Led Practice runs every Saturday from 7.00am-8.30am. It is not a class as such, but students set up as usual and then a teacher or a Level 2 student will 'lead' the practice. The leader will call the poses and do them. Everyone else follows. The leader will give alternatives to the inversions so there is no pressure to do headstand or shoulder stand if you don't yet practice these poses.
Each student follows the leader but does his or her own individual practice. This means each student will use equipment for support if appropriate, and shorten the timings if appropriate. Effectively, we are all practising the same sequence but adjusting it to suit our individual needs.
You can sign up for 5 or 10 sessions of Led Practice during the term or you can come along and pay the casual rate. I know some students have signed which is great.
It is the beginning of a new year and a fantastic time to start Led Practice. To make the transition smooth, I will be at Led Practice this Saturday to assist any students who are new to Led Practice and need a little guidance. Sharon will lead and call each asana and I will be available to help. So make use of this offer and come along. The casual rate is $15 and it's a great way to start the weekend! Below is a piece written by one of our students where she shares her thoughts on Led Practice.
Attending weekly classes allows us to become students of yoga. Being a student of yoga and a yoga practitioner, rather than just 'dropping into a class', is a commitment to sit with ourselves. We take the time to come onto the mat, once, twice, three times a week, or even daily, to observe our habits, to notice what's happening the body, breath and mind. Alan Goode spoke about this in his weekend workshop two weeks ago. Alan noted that a yoga practice becomes a study of consciousness, rather than just a physical activity. A regular and consistent yoga practice gives us the opportunity to observe whats happening within ourselves without reacting. To watch the rise and fall of emotions rather than becoming entangled within the drama of our circumstances.
The first step on this path is to attend a class or classes. Once you are familiar with the basic asanas, it's a great idea to join Led Practice on Saturdays 7.00am-8.30am. Led Practice is not a class but provides the support of other students of yoga. We come together to practice, working at our own individual capacity. A student or teacher will lead a sequence and we all follow along. A very simple concept.
It's also a fantastic way to start the weekend. If you have 3 months experience of yoga, please feel free join the Led Practice group. You can pay casually on the day, or pay on line as you enrol for your term class(es).
One of our students gives her perspective on why we should attend Led Practice:
Why do Led practice?
Having taken some time to get my head around the idea of an early Saturday yoga practice I have become a convert. Now, like all good converts, I’m driven by a need to convince others.
But isn’t it early on a Saturday?
Yes, but you have to get up at some point and sleep is what Saturday afternoons are for. No-one ever felt worse after yoga.
I’m not good enough though…
Good enough for whom? Does it matter? Would letting going of the comparisons and competitiveness make a difference to your practice?
….and I don’t know all those hindi names!
Most of the poses you will have done before and it’s a great way to learn all the names.
If a yoga class is like going to training, then led practice is like playing the game. It’s fun, it focuses, it challenges, it reinforces, it extends, it’s non-judgemental and it gives you confidence to build on your yoga practice.
Ok here we go! Term 1 2019 and a fresh, clean slate to begin our yoga classes again this year. If you have not yet enrolled, jump on line or send me an email to let me know which class you are attending.
Steph, Fiona, Sharon and myself are all looking forward to seeing you on the mat again to progress our yoga and learn about ourselves along the way. If you have any questions about classes, please ask - there is always a solution.
2019 will be a year full of learning and expanding our knowledge base. Stay posted for news of workshops and other events at The Yoga Room.
See you in class.
There is a saying: 'Start as you shall proceed!'. I'm not sure who said it and it's very old fashioned, but there is something that rings true for me in these words. Each year begins with a clean slate. I love the prospect of starting the New Year in a positive way; taking stock and moving forward with positive steps.
I have recently read that popular book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo - it seems that every man/woman and their dog has too. It is a method of clearing out everything in your home that doesn't 'spark joy'. You only keep what you truly love. I am about to embark on this mission. I am looking forward to clearing out the old to make space for what is precious and significant to me. I know that my Yoga Practice is a priority in my life and by clearing away what doesn't spark joy or hold significance will leave more space for practice in my daily life. This is my goal.
However, there is another saying 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions'. Hopefully we won't end up there, but you get the picture. It's all very well to set our intentions but we must be accountable to take action and evaluate along the path, in case we take that fork in the road that goes South.
The Intensive is an opportunity to set your compass to head North, to take the high road and to move to higher and greater things.
It was such a great experience to teach yoga to this group. They were an attentive and focused group of students who approached their yoga with a willingness to learn and refine the poses.
Milla took them through a 'dirty pour' and they produced some beautiful art works which you can see on the Facebook page
This group of students worked really consistently on the yoga mat with Sharon to explore yoga poses through a story. The poses were quite advanced and required the group to listen, watch demonstrations and then apply themselves to take the shape of each pose. They had to feel what was happening in their body to produce the interpretation of the pose that worked with their bodies. It required a lot of focus!
In the art room Kate worked with them to produce some spectacular artworks and colourful headdresses adorned with feathers. They were a pleasure to teach and expressed themselves enthusiastically and willingly.