Sunday 7 December 2014

Yoga Festival

Today I went to the British Yoga Festival and demo'ed a bit of my yoga practice by the Bikram Highbury and Islington stand.  I probably slightly veered from my actual yoga practice and did a whole load of handstands that are not totally yoga... but still, i had fun :)  A photographer called Jan took some lovely video and pictures of me which i will upload soon.



I was asked roughly the same 3 questions by a lot of people at the festival, and I thought I would write this blog post too which answers a lot of them.

Were you a dancer or a gymnast?
Yes I was a gymnast in my youth.  I competed at regional level in Womens Artistic Gymnastics, and i was a base in Acrobatic Gymnastics for a few years to an elite level though never competed it.  When people ask me if i was a gymnast it makes me laugh, i'm now 32, i dabbled with adult gymnastics sessions but it has been a while since i wore a gymnastics leotard, you would never catch me running towards a vault ever ever again.  I have not been to the gym much for the last two years because of my knees, although i would love to go soon and swing some giant circles round the pit bar for fun.  I have performed handbalance and aerial for ten years, i did not go to a circus school, my teacher was myself and my video camera, when i learnt there were not very many people doing what i do to teach me in the UK so i ended up teaching myself with input now and then from other working professionals.
Yoga goes beyond the asana, my background may provide some transferable abilities for asana, but i learn more each day with my daily practice from all of the different limbs of yoga.

How long have you practiced for?
I went to my first yoga class in 2009, i have had a regular and daily practice since Feb 2013, I mainly practice the Bikram 26+2 series, and also an advanced series.  I also have a self practice at home.

Are you a yoga teacher?
I am a teacher of handbalance and flexibility and acrobatics.  I am not (yet) specifically a yoga teacher.  One day when i am able to save enough money i would love to go to teacher training, sadly i have no savings and earn just about enough to survive and not much more.  One day i would love to share my knowledge with others and give back to others what i am so fortunate to have been able to learn myself.

Sally Xx 

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