Reports of Recent Events
Yoga and Women with Fiona Ashdown
8th May 2011 - A personal view of this IST day by Mark Robinson
I was pleased to attend the In-service training day given by Fiona Ashdown entitled Yoga and Women. As a man (one of only two men attending), I felt it would give a useful perspective—and I was not disappointed. Whilst the posture work focused upon the hips—for reasons that should be obvious—the modifications and adaptations were useful and instructive for all.
We discussed the lengthening of ligaments and hormones that make that far too easy in women. Whilst loose hips may make for an easy delivery, they can be accompanied by pain and discomfort. As a teacher, I spend time ensuring that my students are prepared for each posture and yet will often demonstrate the posture without similar preparation. Fiona's simple solution is to ask a student to demonstrate whilst allowing the Ego to take a back seat.
Fiona had a couple of Mantras that summarise her approach best:
- 'Function not Form', meaning that the objective of the posture is more important than trying to look like the picture in a book. For me, that means that I can happily spend time working with students on the spine in Downward Dog without having to get their heels to the floor.
- 'Don't step to a place you can't step back from' encourages a balance between flexibility and strength in posture work. Whilst by taking the feet wide apart you may be able to get your head to the floor, in wide angle forward bend you need to ensure you have the strength to take one step back when coming out.
I particularly enjoyed the Pranayama and Mantra that Fiona wove into her sequences and I left the day a little more enlightened.
Mark Robinson
BWY National Congress & AGM - April 2011
Having heard about Congress 2010 I was keen to experience my first Congress and AGM. It didn't disappoint! The campus at Warwick University is quite a size and I had heard mention of the distances involved: bring comfortable walking shoes and an umbrella they said. The weather was, of course, beautiful and the distances between venues actually helped in framing the mind for what was to come.
Check-in had the feel of an airport about it although the welcoming smiles and greetings by Jeanne Rae and her cohort of helpers was certainly nothing like that suffered by the poor air traveller, here it was genuine. I feel a handy tip coming on... when travelling by car, select a car park between the residences and the venues and keep your yoga paraphernalia secure in the boot halving the carrying in a stroke. After registration we went up one flight of stairs to the bar and restaurant. It was lunchtime after all and a good opportunity to enjoy the wide range of vegetarian food on offer, buffet style, and read the contents of the information pack. You would never starve at Congress! Having memorised the map and folded it into the handy holder it was time to enjoy my first class on Energy Medicine with Kay Baxter. It was then I realised that everywhere you went you found Warwick University Students whose sole purpose was to ensure that you got to where you were going with the minimum of fuss.
The class was relaxing and very interesting. Then came the Informal Welcome to Congress (not to be confused with the Welcome to Congress) which was designed for first-timers and gave us a chance to meet new people and bump into old friends. Having met and bumped, off we went to dinner: loads more excellent food and chat. Thankfully, to wear off the calories, we then attended the Welcome to Congress (not to be confused with the Informal.... well you get the point). If you had the energy this was followed by another 90 minutes of yoga.
After a good night's sleep there was a selection of hour-long yoga sessions before breakfast which, in turn, was followed by the Plenary Session with Dr. Ruth Gilmore. This was interesting, informative, entertaining and to the point. After a short break for refreshments and a wander through the many stalls comprising the Market Place, another 90 minute session beckoned (I chose a fascinating lecture on the gastro-intestinal system with the inestimable Dr. Ruth) and all this before lunch!
Having filled up it was time for the AGM (during which our own website was described as "outstanding"). The BWY AGM could not be described as boring! How to follow that? Perhaps another session, dinner and, for the strong of mind and body, more yoga. Before you knew it, Sunday had dawned with the chance of another early morning yoga session. Having feasted on breakfast (is food a theme here?) there was a final session. I chose the Power of Mantra with Simon Heather, a superb choice! All that was left was the Farewell to Congress followed by, you guessed it, lunch.
The variety of sessions was enormous, ranging from the full-on physical to the intensely cerebral and everything in-between. I came away from Congress with a wonderful sense of community and the affirmation that people who do yoga are nice people!
Thanks have to go to Jeanne Rae and her staff for organising the event, the tutors for sharing their experience and the student helpers who made sure we didn’t get lost and that the IT worked as it should. If you’ve never been to Congress, think about it. For me it was enormous fun and it could be the same for you. It was almost as good as our own Southern Region Congress and AGM... you wouldn't want to miss Howard Napper now would you?
Guy Oltmann-Reeve
