108 Sun Salutations!

Thanks to everyone who attended the 108 Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) charity event on Sunday 26th July earlier this year. This took place at the Fairways Community Centre in Newcastle Upon Tyne. 12 Students turned up and did the full 108 sun salutes, an intense practice which usually takes 2 hours if done without taking a break. Most people did a routine of 8 x Surya Namaskara A followed by 1 x Surya Namaskara B, and then did that whole sequence 12 times. 12 x 9 = 108! Thankyou Ally for pointing out that 9 x 9 does not, in fact, equal 108 (like I strangely assumed) and that 12 x 9 is far closer to the 108 bullseye. See Mum? That A-Level in Mathematics didn't come in when I needed it after all.....



The event was partly to commemorate the life of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who sadly passed away on the 18th May this year, and who has held the torch for Ashtanga Yoga during the last 63 years. Pattabhi Jois was born on the 26th July 1915, so this event was exactly 94 years to the day since his birth. We managed to raise enough money through sponsorship to install 2 showers and a new changing room at the centre, which has just been installed by Jamie - thankyou. Well done everyone! Thanks to all those who sponsored us, especially Northern Rock and a big thankyou to Chris Jameson for taking the photos.

You can view the full set of large pictures by Clicking Here

Yoga the Marvel Way

Some people find Parsvottanasana very difficult. Its a great shoulder opener, working the entire shoulder girdle, helps strengthen the upper back and helping to realign the scapula. However, the most important aspect of this posture that I have witnessed through years of practice, teaching and adjusting is the way in which it encourages lateral structural alignment throughout the entire vertebral column, especially throughout the lumbar and thoracic regions. As the base of the palms move closer towards each other the shoulders become more balanced and almost immediately the pelvic area follows suit. Likewise, better alignment in the hips when folding forward in this pose helps the palms to flatten and move more towards the midline. But don't take my word for it. Let Spidey show you how it is done, he explains it better than I.....

Click here