Ask the Expert: James D'Silva

 

 We are delighted to welcome James D'Silva as our “Ask the Expert” yoga teacher for the month of August.  Please send your yoga related question to Question@agoy.co.uk (with 'Question' in the Subject line) and James will answer his choice of question at the end of the month.  The person whose question is selected will receive an agoy block and strap.

James D’Silva is a professional dancer who has taught and performed all over Europe and the USA. Pilates and Body Conditioning were always an integral part of his training routine and over the years James has added Yoga, Gyrotonic, and influences from Feldenkrais and Alexander Technique to his repertoire.

James’ philosophy is focused on form, breath, fluidity and the dynamics of movement, and believes that all exercise should be performed mindfully, as movement without awareness is wasted energy.

Having developed a versatile and multifunctional exercise apparatus, the Garuda, James has managed to combine the movement of the Pilates Reformer and Cadillac with the precision of the Wunda Chair. With a Pilate’s studio in London his reputation has become well established amongst his many clients.

For more details about James, his studio and the GARUDA exercise apparatus can be found on http://www.thegaruda.net/ or follow the Garuda on Twitter @GarudaStudioUK

Ask the Expert: your question answered by Heather Elton!

This month our Ask the Expert for July Heather Elton answers a question sent in by a fellow yogi. Heather has been practicing yoga since 1986, and is currently teaching Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow yoga in London. She also teaches on international yoga retreats and workshops, including teacher training in Goa.

Q: I have a Sacral illiac joint injury flare up!
I have experimented with specific asanas to support and strengthen this area, but it still remains. What is your advice?

A: Inflammation of the Sacroiliac (SI) joint is believed to be caused by a disruption in normal movement of the joint. If there is inflammation in the SI joint then the portion of the sciatic nerve that runs directly in front of the joint can also be irritated. The area is very complex and if you feel no relief from my suggestions below, it’s important to seek expert medical advice.

Sacroiliac (SI) joint problems are common for yogis, especially those who practice ashtanga. I suffered from chronic sacroiliac pain for two years early on in my practice and received chiropractice treatments as well as other forms of therapy. It was during a private yoga session with Glenn Ceresoli, an Iyengar teacher from Australia, that the problem was finally solved . He told me to do Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose) against the wall. The effects of this posture were immediately beneficial and I did it daily for six months. To this day, I’ve not had sacroiliac problems again.

To do Supta Padangustasana, lie down on your back with your legs straight and push both feet against the wall. It’s important to have the same pressure on the legs as if you are standing upright, so you can work the legs properly. Make sure the spine is straight, the sacrum is moving towards your heels, and the shoulder blades are moving down your back towards your waist. Relax the head and let the chin drop towards you throat to lengthen the back of your neck. Then, raise your right leg and place a yoga belt over the ball of the right foot, so that the foot is straight and the mounds of the big toe and little toe can be activated. Pull the little toe down towards your right ear. Do not take the right leg further than 90 degrees. It should be completely straight. Once you are in the pose, try to extend your right sacrum towards the wall and push your right thigh away from your chest. The left leg should be working strongly with the left thigh rolling inwards. Continue to push the left leg into the wall and try to get the back of the thigh and knee on the floor. Stay a few minutes in the asana and then do the other side. Don’t forget to breath. Expand the ribcage on the inhalation and contract it on the exhalation. Breathe through your nose and focus on the breath.

Once you’ve completed Supta Padangustasana on the right side, move right leg to the right into Parsva Supta Padangustasana. It is important in this asana that both SI joints, especially the left one, remain on the ground. You can attach the belt around the right foot and put the long end of the belt securely under your shoulder blades. Then pull on the belt to bring the leg into the hip. (This is a nice way to support the weight of the leg.) The right thigh is externally rotated and the sensation is one of pulling the leg into the hip socket. It’s preferable that the leg doesn’t go to the floor. Squeeze both hips together and activate Mula Bandha. Next, cross your right leg over the body to touch the floor on the left side. This pose is excellent for sciatica. Pull the hamstrings back into the hip and lengthen the big toe forward.

Supta Padangustasana stabilises the sacrum if done correctly and lengthens the major muscle groups (hamstrings, quads, adductors and IT band) that connect the legs to the pelvis. If the leg muscles are too tight they can pull on the lower back muscles. If they lengthen there will be less pressure on the sacrum.

Virhabhadrasana 2 (Warrior II) can be especially dangerous if you lunge forward from Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog) and Janu Sirsasana (Head to Knee pose). Make sure your front hip bones are symmetrical so the sacrum can be level. Try to feel the front groins descending, the front hips lifting, and the coccyx moving downward.

Emotionally and psychologically, lower back issues often stem from feelings of being overwhelmed or having no support. The spine is your main support and when it’s in pain, you can feel very vulnerable. At the time of my sacroiliac pain, I was in a relationship that I felt was unsupportive. Interestingly, after the relationship ended, my pain also vanished. It’s important to remember that injuries arise for a reason that could be mental, emotional, and physical.

Injuries remind us to pause and analyse what’s going on in our lives. Injuries can be teachers and if you listen closely enough, they will reveal what is wrong in the connection between body and mind. It’s important to back off and not re-injure yourself, yet at the same time, learn to do your practice respectfully and gently. Yoga is therapy. 

For more information about Heather please visit www.eltonyoga.com

Keep your eyes peeled for August's Ask the Expert, who will be appearing on our blog in the next few days!

Our yoga mats featured in Country & Town House Magazine!

Our yoga mat was featured in this month's edition of Country & Town House Magazine. Get your hands on your own agoy yoga mat here!

FREE YOGA IN THE PARK!

***LONDON FREE YOGA IN THE PARK***
 To celebrate the start of London 2012 Olympics

where: Queens Park, London NW6
when: Friday 27th July 2012
time: 6.15 – 7.15pm (please arrive in the park before 6.15pm to find your spot)

what:  Yoga teacher Divya will be leading a fun (and free) session of yoga stretches to get us in the mood for the start of the world’s greatest sporting event taking place on our doorstep.

who: anyone & everyone invited! no need to book
bring: a towel (or yoga mat if you have one)
weather: no fancy roof, but rain will not stop play

Map/Info: http://www.nw6yoga.co.uk/

***PLUS: STAY ON & ENJOY WATCHING THE OLYMPIC OPENING CERMONY***

Jacks Restaurant/Bar, a minute's stroll from Queens Park, will be showing the London Opening Ceremony live on large TV screens on their covered terrace. http://www.jacksrestaurantandbar.co.uk/

I have reserved space for 18 people who'd like to stay on after the park yoga session and head to Jacks to watch the ceremony.

A set menu of 2 courses for £13 will be on offer, as well as a hot and cold mezze menu. (Each guest responsible for their share of the food/drink bill).

Our 'big table' is reserved for 7.30pm.

If you'd like to join the group at Jacks please email me asap with your full name and mobile telephone number.
(You can bring a friend/partner as long as one of you will be participating in the park yoga session).

Bear in mind this event will be popular so if you do book a spot for Jacks restaurant please turn up.

If interest exceeds numbers, there will be a reserve list. So if you book and then need to cancel, let me know in good time (email or text: 07930 410 387), thank you.

Meditate! Meditate! Meditate! Or miss the point...

We are delighted to introduce our guest blogger Dr. Fleur Appleby-Deen:
Meditate! Meditate! Meditate! Or miss the point...

'I can't do meditation, my mind is too busy'.

You would not believe how frequently this is a comment I hear from yogis!

It's the equivalent of saying, 'I can't do yoga, my hamstrings are too tight.'

That is exactly why you need to stretch your hamstrings and your busy mind is exactly why you need to meditate!

Although good yoga teachers will consistently remind their students that yoga is not about fancy poses, the sad fact is that much yoga practice is about getting a toned body and impressing mates with a headstand. But we are drastically missing the point if our yoga practice does not include some form of regular meditation.

Done properly, Asana practice is a meditation on the breath and the sensations in the body, but it takes a while to be comfortable enough with the basics of the pose before the internal benefits can be felt.

Meditation is crucial to surviving the stress of daily living in our society. It switches the physiological stress response off, refreshes the senses and allows us to connect with a higher intelligence and intuition. Research continues to establish the efficacy of meditation in treating many stress-related conditions, from headaches to insomnia. The recognized benefits are too widespread and numerous to list here.

But still, we resist. Not due to lack of time but because when we close our eyes and sit still, it can feel pretty darned uncomfortable. Suddenly there is no barrier between awareness, feelings and racing thoughts. It can feel really rough and we resist like crazy! The good news is that sticking with the feelings and breathing through whatever comes up is the way to change our lives, the way to peace, happiness, joy and connection. There is no bad news.

It usually take some practice before finding the blissful space that lies on the other side of feelings, but then it takes practice to do a headstand too. Have the courage to sit still with yourselves; I promise in time you will be so glad you did.

Dr. Fleur Appleby-Deen, a medically trained doctor, aims to help people maximise their own well-being using methods such as yoga and meditation. For more information visit drfleur.co.uk

Delicious Recipes!

Try this delicious (and low fat!) Chicken with Lemon and Courgette Cous-cous recipe, full of protein and only 275 calories!

Recipe and image taken from BBC Good Food

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 15-20 mins

Ingredients
- 200g cous-cous
- 400ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 courgettes, grated
- 2  lemons, 1 halved, 1 cut into wedges
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Tip the cous-cous into a large bowl and pour over the stock. Cover and leave for 10 mins until fluffy and all the stock has been absorbed. Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the courgettes until softened and crisping at the edges. Tip into the couscous, then stir in with plenty of seasoning and a good squeeze of lemon juice from one of the halves.
    
2. Halve the chicken breasts horizontally and put each piece on a sheet of cling film. Cover with another sheet and beat each piece out with a rolling pin to make it thinner. Season. Heat the remaining oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for about 2 mins on each side until cooked through. Squeeze over the juice from the other lemon half and serve with the couscous and lemon wedges on the side.

Breathe Through Pain

We are pleased to introduce one of our guest bloggers Divya Kohli:
Breathe Through Pain

Yoga is an effective way to release and manage pain. As well as offering asana to strengthen the body, yoga teaches us healing pranayama, or breath practises. How we breathe instantly affects how we feel and manage pain.

Conscious breathing

In yoga, the mind and body unite through the breath. When we experience pain, our breathing tends to be shallow and we often hold the breath without realising it. Slowing down the breath and making it fuller and steadier relaxes the body and calms the mind. The more relaxed the individual is, the less they are affected by pain.

Another result of conscious breathing is its calming effect on the nervous system.  Done regularly, yoga breathing exercises will help diminish tension before it accumulates around the area where pain exists. 

The following pranayama techniques are great for balancing mind and body, and are particularly effective for pain release:

• Ujjayi breathing, which loosely translates as "victory" breathing, is often referred to as the ‘wave breath’ as it sounds and moves like the ebb and flow of tidal waves.
  The practice: Find a comfortable seated posture, or take a supported supine position (lie over a bolster/folded blanket, with your head supported so that it is slightly raised). Close your eyes so you can focus on your breath. Start by taking several long, deep, slow breaths to help relax you. Then, breathing through the nose, constrict the throat muscles slightly (as if you were breathing through a hole in your throat), feeling the air whirl in the back of your throat as you inhale. Regulate and steady the flow of air through your throat as you exhale, making a soft oceanic sound as it passes through your throat region. It’s as if you were saying ‘haa’ but with your mouth closed. Keep the breath steady and soft (not overly projected).  Continue to breath in this way for 2-3 minutes or for as long as you feel comfortable doing it. Then relax in Savasana (Corpse pose).

• Full Yogic breath, often referred to as the three-part sectional breath. The practise: Lie down your back, with your knees bent, palms resting softly on the lower abdomen. Or, take a comfortable seated position keeping the back straight without tension, resting the palms on the abdomen or on the thighs. Steadily breathe in from the belly (feel the belly expand), then into the ribs (feel the side body expand) and into the upper chest (feel the collar bones widen). At the top of the inhale, take a soft, brief pause, before steadily exhaling through the chest, then ribs, and into the lower belly. Exhaling right until you’re empty, then the inhale will naturally follow. Try 3-8 rounds of Full Yogic breathing. 

Both exercises can be done anytime and have no contraindications. Though seeking the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher (who teaches pranayama, not just asana) is always advisable.

Stay well,
Divya.

Divya Kohli has been practising yoga for over 13 years, having completed advance courses in yoga teaching. She teaches a deep practice which is physically and mentally transformational.

Before teaching yoga, Divya worked as a news journalist for many years, giving her experience of the pressures of urban working-life, and the knowledge of how yoga can be used for stress management in the workplace.

Based in North West London, Yoga with Divya runs workshops, retreats and private tuition. Visit www.yogawithdivya.co.uk for more information.

Summer Salads

Wild rocket, Summer squash and asparagus with fried egg and hot pickled peppers

Try this tasty salad, perfect for after a yoga session, with this quick and easy recipe!

 

Recipe and image taken from Hello! Magazine

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:
- 16 asparagus spears

- 1 medium summer squash

- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

- Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

- 2 cloves garlic, gently smashed and peeled

- 4 medium eggs

- 22.5g/8oz baby, or wild, rocket
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped hot pickled jalapeno peppers, plus extra to taste

1. Trim the asparagus, removing the woody ends, and cut in half crossways then either halve or quarter the spears lengthways, depending on thickness. Halve the squash lengthways then cut into 3mm/ 1/2in pieces on the diagonal.

2. In a non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil over a medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Transfer to a large plate.

3. Add the squash to the pan and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Transfer to the plate with the asparagus.

4. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the pan, with the garlic. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender, stirring frequently and occasionally tilting the pan to sybmerge the garlic in the oil (but do not brown it). Remove and discard the garlic.

5. Increase the heat to medium-high. Crack the eggs into the pan, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand while you prepare the salad.

6. In a large bowl, add the rocket, remaining 3 tbsp of oil, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of sea salt and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine thoroughly then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

7. Divide the rocket, asparagus and squash between 4 serving plates. Arrange 1 egg on top of each, then spoon over the peppers to taste. 

Enjoy!

Ask the Expert: Heather Elton

This July we are delighted to welcome Heather Elton as our first “Ask the Expert” yoga teacher.  Please send your yoga related question to Question@agoy.co.uk (with 'Question' in the Subject line) and Heather will answer her choice of question at the end of the month.  The person whose question is selected will receive an agoy block and strap.

Heather has studied yoga since 1986 and has been taught by some of the most renowned practitioners today.  She is an E-RYT 500 certified Yoga Teacher Trainer and has a depth of knowledge of Hatha, Ashtanga and Vinyasa and studied under BKS Iyengar.  She currently teaches Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow Yoga in London and on international yoga retreats and workshops, including Yoga Teacher Training in Goa. Her approach is a deep physical and psychological practice that moves beyond a mere physical experience to make the spiritual yogic inquiry authentic and relevant to real life. "The ultimate aim of yoga is love, liberation and freedom" Moksha.  To learn more about Heather, visit her website www.eltonyoga.com

Heather Elton

You Can Never Start Too Young!!

Image taken from http://kyriamarie.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/yoga-is-my-religion.html

agoy is planning a fundraising project with The Special Yoga Centre, a charity that offers yoga therapy programmes to children and families with special needs. Keep your eyes on our blog for more information coming soon!

AcroYoga

The first of our guest bloggers Anna Karides has contributed a piece about AcroYoga:
Yogis that Fly!

AcroYoga was developed in 2003 by Jason Nemer and Jenny Sauer- Klein in San Francisco. AcroYoga blends the spiritual wisdom of yoga, the loving kindness of Thai massage, and the dynamic power of Acrobatics. The practice aims to bring about connection, trust and safe play; in other words AcroYoga is the yoga of trust and communication.

There are plenty of ongoing AcroYoga classes in London and workshops throughout the country, as well as across the world. It’s ideal for those that enjoy inversions, and are happy to work with a partner or in groups. Be prepared to have a great time, make lots of new friends and accomplish way more than you thought you were capable of!

AcroYoga poses look so beautiful and elegant, and never pass by unnoticed. AcroYoga is great fun and unlike most other forms of yoga, the practice is performed mainly in pairs or in groups. An AcroYoga class first takes a typical vinyasa flow in a circle, then into the air with the support of your partner, whether that is for a therapeutic or acrobatic flow. AcroYogis also often take part in public demos and performances, and one of their favourite past times is to jam in the park, especially when the sun is shining. Due to the nature of this practice, AcroYoga is a very social style of yoga that brings people together, with communities all around the globe.  So it’s not just about taking your practice to another level.

Happy Flying!

Anna Karides is a certified AcroYoga teacher and holds classes, workshops and performances in London.

For more details on AcroYoga, visit: http://www.annakarides.com/ or http://www.acroyoga.org/

Fancy a Free Yoga Session?

If you fancy a free yoga class, then pop down to Hyde Park! Free weekly yoga sessions are being led by Pataljali Yog Peeth UK Trust at the Bandstand in Hyde Park until Tuesday July 24th. Have a look at All in London for more details.

Hidden Horrors on Yoga Mats!

Our new Yoga Towels featured in Hello Magazine

Our new Super Soft Yoga Towels are featured in this weeks Hello Magazine. Get your hands on your own eco-friendly towel here...

 

Intimate Yoga Session with Howard Napper

We recently held a press morning at the Mind Body Spirit Festival, where we are the product sponsors of The Yoga Shala. It was a successful and enjoyable morning with Howard Napper giving a 30 minute ‘Stress Busting’ yoga session and personal one to ones with the press.  

It was also a nice opportunity to have a stroll around the MBS Festival.  The other exhibitors had a wonderful variety of healing, relaxing and spiritual things on offer.  It is so rare to be in a place with so many likeminded, friendly people.

Overall a marvellous day and we hope you all had an opportunity to visit the Festival yourselves.

The Yoga Shala area at MBS Festival which was sponsored by us

Howard Napper giving an intimate session