Lizzie for Free : a yogi's blog
The Free State of LizArchive for indaba yoga studio
Day 14, Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
“Ciao Bella!”
The voice and accent is unmistakably Claudia’s as she enters the studio with laughter that is contagious and ongoing throughout the class; unusual for an Iyengar teacher to say the least. She’s personable, charismatic and funny, but can she teach?
I’ve been to countless classes with Claudia, and I always take away something new. She is precise with her instruction, and while not always easy to follow, sometimes even chaotic, this is in part because Claudia is so tuned in to the students; she is like an eagle constantly reassessing her flight to keep everyone on track. She often uses the students to keep things going, both in demonstrating postural alignment dos and don’ts, and in working together (“Help each other, help each other!”).
Claudia gives all of herself to the students who seem to not only have fun in her class, but to learn a lot along the way. From time to time Claudia shares great, important insights into the Iyengar method of yoga; if only she would repeat these and slow down her speech so the words would be heard and remembered..
Tomorrow I’m going Yin with Norman Blair, who is holding an afternoon workshop at Indaba- a great way to finish week two and begin week three of the challenge. Insights and next week’s schedule coming tomorrow, including visits to a few studios I’ve been dodging the bullet on. Time to own up and really get out of my comfort zone!
Day 13, Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
My practice schedule changed today as I was unable to attend Elinore Burke’s Astanga class at the Life Centre, Notting Hill. I did make it to Bridget Stacey Luff’s class at Indaba Yoga Studio where she has been covering Leila Sadahee’s 1:30-3pm class for several weeks.
A small, mixed-level class, Stacey introduced the theme of Saraswati, the goddess of Flow (and knowledge, arts, music, science and technology). She suggested we use the breath to keep flowing throughout the class, and offered us a lovely flowing asana sequence based on her theme.
To accomodate the range of student’s abilities, Stacey gave the class lots of variations and options to increase or decrease the class’ challenge, and we practiced a variety postures such as vrksasana, parsvabakasana, parivtti utkatasana and parivritta hasta padangusthasana.
During savasana Stacey chanted the Anusara invocation, and i was convinced there was an angel in the room. She has an A M A Z I N G voice.
Tomorrow I hope you can join join me for Claudia Dossena’s class at Indaba from 11:15-1:15pm. Happy Friday the Magic 13th!
Day 10, Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
It was great to get in an Iyengar class in today at Indaba Yoga Studio. Located around the corner from Marylebone Station, the studios are spacious, the staff easygoing and gregarious. The space is modern and warm, and where it lacks any blatant spiritual images or objects, the teachers and students more than compensate – there is a quality about the people who work and practice here that is genuinely unifying.
My class with Nita Shah at 4-5:30pm was a great general Iyengar class. Nita has a calm presence, at the same time knows how to use her voice to get everyone working. She gave very clear instruction, offered options for those more advanced and more beginner, and was patient, repeating herself as many times as necessary until everyone was listening. We did a few partner exercises that got the group interacting, and she engaged us by posing questions and welcoming comments. What’s more is that she knew the names of all of the students.
Tomorrow I’m off to Triyoga in Primrose Hill for Lara Gate-Eastley’s class, 2-3:30pm. If you’re there, come say hello!
Week Two Schedule, Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
The plan for this week is:
MONDAY: 12:30-2pm Anoushka Boone, the Life Centre, Notting Hill
TUESDAY: 4-5:30pm Nita Shah, Indaba Yoga Studio, Marylebone
WEDNESDAY: 2-3:30pm Laura Gate-Eastley, Triyoga, Primrose Hill
THURSDAY: 11:45-1:45 Richard Agar-Ward, Iyengar Institute, Maida Vale
FRIDAY: 12:30-2pm Elinor Burke, the Life Centre, Notting Hill
SATURDAY: 11:15-1:15pm Claudia Dossena, Indaba Yoga Studio, Marylebone
I would love to practice with you!
Day 6, Lizzie’s 30 Day Yoga Challenge
This afternoon I attended the Hot Power Hour at Indaba Yoga Studios with Hortense Suleyman from 12:30-1:30pm. While initially apprehensive about the class (namely because I’ve never been a fan of hot classes), the room wasn’t uncomfortably hot and Hortense had a nice smile and charismatic energy about her paired with a ‘no-nonsense’ attitude. She seemed to know the names of many of the students and was quick to offer words of encouragement.
Combining an interesting mix of sequencing from Dharma Mittra to pilates, we were challenged with things like vrksasana and pinchamayurasana, prasarita padottanasana into tripod headstand, and had an option to do a full wheel. There was even time for a few seated postures and twists. Hortense also played a nice combination of music that kept the class moving.
The one thing that I would have liked to have seen at the beginning was a warm up reminding the beginning students how to protect their lower back from the multiple back arches we did throughout the class from the beginning and a reinforced reminder throughout class. In lieu of an unsual seated breath exercise it perhaps would have been more useful to bring the attention to lengthening the lumbo-sacral junction while opening the upper back.
While there was no spiritual aspect brought into the class, for an hour-long fusion class Hortense struck a nice balance between asanas and ‘exercises’, and I left feeling positive and energized, and for an hour long class, maybe that’s enough!
Tomorrow, Graham Burns class from 13:45-15:30 at the Life Centre, Notting Hill.
Interlude with Lisa Sanfilippo
My friend, fellow yogini and colleague from Indaba Yoga Studio and the Life Centre, Lisa Sanfilippo, was featured in this article in the Telegraph. If you haven’t had a chance to practice handstands with her outside or on planes, then at least check out her amazing Wednesday night Bhakti Blast class with live music courtesy of Jason Kalidas at Indaba Yoga Studio in Marylebone.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/health/nivea-pure-natural/8603539/nature-art.html
Happy, heartfelt, Anusara!
Indaba Yoga Studio Opens its Doors…
It’s been a long wait, but hey, that’s why we practice…to stay present, patient, peaceful even when it appears that the London utilities sector is operating from another planet with it’s own language, concept of time, and rulebook. Om shanti.
I can say with conviction that Indaba will be open on Friday, June 17th, for it’s first open class at 4pm. Please come and gather here to practice! Bring your positive vibes to 18 Hayes Place, Marylebone NW1 6UA to see what all the buzz is about. Big, sunlit studios, gorgeous parquet floors, spacious changing rooms and a Welcome Home feel.
I experienced my first class there last evening with Mark Kan as a ‘pre-opening’, and floated home after 90 minutes of handstand-optional vinyasas, jump to bakasanas and more pinchamayurasanas than my forearms are used to. None of that mattered, of course, when the main attraction was practicing with Mark. His ethereal body flitted in and out of inversions, arm balances and full body-binds; one minute wrapping his legs around his neck, the next minute inverting from handstand straight into hanumanasana. Inspiring? Yes. Exhausting? Oddly, no. I walked out of the classroom feeling as if I’d taken a little dose of lithe-ness from Mark himself.
Mark will be teaching at Indaba three times a week, with a whole slew of very talented, diverse, and wise teachers. Check out the schedule here>
Coincidentally, Ellen Walsh Moorman, the woman navigating the London utilities sector and dodging many other bullets with her Virabhadrasana – Princess cuffs (think, warrior princess meets wonderwoman) was on BBC London radio with Joanne Good this evening.
Hope to see you on the mat soon!
