Hips Don't Lie

Dear Yogis

What did I learn in the splits workshop last week? It was brilliant. Nathalie Mukusheva teaches with such interesting detail to target individual muscles and, importantly, align the foot properly. However, it’s as I suspected; the Royal Ballet will not be knocking on my door anytime soon. Walking with a strange new wiggle in the street afterwards I got a wolf whistle from a terribly young man. Oh baby, no! It’s not a come-on. My hips have gone! This prompted the need for a proper Nuad Thai massage the next day to put my legs and hips back in place. (Don't be put off if you think a workshop is too advanced for you. Go and see what you can learn. Reward yourself with a massage!)

Teaching

I’m teaching tomorrow, Saturday, at Virgin Pools in Fulham in their fundraiser for Grenfell. The class is at 10.45 – 12.00 and it’s free. People who are not members of Virgin Active are able to come but you need to come a little early to fill in their PAR-Q form. There will be a bucket in the studio for donations.

Home Studio

There are places left next week and in the following week I’ll only be teaching on Monday and Tuesday. I’ve added an extra 6.00 class on Tuesday 19th. We can make that an Ashtanga class.  I’ll be away after that. I’m celebrating my birthday in Kythera, my favourite place on earth.

Training

On Sunday I have signed up for a handstand workshop with Sainaa Janchivdorj.  He’s great teacher and he is apparently the UK’s ‘go-to’ guy when it comes to handstands. I’ve a better chance at this than splits! Its Stewart Gilchrist tomorrow for Asana Chakrisation and I’m happy to have the company of a few Friday Yoga Email readers. I’m so pleased!

Yoga in the News

Kenny Farquharson in his Notebook in The Times writes about being a middle-aged man with aches and pains in a yoga class with twentysomethings. It’s funny. I wonder if he’ll go back. The Express & star has a nice article about how West Brom players are taking to yoga. One player, Craig Dawson ‘has been doing it for about five years and he’s never had a strain or a hamstring problem’. John Terry is taking most of the football/yoga headlines, though.