Yoga in Brighton is BIG…it’s big in the UK and the rest of the Western World for that matter. I’d guesstimate yoga accounts for 90% of the “alternative” practice going on in England and nearly that much in our little hippie mecca here in yoga-heaven Brighton. For every person who meditates or does aikido in Brighton there are ten yogis upside-down with their legs wrapped around ’em and their heads up their chakras. Yoga in Brighton is celebrity endorsed and has crossed over to the mainstream for better and for worse.
I haven’t always gotten on with yoga myself, standing still in odd postures never really did it for me and I found it hard to see any genuine spirituality beyond the health and beauty aspects that seem to get the hordes through the door. I know this is going to be a little controversial but having long hamstrings doesn’t make you enlightened, a nice person, or even beautiful, it just means you can touch your toes (and lets face it it’s better to have someone else touch your toes anyway). That being said I’ve been giving it another try recently and wanted to share my ramblings on yoga.
One of the main things that bugs me about yoga is there usually no interaction involved beyond copying someone. There’s very little “we” space and to balance all the “it” (body mechanics) and “I” (me myself and I am very spiritual and special darling). Maybe that’s why it’s popular in the UK – “I’m on my mat island”, and to take a real quote: “leave me alone, it’s not spiritual to talk during class.” Yoga, Brighton and the UK all lack community – compared to say the aikido world , tango scene or other countries I’ve lived in. The spirituality that I’m interested in involved others and the challenges of working and playing with them.
So enough being a critic, what are the proven benefits of yoga. Well, it’s is certainly good for body awareness, general health and flexibility. Many claims beyond this seem untested (feel free to show me the scientific research not done by yoga institutes). Mentally I’d say the holding of poses exercises the will and concentration which is useful and the poses may help embody certain things. Take warrior pose for example (pictured) -sure on the psychical level it’s about strengthen
ing yours quads etc, but psychologically it seems to me about taking up space and reaching out into the world so maybe worth the effort after all. I’d like to see more teachers who understand and can operationalise these benefits without resorting to ill defined pre-rational superstition. I wonder how much transference from the mat to life there is and what can be done to maximise this? In aikido the same challenge exists and we have a saying “six dan arsholes” to acknowledge that some folks get to high levels of external achievement (sixth degree black belt) without taking the real lessons on board.
ing yours quads etc, but psychologically it seems to me about taking up space and reaching out into the world so maybe worth the effort after all. I’d like to see more teachers who understand and can operationalise these benefits without resorting to ill defined pre-rational superstition. I wonder how much transference from the mat to life there is and what can be done to maximise this? In aikido the same challenge exists and we have a saying “six dan arsholes” to acknowledge that some folks get to high levels of external achievement (sixth degree black belt) without taking the real lessons on board.What yoga DO I like in Brighton – well, me ‘ole mate Taravajra (Call him Mr T he loves that) does Buddhist influenced Mindful Yoga and I appreciate his gentle approach. To me just paying full attention is where spirit comes in, and you can leave your cosmic energy at your ashram in Goya with the hungry kids outside. His teacher Peter Blackaby takes a “humanist” i.e. non mumbo jumbo approach, and is well thought of and massively experienced
I’ve had good experiences with all the technical Brighton Scaravelli yoga crowd at Natural Bodies – G
arry Carter (pictured…heh it’s not just about sexy yoga girls…)is another Brighton yoga pillar, wherever upstanding or upside down I’m not sure… Others at NBs like Liz, Dom, Jason and David have a precision and depth of knowledge and I’ve always found them friendly. Jackie Coulson at the Brighton Natural Health Centre looked after my mum and sister with great care when they visited, and I’ve heard the yoga standard there in general is very good in general from folks who know better than I. Marc Woolford and Susie Daw are both well known and loved Brighton yoga teachesr though again that’s hearsay. Phoebe Brown at the Phoenix Community Centre taught teaches some great deep relaxation techniques and I’ve always found the folks at Yoga Haven to be amiable and together if you wana get warm doing the Hot Yoga thong…I mean thing. I haven’t heard such good things about the other hot yoga place on the rumour mill.
arry Carter (pictured…heh it’s not just about sexy yoga girls…)is another Brighton yoga pillar, wherever upstanding or upside down I’m not sure… Others at NBs like Liz, Dom, Jason and David have a precision and depth of knowledge and I’ve always found them friendly. Jackie Coulson at the Brighton Natural Health Centre looked after my mum and sister with great care when they visited, and I’ve heard the yoga standard there in general is very good in general from folks who know better than I. Marc Woolford and Susie Daw are both well known and loved Brighton yoga teachesr though again that’s hearsay. Phoebe Brown at the Phoenix Community Centre taught teaches some great deep relaxation techniques and I’ve always found the folks at Yoga Haven to be amiable and together if you wana get warm doing the Hot Yoga thong…I mean thing. I haven’t heard such good things about the other hot yoga place on the rumour mill. The Ashtanga mob are big in Brighton but don’t appeal to me. They can stand on one leg and play a violin with the other VERY early in the morning however so be impressed. Apparently this is where the sexiest yoga girls go too, which also puts me right off – I’ll stick with the experienced ladies of the yoga night who know what they’re doing and are less distracting thank you very much 🙂 Then there’s the Iyengar yoga crowd who have a following despite a bit of a PR problem that big bags of ropes, blocks and other S & M equipment tends to bring. Not much of an opinion there – anyone want to invite me to a class? Likewise with Kundalini yoga – one hatha yoga friend described it as “so much wailing and crying with tea towels on your head” – I’d be happy to have someone prove her wrong to me, and I’m hoping version 1:1 of this article in six months will be more thorough.
So why despite a love of all things body-mind and an abundance of opportunities in Brighton and Hove , do I not practice yoga daily? One of the main things that stops me doing yoga regularly is the holding of poses till the sacred cows come home. Having worked extensively with children and observed monkey troupes in the wild, I’m of the opinion that standing for long periods in postures (let alone twisty-crazy-impersonate-a-unicorn-upsidedowney ones) are not what we’ve evolved for. Sorry. That being said, this may just be my personal preference as I am like a dog on a hot crack woof, like bouncing around and if people like pressing their pause button who I am to have a go. I meditate which does the slowing down thing better for me personally, but isn’t so sexy and easy to market.
With my love of movement in mind I was happy to find Yoga In Motion a mix of fluid yoga poses and a little pilates and martial arts inspired moves. I found the instructor Lucy Lindner to be professional, warm and ego-free. She’s been practising since she was a child and it shows. Recommended. She also does yoga for international speakers and community yoga (i.e. discounted) and it’s nice to see someone both branching out and (along wiht the BNHC) providing opportunities for people other than Brighton’s £10 an Infinity Food carrot-munching middle-class.
Please take everything I’ve said here with a pinch of nonsense, it’s just personal irreverent opinions from an outsider who doesn’t know much about yoga and is just jealous anyway. I suspect some fundamentalist yogis will be annoyed when they read parts which will give some good breathing practice. Sometimes an outsiders view is useful, take what you can use and leave the rest. Perhaps I’ll get corpse posed in the North Laines by a true believer, who know?
Invites to classes (I only blog what I enjoy and just leave the rest) and comments welcome – the words prana, chakra…in fact anything in Sanskirt (wow, cool half French Freudian typo) is banned unless you can prove your not talking gomaya or show me what you mean on an Etcher Sketch.
Stretchy love,
Mark
fre wp themes
I hardly ever write comments on blogs, but your article urged me to praise your blog. Thanks for a great read, I’ll be following you.
Mark Walsh
Thank you 🙂
Adam Brickley
Hi mark, Google Vessal Van de kolk Boston, post traumatic stress treatment. I pracised yoga since I was 20 for 17 years, and have a teaching qualification, although only teach my self and a couple of 1 to 1’s. His research is probabley the most comprehensive you will find on the benefits of yoga, and I would recommend the effort in looking. It might tell you a bit about “long ham strings” as you put it!
take care Adam
Mark Walsh
Bessel does great work yes, agreed, especially around the body and trauma.
M