Yoga in Japan

I recently went back to Japan to visit my family.  My mother is also a yoga teacher and I wanted to share my experience of her classes.

She is now 71 years old and has been teaching yoga full time for over forty-five years. Apparently, she even used to take me along as a baby – I probably didn’t do that much yoga so I can’t claim to have practiced since then :) 

Until recently, she taught many classes to support our family. She was a single mother until she married my father in law, Sochan.  He gradually got into yoga and began assisting her class. After teaching in Kobe for many years together, they moved to Okinawa to retire. Okinawa is a beautiful small sub-tropical island off mainland Japan.

Although technically now retired, she still teaches yoga. She said that it keeps her from becoming forgetful so wants to teach as long as she can. Luckily, there are many lovely community halls for her classes and they’re usually near the beautiful sea.  She only charges 500 yen (about £3.50) so that everyone can come along. In fact, her oldest students are in their mid 80’s and there are lots of students with different physical and mental issues such as Parkinson and alcoholism.

Her yoga classes are like nothing I’ve come across before. They usually give everyone a short massage to check and relax their bodies. She said that this is when her lesson plan’s created – by looking at the student’s body. She has an idea of what to teach each week but this can change depending on who comes along and what they’re bodies like.

Her classes are always accessible to everyone. There are no levels like beginners, intermediate or advanced, it’s open to all. The practice is not about perfecting postures or movements but feeling the body and focusing the mind. She often says,

 ‘if we are too caught up with form and appearance, we will miss the most important things in our practice which is connecting and understanding ourselves’.

Most of the movements are simple and fluid to encourage relaxation and remove tension. She found that people commonly take several years just to learn how to truly relax. Her classes interweave personal experience as well as ancient Indian and Japanese philosophy and movement practice.  All the students seemed to be focused and enjoying themselves. The real sense of community in her classes is inspirational.

We also exchanged ideas and practice when we were at home. I taught her some strengthening exercises and sound work and she showed me Japanese massage and relaxation techniques. It was amazing to see even after so many years of teaching yoga, she was still so open to learning.  It was such a special experience and I learnt so many important things from her.

I promised myself that I’d go back to visit more often, as I usually only go back to Japan every four to seven years. In the mean time, I will share some of the practices that I learnt from my mother in future blogs.

Bristol Yoga Centre also offer community classes so that our classes are accessible to everyone. See here for more details on our community classes. 

The Community Path of Ease By Victoria Andreeva

‘ Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that the new world is born. Human connection is the most vital aspect of our existence, without the sweet touch of another being we are lonely stars in an empty space waiting to shine gloriously’ - Anais Nin and Joe Straynge  

Community means to belong, to be a member, part of the whole. Scientific researchers prove the connection with others and belonging are as imperative for one’s survival as food and shelter; they are instinctual. In fact, they are so crucial that any threat of rejection conjures reactions that are almost identical to those of actual physical pain in the body. This pain is caused by the hormonal triggering of the sympathetic system (region where flight-or-flight response takes place) and the parasympathetic nervous system known as ‘autonomic conflict.’ We all feel that as it’s part of our nature but we often fail to communicate it and express it.

Teaching my class is something I’m grateful for on a daily basis. It’s my way of helping to  build a sense of community and sharing the gift of yoga and practice of connection. Holding space for people creates safe environment for practitioners where they can engage with themselves and others. Together we explore our edges and the physical and mental challenges that practice can bring to surface. We build fire, fluidity and sthira (steadiness) through asana and pranayama. We let go of ‘what was’ when we just arrived into the space. That togetherness in such intimate experience is the glue forming the connection between strangers. Most importantly, it opens and expands individual’s perceptions.

How does that happen? When we arrive in a class we see people of all backgrounds, age, race, body shapes. A big percentage of them will judge for one reason or another. We’ll completely exclude the possibility of connection or simple dialog with them based on our prejudice. (Prejudice are inaccurate judgements of situation/ person when we lack sufficient information to make an actual judgement). However, if we meet a person repeatedly we will start noticing things about him or her. Whilst practicing together, we will feel his/her presence more accurately, especially engaging in parner work (a substantial part of community classes). We will start to notice their movement, reactions and even support. We will be challenged together and even laugh together. Over time we will gradually get to know the individual and notice a shift in ourselves. The shared experiences may not make that person your best friend, but it will help you to accept them rather than rejecting them. Less rejection, less pain.

Victoria Andreeva teaches a weekly donation based community Krama Vinyasa Flow Yoga on Saturday morning from 11:30 – 12:45pm. The class is open to all levels of students and you will be encouraged to explore and gradually expand your edges in a integrated and fun manner.

We also have two other donation based community classes: 

Wednesday 10 – 11am  - Mindfulness Meditation with Naomi

Thursday 7:45 – 8:45pm – Hatha Yoga with Amber 

Community Yoga and Mediation classes

If you can breathe, you can do yoga

– Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

Bristol Yoga Centre believes classes should be accessible to everyone so we have decided to introduce donation based community classes. There are currently three weekly community yoga and meditation classes available:

Wednesday 10:00 -11:00am - Mindfulness Meditation with Naomi

Thursday 7:45 – 8:45pm – Hatha Yoga with Amber 

Saturdays 11:30 - 12:45pm - Krama Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Vicky

Students can pay whatever they can afford and no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Absolutely everyone’s welcome but we especially invite people on low or no-income, benefits, refugees and asylum seekers. The classes are suitable for all levels of students and taught by fully qualified and experienced yoga teachers, who are passionate about making classes accessible to everyone.  

Tash Neeley, who teaches Yin & Yang Yoga class on Wednesday evening, told us why she wanted to be involved.

‘Even though yoga at its roots means to unite, many yoga classes can feel somewhat exclusive. I wanted to get involved in Bristol Yoga Centre's community classes to bring yoga to Bristol's wider community, with the freedom to pay what they felt they could afford. I believe the benefits of yoga and meditation should be available to all people, no matter their experience, background, or lifestyle. 

What I love about the community classes is that they are in a well equipped yoga studio with friendly and experienced yoga teachers, creating a warm and nurturing atmosphere for all bodies and minds’.

One of the regular students from Naomi’s Mindfulness Meditation class said,

‘I find that meditation is really useful way to centre myself, which helps me maintain a more relaxed and positive outlook. I find this is very useful when dealing with emotionally challenging situations. The fact that these classes don’t have a pay barrier means that everyone gets the chance to benefit from this incredible practice’.

The profit from the Mindfulness Meditation class goes to Bristol Mind, a mental health charity based in Bristol. Bristol Mind was originally founded in 1965 and aims to promote a positive view of mental health and encourage emotional wellbeing.  

Please feel free to share this post and let especially those that might really benefit know about the community yoga and meditation classes at the Bristol Yoga Centre. For more information about the classes, please contact the teachers directly.  

Mindfulness Meditation Class

‘Mindfulness is the key to the present moment. Without it we cannot see the world clearly, and we simply stay lost in the wanderings of our minds’

- Joseph Goldstein

We have started a new donation based Mindfulness Meditation class at Bristol Yoga Centre. This is part of a new programme of community classes that we introduced recently so that more people can come to our classes. It’s our strong belief that classes should be accessible to everyone. There are currently three community classes available and people can pay whatever they can afford.  See here for more information.

The profit from my Mindfulness Meditation class goes to Bristol Mind, a mental health charity based in Bristol.  Bristol Mind was originally founded in 1965 and aims to promote a positive view of mental health and encourage emotional wellbeing.  It was important for me to have a sense of give and take for the community class so that we are not just doing our practice for ourselves but also for others. People will be benefiting from the practice and their money will be going to a really good cause.

The idea developed after I completed a foundation in teaching Mindfulness Meditation earlier this year. I’ve been interested in meditation for some time and studied BWY Meditation module several years ago as well as attending regular weekly classes. I’ve gained so much benefit and wanted to share the practice with others.

When I regularly meditate, I feel connected and relaxed not just during and after the class but also in everyday life. It was quite different experience from my asana (posture) practice. It’s much more refined and subtle but powerful and profound.  My mind is clearer and settled yet focused and steady. I am much more aware of my actions and able to be in the present moment.  As an Indian Philosopher, Jiddu Krishnamurti said ‘to understand the immeasurable, the mind must be extraordinarily quiet and still’.

I have been teaching the Mindfulness Meditation class for almost a month and there are now students regularly coming. The atmosphere is really friendly and relaxed, and we have different people coming from yoga teachers to complete beginners. A yoga teacher that’s been coming from the beginning said,

"Naomi's mindfulness meditation classes have given me a new depth which I had not known, or given time to explore, and which I've found extremely beneficial to my every day life. The way she incorporates breathing exercises, sound, sensation and body movement gives my practice an added immersive dimension so I'm excited to come and learn something new each week. Naomi is a profoundly knowledgeable teacher but she keeps the sessions accessible, creative and playful.  The classes have given me a sense of spaciousness and sensitivity to my responses to daily life and I have felt able to be more peaceful, focused and in tune with myself and others."  

Similarly, another regular student said,

“Naomi creates a calm and welcoming environment where it becomes much easier to switch off from the hectic goings-on of the outside world and really connect with your own inner sensations. She uses a great variety techniques including sound meditation and using energetic movement before settling to find interesting ways of accessing a meditative state.  I leave the classes feeling relaxed and centred.”

It’s really fantastic that we are all able to practice together and I’m really happy about how it’s going. Usually we do two short sitting practices, gentle stretches and asanas, pranayama and relaxation techniques. I try and use yoga techniques to settle the mind and body in preparation for mediation. So far, we have been working on different themes every week, from importance of breath to learning how to relax. We also set aside a bit of time to discuss how it’s going so that people can learn and share from each other. I believe that students really benefit from sharing experiences and it helps to create a wonderful communal feel.

If you’re interested in the class, come and join us. My meditation class is on every Wednesday from 10-11am. Absolutely everyone’s welcome.