I have trained with some magical teachers at Triyoga. One I am most grateful for is Ashtanga master David Swenson. I remember in a workshop in Triyoga Soho, he talked about how he rolled up his sleeves to help get the studio ready for its opening date. Toilet doors still had to be hung, and I remember he said something about putting up the ceiling beams, pointing skyward! Every time I went to Triyoga classes and workshops to meet famous and celebrated teachers, my connection to and love of Triyoga grew.  

I remember so well and with such fondness when the rumour of Triyoga coming to Ealing was spoken about with wide eyes and excitement. Would they choose us? Richmond? We won! It hailed a joyful time of practicing with friends, free vegan porridge after Mysore, hanging out in the café after class, general loveliness. Even though we always knew it was owned by private equity, by definition a corporate nomad, it made no difference. Triyoga in Ealing was adored. It was our sanctuary

I am such a fan of Myofascial Release. While the majority of our yoga classes focus on stretching and strengthening the muscles, tonight we are targeting the fascia - that continuous "netting" that sheathes our entire body.

There is so much to love about the world of yoga, but I’ve never been a 100% purist. For me, yoga has always coexisted with cycling and running. I used to meet practitioners who believed in complete purity of practice, one style practiced every day except authorised days off. But as contemporary yoga culture evolves, that strict, exclusive mindset just doesn't hold up.

Last week I was making a point of inviting people to ‘dedicate their practice’ to someone who might need a helping hand. How should you get your head around this idea? Well, call to mind the more difficult aspects of the practice – Boat Pose, countless Vinyasas, Crow Pose, Wheel Pose. Now imagine that you redirect your attention and focus on letting the effort be for someone you love.

I heard that castor oil combined with frankincense essential oil cures knee pain. Knowledge of this magic existed in prehistoric Ethiopia and Egypt, in Ayurvedic, Chinese and folk medicine, and in writings of the great Greek herbalists. I am amazed at how my terrible knee pain has gone.

This mid-week email is because the eclipse is tonight. Come if you have no other plans to watch. Birds will all go to sleep and, minutes later, start their dawn chorus. Then, in the early morning hours between midnight and dawn, is the meteor shower. In case we spot a shooting star, come with your wishes ready.

Yin is slow medicine. It is the absolute opposite of (yang) Ashtanga and I wish I had studied them both at the same time. The patience of Yin might have counselled against the ego-encouragement of the Ashtanga practice and the almost inevitable injuries that come.

Wimbledon season… and I want to suggest to online yogis that you buy a couple of tennis balls for our stretchy and restorative yoga sessions. Friday’s class will be a combination of myofascial release (hence the need for pressure-point balls) and pure restorative postures. A perfect wind-down to the week. In stretchy classes (Mon, Tues and Weds) we can look at the typically tighter areas with the pressure-point release approach.

I’m doing a push to get more yoga in the workplace. (Pop me an email if you’re interested). Office work is our most static experience and we know that the body needs movement. I have much more appreciation of how the body move or why it finds some postures impossible, and you’ll never guess why.  I spent an hour last week looking at cadavers, bones and body parts (at King’s College Anatomy Lab).