Tag: pranayama

Josh Wright has been teaching for Yoga Manchester for a couple of weeks now – he’s a top rock climber as well as an amazing yoga teacher.

 

What are you listening to at the moment?

My brother bought me an Audible subscription for my birthday so I’ve started listening to the classic Ulysses, it’s the only way I’ll ever get to the end of that colossus. Music-wise, the last two albums I listened to were Quarters by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (Australian psych-rock band) and Meditation by Naseer Shamma (Iraqi Oud virtuoso).

Where would you be teleported to?

To the top of Monte Fitz Roy in Patagonia to bask in the true beauty of the world we live in. Actually, to the bottom of it, then I could climb to the top and do the aforementioned. 

Where do you buy your clothes from?

My normal clothes are second hand or hand-me-downs from friends/family. I usually buy my climbing stuff from either Arc’Teryx or Prana, they make really good stuff and care about their relationship with the world. The only yoga clothes I have are two pairs of shorts from BAM, bamboo fabric and really long lasting.

What does a regular practice look like for you?

That depends on where I wake up, most mornings involve nondescript rolling around to loosen up followed by some pranayama and/or meditation. When I can find a space to practice, I’ll practice either Ashtanga (primary, intermediate and a little third series) or Vinyasa Krama depending on my energy, what my body is asking for and what else is going on during the day. Discipline is important, but not to the extent that it clouds what your body really needs.

Any advice to a yoga beginner?

Everybody passes wind at some point, don’t worry.

New Yoga Manchester teacher on the block Stefan Podolczuk gives us the low down on his musical tastes, his fashion tips and a little advice for new teachers.

 

What are you listening to at the moment?

I’ll listen to something based on enhancing a mood I already feel, recently Earth, wind and fire or other funk to fly around on a bike. A bit of deep house, trance or the ambient Indian style yoga playlists on occasion of wanting to space out fully. There’s a guy called Craig Pruess who wrote some beautiful stuff, or Jon Hopkins immunity asleep version is great for relaxation post classes when I teach at the gym.

 

Where would you be teleported to?

On the back of a surfboard on the front of a big empty wave in Hawaii, Indonesia or Australia.

 

Where do you buy your clothes from?

Oxfam. Or gifted. Got a few clothes from brothers and friends. They mean more and I don’t like the idea of cheap manufactured clothes or waste.

 

What does a regular practice look like for you?

Daily pranayama meditation and asana. Usually 3 hours worth. I sleep 5/6 hours to fit it in, correct asana practice lets you run on this throughout the day without fatigue. It’s usually Ashtanga Primary but occasionally mix it up with a bit of Jivamukti, Hot yoga or Yin usually on a moon day.

One or two days of the month I’ll take a lie in.

 

Any advice to a yoga beginner?

Be patient. It’s not about “doing the poses”. It’s about always finding a new place to develop breath and bodily awareness.  If you think you’ve finished a pose and looking for new ones to satisfy… you don’t get it.Tight bodies are the best playground.If you are naturally flexible you will be really challenged because it’s tougher for you to keep the energy in the pose and build strength, especially if you are hyper-extensive.If your teacher doesn’t offer cues that help you find some new way of feeling the pose, find a better teacher.Main advice, keep practising!

Yoga Manchester’s Teacher Training Programme

A comprehensive 200 hour teacher-training course with an internationally acclaimed faculty fully accredited with The Independent Yoga Network. The course will start with an eight day intensive and continue with six weekend sessions over a total period of seven months.

Increase your knowledge of yoga with some of Europe’s leading yoga practitioners and academics. The course involves in depth study of yoga asana , pranayama, meditation , yoga philosophy, yoga anatomy and also the skills needed to launch your career as a yoga teacher.

The Yoga Manchester Teacher Training programme has been developed whether you want to become a yoga teacher or not. It will allow you to deepen into your own practice and understanding of yoga, providing you with all the necessary tools to become an ever-evolving student and teacher.

Course Overview

Asana : The YMTT will be based on two separate and complementary, approaches to delivering asana.  These are Yoga Motion, an interdisciplinary vinyasa style and Yoga for Sports.

Yoga Philosophy : Bringing together the ancient knowledge of East with the developments of the West

Anatomy : Understanding Anatomy & Physiology – including bio-mechanics of movement & exercise science.

Pranayama : The science and mechanics of yogic breathing.

Meditation : Developing a personal practice.

Business & Marketing skills :   Including how to set up a yoga class in your local area, creating a website and how to use Social Media.

For more info bookings please click here

What are you listening to at the moment?

Type O Negative (I know, sounds very yogic!) with classics like Everything Dies, Creepy Green Light and My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend why not!  I like earthy, doom sounds with plenty of gain…  also there’s a tongue in cheek theatrical side to the band that’s really fun – they are not as dark as they appear (more of a creepy green). They’ve done a great cover of ‘Angry Inch’ from the musical ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ which is based on a fictional (and fabulous!) glam rock band.

Where would you teleport to?

Well, as seen as you’ve got me onto music… my ‘little’ bro (the guy with makeup on in the pic) and I were brought up on rock/metal so it’s quite close to our hearts. I’d love to see bands like Faith No More, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Kyuss and Metallica around the mid-late 80s/early 90s.  So I’d teleport to the USA and go on a gig tour, be a fly on the wall during jam sessions and definitely see Cliff Burton (Metallica) play a base solo.

While I’m in that era I could travel to Mysore and and practice with Pattabhi Jois, experience the magic of the old shala and hopefully repair the whiplash sustained from all of that head-banging.

Where do you buy your yoga clothes?

I’m easily pleased, as long as it’s black. So TK Maxx tends to be an easy win.  I don’t want to be distracted by clothing while I’m practicing and teaching, so I look for simple clothes with no dangly bits that could get caught on a student/components could dig in during dhanurasana. If possible I get stuff that’s made with natural fibres and I’ll wear it and repair it until it dies – then it becomes a cleaning rag for the bikes.

What does a regular practice look like for you?

Ideally it’s six days a week and I always start with some pranayama.  My practice is sometimes the Ashtanga Primary series, sometimes Intermediate series, sometimes a mix of both.  I don’t always have two hours to practice so if I’m short of time it can be anything from 10/15mins. If I’m ill I tend to roll about on the floor, do some modified sun salutations, stick my legs up the wall and feel sorry for myself. I’ll always do something.

A few times a week I supplement my Ashtanga practice with a short 15-20min session that’s got more of a structural/functional focus.  I’d call this ‘research’ more than my practice – it could be research for my own biomechanics in relation yoga/cycling or research for a class or student.

Any advice to a yoga beginner?

Keep going, it’s worth it.

A comprehensive 200 hour teacher-training course with an internationally acclaimed faculty fully accredited with The Independent Yoga Network. The course will start on Saturday 26th Jan 2019 with an eight day intensive and continue with six weekend sessions over a total period of seven months.

Increase your knowledge of yoga with some of Europe’s leading yoga practitioners and academics. The course involves in depth study of yoga asana , pranayama, meditation , yoga philosophy, yoga anatomy and also the skills needed to launch your career as a yoga teacher.

The Yoga Manchester Teacher Training programme has been developed whether you want to become a yoga teacher or not. It will allow you to deepen into your own practice and understanding of yoga, providing you with all the necessary tools to become an ever-evolving student and teacher.

To visit the Yoga Manchester Teacher Training website click here