 Week 8:
May Theme: Compassion Quotation: “Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself.” St Francis de Sales (1567-1622), French Bishop This week’s Task: Heal your future self: We are so busy worrying about others, we can forget to worry about ourselves. Compassion for the self is just as important as compassion for others. This week, use a notebook, journal or even write on scraps of paper and put them in a special box or jar to write three ideas each day that might help you feel better on a bad day. It could be a joke, an inspirational message or even a simple recipe. Return to the ideas in the future when you need some self-compassion. Taken from Every Day Matters Diary by Dani DiPirro 23.5.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga Tech points: There was a slight hiccup this morning when a message from Zoom flashed up saying recording had started. It seems everyone saw the message and had to cancel it somehow – directions were on the screen. Maybe this is something new from Zoom to be aware of next time. It’s not a problem but a bit disturbing for people already lying down. It doesn’t affect the recording in any way. Another pointer for live zooms is that you may be able to use the space bar to temporarily unmute rather than using the icon. This could be useful if you just want to say something quickly and then you’ll go straight back to mute. Today’s class started with the Moon Sequence/Chandra Namaskar in honour of the full moon this Wednesday. We are still in the action phase of the moon cycle so now is the time to review our plans and intentions and complete any actions we need to take before letting go and leaving it to the universe. Have blocks handy if you want to do the full version of side stretches. Two blocks ideally, or you can move one to the other side if necessary. We continued with the Seat of Compassion. You can use a chair or blocks for Crane pose. Then the Flowing Tree – challenge yourself by closing your eyes or gradually moving higher with each completed Tree. Seated and supine poses: Half Lord of the Fishes, Flowing Bridge and Belly Twist. What are your ideas? So how can you heal your future self? What are your ideas? I've got a couple of beautiful boxes which I bought at the Yoga Show back in those days when big crowds could gather. Imagine when we all squeezed ourselves into tiny spaces with elbows and toes almost touching???! Both boxes are decorated with Ganesha, the elephant god, who is known for removing obstacles. The boxes themselves are made from a single piece of wood which turns to open (rather than lifting off completely). Some of you may remember I used them to collect my yoga fees and they are my other half's favourite yoga item! At the moment they are still looking beautiful although they've lost their practical purpose now most of you are paying online. You may spot one of them on my "yoga altar" in the corner of the room. My plan this week is to use the bigger box for my ideas which I'm going to write on three different scraps of paper each day. By next Sunday I should have 21 ideas to make my future self feel better. What are my ideas? I will share a few with you next week but for today I'm going to write: Idea 1: Housework probably won't kill you but why take the risk? Have a day off - and relax. Idea 2: Make yourself a hot chocolate drink with milk and real chocolate. Sit down and enjoy. Idea 3: Read a chapter from Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome. Please share your ideas in the comments section. The more the better. Let's fill up those boxes with ideas and compassion.
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 Week 7:
Today we celebrated the sun which has been a bit lacking recently but is hopefully saving itself for the fantastic long summer to come. I'll be in Lodge Farm Park again this Tuesday (whatever the weather!) and, as long as there are no last minute Covid restrictions to stall Boris' famous "roadmap" numbers no longer have to be limited. There will still be two sessions (morning and afternoon) so that I can keep both classes small enough to maintain social distancing without having to shout. Please continue to let me know you're coming by booking online and/or emailing me. Let's hope for lots of sunshine although last week we managed very well in light rain under our special tree. Quotation: “No-one knows the weight of another’s burden.” George Herbert (1593-1633), Welsh Poet This week’s Task: Share a smile: Smiling is a small kindness, but it can have a big impact. This week, smile reassuringly at anyone who appears upset – perhaps an angry customer in a store, a colleague coping with a tricky client call or a moody teenager struggling with school work. Also, set a daily reminder on your phone to lift your head and smile at the next person you see. Your smile could show the compassion that lightens the load. Taken from Every Day Matters Diary by Dani DiPirro 16.5.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga 75 minute class with a longer savasana for those who want it. Today’s class starts with body preps for the Sun Salutation as we’re in the active, action part of the moon cycle. We then practice a gentle modified version of the Dru Sun Salutation/Surya Namaskar including three rotations (part of the Tibetan Rites for eternal health and youth! and as practised into old age by Bruce Forsyth!) with the mantra “Om Sri Surya Namaskar” which translates as “I honour the sun”. We finish the standing section with Flowing Tree/Vrikshasana and the option to practise the Bikram version of Tree in half standing lotus. Have a chair or wall handy for balance if you need it. We complete the practice with the Tree of Transformation including the Mudra for Clarity as often used by politicians preparing for a difficult speech. Seated and supine poses: Half Lord of the Fishes with optional Kapalbhati, Flowing Bridge and Belly Twist. Optional rolls for fun (be mindful of back issues!). Note: Kapalbhati is a powerful cleansing breath which will detox the whole body and bring blood flowing into the head. The English translation is Shining Skull Breath. Avoid if you have heart issues, high blood pressure, eye issues eg glaucoma or detached retina or if you are pregnant. Alternatives are just breathing normally, Ujayii Breath or full yogic breath (three or four part). A trial week including park classes, live zooms, recordings AND a 1-1 zoom session only costs £5 (pay by bank transfer or cash if you are coming to the park). After that you can decide to continue as a Gold Member by paying in advance for remaining weeks up to 3rd July (from next week only £30 reducing by £5 each week) OR pay for individual classes at £5 as you go. Email: mary@bodyandsoulyoga.org for more details.  Week 5:
Task and Affirmation April Theme: Compassion Quotation: “Reject hatred without hating.” Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), US Spiritualist This week’s Task: Treat anger with compassion: This week, when faced with someone else’s anger or negativity, make a conscious effort not to react defensively, but with compassion. Take a moment – even ask for one if you need to – and view things from the other person’s perspective, then respond gently and empathetically. When the situation has passed, make a gesture of kindness (for example, a cup of tea on a desk or a note of friendship. Taken from Every Day Matters Diary by Dani DiPirro 2.5.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga Today’s class includes the Seat of Compassion sequence incorporating Lotus Chair, Charity Pose, Crane, a variation of mast with waves of compassion from an open runner position and Spirals. Have a chair or blocks nearby for Crane which is an inversion improving circulation to the head, strengthening the spine, pelvic girdle and legs as well as improving balance. Stay with the first option of stretching the arms upwards or modify using a chair if inversions are contra-indicated for you (high blood pressure, hernia, detached retina, pregnancy or spinal disc problems). We also practise Eagle/Garudasana pose which is a powerful balance strengthening the muscles in the hips, thighs, calves and ankles. Flexibility in the shoulders, hips and ankles is improved and circulation to the sexual organs and the kidneys increased. Garudasana helps us to cultivate and align with the truth. It brings clarity and insight, enabling us to see life from a higher perspective. We are now at Week 5 of the membership block. New joiners can have a trial week for £5 and then pay the balance of £40 for the remaining weeks up to 3rd July - amazing value with unlimited access to live zooms, recordings AND outdoor classes for 9 weeks!  Week 4:
April Theme: Trust My gift this week for anyone who wants it is the Sunday recording (available to use any time until next Sunday). Try the class for yourself and, if you enjoy it, let me know (mary@bodyandsoulyoga.org). A trial week is only £5 for unlimited access to zoom classes and recordings as well as Tuesday park classes. Pay an additional £45 from next Sunday for unlimited access until 3rd July (9 weeks). Membership will reduce by £5 each week now until renewal time - meaning no-one needs to pay more than £5 a week for classes, however many they want to attend. Full details will be in my latest newsletter, on its way to you soon! Quotation: “Anything you lose comes round in another form.” Rumi (1207-1273), Persian Poet This week’s Task: Have faith in what’s to come: Trusting in the bigger picture can help us to weather a storm when it comes. This week, identify one thing that has gone wrong recently – a mistake or argument that has unsettled you, perhaps. Spend 10 minutes visualising it as a grey cloud in a blue sky. Imagine it swirling and changing from grey to white – and then disappearing. Hold the notion that the blue sky is always beyond, waiting for the clouds to clear. 25.4.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga Recording 75 minute class with a longer savasana for those who want it. Today we prepare for the full moon completing the first half of its cycle on Tuesday. We are nearing the end of the action phase and moving towards the time of letting go and allowing the universe to take care of our plans and intentions. We practise Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation) with a stronger option for those who want it. Our activation includes filling the sky with sparkling stars and connecting with the earth by moving forwards and backwards – focus on one foot at a time. We also test our balance leading to Diver Pose. Meeting Recording: https://zoom.us/rec/share/tnUwBlMUiSNq6_U3oHzPsHv-GPdgrwNnLtI-JWW9v2i3Xb9HgPVm5fOyx4HwQuo.b5mLF5tyACgYqH2_ Passcode: =1#V#pt1  Week 3:
I woke up this morning to sun streaming through the window and the promise of summer days to come. As we are in the action part of the moon phase (last week was a new moon and next week it will be reaching the point when we have to let go and allow the universe to work with whatever we've set in place) today's Stretch and Flow focused on our power base, Manipura chakra, at the solar plexus between the navel and the base of the sternum. Manipura translates as “city of shining jewels” and holds our most precious asset, our sense of self. Manipura is a male energy so it seems especially fitting this weekend in memory of Prince Philip whose funeral took place yesterday. Before working with Manipura energy ask yourself the following questions:
We practised Agni (fire) Mudra (thumbs raised, fingers clenched) to exercise the eyes: Stretch one arm in front at shoulder height, thumb wrapped in clenched fingers, lift the thumb while keeping the fingers clenched, slowly open your arm outwards focusing your eyes on the thumb while keeping your head still, return your arm to centre and repeat with the other arm. Then we stood for a whirling meditation (have a wall or chair handy for balance!) or do it outside in the garden so if you fall you’ll land on the soft grass (if that happens take a moment lying face down and allow the earth to absorb your energy). Whirling is one of the Five Tibetan rites which practised regularly promise the gift of eternal youth. By whirling in circles the chakras are speeded up. The idea is to start slowly, arms crossed over the heart (left arm on top) and gradually unfold the arms, keeping the joints soft and the focus lowered towards the solar plexus as you turn towards the left in circles. If you feel confident you can close your eyes and move faster. Stop if you feel too dizzy. The more often you practise the more turns you'll be able to make. When you stop make sure you've got a chair or wall nearby to steady yourself with if necessary, close the eyes and stand quietly in Tadasana (Mountain pose) for a few breaths. Apparently Bruce Forsyth practised the whirling meditation every morning in his later years! We continued with the Dru Surya Namaskar (Salute to the Sun) and the Tree of Transformation. and ended with Half Lord of the Fishes, Bridge and Belly Twist before savasana. Today’s affirmation: I am strong, I am powerful, I can do anything I want to do!  Week 2:
Today's class ended up recorded in two parts due to a tech issue (space unexpectedly ran out on my iphone so I had to switch to the laptop). However they say "it takes an ill wind to blow no good" and today I learnt how to edit the recordings so the version I sent out only shows me and the bit with bewildered students wondering where I'd gone doesn't appear. Yes, there was good from the potential disaster after all. We celebrated the new moon with the Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar) followed by the Tree of Transformation to break old habits and bring your power back into the present. This new moon I invite you to set your intentions for the coming month. The next couple of weeks are the time for action as you put your plans into motion. Everything needs to be in place by the full moon when you will have to let the universe take over. I have lots of plans for the community up to July when, hopefully, we'll be out of lockdown and some kind of normal life will be possible. Keep reading my blog and emails to see what we'll be doing next. I'm hoping for a mix of zoom and in person classes plus maybe some other activities to make this truly a vibrant community with body and soul. Today’s affirmation: I have all the resources I need to do anything I want to do! April Theme: Trust Quotation: “He who does not trust enough will not be trusted.” Lao Tzu (d.533BCE), Chinese Philosopher This week’s Task: Build your trust: This week, identify one thing from your home or work life (perhaps as simple as stacking the dishwasher or as complex as organising a work event) that you are usually unwilling to delegate. Hand it over to someone else, don’t meddle, and do say thank you! Trusting someone else to do a job will strengthen the bond between you and free up your own time for something new.  The start of a new quarter and Easter Sunday celebrations. The weather is still warm and sunny (despite dire weather forecasts of snow!) so hoping that Tuesday will stay nice for our second week of outdoor yoga. The first week was amazing with a heatwave!
I've got lots planned for Gold Members so hoping that everyone will renew and tell their friends and family to join too. New joiners can have a trial week with full Gold Member access for just £5 and then pay the balance (which reduces in increments each week up to the end of June) if they want to continue. The option to pay weekly is still there but I would strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of the Gold Membership as it's much better value! This week's recording is available for everyone to enjoy (this week only) as a sample of what to expect from a Body and Soul class. Please share and enjoy with no obligation. Week 1: Task and Affirmation April Theme: Trust Quotation: “Trust in dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.” Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), Lebanese Writer This week’s Task: Learn from your dreams: Dreams can be filled with messages from our inner selves. This week, as you wake up each day, note down all you remember about your dreams, even if they are just fragments. At the end of the week, reflect on what your dreams may have been telling you. Feel free to look up the possible meanings of specific symbols in the dreams, then layer these with insights of your own and trust these instinctive interpretations. 4.4.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga Recording Easter Sunday Special: 75 minute class with option for longer savasana (Dru deep relaxation going through each part of the body twice: physical and subtle) for those who want it. Today’s class includes the Seat of Compassion and the Tree of Transformation as we move into spring. Today’s affirmation is: I trust in my own abilities! https://zoom.us/rec/share/LPC0T1_haopbOCdVYkuoiI8SybGYWsHffI09qq25HkVfWlTeASoS_PPZvP29sQVV.vFa4m8h-L8DwC8BL Passcode: *mA?w2X*
March Theme: Gratitude
Quotation: “Who, being loved, is poor?” Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish Writer This week’s Task: Cherish your loved ones: being grateful for those we love and those who love us can sometimes get lost in the busyness of every day. Not this week! On three of these seven days, set aside some time to do something special for someone you love – cook their favourite meal, write them a caring note or offer to do a chore for them to lighten their load. Taken from Every Day Matters Diary by Dani DiPirro TODAY'S RECORDING TO USE ANYTIME THIS WEEK 28.3.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga Recording 75 minute class with option for longer savasana (Dru deep relaxation going through each part of the body twice: physical and subtle) for those who want it. Today’s class celebrates the full moon, the colourful spring festival of Holi and the start of Holy Week for Christians with Palm Sunday. We practise the hissing breath with Akash Mudra to lift our mood, Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar) to honour the full moon, lively activations with virtual colour throwing for Holi and a modified Triangle (Trikonasana) releasing tension in the hips and energising our emotions for spring. Plus elements from EBR2. Today’s affirmation is: I am in control of my life! https://zoom.us/rec/share/vf4JcPAgUeR7Yq6UPKoVa1eSSfYUPzEplhLt10BRnjKihkhVuc2huJQNzMM_pSDV.kXtVAAkQ1TB1TRPR Passcode: t&@8*=%I With the full March moon comes the celebration of Holi celebrating the arrival of spring, the end of winter and the blossoming of love. It is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. The festival also celebrates the beginning of a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima(Full Moon day) falling around middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. It is known variously as the Festival of Love/Spring/Colours and especially known for the tradition of throwing brightly coloured paint over each other. I believe water can also be involved in this colourful free for all of hope, joy, gaiety and silly pranks chasing away evil. This celebration is much loved by everyone so today we joined in throwing virtual colours, washing and blending them with water and marvelling at the colourful display. Food and drink play their part in this festival including thandai and bhang which are similar but different in that thandai is a nutritious, cooling, milk based drink while bhang has the additional ingredient of marijuana leaves, likely to result in a massive hangover the next day, oversleeping and hallucinations if taken to excess. Apparently, Bhang has been consumed for thousands of years (dating back as far as 2000BC) and is reputedly used by Shiva for its calming qualities. For Thandai (without the bhang) you'll need: Almonds, peppercorns, poppy seeds, cardamom, fennel seeds and water melon seeds Sugar, saffron, rose water, whole milk (or alternative) Mix the spices and nuts with milk along with sugar, saffron and rose water. Allow the mixture to absorb the flavours for one hour in the fridge. Then strain using a fine sieve and serve with rose petals and chopped pistachios scattered on top. Thandai should be served chilled (it doesn't taste as good at room temperature) and it's best to use whole milk. However, you can experiment with fat free or milk substitutes if you prefer. Thanks to my friend Madhu for this recipe. For exact measures and more background about Thandai and Bhang plus delicious Holi food check out: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/thandai/ Today is also Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week leading up to the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is celebrated in churches with the giving of palm crosses remembering Jesus' triumphant entry to Jerusalem, cheered by the crowds who only days later would be calling for his death. Jesus could have written into the city like a king but he chose to enter on a humble donkey. Please let me know how you celebrate Holi or Holy Easter Week in the comments. All contributions appreciated and welcome! Difference between Thandai and Bhang https://www.inuth.com/lifestyle/food/planning-to-get-high-on-bhang-and-thandai-this-holi-know-the-difference-before-mixing-them/ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday  Week 12: Task and Affirmation
March Theme: Gratitude As we celebrate the Spring Equinox we look forward to warmer, longer days to come. Bookings being taken now for our first outdoor class of the year on Tuesday, 30th March. We'll be meeting under the trees in Lodge Farm Park (or in the bandstand if it rains!). Quotation: “It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), US Author This week’s Task: Identify what brings you joy: One way to practise gratitude is to celebrate the many joyful aspects of daily life. This week, at the end of each day write down the everyday occurrences that light you up inside. From the flavours in a blueberry to the smell of fresh linen to the exhilaration of a windy day, be momentarily thankful for each appreciation as you write it down. Taken from Every Day Matters Diary by Dani DiPirro Welcoming spring and the warmer seasons to come. Today’s class celebrated the Spring Equinox with heart openers including gentle preparations for Camel pose, EBR1 and the Seat of Compassion sequence.  Week 11:
Looking back to last year’s Mother’s Day when the Tesco class was cancelled and I shared You Tube recordings instead. Looking forward to next year when maybe we can be together again in person. And for the present, gratitude that there are other ways to share the gift of yoga. It's hard to believe that it's a whole year since I last taught in the Tesco Community Room. When they first closed the room I thought it would just be for a few weeks and we'd be back. A year down the line and it's still uncertain when, and even if, we can return. Those early weeks were very confusing. I remember feeling adrift and anxious. Yoga became my anchor and luckily my own yoga teacher, the brilliant Denny, stepped straight in with daily Facebook Lives which really saved my sanity. I realised my own students might appreciate something similar from me (although I don't pretend to be anything like the teacher that Denny is!) and my first thought was to send out links so they could make up their own class. The first such email was Mother's Day. I sent virtual flowers in lieu of the flower spray I usually give everyone at the end of the class together with quotations and links so they could make up their own yoga class. I was amazed at how appreciative they all were. By Easter Sunday I was doing my own Facebook Live class which eventually evolved into zoom sessions and the only yoga community we've got now. It's been a long and difficult year for us all. 2020 certainly didn't turn out the way we planned way back in January last year and 2021 has seemed almost harder, but somehow we've got through. I'm teaching more yoga classes now than ever before and we're promised light is shining at the end of the tunnel. I'm taking bookings now for outdoor classes on Tuesday 30th March. You can book and check availability online (maximum five per class - bookings after five will go onto a waiting list). There are two sessions available 11.00am to 12.00 and 1.00 to 2.00pm. If necessary I will open another session from 2.15 to 3.15pm. Numbers are limited to five per class so booking is essential but it's all included in the Gold Membership so there's nothing extra to pay. If you're not already a Gold Member there's still time. There are three weeks left until the next renewal date. Membership is £15 for three weeks (until 2nd April). New members can pay £5 for a week's trial - unlimited zoom classes and recordings, then £10 for the remaining weeks. Email me for more information. March Theme: Gratitude Quotation: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-188), US Writer This week’s Task: Discover hidden virtues: Identify one thing that frustrates you about life at work or home – it could be a person you interact with, a difficult project, or even an attitude that doesn’t serve you. How could that thing be useful? In what ways could you, in fact, be thankful for it? Remember: it’s often the difficult times that lead us to wonderful things, even if it takes us a while to realise it! Taken from Every Day Matters by Dani DiPirro 7.3.21 Stretch & Flow Yoga Recording 75 minute class with option for longer savasana (Dru deep relaxation going through each part of the body twice: physical and subtle) for those who want it. Today’s class has a Mother’s Day theme of nurturing and gratitude to those who have nurtured and helped you to grow (often that is your mother but it may be your father, a friend, an aunt, uncle, teacher or even a role model who has inspired you). It includes the Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar) in honour of last night’s new moon and Eagle (Garudasana) practised today as a supported balance. The recording will be available for a week after today's class - please use and enjoy at your convenience as a Mother's Day gift from me. To become a Gold Member with access to all Body and Soul live zoom classes (and recordings) plus the relaunch classes in Lodge Farm Park on 30th March (subject to space) contact mary@bodyandsoulyoga.org. Trial week: £5 Remaining two weeks after that until 2nd April: £10 https://zoom.us/rec/share/xr039rf56mA_Zse3WmQ_-_F6misC9f5YbU-VBFiFZgComBuj7x3WhVz9jaudr6vk.25_l0_w7q82hKonC Passcode: J+0G!*uX |
MARY GRIFFITHSI qualified to teach in 2015 but my yoga journey started much earlier, way back in the 1970s. Here I share my experiences and passion about everything yoga. Archives
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