Just been reading your Barefoot Running Magazine. It’s a great read but my favourite article is the one on balancing exercises and core stability [Issue 9 Summer 2013]. It just about summarizes things very nicely!
I am not niggle free but I am way better than I was and I have a much better feel of what is causing the niggles, i.e. what I am doing with my posture. Having said that, I often think it is best not to focus on what one is doing wrong, but on doing things right… works for me! Oh yes, I am not barefoot, just minimalist. My current favourites are Luna Venados… do I have more money than sense?! Hope all is well with both of you. All the best Anne (Liverpool)
I disagree that it is easier to modify Pilates for beginners - I teach people of all ages, including people who consider themselves hopeless cases (i.e. they feel very stiff, are older/have mobility issues, have injuries....etc.,). Yoga is for everyone and a good teacher can make it accessible to everyone. Meditation is a great thing but you do not have to do it as part of yoga. For some people the act of yoga is their meditation. Whilst I meditate every day, I do not expect nor demand that my students do so! Because there are so many myths surrounding yoga, I felt that I needed to speak up on these issues. Kind regards, Claire (via email)
I was reading Barefoot Running (Summer Issue 2013) this morning and was very disappointed to read some of your descriptions of yoga.
As a Pilates teacher, I know that the original method has already been greatly modified to increase its suitability for all levels, so in a way it has a ‘head start’. I agree that a good teacher of any discipline can (and should) be able to offer something to everyone. My main aim was to encourage people to try both Pilates and yoga and I don’t think, having asked a few of our readers, that any were put off yoga by what I had written. In fact, in our next issue, there will be an article about a yoga challenge I did over the summer which I found hugely beneficial, both mentally and physically. The article includes some of those myths/sterotypes that perhaps you find frustrating and hopefully dispels them, along with encouraging people to try yoga. We always welcome feedback so thank you again for your email - I hope that you were able to find something in the magazine that you did enjoy! All the best Anna
Hi Claire Hi Anna,
I don’t think I said that you “have to be vegetarian or vegan” – only that many yoga practitioners choose that path. Regarding meditation, as you say, it can come in many forms. I know plenty of people (including myself!) who find running a meditative process. I do think that meditation in some form or other is a fundamental aspect of yoga but does not need to be something rigid and can be approached in a personal way.
Thank you for your comments and my apologies for not to getting back to you sooner. I think you are referring to the “Q & A” section in the mag. I was asked
Barefoot Running Magazine
Autumn/Winter 2013
Page 111
It’s your letters
Things going great with me. I had another Vivobarefoot lesson with James Anelay of Bornbarefoot. He has just finished his training. That, along with the nuggets of information from your book about running posture, have got me going. Also…I finally worked out how to work my TVA [ Transversus abdominis]! After 5 years of Pilates! Yay! I constantly refer to your book and keep going back to the exercises you showed me. I am still weaker on the right side but getting better and I now have a much better idea of how to do them with good posture and that helps a lot!
Pranayama (breathwork) in yoga is not just concerned with the abdomen. When you practice Pranayama it helps you to become more aware of where the breath can move within the body; it opens the whole of the body, especially the muscles associated with breathing; it deepens the breath and facilitates better breathing dynamics; these are just some of the things that it does! Abdominal breathing is a deeply relaxing type of Pranayama, whereas Ujjayi Breathing uses the full capacity of the torso and its associated bones and muscles.
about the differences between Pilates and yoga by a client of mine who wanted just a summarized, general response which is what I gave in the magazine. There is probably scope for a whole magazine dedicated to a discussion about the similarities and differences between the two disciplines but as space was limited, my aim was to offer what I feel are the most pertinent aspects of both.
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Some people who practice yoga are vegetarians or vegans - their reasons for choosing to forgo certain types of food are often very diverse. But many people, including myself, are Omnitarians, who simply practice mindful eating. The whole 'you have to be vegetarian/vegan to do yoga’ is a misnomer and it discourages people from starting a yoga practice.