Jackie stumbled into Yoga in 1971 when she transferred out of the local Adult Education Judo class because she was fed up with being thrown around by large perspiring men.
Welcome to Yoga with Jackie
click here for updated classes thanks
What is yoga?
Is it standing on your head or sitting cross legged for many hours contemplating your naval? It can be, but it can also be learning to breathe correctly to help de-stress the body. It can be having a laugh and relaxing. It can be correcting bad postural habits learned through years of emotional problems. As we think, so we are. Years of worry will produce a defensive foetal posture, with the shoulders hunched and forward, chest collapsed and chin jutted forward. The lower back and hips will be tight. A person in this condition cannot feel better until they have straightened out their body and taught it a correct manner of being.
The Yoga taught at the Cavendish Pavilion in Eastcote is based on the approach pioneered by Vanda Scaravelli, an Italian aristocrat, who worked originally with Mr Iyengar, but went on to develop a more subtle approach. Using this method the student will learn to undo the spine. How can we undo something like the spine? With a lot of attention we can use the exhalation to wake up the deep postural muscles connected to the diaphragm. With even more attention we can take this supple spine into the Yoga asanas. The postures then take on a new life. They lose the rigidity often associated with them and the body uses the asana and not the other way round.
YOGA and MEDITATION - There is no such thing as emptying the mind. You have to put something else in. There are many techniques. The Buddhists concentrate on noticing their thoughts. The mind does not like to be watched and eventually the thoughts become less and less, like bubbles in a pan of boiling water once the heat has been turned off. Focussing on the breath and feeling the spine move is another technique. You can even focus on a dishcloth - anything so long as the mind is quiet.
PATHS OF YOGA - There are several paths of Yoga, with the main five being:- Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga. When most people talk of Yoga they mean Hatha Yoga, which is in reality very much a preliminary stage. Hatha Yoga was taught purely to allow the student to sit still in full lotus in order to meditate, which would take the student into the next stage - Raja Yoga - the Yoga of meditation. In the ancient writings the words 'harmony' and 'steadiness' occur many times. These lines are from the Svetsvatara Upanishad. 'And when the body is in silent steadiness, breathe rhythmically through the nostrils with a peaceful ebbing and flowing of breath. The chariot of the mind is drawn by wild horses, and those wild horses have to be tamed.'
YOGA HISTORY - Archaeologists say that Yoga is at least 6,000 years old and was widespread across the Middle East from Egypt to India. Jnana is the Yoga of Knowledge and was thought to have originated with the Vedic culture in Forest Schools, from 1500 to 600BC. Wandering sages who went around naked marked their bodies with orange dust of the Indian soil. They later adopted orange robes, which have remained the traditional attire of Buddhist monks.
Karma Yoga comes from the word Kri which means to do or to act and is defined as work of selfless service without thought of gain or reward. The law of Karma is, 'as you sow so shall you reap and that nothing happens by accident.'
About Jackie
Jackie stumbled into Yoga in 1971 when she transferred out of the local Adult Education Judo class because she was fed up with being thrown around by large perspiring men.
Unsure about what Yoga involved she then became fascinated and gained her British Wheel of Yoga teaching diploma in 1987.
Jackie has explored various schools of Yoga. Having a contrary lumbar spine and temperamental sacroiliac joint, she was particularly interested in the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli, an Italian aristocrat, whose original teacher was B K S Iyengar. Vanda developed a softer, holistic approach to the Yoga postures, focusing on the breath and gravity to release the spine. Like working from the inside out, starting with the structure (bones) and waking up the deep postural muscles to release the spine. It's not, however, a soft option, requires a lot of attention and once the body wakes up, anything is possible. Jackie's main teacher now is John Stirk who introduced her to this approach when they first met at a work shop in the early 1980's. At that time her Yoga had taken her so far, but she had began to develop sacro iliac joint problems and was at a loss as to what to do. John has to her that at the time it was as if she was looking for something but didn't know what. Jackie believes passionately now in this way of approaching Yoga postures because it worked for her, but more importantly, she can see her students benefiting so much from their practice.
The Cavendish Pavilion, Field End Road, Eastcote, HA4 9PG is a wonderful Tutor style building, set well back from the road and backing onto Cavendish Park. It is very quiet and on a summer's evening there is just the sound of bird song and bat on ball from the nearby tennis courts. There are excellent free parking facilities in the car park next door. It is a perfect venue for Yoga.
Currently there are 8 CLASSES during the week at the Cavendish and one class at the Fairway, Ruislip Golf Club, Ickenham Road. These cater for approximately 200 students with tutoring to a high standard. All classes are basic practise and so suitable for beginners, except Wednesday 8pm which Jackie keeps for students with prior knowledge. All you have to do is select a suitable day and time and e-mail Jackie to check for availability. Then download the application form and send it together with your cheque. All courses are paid for in advance and each course follows the school term (students can start at any point within a term provided there are vacancies). There is a drop in option for £10 but Jackie doesn't recommend that for beginners.
ONE TO ONE or small group tuition can be arranged on request. This is particularly useful in helping to remediate back and postural problems. It is sometimes used as a fast track approach to learning yoga or for people whose life style is too busy to fit in a normal class. Just e-mail Jackie for details.
QUALIFICATION DETAILS
British Wheel of Yoga - Teaching Diploma 1986
Independant Yoga Network - Yoga Elder
Bayly School of Reflexology Diploma
Service Categories
Hatha Yoga, Reflexology, Yoga
|
|
 |
