400 days and Yoga

So I'm approaching 420 days of abstinence from alcohol now... 

Although it might have seemed with a post one Sunday morning that I had succumbed actually it was not the case. The post read "Now I know why I abstained for 397 days".

It wasn't from a hangover or that dull feeling of lethargy that normally accompanies the consumption of the night before. No, rather a bit more of a revelation as I pondered a discussion about weight loss and how people will be embarking in a few weeks time on a crash course of slimming in order to attain a 'beach ready' body state by July / August time.

So I asked myself why do people actually do this. Starve the body for a while, then 'over do it' again... then back onto the starving... and so the see-saw goes, mixed up with guilt and gay-abandon. But for what? ... deep down is it because we want approval of our 'form' from others? To not be embarrassed? ... so we are effectively doing this to ourselves... messing with our body, starving it of nutrients... of proper food... then binge-ing out for two weeks... to get some external validation?

So as I embark upon Yoga Practice for the first time in my life... I looked at the opposite side of the coin. Here is a practice which brings us awareness of our bodies... through gentle meditative stretching... we begin to get in touch with the awesomeness that our body actually is. Start to realise that if only we take really good care of this vessel that we have been granted custodianship of, it will serve us well... provide many years of pleasure, joy and happiness.

This isn't me by the way...

When those wiser than I say that our body is the temple of our soul, I have begun to realise the true import of this. 


It has taken 400 days to discover this assisted greatly through working with +Uma Patil and helping her to start up and establish her Yoga practice. Uma's concept of Yoga Curious (which is exactly what I was) is to bring Yoga to people who have long wished to experience Yoga but have been daunted for whatever reason... visit the website you might find your reason listed there.

Did she create Yoga Curious to satisfy my curiosity or was my curiosity satiated because this just came into being at the right time... who knows... but whichever it was it worked!

I have huge regard for Uma who has a gentle mix of deep understanding of Yoga, and the poses, but mixed with a vulnerability and humility around her own capability. I think for Yoga Curious people they will find Uma a breath of fresh air. What I have found encouraging is that Uma still struggles with some poses... and isn't wraith like in her constitution, which makes for a real, down to earth, and believable Yoga experience.

I know us 'real novices' must look ridiculously awkward on our 'fresh untainted' yoga mats, but it doesn't matter... we're doing it. 6 weeks in now and shifts are happening... the mind is clearer... the body beginning to loosen up... the soul loving the time we're spending working on our own temple's (our mind body spirit) up a bit!

If you are in Watford or South West Herts and are Yoga Curious look up Uma... you'll be pleased you did...







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