Yoga with Mark in Corfe Mullen

Mark Allcock is starting a new yoga class in Corfe Mullen in the New Year. The class will be on Thursday mornings from 10:30 to 12 noon at St Nicholas' and starts on 14th January 2010.

Yoga for the winter solstice

For those of you who like to honour the change of season in your yoga practice there are some suggestions for yoga practice at the winter solstice on the website. In the classes this week we are telling the nativity story with yoga poses. (The postures included vary slightly each year but the basic sequence is given on the website.)

Why do yoga?

I started to write a piece about reasons for practicing yoga and the benefits associated with yoga. But it got a little large for a post! So I've put it on the website. Here are the opening few lines. It they tempt you to read further please click on the link above or at the end of the extract to read the full article.

"Improved flexibility, increased strength, relaxation, stress-relief, improved health and increased feelings of well-being.

These benefits, which occur when we practice of yoga, are well known and are some of the reasons many people practice hatha (pronounced hat – ha) yoga (bodywork, breath work and relaxation). Less well known or spoken about are attributes which have come to be important in my own practice – self-knowledge or self-understanding, personal integration and a move to wholeness.

The word yoga is a Sanskrit word commonly translated as union although I prefer to use wholeness or integration..."

Read the complete article Why Do Yoga?

Ustrasana - the camel

It's been a little while since I've looked at ustrasana (camel pose) in my practice and when I have practiced it I have been keeping my arms overhead to shift the focus away from trying to reach the heels and to keep space in the body.

Today as I practiced it dawned on me that maybe, rather like the sage pointing his finger to the moon, the yogis were bringing their hands to their feet to draw attention to the foot and it's importance to the action (the fool only sees the finger or in this case the hands on the heels!).

Using the feet as in the standing poses and bringing the back of the head back brought me into a very happy camel (although the toenails were not so happy at finding themselves pressed so strongly into the floor) and the hands found the feet effortlessly.

Introduction to yoga courses for beginners

I am starting two "Introduction to Yoga Courses" in January 2010. One will run for 6 Thursday evenings between 18:30 and 19:30 starting on 14th January and the second will be run over 2 Saturday mornings (9th and 16th January). The cost for either course is £30. Both courses will take place at Poole Yogashala and will be restricted to a maximum of 8 persons.  Full details and course outline are on the website.