Yoga in Gloucester NSW

5:30pm Fridays at Mandy’s Pilates Studio.

Yoga classes in Gloucester

Simple and therapeutic yoga classes and retreats in Gloucester NSW. Create flexibility and strength, as well as a sense of ease and calm in the mind. See you at 21 Denison St Gloucester. Any questions contact Josh: 0408945080

pariahyoga

This workshop with @dan.fanthorpe dives into learn

This workshop with @dan.fanthorpe dives into learning the importance of functional movement patterns that correct and help prevent dysfunctional movements.

We look at how different bodies move dependent on body types, anatomical variances, and previous habitual movement patterns.

We will also look at some of the more conflicting alignment cues taught by different yoga styles and the possible risks and benefits.

It's all about understanding your own anatomy, finding a balance between flexibility and strength, building trust in your ability, linking yoga philosophy with understanding the body, building a safe and inspiring practice.

This Sunday at 8am, link in bio for bookings.

𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦

The mission of @yogaaustralia is to help the public learn more about yoga, to increase standards of education for yoga teachers, and to help yoga professionals live happy and healthy lives with a fair remuneration for a lifetime of effort and practice.

For that reason we are embracing, friendly, and in search of collaboration. There are many wonderful member associations in Australia and around the world doing excellent work to further the cause of yoga, in many forms.

During my days in Melbourne this week with staff, I was able to attend a @meditationaustralia summit where I met the wonderful Sister Jayanti from @brahmakumaris at Trinity College. Then on Saturday, while meeting with senior teachers and state reps, I was able to present at a Yoga Day event organised by the @hcicanberra featuring the wonderful work of Vijay and @theartofliving. Finally, today I caught up with the management of Dru Yoga association, long time allies of Yoga Australia.

It has long been the position of Yoga Australia to reflect the pluralism of yoga itself by welcoming all lineages and styles of yoga into the fold. Indeed, our recent curriculum allows for a variety of forms of yoga to qualify for Teacher Training certification, not only those that are physically-focused.

Furthermore, we offer a “dual membership” option to existing members of any other yoga industry association. This provides a 30% discount and bolsters the unified front that is needed to amplify the voice of the profession as a whole. This is a voice sorely needed in the face of rising costs and an influx of fitness-oriented yoga styles.

If you are a member of another yoga or meditation association, please send us a message to claim discounted membership with Yoga Australia. We will ask for your membership certificate and then issue you a coupon code.

If you are not a member of any yoga industry profession – please consider joining Yoga Australia!

In a highly commercial and commodified world, it is crucial that we support Not-For-Profits who are invested in improving our collective situation.

For yoga teachers and enthusiasts: This workshop w

For yoga teachers and enthusiasts: This workshop will teach you the basics on how to handle pregnancy in class, to ensure you have the knowledge and skills to create a safe and supportive environment for pregnant students who wish to continue their yoga practice.

- Physiological changes during pregnancy
- Key safety principles to consider
- Understanding your limitations
- Customising sequences
- Q&A

Lots to learn in this workshop presented by @yogaformama

Link in bio

LAST EVER COCKADILLY RETREAT 🌿 The property ha

LAST EVER COCKADILLY RETREAT 🌿

The property has sold and we have one last chance to enjoy the intoxicating sounds, smells, and atmosphere of this beautiful venue.

8 years of peaceful illumination - come and celebrate with us 🌄

Friday July 7th to Sunday 9th. Rooms and camping available. Link in bio with more info.

Yoga Australia's State of Yoga 2023 survey is open

Yoga Australia's State of Yoga 2023 survey is open to all yoga teachers in Australia.

The responses received so far have been pivotal in directing Yoga Australia's advocacy efforts for the year ahead, and there is still another month before the survey closes.

We are humbled to hear of your reasons for teaching and the challenges you face in the current economic environment.

One of most common requests for help so far is around improving contractor and employment conditions. Making a living wage by teaching yoga is difficult for many, and we must address the “race to the bottom” that occurs in competitive markets.

Anyone who teaches or has taught yoga in Australia can complete the survey. The analysis of results will be made available to everyone, free of charge.
Please help us by sharing the survey with as many current and past yoga teachers as you can, so that we can make legitimate comparisons with our data from previous years. It is especially important in such a tricky economic environment that we protect and improve conditions for everyone, whether they are a Yoga Australia member or not.

A rising tide lifts all boats, as they say.

Link in bio.

I'd like to draw your attention to the upcoming yo

I'd like to draw your attention to the upcoming yoga retreat - February 24 to 26th. It's a very nice time, a good chance to have a cheap weekend away with kindred spirits. Have a queen room to yourself for $550, and we include vegetarian meals from The Bhakti Tree. Starts Friday 5pm and finishes around midday on Sunday.

We do difficult yoga in the mornings, easy yoga in the evenings, and a couple of workshops during the day. There's loads of free time as well, plenty of chances to disappear. Link in bio or send me a message ☘️🙏

What are we teaching? A modern western yoga teach

What are we teaching?

A modern western yoga teacher (or instructor…) seems to show people how to make their body flexible and strong, while gaining some mastery over their psychology through simple mindfulness and breath control. Excellent.

But this could be done using martial arts, dance, or many disciplines that involve concentration and form. So, what makes it “yoga” - the poses? Is that all?

Surely there must be a bit more to the incredible tradition of yoga that endured for thousands of years and got the Beatles all transcendental. Is it the whisper breath?

There must be something pretty interesting to have the great scientists and writers of the 20th century referring to Indian thought as possessing “subtleties that make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys” (TS Eliot).

So much has already been said about the superficial yoga that has been invented by the West. But what do we do about it? The answer comes from the Indian teachers themselves.

They ask you to teach what you know, and to continue to learn yoga yourself. That you expand yourself by practicing daily and by being taught regularly by teachers who are far more experienced than you. That might mean going to India regularly, or perhaps finding someone in your country that you trust who can help.

No one expects you to be an expert after a basic 200 hour course. You need to practice, study, and apply yourself to the art. You need to be doing this for many years so that new information can rise and so that more entanglements with the materialist mindset can fall away.

I realised a few years ago that what we must do in the West, to atone (at least partially) for the theft and naïve simplification of the richness of yoga, is to make the deeper teachings of yoga available. Let’s go there – it’s been there for thousands of years – and we’re lucky to have access.

This year, starting in March, I am running a 150 hour post-grad Teacher Training course to help yoga enthusiasts and teachers upskill. We will go into fine detail on physical and psychological practices so that you can feel more legitimate in calling yourself a yoga teacher.

Click the link in bio for info.

In Yoga, it is inevitable that an enthusiast becom

In Yoga, it is inevitable that an enthusiast becomes lost; with the quantity of teachings, the great variety of approaches, the sheer timespan, the languages and lineages involved.

A common response to this overwhelm is to shorten Yoga to a speciality, to shrink it into a more rapidly digestible system. It is thus easy to find miniature versions of Yoga - subsets of techniques that are more easily marketed and taught.

Another approach to the unfathomable diversity of Yoga is to create a shorter storybook of ideas using modern lingo. A hundred years ago the ideas of Yoga were spread using Christian-compatible phrasing to fit within the dominant religion. Nowadays with the Eastern embrace that started in the ‘60 and advancements in theoretical physics we have a dazzling array of love and light jargon to use.

But whether short-form Yoga is made specialised or dazzling, the result is reduced effectiveness. When effectiveness wanes, the eventual outcome is abandonment of the practice. An exercise routine can only take you so far, and meditating on a $50 note sitting under a piece of quartz is not a reliable way of gaining wealth.

When embarking on any personal development it pays to consider the work of respected elders and the examples they set. Yoga, as a discipline and bank of knowledge, has a longevity unparalleled. There is staying power evident in these lineages, and even though study of language and concepts unfamiliar to Western schooling is required, it would be counterproductive to ignore.

Just as modern technology is highly effective in creating convenience and value, so too is Yoga effective in assisting people through the perennial issues we face when discovery of a world outside the visible presses upon our life.

See link in bio for the upcoming course - learn how to:
- Reconcile cheesy ideas of manifestation with the known empirical fact that belief influences outcome
- Witness epiphany without having to leave your job or become “that person” at family events
- Relish your ambition and desire without being swallowed up by materialism
- Attain clarity through ascetic practices implemented in a modern context for the benefit of all

It is nice when people who bought my book later ge

It is nice when people who bought my book later get in touch and buy it again as a gift for someone they know. That's quite a compliment! Here's an excerpt that feels relevant in the xmas/NY holiday period:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲

In a way, we are all alone all of the time. The only thing that we can be perfectly absolutely certain really exists is our subjective Self and the perceptions we cognise, which often take the form of objects and people.

We face this strange realisation from time to time (and for many the holiday season is a prime example).

According to the ancient texts, the end goal of yoga is indeed a state known as kaivalya, which means “alone”. It signifies one whole state containing all the pieces and actions of the world. It is pure existence as the peaceful and ever-present Self. It is the way you feel at the top of a mountain.

Usually, loneliness is solved by the validating presence of another. Their warm and generous smile affirms your existence. It gives you assurance that you are worthy of another’s attention, eye contact, and time. The willingness of another to engage and accommodate you warms your heart and you validate them back in kind. A mutual provision of ease.

There is another (universally accessible) way to relate to loneliness - you can give the gift of warm and generous attention directly to yourself. It starts here. After all, if you want the person you see in the mirror to smile, you start at the source. You could ask someone to help, or start poking at the mirror, but ultimately it is you that will take the positive action.

Be benevolent and accept the body and mind that is so familiar. As a bonus, this behaviour will spill out into your world automatically without effort. When you wish for things in the apparent external world to change, attend to those characteristics in yourself. In doing so, you affect the phenomenal world.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰𝘰 - 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘰.

I am happy to be a member of Yoga Australia, an or

I am happy to be a member of Yoga Australia, an organisation that requires a high standard of education, ongoing professional development, first aid training, has a code of conduct, and provides support for members.

In a world where yoga teachers can get their qualifications with no or little checks and measures, or online without rigorous examination... I know that supporting training organisations that help teachers to get adequate education is important for yoga.

@yogaaustralia is the place to go. You can also ring 1300 881 451 and chat to the staff about joining.

If you're an enthusiastic student or a yoga teache

If you're an enthusiastic student or a yoga teacher looking to upgrade your skills, this course will be up your alley!

✺ Let go of imposter syndrome and absorb genuine knowledge
✺ Know how to apply yoga to different sectors of the community
✺ Learn how to work with injuries and different body types
✺ Teach pranayama and meditation
✺ Improve in your self-practice
✺ Know how to live the highest principles of yoga

All of these ccontribute to your capacity to instruct a diverse range of techniques and be personally responsible for excellent outcomes in society.

Link in bio for more info and application form 🙏

Really looking forward to delivering my speech tod

Really looking forward to delivering my speech today. I am available for your next corporate keynote address and/or children's birthday parties.

This is our favourite yoga retreat venue ✨ One m

This is our favourite yoga retreat venue ✨ One more scheduled for the year - November 25-27th. Join us! Link in bio.

This coming Sunday we will have a social event at

This coming Sunday we will have a social event at @ashtangayoganewcastle ! It'll be a good time - from midday at the studio. Feel free to bring a cake or delicious treat - I will sort out the chai.

At 12pm noon we'll have a demo of Mysore style for about 45 minutes. This is the perfect chance to sit up the back and eat cake while since students do their practice, with me teaching them I the traditional fashion.

It will visually demonstrate how this style of class makes perfect sense.

After the demo it'll be friendly chit-chat. Bring the kids if you like!

𝟒 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠

𝟒 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐚 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞

Mysore style Ashtanga yoga is a traditional style that is best suited for beginners and people in middle age (or older) that frequently have a bodily niggle or two to contend with.

In Mysore style there is more one-on-one time between the teacher and student as we determine the most appropriate sequence of poses for you. There is an amazing longevity of practice when it is approached in this fashion, rather than the led-class method that was invented by Americans in the 1980s that you mostly see these days in gyms and commercial yoga studios.

In this course we cover:
- The foundational poses of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which is the source of modern yoga styles
- Correct alignment for your individual body type
- How to combine alignment with healthy breathing
- Meditation and concentration techniques
- A home study handbook

Starting 7th September, we run for weeks on Wednesdays at 5:30pm, duration 60 minutes. Cost is $120 for all 4 sessions, with beginners manual included.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟒 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬!

Booking link in bio.

Spring is here! Well, feels like it is 🌞 We hav

Spring is here! Well, feels like it is 🌞 We have yoga retreats scheduled for Sept and October. Book in to make a new beginning. All levels welcome and catered for.

More info via link in bio ☘️🙏

In 2018 I embarked on a project to research the yo

In 2018 I embarked on a project to research the yogic text known as the Yoga Tārāvalī. You may know that the opening chant used in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga begins with a few lines from this text.

Unlike texts like the Yoga Sutras, Yoga Tārāvalī has for many years been unexamined by students of yogic philosophy, aside from being chanted by Ashtangis.

The 29 slokas are attributed to Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, and it was praised greatly by Krishnamacharya himself. Many translations of these Sanskrit texts are inadequate or out of print. They sometimes come off as too poetic or cerebral, or have no tangible relevance to the practice.

It's crucial that we are able to entwine the texts into our sadhana, rather than leaving as an occasional bedtime read.

I’m very excited to make available a readable and relevant translation is included in my book “The Spirit of the Matter”. This book is a fresh, practical, and inspiring look at authentic yogic practices which encompass and span beyond the physical. It is a must-read for any student or teacher of yoga.

It has been well reviewed by regular yogis and esteemed teachers alike!

If you like the idea of bringing esoteric ideas that pre-date religion into your daily practice, have a look at this book.

Order via link in bio – it’s $35 with free postage world-wide 🙏

It's International Yoga Day! To celebrate, @yogaau

It's International Yoga Day! To celebrate, @yogaaustralia has launched Yoga Week, featuring events held all around the country.

I wrote an article to mark the occasion - about yoga and its famous "union of opposites", as well as the relationship between pride (since it's also pride month) and nationalism (since yoga day is an initiative of the Indian government).

Have a look at the article (link in bio) and then browse the events!

Everybody is doing the best they can.

Everybody is doing the best they can.

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