Inspiring weekend

The Association for Yoga Studies (AYS) had their annual conference this weekend which was brilliantly inspirational. About 100 yoga teachers got together to share ideas, take workshops on everything from 'yoga breathing for pain relief during labour' to exploring faith or confidence through yoga. It was a great chance to discuss ways of teaching some of yoga's timeless principles. Ranju Roy and Dave Charlton were the plenary speakers focusing on Pajanjali's teachings in the Yoga Sutras about awareness, how yoga practice can effect our very being, effecting us potentially in quite profound ways, and also exploring how we see the world once we allow our yoga practice to deepen. Inspiring stuff.

Beyond the brilliant sessions from the weekend, a lasting memory is the Saturday night entertainment where we were led in a rendition of a funny song where we all joined in the chorus 'oh it all makes sense when your lying on the mat'. Funny but true... yoga helps us feel good on the mat, but the effects of yoga practice can be much longer lasting and helpful day to day - sometimes!