YOGA VOCAL
September 2019
Issue 06
where good news is the news
#FINDMEANING
What's Inside?
COMING SOON
CLASS SPOTLIGHT
WATCH & LEARN
What is this lockdown craziness?! More ways to practice with Yoga Local
The art of taking a rest. Learn all about your Rest class with new teacher, Olvia Hickman.
Hop on over to our YouTube channel to replay all Josie's live videos.
Book Now
Rest
YouTube
STAYING IN YOUR LANE by Josie Steedman
My yogi friends… here we are in this new world of isolation and social distancing, trying on new ways of being and doing. That includes how, why and where we practice, (which is more like this yogi on the right), right? Yeah you can buy a yoga DVD or plug into some robotic app that’ll talk you through a guided basic programme or flow. You could even tune into the latest Z list celebrity in some gorgeous sponsored yoga pants. The choice, (no judgement) is yours… But, of course, the human in me got thinking (and whittling if I’m honest). Why choose YL? So, I got out my journal and started writing… It’s all on page 3. There’s just too much to squeeze in here! LOL. J X April 2020
Issue 06
FROM THE ARCHIVES by Josie Steedman
#bestill
BECAUSE THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A SILLY QUESTION‌ AND BECAUSE WE ALL START AT SUCK! If you’re planning your first yoga adventure in 2018 you probably have some questions. Trouble is, no one ever likes to be the first to raise their hand. So, to get the ball rolling I’m sharing 7 questions fellow yoga teachers posted on Facebook as the questions they get asked the most‌just so you no there’s such thing as a silly question‌or is there? đ&#x;˜‰ I carved out my own responses to these‌but if you’re still left wondering ‘bout something yoga related, pop it down in the comments and I’ll share what I got. Here we go. Seven questions start now‌ Q1: Am I doing it right? Listen to your body, your breath and move with awareness – and you’re doing it right. Q2: Can I do yoga? I’m not flexible.Yes and‌ so what? You will be. Q3: What class is right for me? The one you will do. Q4:What will yoga do for me?Yoga will help you reconnect with your body, mind and spirit and remind you of your true potential and what’s possible. Q5: If yoga is just stretching how does it help? It’s not just about stretching‌ To get the last two questions and the rest of this blog visit our archives https://www.yogalocal.co.uk/just-beginyoga-faqs/
Thanks to YL member Debi for this shot of stillness in ‘action’. (Notice how there’s activity even in rest). Talking of rest‌ checkout our new REST class on page 4
YOUR MONTH AND ME by Josie Steedman
You know there are many lessons that we can pluck straight from the physical yoga practice and drop into our lives off the mat. Having balance is one of them. It can help us deal with all kinds of challenging situations including all this disruption, change, loss, fear and uncertainty we’re experiencing right now. Strength and ease, Sthira and Sukha, is the balance yogis look for in any pose regardless of difficulty. So, we’ve been playful this month with poses that any practicing yogi would find challenging. The method in this ‘Josie, are you crackers?’ madness was not to highlight what you can’t do‌ but what you can. When you are patient, when you truly listen, find balance and #BeStill - magic happens. It’s in that stillness and space you get to ask: ‘what is the right action for me now?’ and you start to co-create your next moment. So big respect to the 100 plus of our members who got online this month, every week and met our call to find stillness and balance in all the craziness (off and on the mat). The pose is never the yoga‌ it’s what we learn getting to the pose that we’re here to discover. If you’ve not yet, join us online for some self-discovery of your own.
April 2020
Josie. x Issue 06
A YOGA ASSIST by Paul Warner
Want to join the LIVE classes? Need help signing up? Want the app on your phone? Struggling to add a membership? Confused by the timetable? You can now get help with any queries, concerns or just help with the technology from a real person (and fellow yogi)
CHOOSING YOUR LANE CONT FROM PAGE 1... by Josie Steedman Are you curious about what I wrote? Here it is.. continued from Page 1.
WHY CHOOSE YL ONLINE? We’ve been offering the same yoga and meditation programme we had when we were in the studio aside from courses and special events, which we’ve had to put on hold during lock down. We’ve announced we’re adding extra classes too. This week I took on our sixth teacher, Olivia Hickman (you can meet her in a video we shot for you right here). We’ve continued to employ the same amazing yoga team, all working to bring you intelligently thought-out, sequenced yoga classes that will keep you moving in the direction of…. health, evolution and growth – whatever that looks like for you! We don’t just teach you; we guide you. From understanding the foundations of the discipline, from aligning the moves, to creating the sequences that can help you prepare for an effective and safe practice. We help you set goals for your practice. Using yoga not just to train the body, but as a way to reduce and manage your stress, as a means of healing from an illness or injury, or as a way to achieve spiritual fulfilment and peace. We’ve got you covered with playlists to help you find some of the peace that you experienced in the good old studio days.
We help you find the discipline, and patience to work towards where you want to go. Keep in mind that doing yoga doesn’t mean repeating a certain position exactly like the person you see in a video or image. You need to focus on the path that will take you to the asana, the enlightenment or any other goal that is proposed to you. We help you open your mind and heart during training. We’re making a commitment to growing what we offer in exactly the same way as I would if this whole lock down thing hadn’t happened. As well as Rest we’ve got Kat ready to roll out her Intro to Ashtanga class – and I’ve been talking with Carrie-Anne to return with yoga and sound healing. And yes, you can work your body and get fit in YL classes, but that’s NOT what YL is about… and never has been. There is way more to shoot for than that and here’s my favourite four to get you started… community, connection, freedom and a little adventure. (These words I live and plan by).
paul called me and talked me through the whole thing thank you Don't struggle, we are here to help. email assist@yogalocal.co.uk or just call Paul on 07764151368
WE'VE GOT YOU by Josie Steedman
We’ve now got blocks, straps, bolsters, blankets eyebags, incense and yoga mats in our store right now. We’ll be in touch to arrange pick up or delivery. Grab yours using this link https://www.yogalocal.co.uk/yourstore/#tmup=/p/2620513-yogalocal/store/
So now you have the words I would use to describe what you choose when you choose YL. Maybe you have words of your own…? Let me know yours. I’d love to hear them.
#covered
Email Josie@yogalocal.co.uk April 2020
Issue 06
CLASS SPOTLIGHT by Josie Steedman
Class: Rest If you feel like you need deep rest and want a practice that will leave you feeling fully nourished and nurtured then ‘Rest’ is for you. Expect a gentle and deep practice that will stretch out and put your body into a state of ‘rest and digest’, where you can receive the healing and most nourishing aspects of yoga. The practice will be supported with hands on touch and massage. Practice Stage 1 Key Poses: Explore the more nourishing side of yoga with Yin poses and Restorative poses. Mood: Explore your inner calm, feel depth of relaxation like you have never experienced before. Pick this class if: You need to take some time for you You want simple and sufficiently challenging poses You want to feel held and need some nurture You are looking for the healing aspects of yoga You want to feel yummyness You would like to try Yin Yoga You are seeking deep relaxation
Keep an eye out for all the classes in future editions of Class Spotlight including Begin, Rise & Energise
#FINDMEANING
by Josie Steedman
Why would someone quit a successful career, way of life, sense of identity to take on new ways of thinking and being? I'd wanted to be Lois Lane from aged 7 so why take a jump out of print and publishing 33 years later? In short, the why was NECESSITY. Sometimes we are forced to take course corrections in life. Things outside of us, external situations (like this lock down) create the pause we need to reassess and find new meaning in all we think we know. For me in 2013 I experienced an internal shift, but it was still born from necessity.My soul stopped whispering, suggesting, and nudging me to take action, and began tearing its ethereal hair out, screaming wildly to hit the brakes and steer the hell out of there. You get the picture. ;) Staying in an environment that I no longer thrived in, was taking me down…. and on a soul level I knew it.With no idea of where I was going. I changed course. With no job to go to, no big pay cheque to keep me going, no guarantee that it would all be ok.
Most likely everyone thought I was crazy. But what I now know to be true is the craziest action would actually have been to have kept going and doing the same thing expecting different results. Which brings me to our theme for the month of May.
#FindMeaning We are all being called to take a break from what we know, whether we like it or not, whether we choose it or not. Are you the one who is throwing their arms up in the air, objecting, freaking out, complaining – saying it’s not fair? Or… are you up for finding meaning in this whole crisis?I don’t just practice yoga or teach yoga for the incredible health benefits, all though they are valid and noble reasons. For me finding yoga and meditation has helped me to find answers on a whole range of important questions that I found myself asking when I had my own enforced ‘lockdown’ 7 years ago. Use this time wisely. #FINDMEANING and let me show you how to use yoga and meditation as your tools.
April 2020
Issue 06
6
BOOKS EVERY YOGI SHOULD READ by Josie Steedman
deepak chopra
david frawley
The remarkable benefits of yoga, which include improved flexibility, balance, muscle tone, endurance, and vitality, only hint at the extraordinary power of this deeply spiritual practice.
Yoga and Ayurveda together form a complete approach for optimal health, vitality, and higher awareness. Yoga & Ayurveda reveals to us the secret powers of the body, breath, senses, mind, and chakras.
b. k. s. Iyengar
t. k. v desikachar
‘Light on Yoga’ is widely called ‘the bible of yoga’ and has served as the source book for generations of yoga students around the world. It is the classic text for all serious students of yoga.
The first yoga text to outline a step-bystep sequence for developing a complete practice according to viniyoga--yoga adapted to the needs of the individual.
david simon
wayne w dwyer
The Wisdom of Healing can help you establish your own mind body type and find a daily routine that is ideally suited to creating optimal health for you.
learn how to restore balance in your life by offering nine principles for realigning your thoughts so that they correspond to your highest desires.
April 2020
Issue 06
THE VEGAN VIRGIN by Paul Warner
I was complaining about how much Vitamin E eye cream was and Josie said 'why not just eat more stuff with vitamin E in it… that raises an interesting point
Plant based means according to the brainy boffins that I am lacking in the following: Vitamin B12 Vitamin D Omega 3 Fatty Acids Iron So basically, I am denying my body of essentials and presumably at some point I will feel tired and irritable and moody... oh wait, that's a normal day! Seriously though, for every study that shows plant based isn't the holy grail, I can show you alternative studies that suggest I am healthier that the average Joe. (who is this Joe bloke). Take iron for example, many greens are rich in iron but the body struggles to extract them but if you drink them with orange juice, the vitamin C aids the iron extraction process.
SOMETHING NEW by Paul Warner This whole lockdown thing seems to have divided businesses like never before For some, this is a way of going bust with grace, 'it was the Covid 19 that did it for us' and in a few cases, that might actually be true but we have all been dealt a very similar hand so who wins? There are no winners but there are companies that will come out of this much stronger and more resilient than ever before. Yoga Local was doing very well before the studio closed and Josie had to adapt quickly to an online presence. It wasn't a make or break thing, it was a sense of wanting to show the community she had lovingly built, that she was still able to support them, at a time they needed it most. The strange thing is, this then throws up another question... 'why don't we have online classes all the time?'
So what is right and what is wrong? I will let you into a secret here, I know exactly what is right and how we can all achieve that... ready? You simply listen to your body... the human body will always be far more powerful that any books or studies or blog articles and it is always bang up to date. My complexion right now is saying to me that I need to increase my water intake, I know this but I find water boring so I add lime cordial and drink a pint of sugar basically. We all know, we KNOW exactly what we need to do, we just don't always follow through. Our bodies are capable of some amazing things, we just choose to stand in the way. Me, I am off to get some avocado on toast for brekky to top up my vitamin E in an attempt to get rid of my black eyes... much better than a £13 tube of plastic from Body shop. My journey continues next month...
April 2020
You see online was not a medium of choice but buy working with the hand she was dealt, Josie has developed an alternative way to enjoy yoga as a back up for those that maybe can't make the studio that day. It has been a steep learning curve and has required investment but the point is, that the business as a whole is now even stronger that the day you joined at a time when many business owners have simply thrown down their yoga mats and given up... so what the f£$" has this got to do with me, I hear you ask? Everything. You see the difference between what Josie has done compared to many studios is simply how she 'CHOSE' to deal with the situation. The same applies in every day life, shit happens, we can either give up or find a way, the choice is entrely yours... What you gonna do?
Yes, you read that correctly. Most studios have cut back but we have never been the sort of practice that swims with the tide. So, not only do we have a new teacher bringing us up to 6 in total but we also have a brand new class, Rest.
WHO: Olivia Hickman EXPERIENCE: Over 10 years TEACHES: Rest
The first class was not only a sellout but we had four on the waiting list so a great start for Olivia and a lovely welcome as always from you guys.
Issue 06
YOGA LOCAL, 5 NENE COURT, EMBANKMENT, WELLINGBOROUGH, NN8 1LD