British Wheel of Yoga: Wales Region

Billy's teaching allows the aspirant to consider and experience the space around them and within and to know that they are as much part of the infinite everything of the Universe as they are their individual selves. With reference to the Upanishads (Svetasvatara), Shankaracharya, Krishnamurti and Jean Klein, we discussed the meaning of knowing and being with the context of silence, nothingness and omniscient energy.

The day was bright and sunny. Billy was his usual soft-spoken and gentle inspiration. We developed moving and thus being with the subtle body, the energy body instead of just the physical body. Much of the teaching involved exercises in softening and letting go. We moved with softness and experimented with taking the mind away from the movement and allowing it to follow physical intuition.

It was a lovely gathering of teachers from all over West Wales and much further afield. The distance travelled was a testament to the power and resonance of Billy Doyle's 40 years plus of teachings and writing.

I offer thanks to all those involved including Billy for travelling so far from London and rescheduling due to snowfall, attendees for being equally as flexible, BWY RO Clare Chard for encouragement, Small World Theatre for rescheduling and offering such a generous and beautiful natural space and everyone who made the day possible.

Meriel Goss, Ceredigion County Rep
Photos, Audrey Blow

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Patanjali's eight limbs, the history of yoga, Sanskrit pronunciation and terminology, (where else but in Wales would Dwi Pada Pitham be appreciated using the feminine Welsh word for two - dwy?), pranayama, and mudras, and the group is growing together. Kind and skilled cooks among us bring ready prepared delicious soups and bread so no time is wasted over lunch. Snatched conversations on arriving and leaving offer recognition of both familiarity and diversity.

Spontaneously, breaking through the day's carefully planned teaching schedule, the tutor is usurped by a surge of energy. A rolling wave of lively discussion takes over, there is energy and vitality as we launch into philosophical pondering. Different perspectives, different life experiences fuse together for a brief spell as shared opinions become part of a whole. The aim is not necessarily for agreement but for exploration, comparison and sharing within the context of respect, humility and honesty. This, to me, is the core of the course. We search together for the meaning of yoga in our lives today where we are at. We could carry on all day but are reined in by structure and time, our ever-wise tutor leads with great skill.

The remaining sessions promises more meditation, relaxation, chanting, chakra work, and asanas. There will be more reading of T K V Desikashar's The Heart of Yoga, and hopefully further inspiration for our ongoing reflective diaries. There is hope and promise of an even better end-of-course party than the Christmas one! My hope during this latter part is that the course will continue to inspire me to develop a mind for yoga, and nurture an ongoing desire to live yoga day by day. Some students already know that their next step on the yoga path will be teacher training. I would encourage anybody who is considering doing this course to do it. It offers focus and depth that would underscore those weekly classes and self-practice in an enjoyable and most effective way.

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Eventually, through a tendering process, the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) at Sheffield University was given the contract. In order to ensure as little bias as possible, only two members of BWY (Elaine and Lynne Jones) plus Pierre Bibby, the chief Executive, advised the project which has now come to fruition. The following extract from the BWY press release gives a flavour of the report.

Yoga as part of a wellness regime is generally accepted as being beneficial, and, according to a recent study, it can have therapeutic benefits for conditions such as osteoarthritis, asthma, stress and low back pain too. Their (ScHARR) findings suggest that yoga does in fact have positive effects on some of the conditions affecting adults aged between 18 and 65. The researchers conclude that much of the research available is positive despite some flaws and gaps in the current body of evidence.

So whilst yoga may not be the panacea for all ills, or necessarily a non-drug based, holistic alternative to treatment, there is certainly sufficient evidence that it can be used as a successful intervention for the treatment of some common conditions.

It is anticipated that the findings of this research will provide a level of confidence for yoga teachers, and health and social care practitioners to advise students and patients about how yoga can help them.

Read the full report: 74 pages! [385kb] (new window

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Zoë Knott She refers to David H Coulter who, in his seminal book, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, Body and Breath, says that strength should be key to our yoga practice. “Aches and pains frequently develop if you attempt extreme stretches before you have first developed the strength and skill to protect the all-important joints,” says David. “Unless you are already a weightlifter or body builder, stretching and becoming flexible should be a secondary concern. Only as your practice matures should your emphasis be changed to cultivate a greater range of motion around the joints.”

An over-emphasis on flexibility, as is common in many yoga classes, can cause injuries and imbalances, says Zoë, explaining that strengthening weak or stretched muscles is a key part of a safe and balanced yoga practice. She quotes Erich Schiffman who says in The Spirit And Practice Of Moving Into Stillness, “The stronger you are, the lighter you will feel.”

Zoë worked with us to approach a number of key yoga poses through strength, thus lessening the tendency to over-work backs, knees and other vulnerable areas of the body. In Utkatasana (chair pose), we bent the knees with the hands on the hips, hinged forward from the hips, then ‘sat’ back, before slowly sitting back an inch at a time until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Only then did we lift our arms. Everyone found that this pose was much stronger on the thighs than our usual practice, but incredibly the back was completely free. As Zoë says, if the thigh muscles are as strong as they can be, it will protect the knees and the back, yet most of us aren’t using our thighs to our full potential.

We worked with several arm-strengthening poses in preparation for a safer chaturanga. A damaged rotator cuff is a common injury for those who practice lots of fast-flowing chaturangas, such as in the Ashtanga yoga practice. She explained we need to ensure the shoulders don’t come below the level of the elbow. The eight-point stomach-chest,-chin lowering often used in sun salutes came about, she says, because people don’t have the upper body strength for chaturanga. Yet, when practised properly, the Ashtanga version is far safer for us.

Using blocks to support us, we came into a version of Ustrasana (camel pose) that was far safer for the back. From a high kneeling position, with hands on blocks alongside our legs, we inch by inch lifted and tucked in the bottom and focused on lifting the chest, rather than bending the spine. This meant there was no compression in the lower back and no over-arching of the spine, as often happens when people rely on flexibility rather than strength in this pose. It also completely avoids the temptation to twist the back when coming in and out of the pose.

I’m sure I am not the only yoga teacher who has taken these, and the many other asana we explored, into their own teaching and practice. On the anonymous feedback forms completed at the end of the day, the teachers called Zoë, “insightful”, “an excellent communicator”, “inspiring”, and “very knowledgeable”. And, I know from talking to other teachers, that I am not the only one expressing much gratitude to Audrey Blow, Gwent County Rep, for bringing Zoë to Wales for the first time, as well as hoping it won’t be too long before she is sharing her profound knowledge here once more.

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After lunch a deeply relaxing, nurturing practice of Kaya Kriya was taught. We then went on to explore Savitri ratio breathing—named after the Goddess Savitri who oversees the rhythms of nature—annual, monthly and daily cycles (moon, sun, seasons). We were led through an energising Surya (Sun) Pranayama mudra practice using and extending the Savitri ratio breathing. A revitalising practice of single nostril breathing with Savitri rhythm followed, and then an exploration of some of the Panch Sahita rhythms which extend the control of the breath and our self-awareness. Our day culminated in Nishpanda Asana (any position where you feel least tension) and an awareness of Suksma Bhastrika—echo of the healing energy practices just performed.

The day was attended by 22 teachers and yoga students. In the general feedback, everyone felt that they had benefited greatly from Philip’s teaching and would use some of the practices in their own lessons. Some people found the venue a bit cold. On the whole this was an informative, inspiring day for all. Thank you Philip.

Audrey Blow, Gwent County Rep

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Here are some thoughts on the day from attendees:

The day was generally very well received. It highlighted the importance of having a gathering of members, from all over Wales, where we can discuss ideas and learn from others. It sparks growth and removes stagnation, taking us further on our yoga journey. This is the essential role of the British Wheel of Yoga.

Audrey Blow DCT, Gwent County Rep

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