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!