourish

One of the most beautiful places in Glasgow is the Botanic Gardens.

One of the most beautiful ways of moving is Tai Chi.

Combine them and this is what happens...

And yes that is Aileen from the wednesday lunchtime class!

If you would like to join in, class runs from 11:00 am till 1:00pm. Bring a lunch to share afterwards. Full details are here.
And for you lovely southsiders there are open air classes in Pollock Park too.

NEW! Maths For Yogis

I was helping V's daughter with her maths revision at the weekend (when I say 'helping' I mean showing her the wrong way to do it, so she could learn from my mistakes)

As her father shook his head and took yet another sharp intake of breath at my answer I came up with an idea. Maths for yogis!

Here are some questions. (answers at the bottom)

1:  After a hectic week at work Holly enjoys three large (Hendricks) gins  but finds her Saturday morning vinyasa class suffers as a result. What percentage could Holly improve her performance if:

a: She didn't have any gin at all?
b: Instead of having gin she drank three large glasses of water?

2: Pat is partial to a cheeseburger and eats two en route to his yoga retreat (fear of a meatless weekend). During some of the  detoxifying twists Pat experiences a terrible feeling of nausea. What percentage could Pat decrease his nausea if:

a: He abstained from cheeseburgers?
b: He had ordered two fresh detoxifying juices with extra milk thistle instead?

easy on the milk thistle fella

The answers to the a's are 50%. The answers to the b's are 100%

This is obviously a very simplified equation (I only made O grade Maths!)

We may not be striving for perfection but we all have bad habits that we would like to be free of.

Personally I don't believe in giving things up. I find replacing things a far better strategy that way there is no nagging void to fill. One little behaviour change can make a 100% difference to how you are feeling.

Simple. Yes.

Easy. Yes.

Will I ever be a mathematician? No.

Fierce Medicine

A month ago by chance I came across this video of Ana Forrest and was quite frankly in awe!

Who was she? And more to the point why had I never heard of her before?

I was straight onto google and found out that,

1. Ana is the founder of Forrest yoga. This could be a reason why I had not heard of her, a term I was unfamiliar with and if I'm honest found it a bit off putting as it conjured up images of hippies in a wood. (now I know what it means though I am at peace with it!)
2. Not only is she a master yoga practitioner and teacher she is also a world renowned healer and Native American medicine woman.
3. She has helped people overcome addictive behaviours, eating disorders and drug and alcohol abuse.
4. She herself has suffered from alcohol dependency (from age 4) drug abuse and bulimia.
5. She has helped people heal from physical and sexual abuse.
6. As a child she was physically and sexually abused
7. She has helped people recover from chronic pain and injury.
8. She was "born crippled, a funny looking kid, my feet and the left side of my body all twisted." She carried that pain throughout her childhood and early adulthood.
9. She has healed herself through truth, spirit and yoga.
10. She is 54
11. If you have $4000, a neti pot and a ticket to LA in July you can do Ana's Four week intensive teacher training.
12. If you don't have $4000 you can buy Ana's book 'Fierce Medicine' from amazon. It takes about two weeks to get to the UK.
13. If you can't wait two weeks you can get it on ibooks for £9.99
14. You could maybe borrow my copy if you promise to give it back.

On second thoughts, maybe not. I need it. It is amazing and I am reading it really, really slowly to take it all in and make it last.

"Most of us are looking for the same thing: not just healing but a connection to something greater than ourselves. I call it spirit"

Ana T Forrest

21 Things to Know Before Starting an Ashtanga Yoga Practice

The Amazing Mr Swenson

 Ashtanga yoga can seem like quite an intimidating practice (look to your left).
Most of the books and DVDs available illustrate the full primary series or even scarier the intermediate.

Ashtanga is my yoga of choice as I love the flowing dynamic sequencing.

 It is hard for me to get to a class though so I started to teach myself primary series through a Richard Freeman iphone app ( It say's intro on the marketing, not the word I would use for handstands Ritchie!) I used this along with David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga Practice manual.

Of course it was only a matter of weeks until I was injured! Yoga butt they call it (not the high, tight kind but the damaged ligament kind).

I realised I didn't really have a clue what I was doing. i.e. How often was I meant to practice and for how long?

I scoured the internet for advice and came across Claudia's blog, Earth Yogi. A diary of one woman's own ashtanga practice and personal experience. As well as reviews on the best books and DVDs available.

I remember thinking what a brilliant resource and inspiration it was for anybody wishing to start an ashtanga practice and that she should write a book.

Well she has and here it is.

For me Claudia's advice and own yoga journey turn ashtanga from an elusive practice obtainable only by the yoga gods that are Swenson and Freeman into an achievable, every person can do this and benefit from it immensely lifestyle choice.

It is written in the style of her blog as a conversation rather than a formal lecture and is packed full of insights and benefits. She writes from the perspective of a beginner (even though she has been practicing for several years- in ashtanga philosophy you are a beginner for years- yes even if you can do crow pose!)

Claudia demystifies ashtanga and makes the impossible seem possible. The book is a celebration of all things ashtanga and the myriad benefits a dedicated and meaningful practice can bring into your life.

The book is available through amazon (soon to be released on kindle- easier for us in the UK). However if you cant wait that long and really, really want a copy now go to Claudia's blog, go to the book page, send her an email and the Earth Yogi herself will send you a PDF copy for free.

What are you waiting for, in the word's of K Pattabhi Jois, 'Do your practice and all is coming'.

Read Claudia's book and you'll start to understand what that really means.

How Madonna Changed Pilates

You can say what you like about Madonna (and most do) but there is no denying that in her fifties she has the strength, tone, flexibility and endurance of a twenty something athlete.

I remember a phone call roughly ten years ago with my trainer friend James D'Silva.

James: Guess who I'm training?

Me: Don't know, give me a clue.

James: The most famous woman in the world.

Me: The Queen, you're training the queen!

I was wrong! (it had been a long day, I wasn't thinking straight). It wasn't her Majesty but it was her 'Madgesty'.

 Or M as James now refers to her.

M leaving J's

James and I didn't see much of each other (he is the hardest working trainer in London, if you want a catch up, go to class!) but there was the odd phone call.

James: She's my worst client and my best client.

Me: How so?

James: Worst because she's so busy. Her schedule can change at any time so I'm always having to change her about.

(bearing in mind that she was booked in for two hour sessions five times a week this can be tricky, spesh when you have a lot of high profile clients on your books.)

Best, because she is so demanding. It's a case of having to constantly evolve the repertoire to keep her challenged.

One day I went down to his studio and saw a machine that I did not recognise. It was like a much larger reformer with the scaffolding of a cadillac on top. James told me this was M's machine.

Madonna was such an advanced Pilates student that a new machine and repertoire had to be created to accommodate her level of fitness, strength and competence. This was a prototype, the first of it's kind. The machine has since been finalised and named The Garuda (after the asian bird god)

Time passed. I moved to Scotland. M moved to TA(?!) and J opened another studio. 

Garuda Pilates.

 It is just up the stairs from his original Pilates studio.

James's flyer

The new machine has a split carriage, a chair, hanging straps, climbing frame, adjustable pulleys (work from above or below). It combines every bit of kit you can get but better.

The repertoire of moves James has invented are nothing like what you will have done in your classical or Stott repertoire. He has moved Pilates into a new era. Gone is the rigidity of a neutral or imprinted spine to make way for a much more dynamic, free flowing, organic way of moving and you have to try the Garuda lunge to understand what accessing your glutes really means!

The Garuda is an incredible machine and just what the Pilates industry needs (dont know about you but leg circles bore me and I'm all teasered out).

James offers equipment teacher training and matwork training throughout the year. For dates and info look here

James has re-invented Pilates as we know it. With Madonna as his muse what else would you expect.

The truth about yoga

I know that the word yoga means union. I know that yoga has eight different limbs or sections and that it is not all about the asanas or poses or throwing shapes. I know that a true yogi does most of their yoga off the mat (ie. embracing the full yoga lifestyle and philosophy). I know that it can make you taller, slimmer, strengthen the nervous system and open your heart. I know that it is a very personal practice and everyone experiences it differently.

I know that yoga can fill in the gaps where we need it most. For some it provides the strength and flexibility to remain healthy and functional. For others it is time out from a chattering overactive mind. A relief, a meditation in movement. Active relaxation. A place of refuge.

What I did not know though was how the discipline of yoga can affect other aspects of life. I did not know it would become a way of keeping my body and lifestyle in check. I did not know how deeply it would make me question my physicality and health and that if I'd been eating badly that my third backbend would let me know all about it.

Yoga does not lie and you cannot lie to yoga.

You can't skip your practice and expect to move on in your asanas. You cant make clandestine deals with yoga perhaps the way you do with yourself (if I drink a bottle of wine tonight and eat all that dessert then I wont do anything unhealthy for the next two days...)

I did not know that yoga can make you confront your demons and ask questions of yourself that you may prefer to leave unanswered. I did not know that yoga could highlight your fails as much as your wins. I did not know that if I remained disciplined on the mat then that discipline would flow into other areas of my life where it was badly needed.

In a chaotic world yoga is a sure thing.

Simple.

You don't even need a mat just the ability to breathe. Where there is breath there is yoga. Where there is yoga there is truth.