Welcome to the Yoga Quota movement Gabi, Vince and SueP! Check out why they are doing Yoga Quota on the teachers page. Each one of these lovely people has committed to spreading yoga to disadvantaged groups in their area. They have their own minimum quota for the year which they are hoping to smash through! I can't wait until the classes begin and the blogs come in and you can hear about their journey too!

In Gabi's words...

"Yoga has helped me in so many ways and those benefits should be available to everyone. Yoga Quota makes Yoga accessible to those would wouldn't usually get to experience all the fantastic benefits of Yoga. I hope that by getting involved in Yoga Quota I can begin to share this gift with more and more people." 

Thanks Gabi couldn't have put it better myself!

So happy to have you guys on board!

Mandala means circle. In Yoga Quota classes, I'm almost always putting our flows into a circle pattern.

The useful bit about yoga is that you can switch off your brain. But with students who are mostly Oxford students or super busy people, I know that it is very hard to switch off the cita vrtti (whirling mindstuff!) So mandalas help to a certain extent keep you involved and focused on left or right, on a new flow. 

What is it about circles?

You can also get these Mandala colouring in books. Lots of the symbols in yoga (and other eastern heritage) are these intricate mandalas. And you can colour in each tiny segment if you like. Well that is also very absorbing!

I personally prefer yoga to do that, but hey, if you have a broken arm and you can't do yoga. Or a cold. Try these for size to get your fix of mandalas!

Designing the classes! One of my favourite bits any way- I do also really enjoy days like yesterday with 2 charity classes and a great news story of my regular homeless guy becoming just a regular and not homeless!

But this is fun- plotting for the hangover cure students this morning!

I get loads of readers of this blog...(thank you!) it always gives me a thrill wen you tell me why you read it and then I can write more stuf that's useful to your practice. What's your favourite bit of the blog? Please let me know x

Amazing news!!!! My regular at Steppin Stones day centre has found a home through the council!!!!! No longer homeless!

So my class was with the lovely new lady from a fortnight ago who is job searching and we chatted about this.

Followed by a class at the Beehive where unfortunately my regulars couldn't come but instead a new guy, my age who goes to Elder Stubbs tried yoga. Elder Stubbs is in a different part of Oxford- it provides gardening and allotments as therapy for recovery from mental illness. My yoga sessions are open for this side of the charity too!

Cycled home with a smile on my face! No longer homeless and it's sunny! Woo!