INSIDE: HARD HABITS - BREAKING FREE FROM ADDICTIONS

JANUARY 2020 - £3.99

Yogafor
beginners
our guide to
starting out
SANITARY WEAR
PLANET-
Do the twist MAGAZINE
standing twist sequence
KING
FRIENDLY
PERIODS
SPECIAL REPORT

Yoga
Nidra
the art of relaxation
9
health food
trends for 2020

Also in this issue...

• OM Meets – Sarah Highfield
• Ibiza retreats – a detox for life
• Yoga’s outliers – Men & yoga
• Complete vegan – Healthy recipes
 Welcome
OM Magazine
Issue 104, January 2020
Published by: Prime Impact, Park House,
The Business Centre
Earls Colne Business Park
Earls Colne, Colchester Happy New Year to one and all — and thank
Essex. CO6 2NS you for picking up a copy of OM magazine.
Tel: 44 (0) 1787 224040
info@primeimpact.co.uk
We’re here to guide you on your yoga
ommagazine.com journey, whether you’re just starting out or
you’re a seasoned pro. If you are a beginner,
Chief Editor: Martin D. Clark then you’re definitely in the right place!
martin@ommagazine.com In fact, we’ll be like your mini champion,
cheering you on from the sidelines as you
Designer: Cat Morton
get started.

MAGAZINE KING
Art Director: Emily Saunders In this issue, we’ve got a quick guide to
starting out on the mat — even if you have zero experience, it’s easy to
Advertising Manager: Sara Stant 44 (0) 1787 220646
sara@ommagazine.com
do. Like most things in life, the most important thing in yoga is simply
to begin. We’ll show you how.
Marketing Jane Lambert Whatever your hopes, plans or resolutions this year, commencing
a regular yoga practice could be the best thing you ever do. Yoga is
Photography & Videography: Alana Martin
a total body-mind workout and one that might just possibly change
Food Creative Team: Shaun Warner your life.
As well as being great for your body and overall health, yoga
Subscriptions & Back Issues: Hannah Allen 44 (0) 1787 224040
hannah.allen@primeimpact.co.uk
and meditation can result in better sleep, improved confidence,
and so much more. It’s a magical mystery tour along a life-long path of
Publishing Director: Keith Coomber self-discovery.
It all starts with rolling out that little mat, pausing for a mindful
Managing Director: Julie Saunders
breath and setting an intention to do even a few minutes of yoga.
Licensing: Bruce Sawford 44 (0) 1280 860185 It all counts!
Bruce@BruceSawfordLicensing.com OM is Britain’s best-selling yoga title for a reason. Our goal is to
Accounts: Yolande Arnold make things accessible to all, including some of yoga’s deep,
spiritual ideas and concepts. We want everyone to benefit from
The Publisher accepts no responsibility in respect of advertisements appearing in the magazine and this wonderful, healing, ancient practice.
the opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not neccessarily represent the views of the Whatever you’re up to this year, do make yoga a part of your life.
Publisher. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the later appearance or non publica-
tion of any advertisement. Information about products and services featured within the editorial content
Keep checking in with OM throughout the year too for oodles of
does not imply an endorsement by OM Magazine. OM Magazine is not intended to replace the professional inspiration and motivation along the way. We want you all to succeed.
medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified therapist, nutritionist or dietician. Always Here’s to a brilliant 2020, full of health, happiness and amazing
consult your doctor before undertaking any exercise programme.
new beginnings.
Every efort is made to ensure that all advertising is derived from reputable sources. OM Magazine cannot,
however, accept responsibility for transactions between readers and advertisers.
facebook.com/ommagazine

Instagram.com/
omyogamagazine

COVER: Yummy Yoga Girl ambassador,

Svetla Karamshuk (@ashtangiwho)
Photgraphed by Tobias Keip (@talesfromtheshore)

3
 OM in 30 seconds
Twists have many benefits for the
body. They release tensions in the
back, shoulders and abdomen and
help to balance energies along
the spine, creating neutrality and
harmony. Twists also stimulate
blood flow through the internal
organs, keeping the inner body
soft and mobile.
Do The Twist, Page 28
Reverse Triangle strengthens,
stretches and improves stability,
balance and spatial awareness.
In Reverse Triangle your pelvis
turns in one direction and your
shoulders turn in another,
creating a rotation of your spine
and torso.
360º Yoga, Page 32
I like the body positivity movement,
it’s certainly more optimistic than
obsessing over the ‘perfect body’.
I think body positivity and yoga are
aligned because yoga connects you
with your body and encourages
you to appreciate and accept it just
MAGAZINE KING
as it is.
OM Meets: Sarah Highfield, Page 34
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4
Contributors
Dr Kiki Morriss
Dr Kiki Morriss is a trained medical doctor, yoga teacher,
yoga therapist and founder of Primrose Hill Yoga
in London, where she teaches adults, children and
families. As well as being our regular anatomy expert
for the 360º Yoga column, she also writes this month
on Yoga Nidra. Kiki has collaborated with Finnish-born
composer and musician, Anné Kulonen, to make a
series of beautiful Yoga Nidra recordings that are now
available to download. Find out more via her website
(primrosehillyoga.com) or on Instagram @kikimorriss
Gregory Ormson
Gregory writes, sings, and plays music. He teaches yoga
for motorcyclists (Yoga & Leather) in Arizona and leads
Yoga-Breath, Breath of Life workshops accompanied by
his bhakti-style band, Sat Song. He’s travelled widely
(starting in India) to study world religions and other
non-formal spiritual expressions. His doctoral degree at
the Chicago Theological Seminary focused on religious
interpretation and the power of touch in ritual healing
environments. He maintains a writers website where
he blogs on yoga, music, motorcycling, and landscapes
(gregoryormson.com). Find him on Instagram at
@MotorcyclingYogiG
Jade Windle
Jade is a Brighton-based yoga teacher mobilising
yoga as a tool for self-compassion and creating a
compassionate earth. Seeking cross-cultural human
connection, she is widely-travelled and has studied and
taught yoga in India and Vietnam. Alongside yoga and
wellbeing, she is a passionate proponent of veganism
and environmentalism, and, having found yoga amidst
university stress and related mental health struggles,
she enjoys discussing the particular challenges faced
by ‘millennials’ navigating a less-than-mindful world.
Connect with her on Instagram at @jadejasmineyoga
Regular contributors:
Claudia Brown, Paula Hines, Meg Jackson, Victoria Jackson,
Jenny Baker, Kirstie Bird,Jill Lawson, Kiki Morriss, Julia White
Words of wisdom
“he most important pieces of equipment
you need for doing yoga are your body
and your mind.”
Rodney Yee
 January 2020

Contents
OM Regulars 44 he Body Positivity Blog
3 Editor’s Letter 46 Set Your Intention:
Creating The New You
4 Contributors
8 My Secret Place 48 OM Yoga Show Preview

10 Letters
OM FM
12 Yoga Changed My Life
51 Man On he Mat: Headstand
14 he Age Of Athleisure

MAGAZINE KING
15
16
Mantra Of he Month
Hotel Yoga
Cover
Story
52
53
54
Rested Best: Relaxation Is Key
Stif Guy Yoga: For Men
Yoga’s Outliers: Men And Yoga
17 Yoga & Aromatherapy:
Hyssop Oil
Cover
Story SPECIAL Eco Sanitary Wear
18 Amazing Spaces
56 About Bloody Time:
20 OM Loves: Beautiful Things
Talking Periods
For Beautiful People
58 Your Planet-Friendly Period
22 Fashion: Kosmos
60 Go Naturelle:
26 Planet Yoga
Taking Control, Naturally
120 Yoga Is For Every Body:
62 Swap Stories:
Your Photos. Your Community
The Switch To Eco-Friendly
130 OM Lite: Perfectly Imperfect
64 he Cost Of Your Period:
Saving Money And The Planet
OM Body 66 Menstrual Cups And More
Cover
Story 28 Yoga At Home: Do The Twist
Cover
Story 32 360º Yoga: Reverse Triangle Cover
Story SPECIAL Yoga For Beginners
34 OM Meets: Sarah Highfield 70 A Guide To Starting Out
38 Ski Fit: 6 Poses For The Slopes 72 6 Reasons Why You Should
42 All Inclusive: Yoga For Disabilities Start Yoga

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 74 Choosing he Right Mat
76 Beginning Yoga At Home
78 Style Guide: Pick Your Yoga
80 he Ultimate Beginner’s Survival Kit
82 Yoga Studio Etiquette: Know The Rules

94 Cover
Story

Cover
OM Mind
84
88
Yoga Nidra: The Art Of Relaxation
Real Life Yoga: Hard Habits

70
Story

90 Meditation Now: Break The Habit:

92 Yoga V Smoking: Simple Tips

OM Spirit
94 Bringing Awareness To Your Breath
96 Chakras: Light Up Your Root Chakra

OM Living
98 Eat Drink Yoga: Healthy Eating Goodies

MAGAZINE KING
Cover
Story

Cover
Story
100 Complete Vegan: Healthy Food Recipes
106 Nutrition Zone: Foodie Trends For 2020

OM Family
108 Yoga Philosophy For Teens & Tweens

OM Actions
112 Come Fly With Me: Good Karma Travel

116 OM Teacher Zone

115 My Yoga Biz: Tips From The Experts

108 116 Quality Counts: The Importance Of CPD

118 Up he Workers: A Yoga Union
119 Is Yoga he Answer
To Workplace Stress?

OM Travel
122 Travel News: Inspiring Ideas For Yoga Explorers
124 A Detox For Life: Ibiza Retreats

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 om beginnings

My secret place
Yogi: Mariah Gibson
Photographer: Jarell Thorpe
Location: East River State Park, Brooklyn,
NY, USA
For Mariah Gibson, her secret yoga place will always be East River
State Park in Brooklyn, New York. “I enjoy bringing my mat out here
because it is always so peaceful and quiet with a spectacular view
of lower Manhattan,” she tells OM. “Time seems to slow down when
I am in this space. I get to see the beautiful city in front of me that
symbolises growth and wealth. While behind me, in Brooklyn, there’s
a lot of change and development happening. Two different boroughs
with two different vibes. They both seem to humble me as I strive
for greatness. East River State Park offers me a space to appreciate
the beauty of the hustle and bustle of NYC but at my own time, and
allows me to focus on my breath.”

MAGAZINE KING

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MAGAZINE KING

9
 om beginnings
INSIDE: HARD HABITS - BREAKING FREE FROM ADDICTIONS

INSIDE: HARD HABITS - BREAKING FREE FROM ADDICTIONS

JANUARY 2020 - £4.99

N@maste
JANUARY 2020 - £4.99
Yogafor

Yoga beginners
our guide to
for starting out
beginners SANITARY WEAR
our guide to PLANET-
starting out Do the twist FRIENDLY
SANITARY WEAR standing twist sequence
PERIODS
PLANET-
Do the twist FRIENDLY SPECIAL REPORT
standing twist sequence
PERIODS Yoga
SPECIAL REPORT Nidra 9
Love OM magazine and want to tell Nidra
Yoga
9
the art of relaxation

Also in this issue...

health food
trends for 2020

the world? Here’s your chance

• OM Meets – Sarah Highfield
health food • Ibiza retreats – a detox for life
the art of relaxation trends for 2020 • Yoga’s outliers – Men & yoga
• Complete vegan – Healthy recipes

Also in this issue...

• OM Meets – Sarah Highfield
• Ibiza retreats – a detox for life
• Yoga’s outliers – Men & yoga
• Complete vegan – Healthy recipes

Holiday time Brilliant Barb

Thanks for always introducing us to new and interesting people
This year I am planning to go on my first
from the world of yoga. It was great to read about Barb Jungr in
yoga retreat (I’m only in my first year as a
your December issue, someone I hadn’t known about before. I wasn’t aware
regular yogini!). I’ve been so inspired by some of the
of her music and it’s so wonderful that we are all connected by our mutual
amazing places I’ve seen in your magazine, so now
love of yoga. Keep up the good work.
looking at OM’s travel pages — all in the name
Jackie, by email
of research, of course!
Hannah, by email

Editor’s note: OM will be publishing a special report

on yoga travel in April showcasing dozens of the best
retreats from all over the world. Be sure you include it in
your research!

MAGAZINE KING
Yoga at home
Just wanted to let you know that I am really enjoying the Yoga@
Home sequences in each issue. The videos on the app with Omstars
are simple and great for my home practice. Intense Side Stretch with Rosa
Santana was just what I needed last month (December 2019, issue 103).
Looking forward to more.

Keep in touch Joseph, by email

OM Letters, Prime Impact Events & Media,

Park House, The Business Centre, Earls
Colne Business Park, Colchester CO6 2NS
editor@ommagazine.com

facebook.com/ommagazine

twitter.com/OMYogaMagazine

instagram.com/omyogamagazine

10
MAGAZINE KING
 om beginnings

YOGA
changed my life

Donna Owens has used yoga for many NAME: Donna Owens
years to help her through ME and all the AGE: 38
challenges it brings. Now, she’s keen to OCCUPATION: Wellbeing Mentor
YOGA YEARS: 25 +
help others too

MAGAZINE KING
Why did you start yoga
At just 14 I was diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome).
I was mainly housebound for nearly five years and could hardly
walk or talk due to extreme exhaustion. I was forced to leave school
because of my illness and I was told there was no treatment or
cure. But I wasn’t going to let it take over my life so I decided I had
to take healing into my own hands and I embarked on my yoga
wellbeing journey.
How has yoga changed your life
From the restorative yoga poses on bad ME days, stretching out bad
muscle aches to visualisation meditations of healing and wellness,
yoga helped me to find peace with my illness and to find ways to
adapt my life for healing by living a yoga lifestyle. I went from being
mainly housebound to successfully living and loving life despite
my illness.
Favourite yoga haunts
Living with ME for most of my life means that travelling and
sometimes even leaving my house can be a challenge, so I
appreciate any time I can spend in nature to connect, heal, move,
breathe and to be grateful in each moment.

Best yoga moment

Realising that yoga and my illness were part of my life purpose to
help others, seeing how my story, my healing journey, my work and
my words inspire and helps thousands of other ME warriors around
the world.

Anything else
Unfortunately, yoga can be misunderstood within the ME
community and is seen only as a form of exercise. Exercise can
make ME worse so their concerns and fears are understandable.
However, I want to change how yoga is viewed within the
community, to share how it is a lifestyle, and to share the many
wonderful benefits it has for ME.

Donna Owens is the creator of Yoga, My Bed & Me, a website full of
resources for ME suferers on all things yoga (yogamybedandme.com)

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If you think yoga seems more popular
than ever nowadays, that’s because it is
MAGAZINE KING
E
veryone loves yoga these days, it seems — and we all
love our leggings too.
According to a recent research report, the global yoga
and fitness clothing market size is expected to rise to
almost $50 billion by 2025. The study, by Grand View
Research, Inc., says the global market will grow at about 6.2% a year
over the forecast period to reach a total of $47.8 billion.
The demand for athleisure wear is only just beginning though,
driven by key societal shifts. The report highlights a “shifting
inclination towards comfortable and stylish clothing among fitness
enthusiasts” on a broad international level. It also charts the increase
in stress levels among the millennial population due to work load
and a hectic lifestyle.
These factors, it says, have “paved the way for practicing various
14
he age of
athleisure
fitness exercises including yoga on a daily basis”. Keeping fit,
drinking less, eating better are all things your yoga teacher would
approve of — and it seems they are the way to counter the effects
of busy modern living. Yoga clothes — as popularised by the likes of
Lululemon and Manduka — are comfortable for stretching and have
the ability to absorb sweat during vigorous physical activity, but they
can also look mighty cool too. It’s fashionable to stroll down the high
street in your yoga leggings — and at $100 a pop, why not?
Women are the main buyers in the yoga wear market, but the
report notes that the fastest-growing segment will be among youths.
In terms of regions, Asia Pacific is the largest single market. The
report also cites other key suppliers including Green Apple Active, Alo
Yoga, Athleta, Inner Waves, Lily Lotus and Mika Yoga Wear. The age of
athleisure is truly upon us.

Mantra of the month
t’s a new year, time to set
I yourself goals and intentions.
Believe in yourself, follow your
MAGAZINE KING
dreams and make it happen.
Know that you are stronger than
you think you are and you are enough.
Meditate on this mantra by repeating
over and over in your head to help you
believe that you do have what it takes
and yes you can.
Warrior 2
(Virabhadrasana II)
This pose is perfect to accompany your
mantra. Be a warrior and hold your head
high. From Mountain pose (Tadasana)
step the left foot back long down the
om beginnings
mat. The front heel is in line with the Nomad Yoga 200 Hour
instep of your back foot. Take a deep
bend in your right knee, making sure
your knee is tracking over your ankle.
External rotation of the front leg, to
help open the hip. Reach your arms
out wide parallel to the mat, shoulder
blades wide, palms down, fingertips
Holistic Education
Yoga - Reiki - Kung Fu - Dance
World Class Team of
International Teachers
Led by Andrew Garrett
active. Draw your lower abdomen in Krakow, Poland
and up and lengthen your spine. Take
your drishti (your gaze) over your front August, 2020
fingertips and relax your shoulders away #NomadYogaKrakow
from your ears.
Kirstie Bird is a London-based yoga
teacher and modern calligrapher
(inkandflow.com)
www.nomadyoga.eu
Andrew@nomadyoga.eu
 om beginnings

Hotel Yoga
Cool yoga music vibes are the new thing
for the next crop of chic, boutique luxury hotels

MAGAZINE KING
ROCK OM AT THE HARD ROCK HOTEL PRAGUE

N
ot so long ago, doing yoga at a big hotel would restore energy, so that guests can continue their pursuit of a have-
mean finding your way to a small gym tucked it-all lifestyle, complete with a reset button,” says Aldina Duarte
away somewhere on the first or second floor. Ramos, global director of Well-Being, Accor.
Now, yoga and wellness are integral to the Its fitness programme includes Deep Beats Yoga, a
boutique hotel experience. transformational sound-immersive experience that combines
Hard Rock Hotels continues to roll out its Rock OM in-room yoga dynamic vinyasa and power flow yoga sets alongside invigorating
experience at more properties with plans to open up in the Czech soundtracks played through Bluetooth headsets.
capital, Prague. With 523 rooms and suites, it will boast magnificent And when you first walk into the lobby look out for The Glow Bar,
views overlooking Letna Park and the spectacular Prague Castle a pop-up spa concept entirely encased within a glowing cube that
from the hotel’s sophisticated rooftop Sky Bar. offers express spa, massage and beauty treatments.
As well as the in-room Rock OM yoga experience — with yoga
mats and music-infused yoga workouts provided as standard
— guests have complimentary use of Fender guitars, amps and
headphones (let’s just hope your neighbours can play!).
Hard Rock Hotel Prague is set to open its doors in the energetic
capital in 2023.
But others want a piece of the action too.
The new SO/ Wellness Experience recently launched at SO/
Vienna, where the concepts are being piloted in advance of a future
global roll-out.
SO/ Hotels & Resorts is an exclusive brand from hotels group
Accor that features fashionable hotels exhibiting what it calls a
“distinctively rebellious” interpretation of luxury.
“The new SO/ Wellness experience seeks to bring nourishment
and wellbeing to our jet-setting guests who live fast and like to
showcase their attitude. We’ve created fun and creative ways to THE SO/ WELLNESS EXPERIENCE

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Yoga & Aromatherapy

Hyssop Oil
(Hyssopus Officinalis)

J
anuary sees us welcome in both a new month and a new year. It is a time of new
beginnings and a chance to make plans for the upcoming year; it is also a time to
cleanse and renew ourselves after the festive season. The essential oil to help us
do this is hyssop oil (hyssopus officinalis).
Hyssop oil is a lovely cleansing oil and has long been used to purify and anoint
temples as it was considered a holy plant with wonderfully purifying properties.

MAGAZINE KING
This makes it the perfect oil to use this month to shake off the excesses of the past
few months and move into the new year refreshed and renewed.
A couple of drops of hyssop oil in a diffuser in your studio or home will soon purify
and cleanse the space and help to remove any stagnation. It also works to help clear the
mind and aid concentration, so ideal to use before your daily practice to help take you
deeper in your meditation. You can also place a couple of drops on a tissue and gently
inhale the oil at your desk. Hyssop oil also works on a deeper level to help you see the
bigger picture and set goals and plan, which is why it makes it such a brilliant essential
oil to use in January. Allow the oil to completely purify body, mind and soul ready for a
brand new year ahead.
Do not use if pregnant or have epilepsy or on young children.

Julia White is a yoga teacher and

aromatherapist (jwhitelondon.com)
 om beginnings

MAGAZINE KING
Amazing spaces
Stylish and inspiring studio
design ideas and interiors

Yogalot
27 Beethoven St, Queens Park, London, W10 4LG
3 Lonsdale Rd, Queens Park, London, NW6 6RA

yogalotlondon.com

Last year saw the opening of Yogaloft’s eagerly awaited second

London studio housed in a former warehouse on Beethoven Street,
just five minutes walk from Queen’s Park tube. Step through the
door which is down an unassuming side street, just off Kilburn
Lane, and you’re in for a surprise.
“We’ve had the same reaction again and again,” says Ian Steed,
co-owner, “you suddenly find yourself in this spectacular, light-
and air-filled oasis which seems to expand in every direction”. It
has high ceilings, natural light, plentiful plants and fresh air gracing
each of the stunning, oak-floored studios.
Yogaloft Beethoven St retains the friendly, local feel for which
Yogaloft is known and loved. The first studio, Yogaloft Lonsdale
Road, first opened in 2012 in a former Victorian hayloft. Founder
Susannah Tomkins, a passionate Iyengar yoga practitioner and
teacher, came across the historic building in a pretty and peaceful
mews. Eight years on, Yogaloft thrives at the heart of the Queen’s
Park community.
Between the two centres there are more than 150 yoga and
reformer Pilates classes every week, taught by carefully selected,
skilful and inspirational teachers. There are holistic therapies to
nurture and heal body and mind, and a welcoming café where you
can sit by the green plant wall, enjoy a smoothie and breathe in the
fresh air before stepping back out into the city.
Yogaloft are currently offering 30 days of yoga for just £40. Visit
the website for details.

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loves
Beautiful things for beautiful people

Yoga Studio The Grip Pad

Premium Grip Yoga Pad in a compact, convenient size.
Perfect for travelling, Handstands or when you simply need
extra support in your practice. Put on top of any mat to give
your practice the grip and comfort you deserve. Easily rolled
up, stored in a bag or carry with the free carry strap provided.
Colours available: Grey, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple.
£20
yogastudio.co.uk

The Yoga Bench

Hand-crafted, wooden yoga benches made in the UK, based

MAGAZINE KING
on the original Iyengar plans, which are designed to improve
spinal flexibility and encourage good alignment. Whether you
are a beginner or a more experienced yogi, the yoga bench can
add a new dimension to your practice, as the perfect prop for
supporting forward extensions and backbends. The benches
are for everyone: useful for home practice, yoga teachers and
yoga studios. See website for video demos.
£295 (Yoga Bench), £145 (Midi Bench), £105 (Small Bench)
(inc. delivery)
yogabench.co.uk

Nolattie Candles
Brimming with essential oils, specially chosen for their inherent abilities to
promote the body’s happy hormones, Nolattie Unwind is the perfect and
natural way to reduce stress and affirm composure.
£20
nolattie.co.uk

I Can Do It - 2020 Calendar

It’s 2020, a year of fabulous opportunities! Welcome in the
love, joy, success and wellness that you deserve with Louise
Hay’s I Can Do It 2020 Calendar — 366 daily affirmations (it’s
a leap year!) to bring total positivity and inspiration into
your day-to-day life.
£8
hayhouse.co.uk

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The Healing
Mantra Deck
This card deck from best-selling
Hay House author Matt Kahn
contains 52 channeled mantras
that have been encoded with
healing energy to realign your
mind, body, heart and soul.
Your life’s greatest purpose and
its deepest meaning will be
revealed to you — one magical,
healing mantra at a time.
£12.59
hayhouse.co.uk

Sleep Recovery: The Five Step Yoga

Solution to Restore your Rest Frankincense & Lavender
The new book for all you insomniacs out Calming Body Salve
there, written by popular yoga teacher and Nourishing body salve containing organic
psychotherapist Lisa Sanfilippo. A unique shea butter and natural oils, it’ll leave your
marriage of yoga, psychological insight and body feeling smoothly supple, making
neuroscience, Sleep Recovery will give you the it ideal for hand and foot massage. Also
tools to work with your body and change your containing birch water, a powerhouse
sleep — and your life — for the better. Published ingredient for calming and treating
by Bloomsbury. sensitive or irritated skin.
£12.99 £24 (120ml)
bloomsbury.com findubiety.com

MAGAZINE KING
CNM
Training Successful Health Coaches

Health Coach
Do Something Life-Changing
 Improve Your Health
 Change Career
 Help others

01342 410 505 thehealthcoach.com

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The natural choice

Eco-friendly yoga wear from Kosmos: designed to help you move freely,
just as nature intended

Kosmos Water Crop £55

Kosmos Water Legging £85

kosmosactive.com

MAGAZINE KING

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Kosmos Water Crop £55

Kosmos Water Legging £85

kosmosactive.com

Kosmos Air High Neck Top £55

Kosmos Air Legging £85

MAGAZINE KING kosmosactive.com

Kosmos Aether Crop £55 Kosmos Air High Neck Top £55
Kosmos Aether legging £85 Kosmos Air Legging £85

Kosmos Earth Bralette £50 kosmosactive.com

Kosmos Aether HIgh Neck Top Kosmos Earth Legging £85
£55
Kosmos Aether legging
£85

kosmosactive.com

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Kosmos Aether Crop £55

Kosmos Aether Legging £85

kosmosactive.com

MAGAZINE KING
Kosmos Water Crop £55
Kosmos Water Legging £85

kosmosactive.com

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Planet yogaStories from around the weird

and wonderful world of yoga

MAGAZINE KING
USA: Sloth yoga
We’ve had dog yoga, goat yoga, even yoga with alpacas…so why
not sloth yoga? Yes, it’s already a thing in the USA — and sell-out
classes at The Alligator Attraction in Madeira Beach in Florida reveal
its popularity. So what exactly happens at a sloth yoga session?
Well, first of all, you fit in an hour’s yoga practice on the mat to get
everyone super chilled. Afterwards, you get the chance to pet and
feed your sloth classmate who is brought in for cuddles and snuggles
with the group. And don’t forget your phone or camera to take your
very own ‘slothie’ for Instagram.

USA: Bikram on Netflix

A new documentary on Netflix — Bikram: Yogi,
Guru, Predator — profiles Bikram Choudhury, the
controversial creator of the hugely popular Bikram
Yoga style (the exercise consists of 26 postures and
two breathing exercises in a 40C humid room for 90
minutes). “This documentary charts the rise and fall
of hot yoga founder Bikram Choudhury as his global
empire is born and disturbing revelations come to
light,” says Netflix. Choudhury, who popularised his
yoga style in the 1970s after emigrating from India to
the USA, is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault
from some of the women who trained with him in the
States. He is currently believed to be back in India.

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www.naturalbodies.co.uk
www.naturalbodies.co.uk 27
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 om body

Do the twist
Angelique Sandas talks us through
this standing twist progression, ideal
for releasing tensions in the body and YOGA @ HOME
improving our foundational balance

T
wists have many benefits for the body. They release
tensions in the back, shoulders, and abdomen and
help to balance energies along the spine, creating
neutrality and harmony. Twists also stimulate blood
flow through the internal organs, keeping the inner
body soft and mobile.
An important aspect of twisting is establishing an anchored,
secure foundation so that the work of the twist can be free and
effective. In standing postures, the foundation is the pelvis through
the legs and feet. Twists are an action of the mid to upper back and
neck. The progression presented here helps to develop awareness
of that base and build stability. This then allows you to access
free and effective range of motion in the twist. We begin with the
most basic postures, adding complexity as we go, challenging the
body’s ability to separate the stability of the lower body from the
movement of the upper body.
This sequence is suitable for all levels and some modifications
are provided. Work at your own pace and honour your body.
If you find yourself challenged with any of the postures, work
the progression only up until that point. As you integrate the
information more fully, you can explore the next posture.
When we have a solid foundation, twists can be very freeing
and dynamic. Explore this progression and see how your
twists develop.

MAGAZINE KING
1 Revolved Standing
Forward Fold (Parivrtta
Uttanasana)
Feet parallel and hip-distance apart. Keep
pelvis securely aligned over feet, legs active.
Rotate rib cage with one hand to the floor,
other hand reaching upward, long waist,
gaze up.

28
 om body

2a. Revolved Fierce (or Chair) Pose
(Parivrtta Utkatasana)
Version 1: Feet together, knees bent and together. Pelvis and
knees in line with feet: avoid shifting, swivelling, or leaning. Prayer
position, elbow across opposite knee. Rotate rib cage, gaze up.
2b. Revolved Fierce (or Chair) Pose
(Parivrtta Utkatasana)
Version 2: Feet together, knees bent and together. Pelvis and knees
in line with feet: avoid shifting, swivelling, or leaning. Arm crosses
opposite knee to anchor hand to floor. Rotate ribcage, other arm

MAGAZINE KING
reaches up, gaze up.

3a. Revolved Triangle Pose 3b. Revolved Triangle Pose

(Parivrtta Trikonasana)
Version 1: Front leg parallel. Back leg external rotation. Pelvis
square to front foot, weight equally distributed. Fold at hips. Hand
opposite of front foot anchored to block. Rotate rib cage, other arm
up, gaze up.
(Parivrtta Trikonasana)
Version 2: Front leg parallel. Back leg external rotation. Pelvis
square to the front foot, weight equally distributed. Fold at hips.
Hand opposite to front foot anchor to the floor at the outside edge
of the front foot. Rotate rib cage, other arm up, gaze up.

Continue sequence >

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4a. Revolved Lateral

Angle Pose (Parivrtta
Parsvakonasana)
Version 1: Front foot to the floor. Back
knee down. Pelvis square to the front foot,
weight equally distributed. Prayer position,
elbow across opposite knee. Rotate rib
cage, gaze up.

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4b. Revolved Lateral
Angle Pose (Parivrtta
Parsvakonasana)
Version 2: Front foot to floor, knee bent
into a lunge. Back leg external rotation,
foot down. Pelvis square to the front foot,
weight equally distributed. Arm crosses
opposite knee to anchor hand to the floor.
Rotate ribcage, other arm reaches up,
gaze up.

Our digital app version

includes a video tutorial
in partnership with
Omstars (omstars.com),
download it today

30
 BALA N C E & FR EED OM FOR T HE
MI N D, B ODY & SOUL
Wild & Free Adventures was born from
two people’s passion for surfing, yoga
and travelling…and the balance and
freedom each one offers mind, body
and soul.
MAGAZINE KING
Our aim is simple, to create a relaxed
and fun environment in some of the
best surf and yoga destinations in the
world. Our retreats focus on small
groups in unique locations to create
the perfect luxury escape to switch
off and unwind…and explore your sense
of adventure!
wildandfreeadventures.co.uk
@wildandfreeadventures
/wildandfreeadventures.co.uk
Images by: Gwilym Thomas, Ticket to Ride and Wild Tide Creatives
Cornwall Luxury Yurts - Re-vitalise
at our long weekend surf and
yoga retreat on the wild, North
Coast of Cornwall!
Women & Water Retreats - Re-wild
yourself on our all girls surf and
yoga retreat on the North Coast
of Cornwall!
Sri Lanka Adventure - Find your
Wild amongst the palm trees,
wildlife and the beautiful Indian
Ocean. Let go, set your soul free
and soak up the positive vibes in
tropical Sri Lanka!
Wild Devon Yoga - Go Wild in North
Devon, foraging and connecting
to nature. Enjoy sunrise & sunset
yoga to unwind and revitalise the
mind, body and soul!
 om body

A 360º overview of...

Reverse Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana)
With Dr Kiki Morriss
Reverse Triangle, or Parivrtta Trikonasana, strengthens, stretches and
improves stability, balance and spatial awareness.

n Reverse Triangle your pelvis turns in one

I direction and your shoulders turn in another,

creating a rotation of your spine and torso.
The pose is often done in a sequence following
Triangle pose (Trikonasana).

The benefits of this pose:

MOVING INTO THE POSE
l Stand with your feet about 100-120 cm apart and your arms stretched

l Stretches and strengthens legs and hips.
l Strengthens abdominal muscles.
l Twists spine.
l Opens chest and shoulders.
l Improves stability, balance and spatial awareness.
Cautions:
l Practice this rotated forward bend position
l
l
to the sides at shoulder height. Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and
your left foot in about 30-45 degrees.
Line up your right heel with your left instep.
On an exhalation turn your upper body to the right, so that your pelvis
is facing the top edge of your mat as much as possible.
l Bend forwards over your right leg and continue to turn your upper
body to the right.
l Bring your left hand to the ground on the outside of your right foot.
l Extend your right arm up, turn your head and look up.
FOCUS YOUR GAZE
l Rotate your cervical spine to turn your head to face upwards. Your
dristi (focal point) is at your raised hand. Use your gaze to help steady

MAGAZINE KING
with caution, particularly if you have any
back injuries or issues. Be aware of your
natural range of movement and seek 1:1
expert guidance if necessary.
l If you have any neck discomfort or injury,
you in the pose.
l If you lose your balance or if it is more comfortable for your neck, try
gazing at a fixed point on the ground or straight ahead of you.

try keeping your gaze directed towards the

ground or look straight ahead.

Ways of practicing:
l Place a yoga brick under your lower
hand if it does not comfortably reach
the floor. Notice how this helps to create
an even length on either side of
your torso.
l Place your lower hand on the ground
on the inside of your front foot.
l Place your upper hand on your hip.
l Press your back heel
against a wall.

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 om body

COMING OUT OF THE POSE

l On an inhalation, come up slowly to an upright position.
l Repeat the pose on the other side.

FOCUS ON YOUR LOWER HAND

l Rest your lower hand lightly on the ground rather than placing weight on it.

FOCUS ON YOUR TRUNK & BACK

l Rotate your trunk using the internal oblique muscles of the abdomen on your
upper side and the external oblique muscles on your lower side.
l Feel a stretch of your major back muscles including your latissimus dorsi.

CREATE STABILITY THROUGH YOUR LEGS

l Extend both your knees using your quadriceps.
l Stretch the hamstrings of both your legs.
l Stretch the gastrocnemius and soleus of your back leg.
l Create a strong foundation with your lower body to
maintain balance and stability.

MAGAZINE KING
FOCUS ON YOUR SHOULDERS AND ARMS
l Draw your upper shoulder back so it is in a direct line
with your lower shoulder. This will help open your chest.
Avoid letting your upper shoulder drop forwards.
l Your upper shoulder externally rotates and abducts and
your lower shoulder internally rotates and abducts.
l Use your triceps to straighten both your arms.
This action will stretch your biceps and brachialis muscle.
l Draw your scapula towards your midline by activating
your rhomboids.

FEEL GROUNDED THROUGH YOUR FEET

l It is common for your weight to shift to the outer edge
of your front foot. Bring your weight back to the ball of
your foot.
l Press the outer edge of your left foot down to increase
the stability of your lower body.

Our digital app version Doctor Kiki Morriss is a medical doctor, yoga
includes a video tutorial and teacher, yoga therapist and founder of
Primrose Hill Yoga, where she teaches adults,
extra content not included in children and families. Visit: primrosehillyoga.com
this print version. Get it today or instagram.com/kikimorriss

app is
available on... ommagazine.com

33
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OM meets...

Sarah Highfield

MAGAZINE KING

34

OM catches up with Sarah Highfield, the founder of Yogagise, who believes that students
must, above all else, enjoy their yoga practice
How did you first get into yoga?
I properly discovered yoga when I was 21
years old and backpacking around the
world. Prior to that I had been to a couple
of one-off yoga classes, but it never fully
resonated with me until I discovered it
again… while in Fiji with a fellow yogi!
What inspired you in those early days?
When I first started practicing yoga, I
was simply inspired by how good I felt
afterwards, both in my mind and body. I
loved how yoga connected me to myself,
and I think being in such a transformational
stage of my life just after university, it really
helped me to navigate my emotions and
understand my body.
What does yoga give you personally?
Yoga simply makes me feel good. I love
stretching my body out, bringing my
attention into the present and calming my
mind. I also love the aspect of nurturing
MAGAZINE KING
time for myself and self-care.
Your teaching
How would you describe your
teaching style?
My own teaching style is relaxed and fun.
I definitely don’t sit at the serious end of
om body
the yoga spectrum and I don’t over analyse My favourite places to do yoga are
it. I’m attentive and always encourage either high up in the mountains or next
my students to practice with lots of self- to the sea — I love a beautiful view and
awareness and, above all, to enjoy yoga. fresh air.
Yoga career highs so far?
My teaching highs include my
Yogagise Yoga & Brunch event
next to the beach in Antigua;
teaching at the OM Yoga Show
in London; teaching in my
hometown of Hong Kong;
teaching on retreats in Greece;
and teaching on a 200-hour
yoga teacher training in the
Alpujarra mountains in Spain.
I’m also lucky to teach amazing
private yoga students, many
of whom are now good friends
of mine.
Any favourite teachers
or studios?
Yes, lots — my favourite
teachers include David
Swenson, Shamita Ray, Mark
Ansari and Raquel Salvador.
All these teachers have helped
me to develop into a more
rounded yoga teacher myself.
YOGA TRENDS
Diversity in yoga
I think in the early 2000s, yoga was
really dominated by the image of
middle-class white women, but
more recently I see more and more
diverse yoga role models and imagery
across advertising, in studios and on
social media. So, I think diversity in
yoga is certainly moving in the right
direction, which is important because
yoga should feel accessible and
represented for everyone.
Body positivity
I like the body positivity movement,
it’s certainly more optimistic than
obsessing over the ‘perfect body’.
I think body positivity and yoga are
aligned because yoga connects you
with your body and encourages you
to appreciate and accept it just as
it is.
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What are your plans going forward?
I’ll continue to run my own Yogagise events;
they always start with yoga and end with
food - my favourite two things! I have a yoga
retreat in the Spanish mountains coming
up in September 2020. I will also continue
to teach on the Inspira Yoga 200-hour
yoga teacher trainings which take place in
London and Andalucia.
Should yoga teachers keep parallel
careers running, especially in
the early days?
Yes, if they want to, or if teaching yoga
doesn’t earn them enough to live. I was
lucky that I was able to transition on from
my office job into teaching yoga without any
overlap, but lots of yoga teachers I know do
have some overlap between the two.
What do you say to people who feel they
shouldn’t do yoga because they’re not in
shape / too old / too inflexible?
I say that their attitude is preventing
them from doing yoga. You don’t have to
be thin or young or flexible to do yoga.
Everyone can do yoga if they want to and
having a positive attitude will make all
the difference.

New teachers New students Beyond yoga

Advice for new yoga teachers
starting out?
Be as proactive as possible, network lots
and continue to attend yoga classes as a
student, because learning and developing
as a teacher comes via many different
paths. Also, when you attend a yoga class
which you really like, ask yourself
why you liked it so much? Think
about what made that class
special, and then consider whether
you can also do something similar
to make your own yoga classes
just as special and enjoyable. One
exercise I ask the students to do
on the yoga teacher training that
I teach on is to write down a yoga
teacher review that they would
like to receive. I then ask them
to embody it and work towards
Any tips for students new to yoga?
Do yoga with an open mind, it’s not for
everyone, but most people find that there is
a style of yoga which works for them. I also
believe that every yoga teacher is unique
and finding a teacher who you can connect
and feel comfortable with is important.
“My own teaching style is relaxed
and fun. I deinitely don’t sit at the
serious end of the yoga spectrum
and I don’t over analyse it. I’m
attentive and always encourage
my students to practice with lots
of self-awareness and, above all, to
What do you do when you’re not
doing yoga?
I like cooking. I love finding new and
challenging recipes to make at home.
Recently I made some homemade ravioli,
it took far longer than it should have but I
really enjoyed the process…and of course
the end result!
Any tips for incorporating yoga
into daily life?
If you find it hard to fit yoga into
your life, start small, maybe you
could begin with just 15 minutes
of yoga a few times per week.
Over time, try to make those yoga
sessions a little longer. There are
plenty of great YouTube yoga
videos which are suitable for all
levels of yoga.

MAGAZINE KING enjoy yoga.”

making that review a reality.

36
 om body

QUICK-FIRE Q&A
Favourite go-to book
I recently discovered Sophrology
after meeting Dominique Antiglio, a
Sophrologist. Dominique introduced
me to a series of mental exercises
to help me relax, which were really
effective. Additionally, she just
released the book The Life-Changing
Power of Sophrology, which I’m
currently reading.

Favourite health food

I love big, rainbow-coloured salads
with lots of avocado. I’m also a big
fan of any Italian or Japanese dishes.

I am happiest when….
…I’m with my family and friends. The
older I get, the more I want to spend
time with the people I’m closest to,
there really is no substitute.

Life motto
“Don’t let a bad day turn into a
bad week.”

Find out more about Sarah Highfield at:

yogagise.com

MAGAZINE KING

The Yoga Bench Company

Introduce a yoga bench to your practice.
• Encourage good alignment
• Increase spinal flexibility
• Great backbend support
• Ideal forward bend prop
• Hand-crafted in the UK

See all our benches and video demonstrations at yogabench.co.uk

37
 om body

Ski fit
Six yoga poses to see you through the slopes. Tim and Shannon
Phillis of Yoga Tonic share their top tips for staying fit and preventing
injury if you’re skiing or snowboarding this winter

MAGAZINE KING

38
 om body

T
here are quite a few similarities
between yoga and mountain
sports. Skiing can be one of the
most rewarding and relaxing
activities to do off the mat as
it allows us to live in the present away from
life’s distractions, whilst also being active in
the open air…and to enjoy the breathtaking
beauty of the mountains.
Yoga is a great way to prepare for a ski
holiday, to help you limber up and to stay fit
and well when you’re out on the mountains.
Sun Salutations are a great place to start.
Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskar B) is a
particularly good way to warm the whole body
up before skiing as it specifically includes
Chair pose (see below) to engage glutes, and
also introduces a full range of movement
throughout the body. Increasing the heart
rate and raising the flow of blood around the
body will help loosen the muscles, thereby
stimulating a greater range of movement
before getting on the slopes.
Developing a stronger core, leg and upper
body strength will help people get more out of
their time in the mountains.
Movement (Asana): With regular yoga
practice, students develop greater sense of
proprioception (feeling of self-movement and
body position). Enhanced proprioception will
help skiers to become more aware of their

MAGAZINE KING
posture when on the slopes, changing balance
with body position whilst adapting to the
environment around them.
Focus (Drishti): maintaining a steady gaze
or mental focus. It is important when skiing
as the gazing spot is focused downhill in the
direction of travel.
Breathing (Pranayama): A regular
and consistent breath will help skiers and
snowboarders centre themselves and feel
calmer on the slopes.
Here are six yoga postures that will help get
you ski ready this winter:

Pre-holiday
1. Chair pose (Utkatasana)
Pose strengthens quads, glutes and calves. Plenty of variations
including adding pulses or balancing on one leg, moving weight
forwards and backwards or side to side or adding spinal twists to
engage the core.

2. Extended Side Angle pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Strengthens knees, ankles, legs along with the abdominals,
particularly in this pose where both hands are raised. Increases
flexibility in the shoulders and the spine. Modification can be to
place lower elbow on the knee whilst maintaining the open chest.

3. Boat pose (Navasana)

Pose develops core and hip flexor strength. A strong core will help
ensure shoulders keep facing downhill, and help prevent ‘swaying’
when making a turn. For variety, legs can be raised, straightened or
hands raised or moved from side to side.

39
 om body

Before (and post) skiing

4. Downward Dog
(Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Arms and legs are strengthened as weight
is distributed equally through palms and
heels. Spine, shoulders, hamstrings and
calf are stretched as the sitting bone rises
high. Dynamic movement such as peddling
the feet, moving the hips from side to side
can help warm the body up. Including the
pose as part of Sun Salutation B is an ideal,
complete, body warm up before getting on
the slopes. Helps increase blood circulation
and calming the mind.

Before skiing
5. Eagle (Garudasana)

MAGAZINE KING
Opens the shoulders, upper back, thigh
and ankles whilst introducing the sense of
balance before getting on the slopes. Also
enhances flexibility and strength. Pose can
be done with both arms and legs at the
same time or arms and legs only.

Post skiing
6. Wide Angled Seated pose
(Upavistha Konasana A)
Stretching out the hamstring, hip flexors
and back at the end of the day will help
reduce any stiffness the next day. To assist
the forward fold you can sit on a cushion or
vary the width of your legs.

New online videos and full Ski Fit programme

available to download from £39.99 at:
yogatonicuk.com/skifit
Find the Yoga Tonic team on Instagram,
Facebook and Twitter: @yogatonicuk

40
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41
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MAGAZINE KING
All inclusive Yoga is for all, no matter what abilities
or disabilities we are faced with
ew Horizons is a special place
N that has been providing
homes and support services
for individuals with physical
disabilities for the past 33
years. It’s located in Connecticut, in the USA.
The 101 residents there face daily challenges
as a result of their physical disabilities — but
there’s still room for yoga. In fact, yoga has
been shown to be a wonderful way to reduce
stress and bring relief and relaxation around
the community home.
New Horizons (NHVillage.org) recently
partnered with local yoga instructor Anita
Barbero and health group Cigna in order to
spread the word. At one event at the village,
more than 50 people came together to
practice in what was hailed as a “wonderful
safe and inclusive environment”. Vinyasa
Flow and Chair Yoga was offered so that
individuals of all abilities could participant
42
together, along the theme of compassionate
connection. The group also enjoyed live
drumming and the soothing sounds of
healing bowls, reflecting some of the depth
and diversity the world of yoga and wellness
brings with it.
“Yoga is food for the soul,” said one of the
participants, Gwen, a resident at the New
Horizons home. “The community yoga event
was an excellent way to relax. I particularly
liked the mindful meditation which I will be
incorporating into my daily medication.”
The practice also helps in her quest for
independence in the face of her disabilities.
In 1982, just before her 30th birthday, Gwen
was injured in a car accident along with her
sister and brother. She was ejected 25 feet,
landing on nearby railway tracks, suffering
injuries that have left her wheelchair-
bound. For 33 years after the accident,
she continued to live with her parents
and brother, before moving into her New
Horizons home. “I determine and dictate my
own life,” she said. “I have the freedom to be
who I am.”
It highlights the power of yoga not only
to bring peace and greater movement to
people, but also in building confidence and
nurturing hope in the face of adversity.
“I believe as a yoga teacher and human
being, that staying open in heart and
mind, in order to receive all the blessings,
is the greatest gift we can offer ourselves,”
said yoga teacher Anita Barbero
(anitabarbero.com). “When we do this we
can then pass that same gift of love and
compassion to another. This community
yoga practice was an experience of openly
connecting one heart to another in an
inclusive all-loving environment passing
the gift of compassionate connection
heart to heart.”
MAGAZINE KING
 om body
The Body Positivi+y Blog
New year, new you
MAGAZINE KING
Everyone can do yoga! Here are three simple things to know before you commence your
journey on the mat this year. By Jane Lambert
t’s January, so traditionally, now is the time to make a
I whole heap of promises to yourself about what you want to
achieve in the coming 12 months.
But in the last few years, it’s become apparent that new
year’s resolutions aren’t actually that great. They inherently
imply that there’s something wrong with the ‘you’ you are now,
and that the first day of the first month
of the year is the perfect time to put
that right and start changing everything
about yourself. Just so you know, there’s
nothing wrong with who you are now,
and you don’t need to change anything.
44
But then there’s yoga. Anyone who does yoga wants everyone
else to do yoga, because we know how good it feels. Whether that’s
a session a week in your local community centre, or a regular daily
practice in your own home, there’s nothing better than that yoga
feeling. So, while new year’s resolutions should generally be a thing
of the past, if you’re starting 2020 with an idea that you’d like to
make yoga a regular part of your life, I’m here to support that.
There’s nothing to say that your first class has to be in January.
But January always follows December, and if you’re anything
like me, December is a month full of ‘stuff’. It’s full of social
commitments, food, drink, last-minute work that needs to be
finished, travelling all over the place to visit family. It’s busy, and
therefore January is the perfect time to put a stop to all that and
find some time for yourself. And is there a better place to do that
than on a yoga mat?
If the start of the year is when you’re finding yourself at your
first ever yoga class, or even your first class in a while, I have three
golden rules for you.
1. You already have a yoga body
There’s a meme that I’ve seen repeatedly that says: ‘How to get a
yoga body: 1) Have a body 2) Do yoga.’ This is possibly the truest
thing you’ll ever see on the internet. You don’t need to get in shape
to go to yoga. You don’t need to be flexible. You have a body, and
therefore you can do yoga. Don’t let any amount of slim bodies
showing off their handstands fool you. There’s a big difference
between the yoga you see as you scroll through a social media
feed, and the yoga you practice when you get on your mat. Print
this sentence out and read it aloud every day: I have a yoga body.
 om body

MAGAZINE KING
2. Yoga isn’t designed to help
you lose weight
While there are some high-intensity yoga classes that fuse the
practice with an element of cardio, the truth is that a yoga class
isn’t an exercise class. It’s not about losing any weight you think
you need to get rid of after Christmas, and it’s not about fitting into
a smaller dress size by the time you hit the beach in July. Exercising
is great, of course. It’s especially great if you can separate the idea
of exercise from the idea of losing weight, and simply see it as
a way to have fun and get fit. But yoga isn’t about that, and the
sooner you realise it, the better off you’ll be. The people that you
see online who have washboard abs and toned muscles are not
that way simply because they practice yoga every day; they are
committed to an intense fitness regime. Yoga is about so much
more than the physical shapes you make on your mat, and the
more you practice, the more you’ll come to realise this.

3. Everyone is more focused on

themselves than on you
Yoga forces you to adjust your focus inwards, instead of outwards.
You are encouraged to concentrate on your breath, to listen to
your body, and to tune everything else out. You’ll be so busy
doing this that you won’t notice what anyone else is doing. Follow
this thought process through logically, and you’ll realise that if
you’re not interested in your fellow students, why would they be
interested in you? Don’t take it personally; I’m sure that the lady to
your left will happily pass the time with you before and after class,
but during class, she’s more concerned with herself. Once you’ve
embraced this idea, you’ll stop worrying about what you look like
in comparison to the way other people look, and you’ll be able to
relax into your class.
 om body

Set your
intention
Create a healthy new you this year
using the power of intention and
other yoga tools.
By Anna Brook

MAGAZINE KING

46

ew Year is the perfect time to
N take stock of where we are
and consider intentions or
resolutions for the future.
This focus on being focused
on driving desires or intentions in life has
been used for thousands of years in the
yogic tradition.
The ancient Vedic text the Upanishads
tells us that the power of intention sits at
the heart of what we create in our lives:
“You are what your deepest desire is. As
your desire is, so is your intention. As your
intention is, so is your will. As your will is,
so is your deed. As your deed is, so is
your destiny.”
This empowering point of view puts us
firmly at the driving seat of our lives. If things
aren’t going how we’d like to, perhaps there
is something lurking in our subconscious
blocking us?
Although we can set intentions at any
time, the new year and holiday season is
often a time where many of us might be
free from work, so there is often a collective
period of reappraisal.
Becoming more healthy and losing
weight are common intentions — yet
what would you really like to bring into
your life?
In a journal you could consider
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the following:
Reflect
What went well?
What will you remember? For example,
experiences/people who inspired you.
Why did they inspire you?
Where there any great challenges? What
learning could you take from them?
What will you cultivate?
Yoga teacher Rod Stryker talks about there
being four desires or drives of the soul.
om body
Dharma: The longing for purpose. The drive
to be and become who you’re meant to be.
Artha: Is the means necessary to accomplish
your Dharma — so acquiring the material
resources such as food, money, physical
wellbeing and a roof over your head.
Kama: Is the drive for pleasure of all kinds
— closeness and intimacy, beauty, family, art
and friendship.
Moksha: Is the longing to be free, to
experience unfettered awareness, to be
completely unburdened and to be free of the
limitations of the three other desires.
Does one of these stand out most for you
at this time in your life? Write down your
reasons for this.
Setting your intentions
Write a list of your intentions for the year.
Areas of your life to consider may include
career, relationships, finance goals or
health objectives.
Write these in sentences as if they are
already happening.
For example: I make time for my family
each day.
My new business is a great success.
I am taking time to keep myself healthy and
eat well. I attend a yoga class every week.
Sankalpa
You may like to consider an overall desire
or intention for the year. This can be
particularly potent if used during Yoga Nidra
or ‘yogic sleep’, a deeply restorative practice.
In yogic terms this type of intention is named
a Sankalpa. Again, state this in the present
tense as if it is already happening.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati writes:
‘Anything can fail you in life but not the
Sankalpa made during Yoga Nidra’. For
example: I am grounded and kind to those
around me.
Create a reminder
You may like to create a mood board or
visual reminder of your intentions and
Sankalpa. Have fun using colour and
materials to bring this about — either using
paper and pens/paint or perhaps on your
computer. Create something you will want
to look at again and again. This is how
your intentions seep powerfully into your
subconscious and flower in reality.
Gratitude
Write at least 10 things you most appreciate
about your life. You may like to continue this
practice daily, writing 5 — 10 things per day
in your journal.
Anna Brook is a yoga teacher based in
Margate. She teaches on regular yoga
retreats (annabrookyoga.com)
 MANCHESTER

MAGAZINE KING
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 OMFM
OM FOR MEN
Inside:
Page 51: Man On he Mat
Page 52: Rested Best
Page 53: Stif Guy Yoga
Page 54: Yoga’s Outliers

MAGAZINE KING

50
 JÉRÔME LAHORE IS THE MAN ON THE MAT

Headstand
(Sirsasana)
Sirsasana or headstand is
the king of asanas.

Benefits
n Sirsasana increases the flow of blood in the brain
and therefore calms and rejuvenates the mind.
n Relieves stress and mild depression.
n Strengthens the core, arms and shoulders
by improving the upper body strength, and
muscle endurance.
n Improves digestion (gravity effect).

Common Mistakes
n Hands and elbows too wide.
n Don’t put too much pressure on the head.
n Keep your spine straight.
n Don’t bring hips behind the shoulders.

Tips
MAGAZINE KING
n If you are scared by inversion you should start with
Shoulderstand or Salamba Sarvangasana first
which will teach you how to lift your body up and
will reduce your fear of disorientation.
n Foundation: Interlace the fingers and tuck the little
fingers. Place your head into the clasped hands.
Make sure that there isn’t a lot of pressure on the
head by pushing up from the shoulders.
n Straighten your legs like in Downward Dog and
start to walk the heels towards the head (warm up
your hamstrings first) until your tailbone is facing
the sky.
n Lift your feet off the floor by using your core. You
may also bring both knees towards the chest and
once you feel stable start to straighten the legs.

Awareness
First don’t forget to breathe! Sirsasana is the king
pose so don’t start with this pose without prior yoga
experience. You need to warm up and enter into the
position with humility and kindness. Be sure to not
collapse all your weight on the neck and the head. Once
you are in the position place your gaze on the nose.
Rest in Child’s Pose 5 to 10 breaths before lifting up.

Jérôme Lahore is director of Inhale Yoga

(inhaleyoga.sg) and ofers private and corporate
yoga classes in Singapore.

51
51
 OMFM
Rested best
MAGAZINE KING Relaxation the key to a happy and successful life,
says former naval oficer, Andrew Harry
A
Cornish, former naval officer
has devised a ground-
breaking new method to
help people both relax and
improve their mental and
physical wellbeing.
Andrew Harry, from Penzance, combines
a blend of simple and effective holistic
bodywork, mindfulness and meditation
techniques that bring about relaxation for
personal health recovery.
Rested-Best consists of a short
programme of personally-tailored sessions
that are both preventative and restorative.
They are aimed at supporting your health
and wellbeing as well as promoting
resourcefulness and resilience,” he says.
“All the techniques used are tried and
tested and provide medication-free
solutions to tension and fatigue.”
With 15 years experience as a wellbeing
specialist, he knows what he’s talking about.
“The health recovery programme helps
you experience a deeply relaxed state that I
call your ‘rested-best’. It helps you manage
stress and anxiety more effectively, for you
to recover from fatigue and over-exertion
52
more quickly and ultimately for you to feel Andrew Harry
better about yourself and your world.”
Harry is co-founder and director of
The Relaxation Academy, which is
bringing together ideas for training
and education in the art of relaxation,
including holistic bodywork, mindfulness
and meditation.
He runs a clinic in Penzance each week
and has also written a book entitled
The Emperor’s New Self that describes
the personal journey to find certainty
through relaxation.
He says the book offers a way to look
at the mechanism behind the journey to
help you find what it is you truly want.
The motivation behind the book was
to capture and share the underlying solutions enable our clients to reclaim
model behind Rested-Best and for it to their capacity and capability to sustainably
complement his work. perform well and with this to feel better and
to genuinely begin to enjoy life more. As
“Our clients soon learn that they have the motivational benefits multiply there is
experienced a refreshing new way to more depth in life again as they ignite their
relate to their environment, to others internal ambition and realise they can start
and especially to themselves. It’s safe to to dream bigger still.”
say it offers a personal revolution in the
process of relaxation. Our embodiment For more information visit: restedbest.co.uk
 OMFM

Stif guy yoga B

Reaching out to all the yoga ‘stifs’ in the world
eing a yoga teacher Nikki Lynds-
Xavier was aware that men had
different flexibility to women but
it was only when a couple of male
friends admitted they couldn’t put
their socks on without sitting down, that she
began to think about it a little more. Asking
around she quickly discovered it was definitely a
thing for men. And it was not just the socks; it was
significantly impacting their day-to-day lives.
She also knew yoga classes were still
predominately female. Digging a little deeper she
discovered that although the guys knew yoga
would help their flexibility, the thought of being
surrounded by bendy women was not a plus, and
was at worst intimidating. Added to which most
men thought yoga involved just lying or sitting on
a mat and stretching — and god forbid-chanting!
And so she decided to set herself the challenge
of making her classes 50/50 men and women.
Her starting point was to design a men-only class,
resulting in her first Stiff Guy Yoga session. The
class was designed to specifically target all the
problem areas for men; namely hips, hamstrings,
backs and shoulders. And the vibe that she
created was deliberately man-friendly. Within a
few weeks the class was running at the maximum
capacity for the studio.

MAGAZINE KING
The popularity of the class has continued.
Many of the original ‘stiffs’ are still attending
today, she tells OM, and more Stiff Guy classes
are running each week, including beginners
and advanced.
Lynds-Xavier says the Stiff Guy classes have
given the men the confidence, strength and
flexibility to attend other classes, and the new
class demographic has created an inclusive,
friendly environment. (And, after a bit of
feedback from some of the women in the studio,
it even resulted in the creation of Stiff Girl Yoga!).
The next step to reach more people was a
book, Stiff Guy Yoga. Designed for the total
beginner, it includes an illustrated poses guide
as well as six routines to introduce men to the
benefits of yoga.
There are also plans for a Stiff Guy Yoga
franchise, with the first one opening in Bristol in
January 2020. After that, the enterprising yogini
will be looking at other teachers and studios
across the country to expand Stiff Guy’s reach.
“The name Stiff Guy helps break the ice, and
encourages men to try yoga for the first time,” she
says. “I continue to be amazed by the popularity
of Stiff Guy classes and the changes I see in
the guys on a daily basis. They have been the
inspiration for the book.”

Stiff Guy Yoga: Reclaim Your Twenty-Something

Self In 30 Days by Nikki Lynds-Xavier is published
by Troubador priced £12.99. Available from
WHSmith online, Amazon, as well as other
retailers. The book (and Stiff Guy Yoga videos ) is
also available to buy at: stiffguyyoga.co.uk

53
 OMFM
Yoga’s outliers
Men are still in the minority when it comes to yoga in the West.
They are yoga’s outliers, says Gregory Ormson
E
veryone is broken and we all
need yoga to heal division
and strife. If we in the yoga
world can’t overcome our
own barriers and biases, and
if yogis can’t create a new world of equality
and wholeness with yoga healing, who can?
I’m from the US’ Midwest where my
boots were stained with the weight of my
story: mud, dirt, and blood. Now I live in
the desert and do yoga where I’m part of
the sore hamstring tribe. Yoga has taught
some men, like me, to shift our lives and
exchange arm strength for core strength,
to find wholeness through cooperation
rather than the fracture of competition,
and to ‘descend in order to ascend’. This,
MAGAZINE KING
according to Iyengar, is yoga’s way to
progress, and a reversal of the hierarchical
Gospel to reach ever higher and higher
with effort and more effort.
Girls rule
I’ve noticed in the yoga world a shape —
shifting environment with new tools, a new
philosophy, and a new reality: for the most
part, women are in charge.
I’ve been practicing publicly for seven
years and have been to many studios in four
states. When I travelled to India, Argentina,
Europe, and Korea I was not yet doing yoga.
But in Hawaii, Michigan, Wisconsin, and
Arizona I’ve noticed a slight increase in the
numbers of men practicing. And yet most
still stay away. They’re not willing to work
through barriers they experience — whether
intentional or not — in the modern-day
yoga studio.
Women will not like hearing this, but, in
my opinion, there are unspoken blocks to
men in contemporary yoga studios. Most
are subtle, while some obstacles are direct
and intentional. Women are willing to teach
us, but they don’t trust us. I understand
their reasons.
According to a survey by Gfk (Gdk.com)
80% of women in the US have, in some
way, been harassed or worse by men both
sexually or in other ways. When I saw one
of my daughter’s social media posts tagged
with #MeToo, I too felt my blood boil. Many
54
women in yoga (and a few men) have
experienced the painful reality of sexual
harassment and abuse.
The modern era
Until the last 100 years, yoga was cloistered
away as an expression of disciplined
physical, intellectual, and spiritual life. Yoga
was reserved for men of the high priestly
and scholarly class; this has changed.
I’ve observed yoga summarised as a
physical exercise practice available to all
and presented in culture as a fashionable
workout with a few bones tossed in the
direction of tradition. In book stores, yoga
books lean into beauty and diet offerings,
and yoga magazines focus on stories for
women. It’s not surprising for most classes
are made up of 80% (or more) women.
Historically, yoga has been segregated.
This doesn’t fit with yoga’s aims for
balance and union. It didn’t fit then,
and it doesn’t fit now. Is it balanced to
have all women instructors on a staff of
15 or 20? Is it reflective of society or of the
studio? Are there other fields where this
similar disproportionate ratio in leadership
is acceptable?
Perhaps we aren’t able to be inclusive as
humans. Maybe separate sex yoga classes
are the best option. I’m noticing more yoga
single sex retreats. Recently, I noticed a
yoga and writing retreat but then I read
it was for women only. This is something
we’ve all experienced, but does that make
it okay?
A new hierarchy
Maybe it’s impossible to live out the
Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the idea that
when the once-oppressed take over, they
will not do the same thing their oppressors
did to them because they’ve experienced
it. Women have been oppressed in the
hierarchical system, and it’s easy to
understand them adopting hierarchical
male models in leadership and in yoga. Men
have profited from hierarchical leadership
and this model has taught leadership and
sales to women. But don’t we think of the
yoga world as different?
Can yoga be more inclusive now that
women are leading as teachers, owners,
and content creators? Will women address
an unbalanced situation? Aren’t they asking
some of these questions about yoga’s
presentation to culture and the small
numbers of men practicing? Do they think
of men as an underserved population?
In our bodies, and in our sexual politic,
we are all trailing clouds of shame. It’s
why we’re suspicious of the opposite sex.
In a climate of distrust, it’s hard to build
equality and unity. Consequences are
ruined gender relationships born from the
experience of power and exploitation.
The yoga world is not exempt from any
of this because the yoga world is still the
world of people.
Toward inclusion
I don’t have a far-reaching answer. I don’t
even know if it’s an issue. But I know I will
continue to practice at yoga studios in
spite of a clear imbalance. I will keep going
because yoga fixed my injured back, and
the proof is in my body. I continue to write,
hope, engage and teach yoga toward true
equality. I will work to overcoming my blind
spots and unintended barriers. Will you?
Then, starting from the place all yoga
starts — the self — we can move toward
balance, inclusion, and equality one yogi
at a time. If women can get past their bad
— or even horrible — experience with some
in my gender, and if I can get past mine,
maybe we can be equal partners; neither
one better or worse but 100% equal
while displaying different faces to our
essential Oneness.
Writers Note: OM deliberately works to
include men , as in the OMFM and ‘Man on
the Mat’ section. I thank you for that.
Gregory Ormson teaches yoga for
motorcyclists in Arizona and leads
Yoga-Breath, Breath of Life workshops
accompanied by his Bhakti-style band,
Sat Song. He also blogs on yoga, music,
motorcycling and landscapes at:
gregoryormson.com
 OMFM

MAGAZINE KING

55
 Special report: eco sanitary wear

MAGAZINE KING

56

About bloody time
The yoga community is a force for change in the world — that’s why it’s time
to start talking about periods
MAGAZINE KING
Y
es, men do yoga as well (back in India, that’s where
it all began with the ancient yogis), but here in the
West, it’s still commonly thought of as a female
thing. Either way, it’s time to shake off some old
taboos: that means talking about periods.
Periods may have once only been thought of as a woman’s
issue, but nowadays their impact is felt in numerous ways.
For starters, our Earth is struggling against the overwhelming
weight of plastic pollution — and yet just one sanitary pad is the
equivalent to four plastic bags. Couple this with the fact that a
female uses on average 11,000 throwaway tampons and pads in a
lifetime, there’s no doubt periods have become an environmental
issue too. That’s definitely a problem for everyone.
And sadly, it’s not only the planet that suffers. Periods, despite
being an inevitable part of a woman’s life, are a source of poverty
for many. In fact, one in 10 girls can’t afford to buy menstrual
products, according to Plan International UK; over 137,700 girls in
Special report: eco sanitary wear
the UK have missed school because of this. It’s hardly surprising
when you consider that menstrual products cost more than
£18,000 in a woman’s lifetime — that’s about £13 every month.
It is inconceivable that females become slaves to their body
when it’s doing something perfectly natural. How periods are
experienced shouldn’t be down to how much is in our back pockets.
And still, discussing periods as a whole remains a taboo topic.
How many of us admit to hiding a pad or tampon in our pockets
when we’re due to freshen up? Or feel embarrassment creeping
in when we place these items on the checkout conveyor belt?
It’s time to change the way we think about periods, and the best
place to start is by opening up the conversation, instead of hiding
in shame.
As yoga practitioners — students and teachers alike — we are
perhaps ideally placed to get this message across to a wider
audience. The planet itself may depend on it. As the late, great
Gandhi once remarked: “Be the change.”
57
 Special report: eco sanitary wear

Your planet-
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MAGAZINE KING
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The new WUKA Medium holds at least 15ml of
period flow or light leaks, around 2-3 tampons
Reusable Organic Cotton worth. Machine washable.
Cloth Pads £19.99 (medium)
Menstrual cloth pads can be wuka.co.uk
reused for many years: simply
wash, dry and use again. With
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of your underwear. Made with This natural organic day pad is designed to work for
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reinforced with a leakproof unbleached Indian cotton, it has undyed cotton flannel
layer of polyurethane laminated next to the skin and another
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complete confidence. They come great absorbency. The
in various patterns in packs of back is a pretty pink and
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your lighter to heavier days. Closes securely
£4.99 (one sample pad), £16.50 around the
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products of all 3 sizes). £8.75
nuflo.uk earthwisegirls.co.uk

58
MAGAZINE KING
 Special report: eco sanitary wear

Go naturelle
Take control of your period this year: 5 tips for coping
with your period, naturally

MAGAZINE KING

60
 Special report: eco sanitary wear
M
ost women know
the symptoms of
their monthly cycle:
cramps, mood swings,
anxiousness, bloating
and breakouts, to name a few. But there are
many natural solutions to help you cope.
Do yoga
Many people believe that certain yoga
positions can help to ease menstrual pain
and bloating. When practicing yoga, it’s
important to get to know your body and find
out what is comfortable for you. Be sure to
work to your ability and limit any strenuous
poses; opt for poses that consist of forward
bends as this can help to beat that sluggish
feeling and soothe fatigue and anxiety. Yoga
also helps to calm the mind so if you’re not
feeling yourself when you’ve got your period,
taking 10 minutes in the morning or before
bed to stretch can be very beneficial.
Organic essential oils
There are many organic essential oils
available which can be used to soothe
cramps, help you relax or give you a much-
needed energy boost during your period.
Two ‘must have’ essential oils are rose
geranium and lavender. Rose geranium oil
can help to ease the symptoms of PMS, lift
MAGAZINE KING
spirits and relieve anxiety while lavender
is known for its anti-inflammatory and
relaxing properties. Mix a few drops of
either rose geranium or lavender oil into
an organic carrier oil (jojoba or almond
oil work perfectly) and massage onto your
lower abdomen to ease cramps. Or add a
few drops into your bath or a diffuser to take
advantage of the calming aromas.
Keep yourself warm
A hot bath is always a good way to ease the
pain of menstrual cramps. Not only will a
bath relax you, but the heat will improve
blood flow to the pelvic area which relaxes
the muscles causing the cramps. Epsom
salts are also a good addition to your bath;
they contain magnesium which has anti-
inflammatory properties which help to
relieve pain. If you don’t have access to a
bath, try placing a hot water bottle on your
stomach or lower back to help ease pain.
Healthy diet
The food you eat can affect pain levels and
aggravate PMT so be sure you eat a healthy
and balanced diet. Eat little and often to
maintain blood sugar levels and if you
feel the urge for sugar resist the chocolate
and have a banana or some oats: both
are fantastic sources of potassium and
magnesium which are important for energy
Period Care,
release and the nervous system. While you
may crave salty and sugary foods try to avoid
them as they can often increase irritability
Reinvented
and bloating during your period.
Switch to organic cotton
Good for you.
sanitary products Good for the planet.
Conventional sanitary products contain a
whole host of synthetic materials such as
rayon, SAP’s, polypropylene, added aromas,
bleach and other synthetic materials.
When these synthetic materials are in
constant contact with your skin, they can
prevent the skin from breathing and cause
many skin irritations such as swelling,
dryness, itching and burning. Organic
cotton sanitary products are made with
organic cotton, which can absorb up to
10 times its own weight, and are naturally
soft, hypoallergenic and highly breathable
(this helps prevent irritation). Companies
like Organ(y)c have been dedicated to
developing a range of sanitary products
using the most sustainable raw materials
since 1992. You will only find 100% certified
organic cotton in their tampons, pads
and liners allowing your skin to breathe
naturally. Making things a little bit easier
during your period!
Chloe Case, Marketing Co-ordinator, Organyc
www.nuflo.uk
 Special report: eco sanitary wear
Swap stories
It’s easy to make the switch to more eco-friendly sanitary products
MAGAZINE KING
M
egan, 21, is a student
studying human
geography, which
includes a focus on areas
such as current affairs
and sustainability. She made the switch to
a NuFlo menstrual cup while on her travels.
Here she explains why:
“I was inspired to move to a menstrual cup
before I went travelling to central America.
I would be travelling by coach around the
countries I visited, with journeys that can
surpass 16 hours — not ideal for a woman
in a hot climate and on her period. If I
were to use a tampon I could risk TSS; if
I were to use a pad I knew things could,
in other words, become a bit ‘gross’. I
planned to explore endlessly in my two
months of travelling and didn’t want two
weeks of bleeding to have any impact on
my experience whatsoever. So I decided
to use a menstrual cup on the trip as an
easy, hygienic, sustainable and lightweight
way to travel around without weighing my
backpack down.”
Do you think there is a preconceived
perception of menstrual cups?
“I do believe there is a perception that
menstrual cups are just for hippies who
want to save the world and can at times
62
even be considered ‘dirty’(!). As well as this
I’ve noticed lots of women have a fear of
leaking. I understand these ideas, but they
cannot be further from the truth. I believe
the reason people think they could be
‘dirty’ is the fact that it sits inside you all
day and the idea of removing a menstrual
cup filled with blood puts a lot of women
off. It’s true it’s rawer and might not feel
as ‘sanitary’ as using a tampon which you
throw away in a split second. However, it’s
worth getting used to and comfortable with
the more animalistic sides of your body in
order to know it better. I’ve found that since
using a menstrual cup I’m more perceptive
of maintaining a healthy flora.”
Where do you think women are lacking in
their education of period products?
“Women are lacking in their education so
much. At school I was only ever taught how
to use a pad. I knew nothing about other
options until I explored or heard via word
of mouth. Menstrual cup brands however
have done a good job of making it easy
for newbies to learn how to use a period
cup and which size to get. Traditionally
girls are also getting advice from their
mothers who have most likely only ever
used pads and tampons in their lifetimes.
As we’re traditionally used to using pads
and tampons we’ve learnt to overlook any
negative side effects of using them. We
overlook or buy into sales of single-use
plastic tampons and pads, continuously
re-buying and stocking up on them. Women
need to be taught that: menstrual cups can
be cleaned easily and are not soaked in
fragrance which could potentially impact
your natural PH; they don’t leave any stray
fibres behind; they rarely leak once you use
the right size and know how to correctly
insert them; you can have a lie in or go
about your 12 hour day without fear of TSS
and other bacterial infections.”
Any advice you would give to women who
are cup newbies?
“Most importantly, I’d suggest making
sure you have the right size for yourself
by following the basic guidelines. I
recommend once using a menstrual cup to
practice or watch a video on how to insert
and remove cups correctly. I’d also suggest
wearing a pantyliner the first few times in
case you’re scared of leakages and maybe
carry a spare pad or tampon and knickers
with you, if you really want to be backed up
in case of an accident or misfortune. I’d also
suggest putting your cup in first thing in the
morning after showering. If you’re nervous
about mess or blood remove it when you’re
in the shower in the evening. Also just keep
it dry and clean otherwise.”
 Reverse the
CYCLE
Eco-friendly and good for your body, menstrual cups are the
ideal choice for today’s wellness warrior.

T
he recent news reports The medical grade silicone is free
surrounding the from chemical substances and
war on plastic keeps your body’s pH in perfect
is changing harmony. This is at odds
the way we with traditional menstrual
consume and dispose of products, the absorbency of
products. Images shown tampons, for example, can
on wildlife programs upset the natural balance
have also highlighted the of the vagina, which
devastating effects plastic can lead to discomfort,
is having on sea life. itching, rashes and
infections. Tampons can
Plastic also leave microscopic
fibres in the vaginal tissue,
Consumption
MAGAZINE KING
Every year, more than
45bn feminine hygiene
products are disposed of
globally and in just one day,
Ocean Conservancy volunteers
causing tiny cuts and
creating a breeding ground
for the bacteria that can
cause Toxic Shock Syndrome
(TSS). Not only this, but many
tampons, pads and liners are
collected nearly 30,000 used bleached white by manufacturers, a
tampons and applicators on the process that creates a chemical called
world’s beaches (International Coastal dioxin, which is a known carcinogen and
Cleanup, 2013). This is especially worrying as been linked to health problems, such as immune
this waste is now finding its way into the food chain system suppression, and reproductive issues.
as marine life are being found containing plastic bags, tampons,
pads and panty-liners. In recent years, menstrual cups have
revolutionised the way women use sanitary products and are Parent power
not only good for your body, but also the planet. If you’ve not Each year, up to 300,000 young women start menstruation and
already heard of them, they’re essentially bell-shaped cups that this is a perfect opportunity for parents to offer their daughters
are inserted internally in the vaginal canal and collect, rather an alternative to conventional sanitary protection.
than absorb, menstrual flow. If you’ve never used a menstrual
cup before, the Enna Cycle is ideal; it comes in a twin pack, Enna Cycle packs are sold at health food stores across the UK.
complete with a storage device, which allows you to sterilise
the cup and store it hygienically, and it is also available with an
applicator to make insertion easier.

Sea change
Enna Cycle can totally remove the need to dump used sanitary
products in landfill sites as they are reusable – all you need to
do is simply wash them with warm soapy water and they’re
ready to use again. For this reason, they’re also cost effective;
Enna Cycle menstrual cups, for example, will last for 10 years,
saving you trips down the sanitary aisle at the supermarket.

Visit www.healthy2u.co.uk/enna and enter code “OMJAN” for 25% off Enna
 Special report: eco sanitary wear

The cost of
your period
Save money, and save the planet, with reusable period pants

MAGAZINE KING

64
 Special report: eco sanitary wear

W
UKA is a female-led start-up that makes the
UK’s first period underwear that completely
replaces tampons and pads. It has calculated
that it is less expensive to use reusable period
pants, rather than conventional menstrual
products, and has much less environmental impact.
That’s big news in an era of period poverty, when many cannot
afford traditional sanitary products.
According to the company’s calculations — which uses modest
estimates taken from a UK supermarket comparison site — it shows
that using reusable period pants over a two-year period works out at
around £50 cheaper than using conventional tampons and pads.
The company’s chief executive and founder, Ruby Raut, reckons
it’s not just about the cost either — there are big environmental
issues at stake too.
Research has shown that around 40% of women dispose of
sanitary products by flushing them down the toilet — although they
should be thrown into landfill, she tells OM. Statistics show that
women in the UK flush 4.6 million menstrual items every day which
leads to plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans. Using reusable
period underwear removes the waste issue as they can be used again
and again, up to two years, according to Raut.
“When you see photographs of used tampons and pads littering
UK beaches it brings it home that as women, just because of our
periods, we are inadvertently contributing to the plastic pollution
issue,” she says. “I created WUKA because I really wanted to do
something to combat this. Using reusables is a win-win on cost and
for the environment.”

Changing attitudes
MAGAZINE KING
A passionate environmental scientist, Raut felt compelled to do
something about it. That meant starting a business that created eco-
friendly and empowering period solutions, especially after her own
teenage experiences growing up with her parents and two sisters in
Nepal, where life was far from easy.
The Nepalese word for period translates as ‘untouchable’
— reflecting a shame about menstruation that co-exists across the
Western world. She saw the impact of this cultural shame around
menstruation as women and girls were regularly exiled from the
family home during their period. This degrading practice, Chaupadi,
is now illegal. Menstruating women were not allowed indoors
because of the belief that they would contaminate everything
during this ‘impure’ time. When she had her first period, aged 12
years old, she was sent away to her aunt’s house and not allowed to
go outside in the sun, not allowed to look at men, or touch plants, in
case they died!
Her company now provides a range of period underwear to suit
different menstrual flows and also caters for teen sizes and sells a
100% biodegradable Wuka Bralette.
Raut says the period pants are a reusable environmentally-
sustainable solution to traditional period products and are made
with CO2 neutral Lenzing MicroModal fabric (from beech trees).
As well as the sustainability issue, she hopes that the cost
advantage will result in a broad shift in outlook to periods as more
women seek alternative solutions.
“If you want to save money and save the planet, then you’re better
off using WUKA reusable period pants which are leak-free and keep
you dry and comfortable,” she says. “While you have to pay more
upfront for our period underwear, they last you around two years,
and work out cheaper over this time than buying loads of single-use
products, most of which contain plastic and will take generations
to decompose.”

To find out more about WUKA visit: wuka.co.uk

65
 Special report: eco sanitary wear

Menstrual cups and more

Reusable sanitary wear that won’t cost the earth

Fair Squared
Period Cup
Plastic- and silicone-free,
the Fair Squared Period
Cup is the environmentally-
friendly solution for your
period. Made using only
100% certified fair trade and
natural rubber it can hold
up to three times as much
menstrual fluid as a tampon
and can be worn for up to 12
hours before emptying. The
cup is reusable and will last
for several years, then, unlike
silicone period cups, it can
be put into your compost bin
to biodegrade after the final
use. Available in Pink and Organic Cotton Single Use Tampons,
Nude. Sizes M and L. Pads & Panty Liners
£17.95

MAGAZINE KING
Naturally absorbent organic cotton tampons, period pads and
fair-squared.co.uk panty liners. Pads and liners are entirely plastic-free and home
compostable so can biodegrade naturally back into the earth after
use. Applicator tampons with a smooth easy-glide cardboard
applicator, just twist to release and push. Also organic tampons
Enna Cycle Cup without applicators.
Much like the use of a tampon, it’s inserted in the same way £2.99 (sample boxes), £6.99 (subscription boxes), £7.99 (one-of
but instead of absorbing your flow, it fills the suctioned cup boxes). Add on products such as Liners and Night pads £0.99.
instead and can hold up to 12 hours of fluid securely. It uses nuflo.uk
medical-grade silicone which is flexible, and safe for the
body. Enna offers great value for money containing 2 cups
in each pack and a microwavable sterilising storage cup,
re-using the cups means cutting down on landfill. The cup Nuflo Menstrual
is available with an applicator to make insertion simple. Cups
With its unique design, it reduces suction on removal and Flexible cups that are
enhances the fit of the cup to your body. worn internally. Instead of
£24.95 absorbing the menstrual
Visit www.healthy2u.co.uk/enna and enter code blood, like tampons do,
“OMJAN” for 25% of Enna they catch and collect
it. Made of soft medical-
grade silicone and can be
washed and reused for
many years. No leaks, no
worries. The cup holds up
to three tampons worth
and can be worn for up
to 12 hours, so wear and
forget about your period
all day and all night. No
BPA, no latex, no dye and
no hazardous chemicals.
Cups come in three sizes.
Free UK shipping.
£21
nuflo.uk

66
MAGAZINE KING
 Yoga
beginners
for
Our guide to starting out in yoga
S
o, you’re all ready to go: it’s 2020 and you
want to see what this yoga thing is all
about. Or maybe you’re reconnecting with
the practice after a long break. Whatever
your reasons, yoga is there for you,
MAGAZINE KING
ready whenever you are. All it takes is an inkling
of commitment, a flash of inspiration to move, to
improve, to feel better.
The good news is that you’re half way there
already: you picked up a copy of OM! We’ll steer
you through those first tentative steps on the
mat so that, before you know it, you’ll be
confidently striding into your local studio
with purpose and poise.
Whether you’re starting a simple practice at
home, plucking up the courage to visit a fancy
studio, or just dipping your toes in the local
church hall class on a Tuesday evening, the most
important thing is just to get started. You don’t
need any prior experience and you don’t need to be
flexible either (that’s one of the biggest misnomers
70
in yoga). In fact, there’s a famous saying about this:
If you can breathe, you can do yoga. That makes
you perfectly qualified to get started. What are you
waiting for?
Take it easy at first. Seek out a local class if you
can to find a teacher you like — it’s always best
to get direct instruction where possible. Or start
gently experimenting at home with the abundance
of free yoga classes online (type ‘yoga for
beginners’ into YouTube to get started). Pick up
a book (again, free in the library!) and explore
the poses. Be sure to keep on reading OM
each month to keep you inspired.
If you’re seeking a healthier, improved
version of yourself this year, to bring
more balance and inner calm to
your life, or you just want to throw
in a bit more movement and
exercise, then yoga is the way
forward. Give it a try and
you’ll never look back.
 Yoga for beginners

MAGAZINE KING

71
 Yoga for beginners

MAGAZINE KING

72

6 reasons why you
should start yoga
Yoga is good for the soul and good for the body. Here are some great reasons
why you should be doing it this year
I
t’s time to stop procrastinating and make 2020 the year
when you fully immerse yourself into the joys of a regular
yoga practice. Still debating whether you can fit it into your
busy life? If you need a reminder of the benefits of yoga, Dru
Yoga’s Jane Clapham outlines some of the top reasons why
you should get on your mat today.
MAGAZINE KING
1. Manage stress better
If you suffer from stress, yoga is a no-brainer. For the first time,
work-related stress anxiety or depression accounts for over half of
all working days lost due to ill health in Great Britain. Yoga is one of
the most effective methods of stress relief. Research published in
peer-reviewed journals found that a six-week programme of weekly
Dru Yoga classes reduced anxiety and fatigue, while increasing
emotional wellbeing and resilience to stress. Ideally, book in for a
series of weekly classes or make a commitment to an online yoga
challenge to encourage you to practice regularly and take the stress
out of arranging your yoga.
2. Emotional balance
Yoga can help you to feel good, no matter what the weather’s like.
True happiness comes from within, and the inner joy that comes
from a great yoga class or meditation session is second to none.
Many people find that a regular practice of yoga helps them to
keep emotionally balanced, and ready to face each day with an
optimistic attitude. A recent study showed that yoga improved
mood more than walking and other forms of exercise, possibly
due to higher levels of the brain chemical GABA (a natural mood
booster), according to an article in The Journal of Alternative and
Complementary Medicine.
3. Good for your back
Many people believe that rest is best for back pain, whereas in fact,
gentle exercise such as yoga helps to stretch and relax the tight
muscles that can cause back pain. Employers are now reaping
the benefits of a yoga programme in the workplace. In research
published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine, Dru Yoga was
found to be not only effective in managing back pain but was
cost effective to reduce sickness absence due to musculoskeletal
conditions. In another study published in 2017 in the US Journal,
The Annals of Internal Medicine, yoga was shown to be more
Yoga for beginners
effective in reducing back pain than the care of a doctor. It is
important to check that your style of yoga is therapeutic, as some
styles of yoga may exacerbate back problems.
4. Increase energy
One of the surprising benefits of yoga is the higher levels of energy
which regular practitioners experience. Rather than relying on
coffee or Red Bull to get going in the morning, just 10 minutes of
daily yoga can give you a great energy rush with no side effects.
Dru Yoga students reported that 86% of them enjoyed increased
energy levels after practicing yoga. Breathing techniques such as
Kapalabhati Pranayama are especially useful for quickly giving
more energy. To practice this, breathe in naturally from the nose,
and exhale in short, sharp bursts from the nose. Repeat five times.
Do not hold the breath if you have high blood pressure, heart
problems or detached retina.
5. Banish aches and pains
Yoga’s gentle movements and stretches are a perfect way to deal
with general aches and pains. I’ve found that a 10-minute practice
of yoga daily helps keep my body in top condition and to melt away
the niggling aches which can build up when I’ve been working hard,
or not exercising enough. Dru’s Energy Block release sequences,
which systematically twist, bend and stretch the body from the
top of the head to the tips of the toes, are the ideal yoga practice
to soothe away bodily pains. In fact, I only notice my little aches on
days when I haven’t practiced yoga — another reason to get back
on the mat!
6. Feel ageless
One of my Dru Yoga students trained as a teacher at the youthful
age of 85! Yoga is one of the most effective ways of keeping young,
fit and healthy — both in mind and body, no matter what your age!
It naturally tackles all those signs of ageing from inside out, as it
restores the elasticity of the spine and joints, firms the skin, corrects
poor posture and brings higher energy levels. So, forget all those
creams and potions, and get yourself to a yoga class today!
Jane Clapham is a Dru Yoga and meditation teacher trainer who
runs retreats at Snowdonia Mountain Lodge in North Wales
(Druyoga.com)
73
 Yoga for beginners

Choosing the right mat

You don’t really need anything to start yoga, but having a mat will provide you with
a place to focus your practice, whether that’s at home or in the studio

T
here are so many mats out there on the market,
literally thousands. But don’t sweat it: nearly all of
them will work for you as a beginner. Here are just
a few that we love.

Warrior II Yoga Mat

The Warrior II yoga mat offers fantastic
value for money while providing great
grip so it’s ideal for anyone new to
yoga. It’s a phthalate-free mat and
available in a range of exciting colours
in the standard 4mm thickness.
£19.99
yogamad.com

Yoga Budi Accessory Set

and Mat Carrier
Jade Level 1 Mat The signature Yoga Budi is a multi-

MAGAZINE KING
The Jade Level 1 mat is the perfect mat for functional yoga accessory comprised of
the new yogi: great grip and cushion to help two lightweight yoga blocks and a yoga
you focus on the poses without worrying strap, which when assembled creates
about slipping or what toxins are in your mat a mat carrier. Carry your personal,
at an entry level price. hygienic yoga essentials in one so
€44.95 you never need to share communal
jadeyoga.eu/jade-yoga-mats/jade-level-1- equipment again. Fits mats from 1.5mm
4mm-beginner/ to 6mm thick. Christmas gift set comes
complete with: two bamboo fibre blocks;
one yoga strap made from 100% cotton;
one vegan leather purse to fit on the
strap or a belt; two elbow/knee pads.
Simple to assemble into a mat carrier.
Variety of colours and matching mats
available. Free UK delivery.
Special offer only £29.99 with code
OMCHRISTMAS (Offer ends 31st
Universe December usually retails at £42.28)
Yoga mat yogabudi.com
This 4mm mat has
been designed to
be ultra-absorbent
and anti-slip. Yogamatters Eco Everyday Rise Yoga Mat
Its velvet finish Rise and shine with the Yogamatters Eco Everyday Rise Yoga
surface gives you Mat. Allow the calm colour and appealing texture to awaken
the ultimate grip your senses as your yoga practice lifts your soul. At 3mm
with a soft touch thick, the mat sits between the Yogamatters Eco Everyday
so you can get the Yoga Mat (4mm) and the Eco Travel Yoga Mat (1mm), offering
most out of your a revitalising and stable surface for your morning practice.
practice. Use it for Made from sustainably harvested natural tree rubber, free
yoga, Pilates and from toxic chemicals and dyes and recyclable and biode-
hot yoga. gradable. Available in a range of clean, natural shades.
€89 £45
holdereight.com yogamatters.com

74
Unlimited online
yoga videos
with the UK’s
leading teachers

MAGAZINE KING
NEW YEAR SALE!
30%
off ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS FOREVER!
Use code OMJAN20
(T&C’s apply)

JOIN THE ONLINE YOGA MOVEMENT I ‘THE NETFLIX OF YOGA’ (VOGUE)

MOVEMENTFORMODERNLIFE.COM
 Yoga for beginners
MAGAZINE KING
Beginning yoga at home
Why there’s no place like home when it comes to starting a yoga practice. By Kat Farrants
T
here are so many wonderful
reasons to start a regular
yoga practice. Many start
yoga to get more flexible,
some to get stronger, others
are just curious.
Like many teachers, I started years ago,
so in reality, it’s hard to remember what
it was like to start out. But after I first
encouraged my mum to try yoga to help
with her painful lower back seven years
ago now, I have been following her
yoga progress.
My mum started her practice aged 70. So
when I hear from folks that they’re too old
to get started, I’m reminded that the biggest
barriers to starting a regular home practice
are in our mind. Bodies change much more
76
easily than our minds! But amazing things
can happen if you keep an open mind.
Although my mum started yoga to help
her back pain (which has now gone), other
remarkable things have happened too.
Seven years later she is stronger and more
flexible for sure, but also her osteoporosis
has reduced significantly: her bones at
77 are more dense than they were even
aged 60! Her zest, vitality, energy levels
are through the roof but it is the yoga
philosophy, the teachings of living yoga off
the mat that have really changed her. How
wonderful to find out that doing yoga isn’t
something you do for an hour each day, but
a whole way of looking at life and helping
to navigate through it with a kindness and
openness of heart.
There are so many reasons to start a
yoga practice and my mum is living proof
to me of why I practice. But there are lots
of people for whom a studio class just isn’t
for them. They can be expensive! My mum
wouldn’t go to a studio because she doesn’t
enjoy going to the packed local classes.
She is also a little hard of hearing, so studio
classes may be a bit embarrassing if you
can’t hear the teacher. Being short on time,
she prefers the convenience of a home
practice instead of travelling to the studios.
Now, she literally puts her daily class in her
timetable, as if she were going to the studio
and trots off to the little shed at the end of
her garden, her ‘woman cave’, where she
rolls out her mat and diligently practices
every day. Because the mental barriers to

a home practice can be so high, people
often lack the motivation for it, so it’s really
important to schedule it in, as you would
with anything which was important to you.
For so many, studios are simply
unaffordable or too expensive. Moreover,
there are many people who have conditions
which prevent them from getting out, or
who are a long way away from studios.
Or like me, they just don’t really enjoy the
studio experience. That’s not to say that
my mum and I don’t also see a teacher
— I try to go on a retreat twice a year for
the community aspect and also to get
alignment hints. My mum also sees a
private teacher once a month, which is
a wonderful way to keep us all on track.
Many beginners classes are just so large
that it’s impossible for the teacher to
check the alignment of all the students at
once. Perhaps it’s even more dangerous
for students to believe that they are being
checked and doing the right thing when in
fact the teacher simply can’t see everyone
at once. And many students can feel that
their alignment is being checked when in
fact it isn’t.
Because it can be so hard to discipline
ourselves to practice yoga at home, my
advice is to start with 10 minutes a day.
I know it seems inconsequential, but
MAGAZINE KING
it works! The biggest changes happen
with small steps and it’s so much more
powerful to practice just 10 minutes every
day than one hour once a week. Plus, you
may find that soon you enjoy your home
practice, and the 10 minutes becomes 20
minutes, which can become half an hour.
And you never know, you may find your
home practice fitting around your lifestyle
like mine does — so that you might start
with just 10 minutes in the morning, but
then you find yourself on a walk and
incorporating some breath work and qigong
moves. Then before bed you might give
yourself the gift of getting into your PJ’s
and then doing a lovely restorative class
before bed.
There are so many wonderful ways to
incorporate a home practice into your
life. It’s tempting to wait until we have
our ‘sacred’ practice area in the house of
our dreams with the candles and locked
door against partners and pets. But you
know what, life is messy and our yoga is
a beautiful reflection of our life. We can
perhaps learn, through our home practice,
to embrace the imperfections of our life,
the messiness, the pets, the noise and the
hullabaloo that most of us live with, and
take that into our practice. Because really,
our yoga practice is our way of living, and
just saving it for the sacred hour in the
studio is, well, a bit of a shame.
The lovely thing about a home practice,
as well as developing the often-forgotten
muscles of discipline and self-motivation,
you learn to trust yourself; you know that
you are the kind of person who can commit
to something! You also learn to develop a
sense of responsibility. You don’t simply
do something because a teacher says it.
You check in with yourself, think what
is right for you to do right now. You are
more likely to learn what is good for your
particular body this way. In fact, yoga used
to always be taught 1:1, which is by far the
best way, so that you develop a sense of
responsibility for your own body and the
experiences you put it through. There are so
many yoga injuries, many of them caused
by people repeatedly over-stretching
Yoga for beginners
themselves showing off at a studio and
not doing a practice suitable for their
particular body at this particular moment
in time (just because the 7.30 a.m. class
fits your timetable, it doesn’t mean that
it fits your body!). Just glancing around
any studio room will have you seeing that
we’re all vastly different. Our physiologies
are different, and also our experiences
and psychologies are different. Large yoga
classes can so often be a ‘once size fits all’
experience, which is so far away from the
yoga taught years ago.
Starting with a home practice you know
that you’re a beginner and understand
to take it easy. You listen more carefully,
you have no false sense of assurance, you
are able to customise and bespoke your
experience. You are more likely to swiftly
gain awareness of what you’re not doing
right, or what doesn’t feel right. Students
can gain an awareness of their embodiment
quicker than those in large classes, and
this is the most helpful thing of all. I advise
home yoga beginners to start with really
good guidance. Yes, there are plenty of free
videos available on YouTube, but I would
gravitate to the most senior teachers, the
teachers’ teachers, to guide you through
the beginning stages — this is why we take
such an effort to handpick all Movement
for Modern Life teachers. And then do find
a teacher to practice 1:1 with every month
or so, so that you can be guided safely into
your own practice.
Kat Farrants is founder of Movement
for Modern Life ‘the Netflix of Yoga’:
movementformodernlife.com/beginners-
yoga
77
 Yoga for beginners
Style guide
Which yoga is right for you? Here’s a quick round up of some
of the main styles you’re likely to encounter as a beginner
MAGAZINE KING
Hatha Yoga
This is perhaps the most common yoga
you’ll bump into on your travels, although
it’s more of an umbrella term. In today’s
popular culture, it’s seen as a generic yoga
style incorporating aspects of other styles
but is typically a safe, slow, gentle form of
exercise, involving asanas and breathing
techniques (like Vinyasa, but with less of a
flow). Nonetheless, Hatha is still a powerful
tool for self-transformation physically and
mentally, especially for the beginner just
starting out.
Iyengar Yoga
This form of yoga focuses on body alignment
and can include the use of props (blocks,
belts, blankets and cushions) to help
students achieve correct form. Postures
are often held for longer than other styles,
encouraging muscles to relax and lengthen,
helping to focus awareness. Popular with
beginners, those with postural or alignment
issues, or recovering from injuries.
Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini Yoga is a dynamic form of
yoga and popular worldwide. It is as
78
much a spiritual practice as a physical
one. Involving mantras (sacred sounds),
chanting, visualisation, breath work,
meditation and asanas (postures), it
enables the practitioner to work through
emotional issues to boost joy, health and
overall wellness.
Ashtanga Yoga
A challenging and highly-structured form
of yoga characterised by set sequences
of postures linked together by a Vinyasa
sequence. There are five sets and each
practitioner must master every pose of the
first series before moving on to the second
series, and so on. It attracts beginners
looking for a more dynamic workout, and
regular yogis looking for something more
physically testing.
Vinyasa Yoga
This flowing yoga style links continuous
sequences through the breath. It is less
rigid than some other styles in that Vinyasa
sequences can vary greatly and be more
flexible; this means you can find a relaxed,
gentle class or a faster moving dynamic
one if you prefer (check with the teacher).
Teachers often incorporate music or other
styles of yoga into a session as well, to fuel
the vibe.
Hot Yoga
Hot Yoga has become mega popular. There
are now all kinds of hot styles, but most are
derived out of Bikram Yoga. Not all like the
heated studio environment but those who
do swear by its rejuvenating benefits (toning,
weight loss, energy levels through the roof).
The heated room is also said to reduce the
likelihood of injury. Classes vary enormously:
they can be dynamic or relaxed, sometimes
with music or dimmed lighting, so do check
in advance with your teacher.
Yin Yoga
To its fans, Yin Yoga is the antidote to
modern life: a slow, gentle form of yoga
where just a few poses are held for several
minutes releasing tense muscles. Sitting
quietly in a pose and just ‘letting go’ as
you unravel your body can be a great test
for some though — the mind is not always
so inclined to stay still! It’s a great, safe
place for beginners though, and to unwind
muscles that have been taut for too long.
MAGAZINE KING
 Yoga for beginners

The ultimate beginner’s

yoga survival kit
Get the yoga vibe with these great goodies

Mid Century Teak Life Bottle

Stay hydrated! One Green Bottle has a
collection of thermal stainless steel bottles
that are great for home and outdoors. Built
with a multilayered isothermal construction
to keep drinks cold for 24 hours or hot for 12
hours. Shown here is the 350ml Mid Century

MAGAZINE KING
Kleem Seven Chakra Candle Range
Indulge yourself and mindfully balance your chakras with the
beautifully scented and therapeutic Seven Chakra Candle Range:
Frankincense, Neroli, Geranium, Rose, Lemon, Ylang Ylang
and Patchouli.
Teak Life bottle. Also available in other
vibrant colours including yellow, purple
and copper.
£16
onegreenbottle.com
£10 each
kleem.co.uk

Yoga-Mad Yoga Backpack

If you walk, cycle, catch a train or
a bus to your yoga classes, then
this Yoga Backpack is perfect for
you. Clip your yoga mat in and go!
Can carry up to 6mm thick mats, Meditation Essential Oil Blend
with plenty of pockets for all your If you’re not a natural-born meditator,
essentials. (Please note: yoga mat then creating a more pleasant space to
not included). practice in might just help. Aromatherapy
£34.99 oils might be the answer. This meditation
yoga-mad.com essential oil blend will help you into a
more focused and meditative state.
£15
skinz22.com

80
 Yoga for beginners

Cotton Yoga Mat Bag

Carry your yoga mat around in style.
Made from cotton woven fabric, this
easy access yoga mat bag comes with
an ethnic pattern and is designed
for easy carrying. Handcrafted using
natural fabrics and components.
Made from 100% cotton lining, with
outside gheri fabric and cotton canvas.
Includes adjustable webbing shoulder
strap with metal buckles.
£55
mamoq.com

Luxury Incense by Sacred

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Elephant
Traditionally prepared using only the
purest ingredients provided by nature.
Sacred Elephant’s luxury blends
provide a clean, smooth-burning
incense that transports you to a sacred
world of luxurious fragrances to suit
your every mood or meditation. All of
Sacred Elephants incense is ethically
produced using pure essential oils and
is completely vegan.
From £3.75
sacredelephantincense.com

Be Here Now Necklace

‘Be Here Now’ Sterling Silver Necklace
from Mantra Jewellery. Wear this
necklace to remind you to be fully
present at each moment of your life. Ask
yourself: ‘Where am I?’. Here. ‘When is it?’
Now. (Also available in Rose and Yellow
Gold-plated Silver, at £65)
£45
mantrajewellery.co.uk
 Yoga for beginners
Yoga studio etiquette
How to be a great yogi in your class. A few simple tips by Linda Gyecsek
MAGAZINE KING
Wear appropriate clothing
You actually do not have to impress anyone
on your mat. Just wear comfortable clothes
where you can move freely.
Avoid scented lotions
and perfumes
It helps your fellow yoga students to be
more focused and present. Also, some
people are sensitive to fragrances or
even allergic.
Get there early
This will help you to get in the right
emotional and psychological state. You’re
more likely to be relaxed and ready for
class. If you are late, be respectful of the
meditative states of the rest of the class
who showed up on time: open and close
the door quietly, tiptoe in, open and lay
down your mat delicately.
Do not tread on others’ mats
This should go without saying (but I am
saying it anyway because it happens all the
time!). After a while, we can all feel that our
mat carries so much energy; experiences
82
from our yoga journey. To me, someone
else stepping on my mat is like someone
treading on my sofa with shoes, so please
treat other people’s mats with respect and
walk around them.
Check your ego and judgements
before you enter the room
Do not forget the final purpose of being in a
yoga class. It’s not the time for an afternoon
tea catch up. Your fellow yogis may have
had a stressful day and may be meditating
or simply relaxing to prepare for the
practice. Yoga is a time for a journey inward,
so embrace it.
Listen carefully
While the most important thing is to simply
show up, your teacher cannot do the
practice for you. To fully participate in the
class you have to be present, pay attention,
and concentrate.
Be respectful
Respect for everyone in the room (including
yourself) will help you to get the most out
of your practice.
It is all about you
The one thing students should never do
is compare themselves to others. This is
not a competition. If you still think it is,
I’d recommend choosing another form
of practice.
Do not leave early
You deserve Savasana, the final relaxation.
If you have to leave early try to let your
teacher know in advance and do not make
any noise on your way out.
Clean up
Wiping off your mat, especially if you are
using one that belongs to the studio, is
a nice thing to do. Put away your props
nicely, too.
And finally
Enjoy your practice and being part of a
new community. Welcome to yoga!
Written by Linda Gyecsek (lindagyecsek.com)
MAGAZINE KING
 om mind
Yoga Nidra -
The art of relaxation
If you discover one thing this year, then let it be the wonderfully relaxing practice
that is Yoga Nidra. By Dr Kiki Morriss
MAGAZINE KING
B
eing relaxed is a natural state
that our body and mind should
be in the majority of the
time. However, the pace and
complexity of our lives often
makes us forget this and we spend much of
our time, both awake and asleep, in a state
of mental and physical tension.
As a yoga teacher, I consider the most
important part of my job is to help my
students to relax deeply, which in turn
allows them to live at their healthiest and
happiest, to sleep well and to experience
peace of mind, vitality and boundless
energy. Throughout the yoga classes, I
encourage them to focus their minds on
their breath, their bodies and the spaces
between their thoughts.
However, it is the final relaxation
at the end of the class, when we lie
84
quietly in Savasana (Corpse pose)
with our eyes closed, that presents
our greatest opportunity for complete
mental, emotional, physical and
spiritual relaxation.
Our bodies and minds are a miraculous
web of interconnectedness and, when
given the right environment, are hardwired
to return to wellness and wellbeing.
During my years teaching yoga, I have
experimented with different ways to create
this right environment and to assist my
students to relax completely during their
final relaxation.
I’ve tried playing music, giving a gentle
shoulder and neck massage or spraying
the room with lavender essential oil. I’ve
tried complete silence, autosuggestion,
asking them to relax, all with varying
degrees of success.
The miracle of Yoga Nidra
Then one day I was introduced to the
miraculous practice of Yoga Nidra and have
used this simple yet profound technique
at the end of every yoga class since, as
the ultimate way to lead my students on a
journey of complete rest and recovery.
I have also used the practice regularly
myself as a way to stay in balance, despite
the demands of my life as a yoga teacher,
yoga therapist, medical doctor and mother.
The practice
Yoga Nidra is a systematic practice that is
suitable for everyone, of any age or physical
ability, and it brings about complete
relaxation, whilst cultivating multiple levels
of wellbeing. It can be practiced at any
time of day to suit your lifestyle and can be
learned from a teacher or from a recording.

If you are struggling with a seated
meditation practice, because your mind is
wandering and your body is aching, Yoga
Nidra can serve as a good alternative as
you get to lie down comfortably whilst your
mind is gently guided.
Reference to Yoga Nidra is made in the
Mahabharata, an epic Indian poem, where
it is lyrically described as ‘the deep sleep
under the spell of spiritual meditation.’ This
ancient text is considered to have been
composed in the 4th century BCE or earlier.
In the 20th century Yoga Nidra was adapted
and developed by Swami Satyananda,
making it accessible to a modern audience.
The practice is usually done lying down
but can be done sitting in a chair. It takes
between 20-30 minutes. There are many
different versions, all of which have
similar components, including making
a Sankalpa, rotation of consciousness
and visualisations. Over the years I have
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developed my own version, which I use
consistently and successfully for all my
students, whatever their age or mental and
physical condition.
Sankalpa (intention)
At the beginning and the end of a Yoga
Nidra practice, you are asked to repeat a
Sankalpa or intention. The Sankalpa is a
short, positive statement, which is repeated
three times. Some examples of a Sankalpa
are: “I am successful in all that I do”, “I
achieve total health” or “I am a positive
force for the evolution of others.”
It is important to choose your Sankalpa
carefully, using precise, clear wording,
according to what you want to achieve in
your life. Take your time deciding on your
Sankalpa and once you have chosen it, do
not change it.
The Sankalpa is very powerful, as it
is impressed on the subconscious mind
om mind
when it is receptive and sensitive to
autosuggestion during Yoga Nidra.
Rotation of consciousness
In rotation of consciousness you are
guided through a journey of awareness of
different parts of your body. You do not
need to move your body or concentrate too
intensely. Instead you stay still and alert as
you move your mind from one part of your
body to the next.
Do not worry if you miss some of the
instructions, as this is very natural. Often
the conscious mind withdraws itself and the
subconscious mind comes to the fore. Trust
that the words of the practice are being
imprinted on your mind, even if it seems to
be drifting.
You may also find that various thoughts,
emotions and disturbances start to surface
during the practice. Again, this is very
natural, as repressed experiences and
emotions will emerge when your mind and
body begin to rest. What is important is
that you welcome these experiences with
awareness and detachment, trusting that
they are temporary and will pass.
Visualisations
In this part of the practice you are asked
to visualise images such as a wide, open,
blue sky, a waterfall or a butterfly landing
on a flower. This induces mental relaxation,
guides the mind to concentrate and,
over time, develops profound feelings of
calmness and peace.
Guided image visualisation is a powerful
way to resolve repressed conflicts,
desires and memories, whilst awakening
your creativity.
End of the practice
The practice of Yoga Nidra is concluded
by gently and gradually bringing your
mind back from deep relaxation to waking
consciousness and by bringing your
awareness back to your body and breath.
Rest-renew-heal response
Many important physiological changes
occur during Yoga Nidra, as there is a
decrease in the fight-flight-fright response
of the sympathetic nervous system and an
increase in the rest-renew-heal response
of the parasympathetic nervous system.
This helps you feel calm, in control of your
experience, and connected with yourself
and the world.
When the sympathetic response
dominates, states of anxiety, apprehension,
irritability, worry and anger are
accompanied by a variety of physical
symptoms including headache, giddiness,
palpitations, sweating and abdominal pain.
An antidote to this is the practice of Yoga
Nidra, which is not only a way of coping
85
 om mind
with stress but offers a way to transform
and positively use tension as a stepping
stone to greater awareness, productivity
and achievement in your life.
Uses of Yoga Nidra
There are widespread uses of Yoga Nidra
and it promises to play a more significant
role in the future, as doctors and health
care professionals begin to fully recognise
its potential.
It can be used as a powerful, preventative
measure for healthy, active people who
need help relieving accumulated tensions,
whilst increasing stress resistance and
overall efficiency.
It can also be used to treat a vast range
of conditions including anxiety, depression,
panic attacks, eating disorders, insomnia,
addictions, chronic fatigue, hypertension,
arthritis, asthma, headaches and migraines.
It is extremely effective in the relief of
pain, both acute and chronic, and has
an important role in palliative and
end-of-life care.
Yoga Nidra has been used successfully by
the US military to treat veterans, returning
from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, for
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder.) They
have reported improved mood and sleep,
decreased rage and anxiety and increased
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self-awareness and peace of mind, despite
ongoing challenges due to poor mental
focus and intrusive, traumatic memories.
Your daily routine
The more you practice Yoga Nidra, the more
you will benefit from it. If you practice a
little, it will help you a little. However, if you
make it a part of your daily routine, you
86
will soon experience profound and
positive changes in your life, as it enables
Conclusion
To practice the art of relaxation is to
you to live a meaningful and peaceful life
possess the key to good health, vitality and
in any environment.
peace of mind, as it restores your whole
If possible, practice it at the same time
being and liberates great resources of
and in the same place every day, linking
energy. Yoga Nidra is a simple yet profound
it with other positive, daily habits that are
way to unwind your nervous system and
already in place in your life. To set up a
experience the relaxation that is your
consistent, long-term practice such as Yoga
natural state and your birthright.
Nidra isn’t always easy but, with time and
effort, almost any good habit can be shaped
Dr Kiki Morriss is a medical doctor, yoga
and maintained.
teacher, yoga therapist and founder of
We often think we are relaxing when
Primrose Hill Yoga, where she teaches adults,
we sink into a chair with a cup of coffee,
children and families. Visit: primrosehillyoga.
an alcoholic drink or cigarette, read a
com or Instagram.com/kikimorriss
newspaper or watch the TV. In fact, these
activities are only sensory distractions and
do not create the real relaxation and rest of
Yoga Nidra.
BECALMED: YOGA NIDRA RECORDINGS
With the pace of everyday life so hectic for most of us today, Kiki
Morriss has teamed up with Finnish-born composer and musician
Anné Kulonen with the aim of giving people a simple way to bring
some calm and relaxation into their daily lives.
As a composer, Kulonen has always been fascinated by our whole
sonic environment and the impact it can have on our physical and
mental wellbeing - from the sounds we are exposed to that are
beyond our control to the music we choose to listen to, as well as the
acoustics of the space that we live and work in.
It has been a joy for the pair to collaborate on ‘Becalmed’ — a series
of Yoga Nidra recordings now available online.
You can listen to the voice of Kiki Morriss alone or accompanied by
a gentle soundscape. There are options for you to use Yoga Nidra as a
prelude to sleep, encouraging calm, serene and restful nights, or as a
practice during the daytime to soothe everyday stresses, increase your
productivity, creativity and focus whilst providing rest and relaxation.
Bonus tracks are available, featuring guided visualisations. These
can be used if you are short of time or if you want to share the practice
with children. There is also an option to listen to the soundscape on
its own.
Becalmed recordings can be downloaded via primrosehillyoga.com
and iTunes.
BECOME A POWERFUL,
INSPIRING, MAGNETIC
YOGA TEACHER 

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WORLD CLASS TEACHER TRAININGS,

PROGRAMS AND RETREATS

DYLANAYALOO.COM
 om mind
Hard habits
MAGAZINE KING
Pressing the pause button on your habits can do wonders for your health and happiness.
By Meg Jackson
A
s of today, it has been 25
days since I drank any booze.
Yes. I am feeling quite smug
about it, actually, so thanks
for asking.
One evening my girlfriends and I met
for dinner after a month or so of us all
being ‘on it’ more than we usually would
have been. We all came to the same
realisation that drinking something
boozy was not only happening at special
occasions, or as a treat, but also as an
end-of-the-day necessity.
I should point out at this point that none
of us have a serious problem with drinking
so deciding not to do it for a while came
from a place of slight discomfort rather
than actual medical need. Nevertheless, we
all felt that we weren’t entirely happy with
the situation so formed a pact and decided
to be booze-free for a whole month. We
celebrated our decision with a beer (of
course we were going to start tomorrow!).
We’d decided to go cold turkey; no
gradual weaning or having the occasional
small glass whilst we and our livers got
used to the idea. No sooner had I pushed
the bottle opener to the back of the drawer
88
than I got a stonking cold. I’m not saying
that the residual alcohol in my system was
keeping the germs at bay, but I was very
close to binning off the Lemsip and ginger
tea in favour for a hot toddy on a number of
evenings just to prove a point.
My yoga teacher is a wise man, so when
he told me that anything that’s “just a
habit” can be broken, I believed him. I
should have known better. Of course, he
wasn’t lying but I’d happily forgotten the
fact that he’d also added “of course it’s
going to be really hard…”.
But here’s the thing — as soon as the
snot-induced bleariness had cleared, I
started to feel better, and not just because
the germs had left me. I had no idea that my
nightly ‘just one drink’ had imperceptibly
surrounded me in what is accurately
described as a brain-fog. Once I got my
head around the fact that I could enjoy
dinner out without an accompanying glass
of wine, and that there are grown-up fizzy
drinks out there which can almost be as
pleasing as a glass of something bubbly, the
habit was broken.
Because that’s all it had been — a habit.
A pattern that I was mindlessly repeating.
A behaviour that I allowed myself to
participate in because I believed that what
I got out of it could only be more pleasant
than what I’d feel without it. I’d like to think
that a (vaguely) sensible woman like me
would only have strong beliefs such as this
after robust testing of the other options; but
I hadn’t.
Finding ways through which we can
live our best lives and thoroughly testing
them is, ironically, one of the things our
yoga practices should be encouraging and
empowering us to do at every step. So
you’d think I’d know better. (Sorry, yoga.)
More than that, our practices give us a
massive magnifying glass through which
we can look at our not-so-great patterns of
behaviours and thinking both on the sticky
mat and off it. (Spoiler: they’re usually the
same in both places.)
Notice your patterns in your asana
practice. Are you scared of something new
because you’re worried about ‘failing’ at it?
Do you find it hard to commit to one style
or type of practice? Is your time on the mat
spent with more focus on worrying what
you think the teacher wants you to be able
to do, rather than what you actually need

“Pressing the pause button on your habits, by getting
aware of the pesky things, gives you a similar feeling;
you get to see where you are and feel what you feel. It
allows you to notice what’s really going on, remember
your intention, then set of again into the ultimate yoga
practice - living in the real world.”
to be doing for your body? As soon as you
get something wrong does your inner critic
say ‘ah well — I’m sure there’ll be another
opportunity to have a go at it’ or lambast
you with cries of how you’re the worst
person in the whole room?
Someone much cleverer than me
has even come up with a handy little
acronym which many of us could do well
to remember: You Ought to Get Aware. See
what they’ve done? Y.O.G.A. Clever. And
annoyingly true.
The first step of changing anything is
getting aware of it; the identifying what you
want to change and being realistic about
MAGAZINE KING
the depth of this particular furrow that
you’ve ploughed for yourself. Every time
we do action A instead of not doing action
A, we plough that furrow one more time.
It’s a handy metaphor but one that science
has shown actually happens in our brains.
Ok — we’re not ploughing stuff up there,
but the more certain neurological pathways
are fired the stronger those links get. Great
news if we’re learning to play the piano and
practicing our scales, not so good if we’re
downing a whole bar of Dairy Milk
every night.
These patterns (or Samskaras if we’re
using yoga speak) can be pretty deeply
ingrained for some of us, so know when
this is something that you can tackle on
your own or when you may need a bit more
support — whether that’s professional
counselling or the support of a group of
awesome chums who are willing to support
you (*waves at her lovely sober girlfriends*).
If you’re stepping onto your sticky mat
or sitting down for meditation on a regular
basis, you’re already an intention-setting
expert. Perhaps without consciously doing
it, you know that you’re engaging with your
practices because ultimately you want to
feel a certain way at the end of it.
Getting clear with an intention is like
setting your inner Sat Nav and, if nothing
else, gives you a reason to get to the end
of your practice. So take this tool and use
it when you’re tackling a habit too; my
intention to feel better than I did when
I was drinking was enough to stop me
from having ‘just this one’ drink when the
om mind
cravings were really tricky. I also had a clear
intention that I wanted to authentically
support the rest of my friends, so drinking
when they weren’t wasn’t going to enable
that at all.
Remember that intentions can be daily
(or hourly) reminders to keep you on track,
or big ideas about how you want to live
your whole life; use them as you need. Just
as in our practice we can use the intention
to feel strong and empowered to get us
through a 60-minute core conditioning
class, or use an intention to be a decent
human to get us through life; take it, test it,
and use it.
It’s only fair that I give you a bit of a
warning at this point. I’ll take a bet that the
more yoga you’ve done, the better you’ve
felt, so the more yoga you’ve wanted to do
and the more committed you’ve become —
right? Yeah, well this whole habit-breaking
stuff can work the same way.
As my head gets clearer, I’m getting
aware of how out of touch I’ve been with
so many aspects of my life both on and off
the mat. Suffice to say that my smugness
levels could soon be off the scale. I’ve
found that I actually want to do more asana
practices; actually, it’s not want, it’s need.
It’s like I can finally hear my body telling me
what it needs that day. I’m sitting down for
meditation practices way more often than I
was before. I’m even beginning to get aware
of how much time I spend on social media
and how rubbish it generally makes me feel.
If you’ve ever done a Vinyasa Flow class
you’ll be familiar with the oh-so-satisfying
feeling that runs through your veins when
your teacher gets you to just pause mid-
class. They give you the opportunity to stop
moving, which allows you to really tune in
with everything that is going on inside; to
notice how you feel, what you’re thinking,
and (hopefully) how awesome everything is
in that one moment.
Pressing the pause button on your
habits, by getting aware of the pesky things,
gives you a similar feeling; you get to see
where you are and feel what you feel. It
allows you to notice what’s really going on,
remember your intention, then set off again
into the ultimate yoga practice — living in
the real world.
Meg Jackson is the founder of Real Life Yoga
– a movement to help real people bring a
little (or a lot) of yoga into their real lives.
Join her online for a 28-day yoga journey and
go from Zero to Yoga Hero. Visit reallifeyoga.
net to discover more and sign up.
89
 om mind: meditation now

break
the habit
A quick meditation to control those
new year cravings. By Jill Lawson

MAGAZINE KING

90

appy New Year to you and yours. The holiday
H season has passed, and it is a time to focus
on our health. As we journey forth with a fresh
start, many are setting goals this month to be
and do our absolute best in the coming year.
Some will choose to eat better, others will try to drink less.
Many will succeed, however it’s not easy to ignore our cravings.
These gnawing sensations of wanting seem like they are
hardwired in our DNA, but with a little practice, we can
overcome our yearnings.
If you struggle with saying no to those leftover Christmas
cookies, or passing on that martini, the following meditation
will help. Combat your cravings like a pro, and get on with your
mighty resolutions for the new year.
This meditation is best practiced when a yearning for
something is at its strongest. Wherever and whenever you are
needing the strength to say no, take a brief pause, and practice
the following. Do it as often as necessary, and let it help you kick
your cravings to the curb.
Do it now
Begin by reviewing your intention for the new year. Focus on it for
several minutes. Then, take five deep breaths. Within each inhale
and exhale you will repeat to yourself a specific mantra.
MAGAZINE KING
meditation now: om mind
First breath. Inhale, “I have a sound mind.” Exhale,
“I am strong.”
Second breath. Inhale, “I have a healthy body.” Exhale,
“I am capable.”
Third breath. Inhale, “I am in control of my mind and body.”
Exhale, “I make wise choices.”
Fourth breath. Inhale, “I deserve to stick with my resolution.”
Exhale, “I am successful.”
Fifth breath. Inhale, “I am happy and whole.” Exhale, “In this
moment, I crave nothing.”
Continue with your breath and these mantras for as long as
necessary until your cravings become a thing of the past. When
you believe your mind to be sound and your body to be healthy,
you will have better control of your actions. As a result, you will
feel happy and whole, and this will lead to your success.
Remember, in the present moment, you have everything
you need to be well and feel complete. Believing you are more
powerful than your cravings will help you attain your goals. May
you step into the new year celebrating your triumphs, and carry
your successes wherever your path may lead.
Happy New Year, and Happy New You!
Jill Lawson is a writer and yoga teacher enjoying life on the island of
Maui in Hawaii (jilllawson.net)
91
 om mind
MAGAZINE KING
Yoga v smoking
6 ways yoga helped me become a non-smoker.
ou are doing the best you
Y
your toolkit.
can right now with the
awareness and skills you
currently have; you do
not need to become better
in any way, you just need to update
A couple of years ago I had the
revelation that, instead of vowing to break
bad habits, I should focus on taking up
positive habits which intrinsically oppose
the bad. I found yoga to be powerfully
discordant with eating badly, drinking too
much, and, most crucially, smoking; the
underlying values of yoga with which we
align in our practice strongly undermine
those of unhealthy habits. By taking up
yoga I was doing more than getting some
exercise and stretching my muscles a
few times a week, I was reconstructing
my outlook on my body, identity and
92
By Jade Windle
life; each minute spent on my yoga mat
was reinforcing a self-love, loving-energy
and appreciation for the world around
me. To practice yoga was to practice a
way of thinking based on gratitude and
trust, exercising and strengthening not
only the body, but also those neglected
areas of the mind, and equipping myself
to respond to everyday situations with
optimism and compassion. It is in this
way that yoga supported my journey
to becoming a non-smoker and helped
transform my entire life.
Through focus on my yoga practice,
I was no longer creating a negative
relationship with myself through self-
imposed rules and prohibitions, but
gently and uncritically exploring the
source of the problem to alter the
thoughts and emotions which led to
harmful habits and addictions. This was
a journey which took a lot of time and
patience, as well as courage to feel and
release emotions which I would normally
avoid confronting by way of these
compulsive tendencies.
1. Conscious breathing
Through focusing and exercising the
breath, I brought an awareness to my
respiratory system which increased
the more I observed and consciously
experienced my breathing. I learnt to
notice days when my chest felt tight or
my breathing would be more difficult
to control, no matter how subtle the
differences, and brought this underlying
awareness and appreciation of my
body’s efforts to inhale and exhale into
my everyday life. This awareness and
appreciation began to effortlessly counter
my desire for a cigarette.

2. Stress and
emotional release
Yoga provided me with an alternative
means of managing negative emotions.
Previously, when stress accumulated, I
would smoke to deal with the distress.
This in the long run only made everything
worse, as I would then feel guilt and
regret for having smoked, increasing my
stress levels and never really escaping
or breaking the cycle of negative
emotions. Since developing my yoga
practice, I have discovered how effective
yoga can be for overcoming negative
emotions. The stretching, poses and flows
provide a mental break from incessant
and unhelpful thoughts and allow for
emotional release at the physical level.
As well as exercise simply releasing
endorphins, tuning into the cognitive
dimension of yoga by focusing on self-care
and self-love is highly therapeutic for
dealing with stress and sadness. It can
be so hard to find the motivation to do
anything positive or vaguely energetic
when we feel rubbish, but in spite of this,
the repeated experience of feeling so
much calmer, happier and more balanced
after attending a yoga class has improved
my ability to push myself to practice
yoga when feeling stressed or low,
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instead of aggravating everything with
negative habits.
3. Heart openers
Many yoga poses — often referred to as
‘heart openers — physically stretch the
muscles in the chest and around the
ribcage. The body language involved in
these poses, in which the chest space is
opened and offered as vulnerable to the
external world (rather than withdrawn
by a protective and defensive hunched
posture), sends a message to yourself
and to the universe that you are open to
offer and receive love, and that you are
full of love for yourself and trust for the
world. This is a very different message to
that communicated by smoking. Further,
the sensation of physically stretching the
major muscles of the respiratory system
is energetically the inverse of smoking,
releasing the tightness of the chest
area and giving a sense of clearing and
cleansing the heart space, rather than
tightening and polluting, and further
reinforcing a sense of care for your
respiratory system which counteracts any
inclination to smoke.
4. Another extrinsic
motivation
When it comes to addiction, I find extrinsic
motivators — such as health issues, family
pressure, money, and so on — are of
limited influence. An addiction develops
due to internal factors — such as dealing
om mind
with emotional pain and the mental and
physical dependencies which develop —
and whilst external incentives are useful
for rationalising the need to quit, the
subconscious and physical addiction can
easily overpower these. As far as extrinsic
motivation goes, however, I found my
enjoyment of yoga itself to be a highly
helpful addition to my own reasons to
stop smoking. I took pleasure in improving
my abilities, which naturally required an
increased fitness and bodily strength, and
therefore had further reason to value the
health and strength of my body.
5. Bodily respect
and admiration
Similar to the previous point, yoga led
me to develop a love for my body and
admiration for what it can do for me. I was
frequently surprised by my own abilities,
and by how quickly I would witness
improvement, and this helped support
an underlying self-love which proved
powerful for quitting smoking. Just as
I wouldn’t give a baby a cigarette in all
their sublime perfection, I developed a
similar love for myself and my own cosmic
completeness as a miracle of nature.
6. Practice and
development of willpower
Yoga pushes and challenges the
practitioner. From finding the courage to
attend a class when I didn’t feel like doing
anything, to holding poses for just a little
longer and using the breath to increase
my resilience, I gained confidence in and
familiarity with my own willpower and
mental strength. This crucially supported
my endeavours to stop smoking; where
before I had told myself a narrative in
which I had no willpower and would never
be able to quit smoking, now I recreated
a sense of self in which I was strong,
empowered and in control of my life.
It is never too late to begin the path to
self-love and non-smoking. Be patient,
gentle and persistent; begin where you are
and allow yourself the time to practice not
only the physical postures, but the new
ways of thinking and the intention to take
care of yourself. Know that each time you
practice you are reinforcing these skills
and be grateful to yourself for committing
to the rewards, challenges, setbacks, and
achievements of the journey. You are
doing the best you can right now with the
awareness and skills you currently have; you
do not need to become better in any way,
you just need to update your toolkit.
Jade Windle is a yoga teacher based in
Brighton @jadejasmineyoga
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Bringing awareness
to your breath
Fundamental to health, and an integral part of deepening spiritual connection,
the breath is everything. It’s time to give it a little more attention, writes Jenny Baker
T
he very source of our existence flows ever so
gracefully through our bodies to keep our hearts
pumping and our brains alive. It’s unseeable,
untouchable but incredibly vital. The power behind
our working bodies is breath; the inhalation and
exhalation of air through our lungs every minute of every day. Yet,
it’s something that we hardly pay attention to.
Ask yourself this question: do I have a tendency to take short,
shallow breaths? Most of us are entrenched in our busy schedules,
MAGAZINE KING
too tense and fixed both mentally and physically to notice how our
breathing is affecting us. Challenge yourself to pay attention to the
kind of rhythm your breathing takes.
Here’s how yoga can bring awareness to your breath and help
you focus on slower, deeper breathing for your health.
Better breathing through yoga
One of the many benefits of committing to a yoga practice, is that
it gives you the opportunity to really focus on your breathing for a
concise period of time during the day. If you find yourself sitting for
hours on end at a computer, or if your muscles are constantly under
tension, it can affect the depth of your breath. Yoga creates the
perfect environment to relax and concentrate on just that.
Breath awareness
In class, yoga instructors continuously emphasise the importance
of conscious breathing. It is a foundational component of any yoga
practice which utilises our ability to connect to our inner energies.
Allow yourself to rid your mind of any distractions and just be
present. Being able to connect to your breath is one of the initial
ways to make yourself reside in the present. Furthermore, this is
why breath awareness in yoga serves as its own type of meditation,
because it calms the body down and heightens consciousness.
Deep breathing with your full body allows you to open energy
channels which increases mental clarity and benefits the body’s
overall emotional state.
Paths of subtle energies
Breath offers a way to tap into our body’s inner energies. Our
physical body is home to over 72,000 channels, known as nadis,
where energy is able to flow. Nadi is a Sanskrit word meaning
‘channel’ or ‘flow’ and refers to energy channels within the body.
When these nadis are flowing freely, we remain vital and healthy.
When they become weak or congested, our bodies struggle
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both mentally and physically. The three nadis that are the most
important in yoga are Ida, Pingala and Sushumna.
Ida Nadi: This channel starts at the Muladhara chakra, or the root
chakra located at the base of the spine and takes its path through
the chakras until it reaches its end in the left nostril. This channel
corresponds to the moon energy and creates a calming effect on
the body.
Pingala Nadi: This nadi begins at the Muladhara chakra as well,
but the difference is that its course through the chakras ends in the
right nostril. The Pingala nadi is known for its relation to the sun
energy and its heating effect.
Sushumna Nadi: Lastly, this nadi takes a path down the
central axis of the body through the spinal cord. It serves as the
predominant nadi in relation to the astral or emotional body. It
takes the same course that the Kundalini energy takes relating to
balance, stillness of mind and ultimately leads to enlightenment.
Take time in your yoga practice to bring awareness to these
nadis. If you pause between poses, you will start to notice which
nadi is dominating your breath. Pay attention to your state of mind,
and you’ll find which nadi is more present. If you feel agitated and
energetic, you’re activating the pingala nadi, if you feel calm and
relaxed, you’re activating the ida nadi, and if you have clarity of
mind, you’re activating the sushumna nadi.
Benefits of deep breathing
Deep breathing offers multiple health benefits as well. Your body
will thank you for it. Here are some added benefits.
• Muscle relaxation
• Improved oxygen delivery
• Lower blood pressure
• Release of endorphins
• Detoxification
When you combine breath with physical movement, the entire
body and mind can connect and settle into complete calmness.
Understanding how to consciously breathe will contribute to a
developed state of awareness, a deeper yoga practice and overall
improvements to your health.
Jenny Baker is the content marketing specialist for Asheville Yoga
Centre in the USA and found her passion for health and wellness
early on in life. Aside from writing, she enjoys travelling the world,
working on her yoga practice and being physically active.
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Light up your root chakra
In the first part of a new seven-part series, Jenny Baker leads an exploration of the chakras,
the body’s subtle spinning energy wheels
T
he chakras are intricate
spinning wheels of energy
corresponding to specific
areas within the body. The
human body consists of seven
chakras aligned to influence behaviours
and values in our lives. You’ll experience
different sensations of energy in your
body depending on which chakra you
choose to activate.
The root chakra
The root chakra is represented by the
element earth. This ball of energy serves as
the foundation for the entire chakra system.
Located at the base of the spine, the root
chakra is associated with feelings of safety
and grounding. It allows us to grow with
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security while we explore all aspects of
our lives.
Ways to ignite your
root chakra
There are many ways you can harness
the energy of your root chakra. One way
is to connect to the earth with activities
such as swimming, hiking, gardening, and
incorporating fresh, healthy foods into
your diet.
If you’re looking to get in touch with this
energy, here are some easy ways you can
activate the root chakra in your life.
Stand with Awareness: When you feel less
grounded, stand with your feet shoulder-
width apart while keeping your upper body
relaxed. Allow your arms to rest with ease
by your sides. Take a few deep breaths and
with each exhale, let yourself feel more
connected to the earth while you push your
feet down deeper into the ground. Feel
energy ranging from head to toe.
Walk Mindfully: As you walk down the
street or take a hike in nature, be aware
of every step you take. With each stride,
pay attention to your breath. Notice the
sensation your feet feel with each step.
Open your root chakra
through yoga
If you want to feel the energy of your root
chakra through yoga, here are two easy
poses to get you started.
Standing Forward Bend, or Uttanasana,
is a great pose to light up the root chakra.

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You’ll find yourself feeling centered and
calm as you let your body and mind relax.
This pose slowly stretches the hamstrings
and relieves tension in the low back.
To achieve this pose, start in Mountain
pose with your feet planted flat on the
floor, your spine upright and tall, and
arms relaxed by your sides. Exhale and
bend forward from your hips. If you feel
comfortable, bring your palms or finger
tips to the floor slightly in front of or
beside your feet while keeping your
knees straight. If this is too strenuous,
simply cross your forearms and hold
your elbows. Lift and lengthen your torso
just a little as you inhale. As you release
your breath, let your body release a little
deeper into the forward bend.
Feel the ground beneath you in Easy
pose, or Sukhasana, as you close your eyes
and breathe.
Begin this pose by sitting on your yoga
mat. Fold a thick blanket underneath you
om spirit
for support and sit close to one edge of the
blanket with your legs out in front of you
on the floor. Cross your shins, keep your
knees wide and fold each foot underneath
the opposite knee as you fold your legs
in toward your torso. Inhale taking in the
fresh new energy of spring and exhale all
of the things you want to leave behind.
Trust in yourself, let go and be open to new
opportunities that await you.
Find the hidden energy of your root
chakra both on and off the mat!
Asheville Yoga Centre is the largest yoga
studio in the US’ South, serving Western
North Carolina and beyond for over 20 years.
Its mission is to provide the highest quality
education of Hatha Yoga, ofering over 100
classes per week, world-renowned teacher
trainings and workshops in the first-of-its-
kind green campus. For information, visit:
youryoga.com.
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eat drink yoga

Healthy eating goodies

Humm Kombucha
America’s leading booch has come to the UK.
Introducing Humm Kombucha: every bottle
is organic, low in sugar and bursting with
probiotics. Six great flavours to choose from:
Original, Mango Passion, Blueberry Mint,
Lemon Ginger, Pomegranate Lemonade and
Coconut Lime. Available from Planet Organic.
£3.50 (414ml bottle)
hummkombucha.com

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Bioactive B12 Liquid Supplement
Not all vitamin B12 supplements are made equal.
Easily absorbed liquid-form, uniquely containing
Adenosylcobalamin, a lesser known form, which
actually plays a more significant role in energy
production. Alongside Methylcobalamin, for
added mitochondrial support. With distilled Supernature Bars
water being the only other ingredient, this is A new range of healthier chocolate snacks: all organic, vegan-friendly,
a very pure, easy-to-take, effective option for free of gluten, refined sugars and dairy. Each bar is made using a tiny
anyone wishing to support their energy levels. number of organic and simple ingredients (so no emulsifiers, palm oil,
£24.95 flavourings or processing aids). Various flavours available. Find them
natureprovides.com online or in selected outlets.
£1.99
supernature.com

Seaweed Crisps
These scrumptious Seaweed Crisps
are made of seaweed harvested
from the deep blue seas of South
Korea, and coated with a thin layer
of crunchy tapioca to create the
crunchiest seaweed snack. Three
tantalising flavours: Lightly Salted,
Salt & Vinegar, and Cheese Flavour.
Gluten-free, vegan, and only about
100 calories per bag.
£1.29
abakusfoods.com

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COMPLETE
VEGAN
Healthy recipes from Rose Elliot’s Complete Vegan book

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Crisp oven-baked
aubergine fritters
SERVES 2

This is a quick and easy recipe for these crisp oven-baked

aubergine slices, which taste as though they have been battered
and deep-fried. They make a lovely snack, or you can add a handful
of rocket leaves and perhaps a few oven-baked chips to make more
of a meal of it.

• 1 aubergine (eggplant), cut into 5-mm (¼-in) thick slices

• 4–5 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt, to serve (optional)

For the coating:

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• 40g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 4 tbsp dairy-free milk
• 4 tbsp cornflour

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Put a roasting pan that

will hold all the aubergine slices in a single layer into the oven
to heat up.
2. Prepare three dipping bowls: put the plant milk into one
bowl; the cornflour into the next; and a mixture of the panko
breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, garlic and onion powders into
the third.
3. Dip each slice of aubergine first in the milk, then into the
cornflour, and finally into the panko mix, so that each is
generously coated.
4. Carefully pour the olive oil into the hot roasting pan, then use
tongs to place the coated aubergine slices into the oil, turning
them so that they get lightly coated with oil on both sides.
Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the slices halfway through,
until they are crisp and golden brown. Lightly sprinkle with a
little sea salt before serving, if you like.

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Guacamole
SERVES 2–4

This dip adds a touch of luxury to any salad meal and is perfect
served as a dip with crisps or tortilla chips (see below), or celery
sticks, spring onions and small pieces of cauliflower.

• 1 large, ripe avocado

• 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Dash of Tabasco sauce
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2–3 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve

1. Cut the avocado in half, twist the two halves apart, remove the
stone and peel off and discard the skin.
2. Mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork, for a chunky texture,
or with a hand-held (immersion) blender, if you want it
smoother, adding the lemon juice, Tabasco and seasoning
to taste.
3. Serve on a plate, generously scattered with chopped
fresh coriander.

Top Tip: Choose your avocado carefully, as the quality of the dip

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depends upon it; it should yield a little when you press it gently,
neither too soft nor too hard. If you don’t like coriander, this is also
lovely served with some fresh basil or chopped chives.

Tortilla chips
SERVES 4–6

• Olive oil, for brushing

• 1 packet corn tortilla wraps (containing at least 6–8 wraps)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 and grease a couple of

baking sheets with olive oil.
2. Brush olive oil over the surface of one of the tortillas. Place
another tortilla on top and brush it too with olive oil.
Continue in this way until you have piled them all up.
Cut the pile of tortillas into eighths, so you end up with
numerous small triangles
3. Spread the triangles over the baking sheets and bake for 8
minutes or until golden — don’t let them get too brown.
4. Cool on the sheets before serving. They are best when freshly
made, but once cool they can be stored in an airtight container
for a few days. If storing, pop them into a hot oven again for a
few minutes before serving.

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Taken from Rose Elliot’s

Complete Vegan, text
copyright © Rose Elliot,

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Watkins Media 2019.
Photography copyright ©
Watkins Media Limited 2019.

Grilled ‘halloumi’ platter

SERVES 2 AS A MAIN COURSE, 4 AS A STARTER OR SIDE 1. To make the ‘halloumi’, drain the tofu, blot dry with paper
towels, then cut it into slices about 7mm (1/4in) thick. Lay them
If you buy a really firm tofu, you can marinade it in olive oil and out in a single layer on a flat plate. Mix the olive oil with the
garlic, then griddle it until it has some deep-brown markings on garlic and mint, then spoon it over the tofu slices and rub it
it — the taste and texture is very similar to that of halloumi cheese. in, until both sides are coated. Set aside to marinate for 30–60
minutes (longer if you can).
For the ‘halloumi’: 2. Heat a ridged griddle pan until sizzling hot (test by dripping
• 1 x 280g (10oz) pack firm plain tofu a drop of water on to it). Using tongs, lower the pieces of tofu
• 2 tbsp olive oil onto the griddle pan, pressing them down slightly to make
• 1 garlic clove, crushed sure they are sitting firmly on the ridges.
• 1–2 tsp dried mint 3. Griddle for 5–10 minutes, until deep-brown char marks
appear, then turn them over and griddle the other side. Once
For the tzatziki: you have the char marks on both sides, if the griddle pan is set
• 4 heaped tbsp plain dairy-free yogurt over a very low heat you can leave the tofu in place for quite a
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint long time as long as it’s not browning or getting burnt — this
• Sea salt, to taste seems to improve the flavour.
4. Meanwhile, for the tzatziki, just mix together the yogurt and
To serve: mint, season with a little salt and put into a small shallow
• 2 tomatoes, sliced serving bowl.
• 1–2 handfuls black Kalamata olives 5. Serve with the tomatoes, olives, a scattering of mint leaves
• Handful of fresh mint leaves and a sprinkle of sea salt, to taste. Serve the tzatziki and some
• Sea salt, to taste toasted pitta bread on the side.
• Toasted pitta bread

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Foodie trends for 2020
What are the top health food trends for 2020? Global health food chain Whole Foods Market
highlights on-the-rise flavours, products and culinary influences
egenerative agriculture, West
R African foods and new varieties
of flour are among the food
influences and movements
expected to take off in the
next year, according to Whole Foods
Market. Here are its most anticipated and
innovative food trends for this year.
Regenerative agriculture
Farmers, producers, academics,
government agencies, retailers and more
are taking a closer look at how to use land
and animal management practices to
improve soil health and sequester carbon.
While the term “regenerative agriculture”
can have many definitions, in general it
describes farming and grazing practices
106
that restore degraded soil, improve
biodiversity and increase carbon capture to
create long-lasting environmental benefits,
such as positively impacting climate
change. You can help by seeking out brands
that support regenerative practices.
Flour power
As seasoned and amateur bakers alike look
to scratch a creative itch in the kitchen, an
array of interesting flours are entering the
market making baking more inclusive and
adventurous. Consumers on the baking
bandwagon are seeking out ingredients
used in traditional dishes, like teff flour
used for Ethiopian injera. 2020 will bring
more interesting fruit and vegetable flours
(like banana!) into home pantries, with
products like cauliflower flour in bulk and
baking aisles, rather than already baked
into crusts and snack products. Consumer
packaged goods are getting in on the trend
by replacing traditional alternative flours
with tigernut flour in chips and snack foods,
and tasty pastries made with seed flour
blends. As consumers look for more ways
to boost their bake, ‘super’ flours delivering
protein and fibre join the trend. Let the
adventures in baking begin!
Foods from West Africa
From indigenous superfoods to rich, earthy
dishes, traditional West African flavours
are popping up everywhere in food and in
beverages. The trio of tomatoes, onions and
chili peppers form a base for many West

African dishes, and peanuts, ginger and
lemongrass are all common additions. The
16 nations within West Africa share similar
foods, but each have their own specialties
based on subtle influences from the Middle
East and Western Europe. Brands are
looking to West Africa for its superfoods
too like moringa and tamarind, and lesser
known cereal grains sorghum, fonio, teff
and millet.
Out-of-the-box, into-the-
fridge snacking
Life isn’t slowing down, but snack options
are more than keeping up. The keyword is
‘fresh’ in this new generation of grabbing
and going — gone are the days when the
only options were granola bars and mini
pretzel bags. The refrigerated section is
filling up with the kind of wholesome, fresh
snacks typically prepared and portioned
in advance at home: pickled vegetables,
drinkable soups and mini dips and dippers
of all kinds, all perfectly portioned and in
convenient single-serve packaging. Even
nutrition bars have made their way from
the shelves to the chiller, thanks to the
addition of fresh fruits and vegetables.
These snacking innovations mean
ingredients lists are shrinking and there’s
a lot less guesswork in picking up a quick
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snack you can feel better about.
Plant-based, beyond soy
Tofu scrambles may always have a place
at the vegan breakfast table, but in 2020
the trendiest brands are slowing down on
soy, which has traditionally dominated the
plant-based protein space. Some of the
nutrition zone : om lifestyle
products touting ‘no soy’ in the next year
will be replacing it instead with innovative
blends (like grains and mung beans) to
mimic the creamy textures of yoghurts and
other dairy products. In the supplement
aisle, brands are swapping soy for mung
bean, hempseed, pumpkin, avocado,
watermelon seed and golden chlorella,
maintaining the smooth textures in vegan
protein powders and bringing a spectrum
of plant-based amino acids to the table. As
the plant-based movement gains traction
with flexitarian eaters, brands are looking
to avoid as many of the top allergens
as possible, so look for plant-based
prepared foods and traditionally soy-based
condiments going soy-less!
Everything butters and spreads
Has (insert nut, seed, snack) been made
into a butter yet? It’s likely to happen in
2020! Think seed butters beyond tahini
— like watermelon seed butter — and
seasonal products like pumpkin butter year-
round. Nut butters beyond cashew, almond,
and peanut (hello, macadamia) and even
chickpea butters (no, it’s not a new name
for hummus). Look for creamy vegan
spreads perfect for toast, crackers, bagels,
and celery sticks that get their full flavours
from trending superfoods like pili. It helps
the trend that spreads and butters are
touting paleo- and keto-friendly attributes,
but transparency is also a key player in this
trend. Many brands are looking to either
eliminate the use of palm oil or promote a
Responsibly Sourced Palm Oil certification
and use nuts that are grown in ways with
less likelihood for environmental impact.
Rethinking the kids’ menu
Are the days of picky eaters numbered?
Judging from the number of kids’ cooking
and baking competitions on TV, kids are
kitchen-savvier than ever. By 2026, 80%
of millennials will have children, and
many parents are introducing their kids
to more adventurous foods — with great
results. Food brands are taking notice
for the next generation — possibly our
first true ‘foodies’ — expanding the menu
beyond nostalgic foods with better-for-you
ingredients. They’re bridging the gap from
old-school basic kids’ menus and taking
more sophisticated younger palates into
consideration. We’re talking foods that are
fermented, spiced or rich in umami flavours
or colourful pastas in fun shapes made from
alternative flours. Maybe it’s time adults
start taking some cues from the kids’ menu.
Not-so-simple sugars
Sure, there’s sugar. But for those seeking
sweetness outside of the usual suspects
like sugar, stevia, honey and maple syrup,
there’s lots more to choose from for your
cooking, baking and tea — or coffee-stirring
needs. Syrupy reductions from fruit sources
like monk fruit, pomegranates, coconut
and dates are one way to add concentrated,
unique flavours into recipes for desserts,
meat glazes and marinades. Sweet syrups
made from starches like sorghum and
sweet potato can be compared to the deep
flavours of molasses or honey, and can be
used for baking and sweetening beverages.
Swerve, a cup-for-cup zero-calorie non-
glycemic replacement for sugar, combines
erythritol with ingredients from fruit
and starchy root vegetables to produce
a sweetener that’s available in granular,
confectioners’ and brown versions.
Zero-proof drinks
With so many consumers seeking out
alternatives to alcohol, unique non-
alcoholic options are popping up
everywhere, from menus at the world’s
most acclaimed bars to specialty stores.
Many of these beverages seek to re-create
classic cocktail flavours using distilling
methods typically reserved for alcohol,
creating an alternative to liquor meant
to be used with a mixer rather than a
drink on its own. Think alt-gin for gin
and tonics and botanical-infused faux
spirits for a faux martini. Add to that
options enjoyed straight from the bottle
or can, like hops-infused sparkling waters
and zero-proof apertifs, and you can be
sure guests avoiding the bar cart will
never get bored.
Got any new health food tips for 2020? We’d
love to know! Share with us on social media
or write to: editor@ommagazine.com
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Yoga philosophy for
teens and tweens
Introducing elements of the Yamas and Niyamas spiritual code
for teenagers and pre-teens. By Kerry Curson
T
he great beauty of yoga’s ancient texts is that
the wisdom held within the prescriptions, myths
and legends still speak to us today because they
ultimately contain lessons for all humanity. As
human beings we all experience times of inner
turmoil; difficulties that we struggle to navigate and relationships
that uplift us, and others that drain us. Lessons in each of these
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areas can be found within the texts of yoga when we take the time
to study them; self-study being one of the Niyamas, or Svadhyaya.
In modern yoga classes where time is limited and movement in
demand, the Yamas and Niyamas offer simple advice on living a
wholesome and contented life. They offer simple messages that
can be pared down into self-reflective exercises encouraging
personal growth during our practice on the mat. Such exercises
are particularly powerful for tweens and teens, who naturally find
themselves in times of great change physically and emotionally,
which can magnify any sense of inner turmoil. The teenage years
are a magnificent time of unfolding, but also strange and confusing.
Having a clear focal point on which to direct any emotional stirring
and unease can offer a sturdy anchor to hold on to during this
tumultuous period in life.
High stakes
Teenagers are under greater pressure than ever, in fact almost
as much as adults in many ways. They are told that they must be
successful academically in order to have a chance at survival in
a world that they still don’t have the full capacity, or experience
to completely understand. This lack of understanding and a
misunderstanding of success imparted from our culture can be the
cause of great stress and anxiety. At a time in history when teenage
anxiety and depression is at an all time high, schools are now
receiving additional budgets towards wellbeing classes as part of
their physical education curriculum; recognising the importance
of mindfulness, meditation and yoga practices. In a fast-paced
world of constant change and evolution it has perhaps never been
more necessary to empower the next generation to find value from
within, where all else is pulling their attention outward in search of
what our society defines as ‘success’. Success, for most of us, has
been portrayed as having or accumulating. Having money, houses,
cars, good jobs, perfect relationships — all things of the material
that many find over and over leave them still feeling empty and
om family
wanting. Perhaps youngsters are cottoning on to the emptiness of
it all and so find themselves in search of something not on offer in
traditional media and education. This is where the yoga teacher
can have an incredible influence on the emotional wellbeing of
young students.
Yoga for teens
If you’ve ever taught a teenage yoga class you’ll know already that
it is challenging, and if you haven’t, I can confirm it is challenging
— but also one of the most rewarding classes I teach. Whether it’s
an area of teaching you are considering for the first time or already
well seasoned in and just wanting inspiration you will hopefully
find it. Teenager yoga classes can be the place where youngsters
come to redefine success, as it is formerly known. As a by-product
they can build self-confidence, self-assurance and compassion.
Yoga can offer this not simply in the form of pure asana but by
cleverly weaving in some of yoga’s ancient philosophy that can
help make sense of a world that has always been challenging. Now,
of course, our modern challenges are worlds away from those
of history, but the essence of peace and happiness remain the
same, which is why yoga has become such a timeless practice for
navigating life.
Introducing the Yamas & Niyamas
The ethical guidelines of yoga ensure that we come from a place of
right attitude. The Yamas relate to our interactions with the outer
world and the Niyamas are attitudes that refer to our relationship
with our inner world. When planning to introduce these to any
class theme — but particularly to teenagers who are even more
challenging to keep engaged in an environment where there is so
much demand on them intellectually all day — it is important to
make any class theme engaging and relatable. Do you practice Satya
(truthfulness), Ahimsa (non-violence) and Antosha (contentment)?
You probably do either actively or inadvertently. Most of us do to
an extent unconsciously. However, to consciously practice them
deepens the level on which we experience and feel them. Consider
how you practice these already and why? How do these practices
or ideals help you? Could you do with more discipline in your life
(Tapas) or do you impose too much on yourself and feel that you
could be a little kinder to yourself? This circles us back to Ahimsa or
non-violence in the form of self-compassion.
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The best advice I ever received regarding class theming is to first
personalise: consider how that theme, philosophy or inspirational
quote has affected or enhanced your life, and then universalise i.e.
how might this help others in the same way? Taking some time at
the start of class to open your heart to your students and tell them
how an area of yoga philosophy has helped you is the ‘personalise’
part; it also helps students connect with you as a teacher on a
deeper level. To ‘universalise’ you can explain briefly how the same
idea or philosophy can help others. This is a great way of fully
engaging and connecting, especially with teenagers who may find
that they feel worlds away from adults in their outlook on life.
Class ideas
These may not all be relevant or appropriate to a teenage class
but here are a few ways that you might cleverly weave some of
the attitudes and lessons of the Yamas and Niyamas into a yoga
class for teens. They offer the opportunity for youngsters to build
a strong inner compass of strength and kindness as they navigate
life’s challenges.
A beautiful way to explore Ahimsa or non-harming as a means to
first encourage self-compassion and compassion towards others is
a simplified compassion meditation kept succinct in five steps that
can be completed in five minutes.
1. Consider someone that you easily feel a great sense of
unconditional love for. Imagine hugging them and send
them kindness.
2. Move onto someone you like and do the same thing.
3. Move onto someone that you are not so familiar with but say
‘hi’ to in passing. Send them your kindness.
MAGAZINE KING
THE YAMAS AND NIYAMAS
The Yamas consist of the following:
Ahimsa - Non-violence
Satya - Truthfulness
Asteya - Non-stealing
Brahmacharya - Sexual restraint
Aparigraha - Non-attachment
The Niyamas are:
Saucha - Purity
Santosha - Contentment
Tapas - Discipline
Svadhyaya - Study
Isvara Pranidhana - Surrender to grace
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4. Think of someone you have a difficult relationship with
and send them kindness too. Whatever comes up here,
observe it without suppression. You may not find it within
yourself to send them kindness today but with practice
you might in future.
5. Imagine meeting yourself in the street. See yourself as
you do through your eyes, and whatever comes up send
yourself kindness.
To intentionally practice compassion is scientifically proven to
spark the neurons in the brain that experience this great sense of
kindness and it can be really useful to delve into this with teenagers
that find themselves very outwardly focused, especially with the
draws of social media. Compassion can mean that we all use these
tools in more conscious ways.
Journaling exercise
Satya or truthfulness can be an incredibly empowering element
of yogic lifestyle for teenagers to contemplate. A simple journaling
exercise might have them feeling a great sense of emotional
freedom at a junction in their life where they may feel more
restricted than they would like, and perhaps a greater burden of
self-filtering than in the past. Vedanta Yoga recognises you as the
embodiment of truth, bliss and consciousness. On introducing
this idea share a time that you may have said one thing and felt
another…why? In life there is the truth that the stone falls to the
floor if you drop it, and then there is your truth, which is that you
might like maths but hate science; there is no right or wrong to this,
it is just your truth. However, sometimes we have to say one thing,
think another and do another just to fit in. This can be said for adults

and teenagers alike. A journaling exercise can be a really effective
means for self-contemplation on this. Offer these points to consider:
1. Make a note of things that you say that you don’t mean or
don’t completely believe, but you say them anyway to please
someone else.
2. Notice if you ever think one thing, say another and act in a
third way.
3. Are your thoughts and actions in alignment?
4. Do not worry about the answers, but simply set yourself the
task to bring your thoughts, words and actions into alignment
in practice for a week and see how this makes you feel.
Such contemplations can help all of us find our voice when
sometimes we feel it a struggle to do so.
Gratitude practice
Santosha or contentment is another area that can be explored in
a really simple but powerful way. For teenagers, discontent can
stem from the need to constantly keep up with the crowd in terms
of what to wear, where to hang out and what to be into. A gratitude
practice can be very grounding and act as the pull back into the
privileged reality that most of us live in. For this, you would simply
set a task at the beginning or end of the class (or both), for students
to note five things that they are thankful for, and then set the task
for them to try and do this every day for at least a week. This is
another area that builds in its effectiveness over time practiced as it
begins to alter the mindset to focus on all that we do have instead
of what we do not.
A last exercise that most of us probably avoid more than happily
move towards is discipline. This is where the theory of ‘personalise’
to ‘universalise’ will be the teacher’s best friend. Consider
something that you were terrible at and felt like you wanted to
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avoid, but on pushing yourself into practice became better at and
perhaps started to even enjoy it — for many teachers, you probably
have a yoga-related story right? If so, use it in a two-minute round-
up and then ask students to journal or discuss (e.g. Pick something
that they would like to be better at; consider what needs to be done
to get better at it; what would help you to do that? Do it).
Strong foundations
This is not an exhaustive list but with practice, you can start to
weave these into classes and then build on and add to them,
perhaps bringing certain poses into play as physical manifestations
of what you have discussed or contemplated earlier. Self-
awareness exercises such as these can turn an exercise class into a
spiritual journey that will go on to last a lifetime and build strong
and contented human beings.
The teenage years are the third most transformational stage for
the brain. Teenagers have an innate sense of needing to belong
outside of their family unit and to experience new things and take
new risks. It is at this stage that the once innocent child suddenly
becomes like a stranger to the parent and feel more alienated from
their teachers as they feel discipline impose itself on them just as
they get a sense of wanting to spread their wings.
It is for this reason that teens and tweens can seem lost to
themselves as well as those closest to them. Yoga can become
their safe space to experience all of this without fear of judgement
and suppression. Yoga’s philosophy will provide them with strong
support on how to navigate this time as a magnificent expansion
with more ease, strength and grace.
Kerry Curson is a yoga instructor teaching
across the West Coast of Wales
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 om actions
Come fly with me
Building good karma as you travel: introducing
goetica ethical travel search. By David Holzer
MAGAZINE KING
P
erfect for yogis who love to
fly but care about our planet,
recently launched goetica is the
first ethical travel search online
platform ever.
Goetica is also the first search engine that
offers you options for travelling with your
cat or dog. Presumably, other kinds of pets
are also covered.
When you search for flights or hotels,
goetica looks through all the airlines
and major booking sites like Airbnb
112
and Booking to offer you the best
deals. With flights, you can choose the
option with the lowest CO2 emission
option as well as cost. The platform
receives a commission from vendors
when you book that it distributes to the
charities it supports after taking out its
running costs.
As goetica raises its profile and grows its
following, the goal is to focus on speeding
up the technology and adding more
amazing features.
Supported by the
yoga community
The idea for goetica was born in 2016, when
Croatian Matija Agbaba relocated from
London to Palma de Mallorca with his wife
Nina to start Sea Yogi Palma, a successful
boutique yoga gear shop that works with
sustainable, eco-friendly brands. The
couple wanted to bring their cat Umeshu,
which meant that Agbaba had to search
manually for airlines that would allow pets
 om actions

in the cabin, which cost time and money.

On his travels around the world, he had
also become acutely aware of the plight of
stray cats and dogs.
Before moving to Mallorca, he had
worked in the digital industry. This gave
him the know-how and contacts to build
a platform that enabled people to find
pet-friendly travel options instantly. Agbaba
invited Bosnian Elvin Jamakosmanovic
and Spaniard Carlos De Aguilar to partner
with him to create goetica. They were
supported by a hardworking, committed
team of ethically conscious freelancers and
micro-agencies.
Yoga also played a huge part in making
goetica happen. “My yoga community
and regular practice gave me the support
and energy to make my dream a reality,”
Agbaba says.

Goetica’s ambitious
mission
Goetica is a Community Interest Company

MAGAZINE KING
(CIC), legally bound by UK government
regulations to share a minimum of 65%
of its profits with animal charities. Its
core mission is the humane control of
stray cats and dogs through neutering or
spaying. The platform is also hoping to
provide rabies shots to help reduce deaths
from rabies, which mainly kills children in
developing countries.
On top of this, goetica shares roughly
10% of its profits with organisations like
WWF, International Animal Rescue and
Humane Society International to help with
emergency animal rescue projects and
wildlife preservation around the world.
Looking to the future, goetica needs
more support to spread the word.
“My favourite yoga teacher, Sandra
Donovan at Earth Yoga here in Mallorca
said something like, ‘We need abundance
because when it’s in the right hands we
can do more to change things for the
better’,’ says Agbaba. “We have to shift the
status quo, infiltrate, rebuild the corporate
structure and start helping communities.
Goetica doesn’t have investors and
shareholders, so we have to put faith in
our community. But awareness of what
we’re doing is already spreading and we’re
extremely grateful.”

Go to goetica.org next time you’re booking a

flight or hotel or just to find out more about
how you can support the platform.
 Teacher zone
A deeper under-
standing of yoga...
for teachers, by
teachers

Inside:
Page 115: My Yoga Biz
Page 116: Quality Counts
Page 118: Up he Workers!
Page 119: Is Yoga he
Answer To Workplace Stress?

MAGAZINE KING

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 Teacher zone

MyYogaBiz
Tips from the experts to help you grow the yoga business of your dreams

This month’s mentor: Georgie Davies, 30,

of Yogipod (yogipod.co.uk) Oxford

DOES TEACHER TRAINING SET YOU UP FOR RUNNING A BUSINESS

I don’t think it does. Mine touched on the basics of running a
business with marketing advice. I think 200-hour teacher trainings
are great for the foundation of teaching but not for being a business
owner. Finances are such an important part of teaching and
something that needs to be discussed more between teachers. I’m
lucky as I am from a self-employed family so I know what running
a business is like and have advice on tap, but without that I would
have been quite unsure.

BUSINESS PLAN
I don’t have a business plan, I’ve never really been a fan of them
as often they are just an approximation of what you would like

MAGAZINE KING
to happen and have no real grounding as to how and why. My
business has two sides to it: the teaching and I also produce and
sell yoga props and homewares. So far I have been intuitively
working my way through the growth of both. Personally, I prefer
to work this way rather than putting pressure on myself and my
business to be in a certain place by a certain time. It also means
I can react to what clients are after without being tied to a
prescribed course.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Use social media as a magazine, not a catalogue or directory. I
mainly use Instagram as it appeals to the creative in me. I don’t
really use it for a hard sell but instead to create a connection with
students or possible customers. It’s great for sharing knowledge,
tips and recommendations as well as class times and the products
Yogipod sells. I try to give value with everything I share as that is the
kind of content I like to see in my own feed. Sometimes it can feel
like you are shouting into the abyss but it is also the most amazing
tool to meet other like-minded people. I’ve made some really lovely
friendships and collaborations through social media.
YOUR NICHE
I’m not sure I have a niche yet but I’m moving away more from
the traditional cues for asana and popping more play and free
movement into my classes. I’ve always wanted my classes to be
welcoming and open to all and I’m exploring how to make them
more accessible and inclusive. I’m bringing a light-hearted touch
to make students feel welcome as I empower them to gradually
explore and feel deeper practices.
SECRET TO MAKING A LIVING
It can be hard to make a living from purely teaching. I have an
additional income stream from my Yogipod bolsters and eye pillow
to support my teaching and this gives me a creative output. For
me, the secret to making a living teaching yoga either full- or part-
time is to have support, build a community around you of not only
students but also other teachers who have your back and support
you too.

SELF-CARE
Self-care is definitely a work in progress for me. I’m actually not
great at switching off or letting go of ideas. I have a tendency to
work all hours rather than taking time out. One thing I have always
done though is to make sure I have one week day evening off
teaching a week so that I have time to stay at home or go and see
friends, otherwise your social life can disappear.

Written and compiled by Claudia Brown (yogabyclaudia.com)

115
 Teacher zone

MAGAZINE KING

Quality counts
Why yoga teachers must keep learning: the importance
of continuous professional development. By Claudia Brown
116

oga is big business. Wellbeing
Y is a growth industry,
supported globally by fund
managers and investors. From
international brands to local
studios popping up in your town, yoga has
never been more popular and accessible.
And this makes the landscape increasingly
competitive for teachers.
As a senior yoga teacher, I continue to
attend trainings so that I can improve and
expand on what I can offer my clients. I see it
as my responsibility to ensure that I can keep
my clients safe, supported and also engaged
in their practice. I’ve been on several training
courses over the last 18 months, and I’ve
been surprised, and sometimes shocked
at the lack of knowledge a number (sadly,
quite a large number) of yoga teachers have
about basic anatomy and functional body
mechanics, standard range of motion for our
joints and how some of the more ‘traditional’
yoga poses can actually be quite dangerous.
Sarah Ramsden, leading Sports Yoga
training provider and famous for teaching
yoga to the Manchester United and
Manchester City players for the last 12 years
says: “You can do whatever you want to your
own body, but you can’t in all conscience do
it to someone else. Just because somebody
said a yoga pose has to be this way or that
MAGAZINE KING
way, isn’t good enough for us teachers: know
your stuff and do what is right for a human
body regardless of what someone once said.”
The big thing that we do as yoga teachers
is to make an active physical intervention
into our students’ bodies with the aim of
changing them. And if I’m in your class and
you’re going to be doing that, then I’d really
like to know that you know what you’re
doing. It doesn’t seem too much to ask!
The standard 200 hours of training to
become a yoga teacher isn’t even a bare
minimum — it can only be a beginning. And
that is supposed to cover the asana, human
physiology, pranayama, meditation and the
philosophies. I wouldn’t go to a music teacher
who only had 200 hours of training, let alone a
dentist or physiotherapist: it just isn’t enough.
Yet we as yoga teachers can make active
interventions into other people’s bodies with
the intention of changing them based on
minimal understanding of human anatomy
and body design.
There is a huge requirement for really
good teacher-only continuous professional
development (CPD). I’d love to see lots
more instructor level, properly approved
and accredited ongoing learning for us all
— especially in the area of teaching from our
functional anatomy as it is the asana where
we can unknowingly do harm to others.
Training is vital not only for personal and
professional development but it is also key
to keeping your creative juices flowing when
it comes to content. I honestly thought
when I’d done my 200-hour yoga teacher
training that I had done my bit in terms of
what I had to learn to be a yoga teacher! Oh
the naivety! It was intense and hard work
and I loved it. Anne-Marie Newland of Sun
Power Yoga told us when we graduated: “It’s
just the beginning of your journey.” I didn’t
understand as I thought she’d already taught
me so much. Fast forward about three
months and I totally understood. My class
plans I’d done as part of my course were fast
becoming repetitive and I needed to start
being creative and inventive, just for my own
sanity never mind to keep people interested
enough to keep coming back to class. It was
the start of the next part of my journey.
To put things into a further education
perspective: studying a 200 hour course is
the equivalent to 38 points which is between
a C and B at A level equivalent for UCAS
points (32 is a C, 40 is a B and 48 is an A.)
See your continued professional
development as if you are studying
modules towards a degree. Scientific
research continues to make fascinating and
informative discoveries, new research studies
are being carried out all the time. If we don’t
keep up to date with continued professional
development, our students will not reap the
rewards of this enhanced knowledge.
To be successful in this increasingly
competitive industry, be authentic and
credible and educated. Teach from a
position of learned and lived experience. If
you ‘borrow’ significant amounts of content
from other teachers, especially if you are not
a student of theirs, you will soon run out of
steam and clients (paying punters can spot a
phoney a mile off).
If you are teaching pregnancy yoga do
a specialist teacher training. This is one of
the most specialised areas of yoga, and any
pregnancy yoga provision must be delivered
safely. Yes, I can keep a pregnant woman
Teacher zone
safe in my generic classes because I did a
really good yoga teacher training course —
but I am not a specialist. I signpost any of my
pregnant clients to the local experts.
If you are teaching specific classes for
people who do a lot of sport, then do a
sport yoga training unless you are already a
physiotherapist or strength and conditioning
coach. You are not a Sport Yoga teacher
because you’ve read somewhere that yoga
is good for people who run a lot and have
tight hamstrings!
Yoga Nidra: There is now so much science
behind this amazing practice and some
brilliant training provision out there. So
many teachers don’t do any Nidra training
but just read it out of the book. That is just
not good enough for the people who pay
money to spend time with you.
Yin Yoga is becoming so popular too, quite
rightly in my view. It’s a perfect antidote
to the stressful lives that the majority of
the population are leading. And Yin is a
specialism. Again, the science behind Yin Yoga
is extensive, fascinating and ever developing.
You are not a Yin specialist if you’ve had a
quick flick through a Paul Grilley or Bernie
Clark book and then get people to hold Camel
pose for three minutes.
If you can’t fit in courses, keep going to
classes and workshops as a student not a
teacher. I always pick up a new teaching
point or a new variation of a pose as well as
devoting time to my own practice.
Read lots: books, magazines, websites.
Listen to podcasts. Be at the top of your
game to support others to reach the top of
theirs. Keep your content fresh, introducing
new things, fresh options and different
techniques. Never stop learning.
Claudia Brown is a yoga teacher and regular
OM contributor. Find out more about her
classes and retreats at: yogabyclaudia.com
117
 Teacher zone : TEACHERS' TALES

MAGAZINE KING
Up the workers!
Do yoga teachers need a union? By Paula Hines
n 2019, a group of yoga teachers at YogaWorks, a top yoga Norman Blair (yogawithnorman.co.uk), who I studied Yin Yoga

I studio chain in America, came together to form a union. Among

the reasons cited were low pay and lack of benefits, though
they were clear that these concerns were not just about the
YogaWorks chain, but in fact industry-wide problems.
The action of these teachers forming a union — apparently the
first such yoga union in the USA — has prompted discussion in the
UK too. Things are not so different here, after all. On the subject
of pay for instance, I find from speaking to teachers of nearly 20
years in London that pay has more or less stayed the same in
that time. Though, as we are all too aware, the cost of living has
gone up everywhere.
When I started teaching in 2011 the average pay for a 60-minute
yoga class in London at a studio or gym was £30. Now, in 2020 it
is still the same. I had a period where I was very fortunate to be
able to make a living solely from teaching yoga, but that has not
been the case for a while now. If I was not doing other work outside
of teaching, to say that I would not be able to keep a roof over
my head is not an exaggeration. One of my favourite teachers no
longer teaches at all and went back to work in the corporate world
because of the financial challenges. I don’t take for granted that
one day this might be me too.
with has been a full-time teacher since 2001 and wrote in his 2019
article, ‘Let’s Talk About…’ (available to read in full on his website):
“For a lot of yoga teachers, beneath the bubbly and friendly
exterior, there is exhaustion and anxiety, unhappiness and
frustration. As yoga teachers, we are definitely part of the gig
economy. Being self-employed means no sick pay, no holiday pay,
no retirement pension, no childcare provision.”
I wonder how aware yoga students are that the teacher of their
class might be living on the poverty line?
Increasingly, only people who are already financially well off
or do not need to rely on an income from teaching in order to live
will be teaching yoga. Given that yoga is meant to be inclusive,
what does this tell us? And how many great teachers have been
lost already?
Maybe it is time for a yoga union here in the UK?
Paula Hines is a London-based yoga teacher and writer.
Find details of upcoming events at: ucanyoga.co.uk

118
 Teacher zone

Is yoga the answer

T
he last decade has witnessed an
exponential growth in the number
of diagnosed stress and anxiety
disorders within the Western world.

to workplace stress? An ever-growing concern, stress has

been linked with declining mental health, unhealthy
patterns of behaviour (excess drinking, smoking,
job dissatisfaction) and long-term physical concerns
such as coronary heart disease (S. Michie, 2002).
The corporate world, seemingly synonymous
with the pressures of an infinite inbox, mounting
deadlines and external demands, is highly
demanding of its employees. With the advent
of smartphones, the average working day has
extended far beyond the office walls and standard
working hours.
Society exists in a perpetual state of ‘activity’,
the consequences of which include the inability
to concentrate, migraines and headaches, and
subsequent absenteeism (Comer, 2017). It is
precisely these symptoms, and the risks they pose
for both staff wellbeing and productivity, that have
caused employers to readdress the high-pressure
conditions of the workplace.
Among several efforts to promote employee
wellbeing, the incorporation of yoga into the
workplace has been identified as particularly
effective in reducing stress symptoms among
employees (Hartfiel et al, 2012). Applauded for its
potential to calm the nervous system, regular yoga
practice seems a progressive step for managing

MAGAZINE KING
workplace anxiety. Of course, this needs to be
carried out correctly.
While it is arguable that anyone is capable of
guiding a group through a sequence of physical
movements, it requires adequate training,
commitment and diligence to effectively tap into the
energy in a room and respond to this accordingly.
This skill becomes particularly important for yoga
teachers operating in corporate spaces, where
professional demands can exhaust and demotivate
the individuals in employment.
The experienced yoga teacher can refocus the
students’ awareness to the breath and body,
a mechanism oftentimes lost to the pressures
of the working day. Redirecting one’s focus to
purely physical sensations serves to catalyse the
practitioners’ attention to the present moment,
thereby temporarily releasing the mind from
troubling thoughts of upcoming deadlines.
Connecting businesses looking to implement yoga
with qualified, experienced yoga teachers is the
obvious solution. It is through such schemes that
those employees who do take part in such practice
will receive the proper guidance and direction to
both engage in quality practice and combat the
anxiety so often associated with workplace stress.
The intervention of yoga in the workplace has
the potential to alleviate stress and in turn, reduce
burnout and mood discrepancies among staff.
Facilitating partnerships between businesses and
accredited yoga teachers is crucial for such action to
take place.

Melissa Albarran for Yoga Alliance Professionals

(yogaallianceprofessionals.org)

119
 Yoga is for every body
Your pictures. Your community

Bea Durinikova at a Moroccan Amber near

yoga retreat with friends Boscastle,
Cornwall

Maggie Isherwood

MAGAZINE KING
Nicola Hudson Marcia St Claire Rebecca Green
in Oslo in Estoril, Portugal

Katy Chisnall and son Charlie at Andrea White,

Orlando Cat Cafe in Holland

120
The Percival family

MAGAZINE KING
Imani & Rafi
in Bruges, Belgium
Holly Badger

We want your photos!

Send us happy shots, fun pics, great asana (or bad asana!), big smiley faces, anything at all — and see them in OM Magazine.
It doesn’t have to be you doing a yoga pose either. We want to see your yoga life: a pre-class group hug, a cup of tea ater
class, what you got up to at the weekend, send them all via email to: jane@primeimpact.co.uk

121

Awe-inspiring retreats and ideas for yoga explorers
MAGAZINE KING
London AcroYoga Festival
BE QUICK: THE LONDON ACROYOGA FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE
THIS MONTH ON JANUARY 11-12, 2020
Join the AcroYoga team this month for some twisting and
turning, and discovering things you didn’t think were possible.
The Saturday (January 11) will be geared towards introducing
beginners to the joys and physical challenges of AcroYoga — you’ll
feel on top of the world!
You’ll be in safe hands too with certified teachers and a fully-
matted dedicated AcroYoga studio near London Bridge. No
experience necessary, just a willingness to give it a go and make
122
travel
new friends. Partners will be organised, so if you are on your own,
there will be someone fun to share the experience.
While Saturday will be focused on beginners, there will
be intermediate and advanced workshops and activities on
Sunday (January 12). There’s even a chance to win a year’s free
subscription to OM magazine.
When: January 11-12, 2020
Where: AcroYogaDance Studio, London Bridge
Time: 10am - 6pm
Tickets: acroyogadance.com (Discount code: OMFEST20 -
bring a friend for free)

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Images by: Gwilym Thomas i: @gwilym_thomas, Ticket to Ride i: @tickettoridegroup
Sri Lanka surf & yoga adventure
WINTER BLUES SETTING IN? IT’S TIME TO BOOK A TRIP
OF A LIFETIME TO SUNNY SRI LANKA
Coming up in March, this amazing surf and yoga retreat from
Wild & Free Adventures is the perfect antidote to winter. Book
your place now for 10 unforgettable days on this tropical
island paradise, and soak up oodles of surfing and yoga.
You’ll stay in a newly-refurbished Sri Lankan Surf House, a
stone’s throw away from a stunning three-mile stretch of
beach, amongst the palm trees and wildlife.
The Surf House is opposite one of the most consistent
waves on the south-west coast of the island, in the town of
Ahangama, tucked 50 metres into the jungle. But you’ll enjoy
the luxury of comfortable beds, contemporary design and
om travel
EARLY BIRD OFFER
IF BOOKED BY DECEMBER 24TH
£80 off Shared or Private for 1
£100 off Private room for 2
Only 3 early bird offers available!
To grab this offer and get your discount code,
please contact us on
wildandfreeadventures@gmail.com
options for fan or air con, shared or private rooms, all
with en-suite.
There’s also a sheltered roof terrace for the yoga sessions
(expect sunrise yoga in the morning and restorative yoga in
the evenings) a dedicated surf coaching area (including video
analysis), a communal dining space to make new friends
plus a gorgeous garden area with hammocks to just chill out
in. With massages available and scrummy nutritious foods
served up, it’s the ultimate dreamy surf and yoga getaway.
When: March 7-17, 2020
Bookings: wildandfreeadventures.co.uk/
srilankasurfandyogaadventureretreat
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A detox for life
Get unstuck and inspired with a life detox that works. OM writer Paula Hines
finds transformation and empowerment at Ibiza Retreats
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f you’re looking for inspiration, then this is the place.
I Founded by British-American holistic life coach, yoga
teacher and clinically-trained yoga therapist Larah Davis,
Ibiza Retreats has been successfully running both group
retreats (‘Harmonise’, ‘Glow’ and ‘Nourish’) and private,
tailor-made retreats on this Balearic Island for over a decade.
The Harmonise retreat is a healing yoga, mindfulness and
life detox. With a carefully-curated schedule of yoga classes,
therapeutic workshops and coaching with a fantastic team of
teachers and holistic therapists, guests are given practical tools
for transformation and healing in a safe and nurturing space
and guided to connect to the answers and solutions within. This
retreat is especially ideal for those who are pre- or post-burnout,
experiencing high levels of anxiety, or needing time to stop and
reflect in a supportive and safe environment.
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Daily programme amid
like-minded souls
Day one set the scene for the week to come. Larah Davis was our
lead host, along with Marrejan Oepkes (giver of the best hugs!) and
Sarah Hockley.
Before yoga every morning there was the opportunity to help
ourselves to herbal teas and delicious chia pots while taking time for
some meditative silence. I had arrived late on a Saturday night, so it
was not until the next day, in the quiet of early Sunday morning that
I was able to fully appreciate the stunning surroundings. My home
for six nights was a beautiful luxury retreat villa in San Lorenzo, in
the north of the island. Those early mornings were when I liked to
sit outside and take in the picturesque, lush green, mountainous
landscape and hear nothing but birdsong.

After tea on the first morning we all gathered together with our
host for a walking meditation to a stone circle in the woods with
space to silently set our personal intentions for the week. With
the grounding sensation of the earth beneath my bare feet, I felt
as though I had fully arrived and had a sense that this was exactly
where I was meant to be.
We returned to the villa for introductions and yoga class followed
by an incredibly soothing sound bath.
Though I have travelled alone to retreats before, there is still
usually some trepidation about who the other guests might be. I
need not have worried, as during my stay our group consisted of 11
fabulous women and we bonded instantly. That said, men are very
welcome and do come along on the retreats too.
Love on a plate
All of our meals were eaten outside, and after yoga each day
was brunch with a wide range of locally-sourced, farm-fresh
food. Every aspect of the food during the retreat was just as
much of a feast for the eyes as well as the belly. It really did
taste as though our vegetarian meals and smoothies had been
prepared with love by American chefs, Maili and Jo, who cater
for all dietary requirements.
Purposeful coaching
After Sunday brunch, each of us had one-to-one sessions to discuss
what we wanted from the week. My chat was a satisfying mini-
coaching session. (Not entirely surprising as Larah Davis is also an
NLP Master Practitioner with over 15 years’ experience as a coach.)
Free time followed every afternoon after brunch until our daily
6 p.m. pre-dinner workshops which to name just a few included: a
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om travel
profound Conscious Breathing session (also known as Rebirthing),
an informative introduction to EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
with Shambala, and a voice workshop with musical artist, Laor
(laormusic.com), which was a joyful release.
On Sunday afternoon, I along with each of my fellow guests
received 60-minute complimentary welcome massages overlooking
the mountains, and during the week there were a wide range of
additional optional therapies available including reflexology, reiki
and much more.
The yoga journey
Every morning of the retreat began with two and a half hours
of yoga, meditation and breathwork. It was such a privilege to
experience classes with different teachers. Each had a different
approach but they all complemented one another. Just a few of
the yoga styles included restorative, mindful flow and optional
paddleboard yoga. One of my favourites was a style introduced
to us by Viva called Inner Core Flow — an intelligently-sequenced
and steadily-paced practice. We also took our morning yoga to the
beach on one day with Marrejan Oepkes, which invited playfulness
as we experienced some partner yoga and the chance of a paddle
in the sea.
Among our group, yoga experience ranged from long-time
practitioners like me to complete beginners, and the yoga practices
cleverly met us where we were at each stage of the week on
our respective emotional and physical journeys. As Larah Davis
explains: “It is about feeling into things from the inside out, making
the yoga our own. It’s all about the treasure of the journey rather
than a final asana destination. It is about enabling the ‘I can’. And in
the end, how you take this back home into daily life.”
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Back to life, back to reality

The week culminated with a beautiful closing ceremony on the rocks it did not end there, as since returning we have all stayed in touch via
at the beach led by Marrejan, followed by dinner all together in the a WhatsApp group.
village of San Juan. Each guest had a closing one-to-one ‘back to life’ I had arrived in Ibiza with a sense of the next steps I wanted to take

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session to discuss the changes we would make once back at home,
and first thing on the last morning we gathered together for positive
visualisations to identify practical steps each of us could take to keep
our positive forward momentum.
Our final yoga class included the basis of a 20-minute home yoga
in my life and left feeling empowered with the tools to courageously
move forward.
The Ibiza Retreats’ motto — Feel, Heal, Transform — is 100% true.

Prices for the HARMONISE retreat start from €1495pp sharing with
practice and we were all gifted the essential oil blend that had been full-board accommodation. Corporate and private retreats are also
used during our yoga classes throughout the week to take home. Plus, available (prices on request). Find out more at: ibizaretreats.com

Prices from €1495pp sharing

HARMONISE retreats include:
• 2.5 hours of morning yoga, meditation
and breathwork daily
• evening yoga workshops and wellness
seminars (including MET, Voicessence,
Transformational Breathwork)
• full board accommodation including
one supper in a stunning island eaterie
• 1:1 Wellness Coaching
• full-body holistic massage
• “back to life” coaching
• airport arrivals transfers
OPTIONAL personalised programme of
treatments & therapies to bring you the
health & healing benefits you seek
CORPORATE and PRIVATE RETREATS
prices on request

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+44 (0)1787 249798
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OUR INSPIRATION

Develop, expand and evolve your yoga

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is hosting a Rejuvenating Vinyasa Flow
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For bookings go to www.yoganewlife.com
or contact clelia@yoganewlife.com
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practice with the Devon School of Yoga.
Enjoy our full range of courses, retreats
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FOR FULL LISTINGS OF COURSES, EVENTS & RETREATS:
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Perfectly imperfect
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There’s nothing wrong with a bit of self-improvement at this time of year
but don’t forget how brilliant you already are. By Victoria Jackson
I
sometimes joke with my students that there are no prizes
in yoga. No-one’s going to give you a medal the first time
you balance on your hands in Crow Pose, no matter how
miraculous it seems to you at the time, and you don’t go to
the top of the class when you achieve Yoganidrasana (ankles
crossed behind the neck). That’s what I teach, and I speak from my
heart in advising this attitude to yoga practice.
But I should probably add a ‘health warning’ to my students that
this is a case when they should do as I say, not as I do! Because if
there ever were any prizes for yoga, I’m sure I’d rush to the front of
the queue to claim one. It’s my personality; I feel the need to prove
myself through achievement, however much I try to practice the
opposite. So naturally I’m rather proud of a certificate I just received
for some yoga-related study. No, it wasn’t for my attainment of
Yoganidrasana or any other advanced physical posture, but for
passing some small exams in Sanskrit, the original language of yoga.
“Keep in mind that when you practice
yoga, you’re not practicing to improve
yourself. You are perfect. he practice is
there to help you know that”
- Maty Ezraty
130
When my results first came through, friends and family had
asked, “what next?” Would I carry on? Did I want to study for a
degree? Clearly they know me and my need for achievement very
well! But I didn’t do the study to pass an exam or get a certificate.
I really just wanted to have fun learning something new and to
experience the excitement that comes from finding you know more
than you thought. Plus I’m nerdy enough to think it’s cool to recite
bits of the Bhagavad Gita in the original language! I can carry on
doing all that by myself, without the pressure of any exam syllabus.
So now that it’s the time of year when many of us feel the need
to make new year’s resolutions to better ourselves in various ways,
instead of signing up for the next course of study — or working
desperately to achieve Yoaganidrasana — I am thinking of the
words of the late Maty Ezraty: “Keep in mind that when you practice
yoga, you’re not practicing to improve yourself. You are perfect. The
practice is there to help you know that.”
The challenge of Sanskrit exams might not have revealed that I
am already perfect — in any sense of the word! — but strangely it
did help me come to feel that I am good enough right now with all
that I am and everything I already have. I don’t need any certificate
to prove that.
Victoria Jackson lives and teaches in Oxford. She is registered with
Yoga Alliance Professionals as a vinyasa yoga teacher
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