Meet Reigate's Very own Victoria

Meet Very Yoga Reigate’s studio co-owner; Victoria. I managed to get some time to catch up with Victoria earlier this year, learn a bit more about her and the studio in Reigate below:

How did you get into the world of Yoga?

I used to run regularly and while training for the marathon we used to do a long run on a Sunday and then go to a Bikram class in the evening in Purley - I got addicted to the heat and the way it stretched my body. It definitely helped me whilst I was training for the marathon and managed to run it in 4 hours and 8 seconds...after that i'll never stopped going to Bikram but also discovered flow and yin which complimented the Bikram perfectly. 

How long have you been teaching yoga?

I trained a very long time ago but never actually taught until I opened the studio in 2018 - I now teach Yoga, Mat Pilates and Reformer Pilates (at the moment I teach very little yoga as I'm always needed in the Pilates studio - I miss teaching yoga as much!)

Why did you open VYR and what is the inspiration behind the studio?

We opened Very Yoga to bring some different styles of yoga to Reigate - including warm, Bkiram and be more approachable and fun compared to some of the other more traditional yoga studios. We also wanted to build a community within Reigate using yoga as a shared interest. I love seeing people connect and form lifelong friends and have made so many friends within the local community which I love. 

What is your favourite type of yoga/pilates?

I started with Bikram and it will always have a place in my heart, I love Vinyasa Flow as well and as I dabble more and more in Yin I realise being a busy mum of two I need this style in my life as well to find some space and time to stop (harder said than done!) I also love Reformer Pilates - it is very fashionable at the moment but it has real depth to it and science behind it. It is perfect  for building strength in every single muscle in the body.

What do you love about being a studio owner?

I love meeting new people and working with dynamic people. I'm all about people and always have, I love bringing people together and allowing spaces for people to mix and interact. I also love being able to help in the local community when I can raising money for charity, offering/ running free classes and bringing people together for support.

What are your biggest challenges as a studio owner? 

Continuing to build on classes and numbers, moving with trends and staying relative, staying on top of the boring stuff (accounts, payments) and dealing with organisations who are not people or small business focused (Reigate Council, VOA to name just two!)

I love working with you & Stefan and your approach is true yoga; you are calm and collective at all times, how do you keep these traits whilst dealing with the real life aspects of running your own business?

We've always been good under pressure and if things go wrong our mantra is always 'pivot' - if one thing doesn't work keep working through your options until you run out. I think that's what make people run good businesses the ability to never give up and keep trying different options. It's got us through many a difficult situation - we even have it up  on the wall in our house to always remind us to keep moving forwards! 

I understand that you guys had to adapt to quite a few things during and through COVID times, how did you deal with these challenges?

COVID was a challenge! We also found out during COVID that our landlord was applying to turn our studio into flats so we had to pivot. We used COVID to our advantage to look at different options for what the move would look like for the studio and suss out new venues. Whilst everything was building back up after COVID we opened the new studio and have never looked back.

Following on from the last question; what is your advice for any new teacher getting into the yoga industry alongside any new yoga studio owner?

Go and attend classes - I get approached by lots of new teachers who I'm sure are great but it helps to see you in the studio and put a name to face. You'll also get used to studios and how they work which will make it easier to teach in. Stay close to the people you trained with, see where they teach and offer to cover for them if needed then you get your foot in the door. It also helps when you teach to be conscience and dynamic - make sure you get to know clients names, follow studios procedures and offer to help if needed,

I've been in the industry for nearly 13 years now & I've experienced all different types of studio owners and there approaches, and as I've said; I love working with VYR! What keeps you engaged and motivated in running a successful business? 

We all have moments in every occupation where we question what we do but little successes in the business give me a new lease of life and make me want to drive forwards and keep moving. It might be as small as some good feedback or teaching a well received class - it all gets me back on track! I also love that I've been able to build my business with my growing family and seeing them being part of the business is amazing. It also helps I can be flexible and work around them which keeps me motivated to keep going.

If you could describe three words that yoga means to you, what would they be?

Space, Movement, Breath

Meet the Student - Chris

INTRO

Welcome to '“Meet the Student”, in this post we meet Chris, a Classic Hot Yoga (26&2) Method enthusiast who has experienced amazing transformation both physically and mentally, and was kind enough to give his time to run through why he loves yoga, hot yoga and my classes @ Sadhana Yoga & Wellbeing in Clapham:

MEET CHRIS

How long have you been practicing hot yoga for? (If there is a difference in tie between the both do provide it and then I can distinguish in the blog). For quite a few years - with some big gaps due to work pressures. I'm determined not to have a gap again.

What was the reason that you wanted to hot yoga?
Health and weight-loss - and to have a focussed discipline and practice in my life.

How has hot yoga helped you?
As well as the health-benefits, it's so rewarding to have the regular reliable enjoyment and stress-reduction that comes from attending classes.

What is your favourite thing about hot yoga?
The heat! I love to be hot - and I just imagine any anxiety I've brought to class being soothed by my breathing and dissolving in my sweat...

What changes have you seen in yourself since you started practicing hot yoga?
Since I upped my class frequency, I've lost plenty of weight, which has been revitalising.

What would you say to a total newbie that wants to try hot yoga but might not be sure what to expect?
Your first classes may feel intense - but you don't have to be. Just pace yourself and take breaks. If you stay in the room for 90 minutes and stayed present to yourself, you've completed a class.

Is there any advise you can give to yoga students / others that are doing hot yoga that can help them improve there practice further? (ie what we spoke about diet/food etc I think would be great here).
Try and get your diet and class attendance working together - I'm less hungry when I'm attending classes regularly. I feel lifted for the rest of the day. Talk to teachers about your practice - every time I've had an ache or pain, it was due to an incorrect posture, not the yoga itself. Since I've added electrolyte tablets to my water, I don't get dizzy after class any more.

How long have you been coming to Suraj's classes for?
I got into a routine of going to this studio since summer 2021.

What is your favourite thing about Suraj's classes?
Suraj is so closely enagaged with the whole process - the postures, individual class members, and the group as a whole.

What are the 3 things you would say that describe Suraj as a teacher? (We can even add this to the testimonial too). Suraj is an excellent teacher - deeply supportive of people's development and very down to earth. As a teacher, he's a great choice for a newbie who's anxious about making a start. He's just as good for yoga practitioners who want to engage in a deeper more wholistic approach to yoga and well-being.

OUTRO

A big thanks to Chris for providing an insight to his journey of yoga. If you are interested in starting yoga with me feel free to reach out or check my London & Greater London schedule here

ACL Reconstruction & Classic Hot Yoga (26&2)

Overview

If you are reading this you are either researching the best ways to rehab, currently rehabbing or just plain curious.

An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction of the knee joint is one of the most common surgeries and the recovery time can be up to a year. That is a long time for anybody and even after the instructed rehab has finished for many the pain can still be a problem as surgery doesn’t always mean a pain free life.

This is where the Classic Hot Yoga Sequence (26&2) comes in as an aid for your ACL reconstruction rehab.

Combining your prescribed physio and the Classic Hot Yoga Sequence (26&2) you increase the possibility of being back in action quickly & efficiently, and you will be able to maintain the health of your knee.

This is a practice to aid your normal physiotherapy rehab, or to practice after you have fully rehabbed but please be sure to check with your physiotherapist and doctor before starting.

Yoga & Rehab

The following factors explain why yoga helps those going through rehab and even post rehab.

• The heat allows the joint to relax giving it the stretch it needs.

• The emphasis on locking the knee helps to realign the knee and creates a strong muscular structure around the joint.

• The calm and relaxing environment that your mind goes into during practice will allow you to work with the tightness of the knee; giving it the safe stretch it needs.

• Yoga pumps fresh oxygenated blood around the body to the knees where they are needed the most and this really helps the healing process.

• The repetition in the sequence balances out the body and builds muscles correctly, giving strength equally throughout the body.

Advice & Class

During the practice please do not miss out: Fixed Firm - Supta Vajrasana, this is the knee healer, and even though it is highly likely you will not be able to do the full expression at the beginning, you must start this. 

This is the knee (& ankle) opener; regardless you have had surgery or not! With dedicated practice, patience & correct alignment, in time I am super confident you will be able to get into the posture! 

Before you start class, ensure to let the teacher know that you are recovering from an injury and/or surgery. It is also important to ensure you listen to your body at every moment and do not strain yourself - no sharp pain!

Questions & Contact information

I am writing & speaking from experience. I have had two ACL reconstructions and using Hot Yoga to rehab both, I can say I have been very lucky to have this practice - the picture above shows the beauty of the practice and what it can do for the injured. You can learn more about my story here too. 

If you have any further questions about ACL rehab please contact me via the contact form here and I will be more than happy to guide you through and give you some tips to get you back to what you love doing most.

Have a wonderful day, and please do not hesitate to get in contact!

Peace & Love.

Will Power: the cliches, and one Yoga-esque practice to enhance Sankalpa Shakti

Some thoughts on will-power and a Yoga-esque practice to enhance will power, Sankalpa Shakti.

D.O.M

I'd just come out of the shop with a roast beef sandwich, large chips, ear of corn, & a jumbo sausage. A poor, homeless man sat there and said 'I haven't eaten for two days.'I told him, 'I wish I had your will power.' 

A 1996 paper in the field of psychology concluded that “Will-power is like using a muscle: After exercising it, it loses its strength, gets fatigued, and becomes ineffectual, at least in the short-term.” For those inclined to read more, elaborate commentary can be found here.

The flip side of the same coin is that will-power can be strength-conditioned as well - through deliberate exercises and practices. For example, by setting “small”, “easy” goals and seeing them through, the mind is conditioned - it develops a winning habit. Converse is true, quitting tasks - no matter how trivial - becomes a habit too.

Another perspective, backed by data and scientific research, comes from Dr Krishna Savani at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and also shared by Dr. Christian Jarrett: “Instead of thinking of willpower as the amount of petrol in a car… think of it as the car’s battery,” The more you drive, the more the battery gets charged, and the longer it will last.” An elaborate commentary can be found here.

The real-life practical implications, in my humble and layman-ish opinion, are similar from all such works of research, and they converge with the traditional wisdom on the matter: ‘Practice becomes strongly embedded when it is nourished by regularity and truthful actions over a period of time’ (Patanjali’s Sutra 1.14: Sa tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkarasevito dridhabhumih.) Applied here: with earnest, mindful practice, will-power can be increased.

As day-to-day practical steps, it is then generally advised to make any resolution - “sankalpa” - very judiciously, and to refrain from lofty and unrealistic goal-setting, as the outcomes feed either of the two respective mindsets (a/ strengthened will-power-mindset or b/ debilitated will-power-mindset). Unfortunately, the magnitude and glory of the tasks undertaken is immaterial. The scores move by just 1 or -1, black or white, simple yes or simple no; not taking into account the quality.

As an example: a smoker’s resolution to stay off tobacco just for one day, if successfully kept will have a positive impact. Another resolution could be to complete the London marathon in under four hours. Well, if the marathon was completed, but not in under four hours: the sankalpa failed, and despite the glorious context, it will have a negative impact. The sankalpa shakti scorecard gained 1 in the former instance, and lost 1 in the latter.

By this logic, will power can be conditioned and increased by succeeding frequently, even though in small magnitudes, and by being a mindful decision-maker. One may also think of it as an Artificial Intelligence bot that has to be trained on data. This analogy gives a sense of healthy detachment from the mental faculty of will-power. i.e. it is a skill, though innate but still to be sharpened as if an external tool. Mindful decision making applied to small tasks can have compounding impact on will power. A simple daily check-list that I would myself like to follow in this direction is to:

• Have a realistic and reasonable wake up time in the morning, so that there is never the risk of pressing the snooze button and scoring -1 on the sankalpa shakti scorecard

• Make up bed first thing every morning after getting up and score an easy +1

• Meditate every morning to shore up energy for further +1s

• Having a well-deliberated and realistic time-plan for the week and the day that involves wholesome life activities; with self-joy taking the highest priority (arts, sports, etc. - any recreation that doesn’t involve self-abuse): and sticking to the plan. Score more +1s in a planned way!

• Working towards a “larger” and long-term goal may or may not be part of the plan; it does not matter. Frequent uncorrelated wins - even though small - matter more.

Of course, everyone would have their own similar check-list. But the importance of a self-schedule can’t be over-emphasized enough.

In all likelihood, all of the above is commonly known, cliched and intuitive. The associated neurological and biochemical narratives (adrenalin, dopamine, endorphins, etc.) are well researched and general knowledge. The following section may not be. 

There is an effective yoga-hack to access the sub-conscious and therein plant the seeds of a sankalpa. It is kind of self-hypnosis - making a suggestion to the sub-conscious, priming it and influencing it. Modern science estimates, and it’s yet another cliche, that sub-conscious controls more than 90% of our brain activities, and is arguably proportionately more potent than the conscious mind. So why not harness this reservoir of power to achieve a particular goal!

The practice goes thus: Prepare yourself in a meditative posture, ideally after a run, or a yoga session, a gym workout, or a dance. Perform pranayama or simple deep breathing to calm down body, breath and mind. After a complete exhalation, assume simultaneously the bandhas (energy locks) of the mooladhara and swadhisthana chakras (mool-bandha), manipura (uddiyan bandh) and vishuddhi (jalandhara bandh); and with closed eyes gaze internally at the ajna chakra (eye brow centre). One of Ajna’s literal meanings is “command”. While holding the locks and the gaze, and awareness at Ajna chakra, repeat the sankalpa internally three times. This is akin to commanding the subconscious. The bandhas and the internal gaze bring the practitioner in proximity of the sub-conscious, and repeating the sankalpa in this state encourages the entire sub-conscious to organise and align itself behind the sankalpa.

If the practitioner is not familiar with the chakras and bandhas, a simple substitute could be to exhale completely and hold the breath (or even while holding breath internally after a deep inhalation), gaze internally with closed eyes at the space between the eye-brows, and repeat mentally the sankalpa. No excuse for not trying!

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Zig Ziglar

One final thought: While there are elegant theories and abounding practical tips to understand and  enhance will-power, taking the first baby step itself needs will-power to build will-power. Developing other skills and working towards goals need will-power. The funny - and also simultaneously not so funny - thing here is that developing will-power needs a starting dose of … will-power. For many this could be a never-ending (or never starting) convoluted loop of dependancy. For example, pulling oneself out of depression vs. slipping further into it. External help from loved ones - to provide a much-needed jumpstart - becomes quite critical in such situations. Stocking up the reservoir when completely healthy and capable is a wise idea too.

Then there’s the other extreme - which we should be wary of - where will-power can morph into ego-fuel. 

Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you, Namaste!

Alignment over depth

How many times have you heard that?

This is a common issue amongst all levels of practitioners and not just beginners. And the teacher isn't pointing this out to stunt one's progress in class (unless they are not a real teacher), but they are doing so because:

1. They care that you learn the yoga properly.

2. They care about your body.

3. They care about their teaching methods.

4. They are all in all a caring teacher.

Keeping your form is a very crucial part of your practise, and in order to learn the yoga you are practising properly you must first be able to keep your alignment, and you must also open the opportunity within your mind, for your body to learn the posture properly.

Once you get comfortable with a posture and you have the correct form and alignment then you should be pushing as much as possible to get as much depth as possible and your body will be ready, like a flower petal blooming to open, but until then be patient and be aware of what you are doing.

It is totally understandable that you would like to do a posture to it's optimum and aim to look to best in class, but yoga is not about looking the best, nor is it about incorrect posture. Posture is one of the most important practices in yoga, and without correct posture, the body will only pick up unnecessary bad habits.

If you are struggling with this always reach out to the teacher as they will be able to help and guide you in the right direction.

Thanks for reading.

Being Kind To Yourself When Practicing Your Yoga

Being kind

Living in a day and age where we are expected to be superhuman, robotic and always available is a very difficult requirement for anyone. And this can and has led to a lot of mental health issues for today's world.

And that expectation is taken with you to your mat, the expectation that every class must be the best, and you must always be on form, but that isn't always the case nor should you expect it to be. Like life, your yoga comes with its ups and downs, and it is a relationship with yourself, and like all relationships, there are changes and waves, which is something we must all expect as yogis and yoginis but something we do not always know how to.

Throughout 6 years of practicing, observing teachers & students, talking to fellow practitioners and researching the art of yoga, one thing I have learnt is that your practise will always fluctuate and the most important thing you can do is be kind to yourself, and when your class isn't as strong as you may have wanted to be that day, The key is to let it happen, accept it and use every second of your time on the mat as a lesson, good or bad the most important thing to do is turn up and do what you can at that moment.

You are always changing, growing and testing yourself and during those changes, your body will have something to say about it, and sometimes that is the best standing bow pulling pose you have ever done, and something that is just the worst rabbit, but being kind to yourself when practicing your yoga is not only important for your soul, it is essential to your growth.

This Easter; be good to yourself whilst you find some time for yoga. But also remember to be good to those around you and as you get deeper into your practise, acceptance of yourself and those around you will come hand in hand.

Thanks for reading.