News from India December 2023

Being Blessed

With great Joy & Gratitude I wish to announce my teacher & Guru Sharath Jois has awarded me Authorisation Level I to teach Astanga Yoga

Fund Raiser to support my studying & trip to India

Studying in India. Winter 2022

I am applying to study in India this weekend, to help me raise funds each week I will be selling goods for my trip. I will advertise these on Facebook & instagram, and hope you will not only ’love’ the items, but purchase so I can raise funds my yoga studies in India.

Going to source (the home land of Yoga) to see my teachers, Sharath Jois, (the lineage holder for Ashtanga Yoga) & also to study with Lakshmisha Bharat my Sanskrit /Chanting teacher.

Elliott has come with me for the last 2 years, & I hope by god’s grace he will be able to come again. He loves the trips and looks forward to returning again

Studying India gives me the luxury of time and focus on deepening my practice, aiding not only physical asana practice, but chanting, Sanskrit, also personnel development on a mental/emotional level, so I become a better fully rounded yoga teacher.

It gives me an opportunity to practice in the mornings in a Shala consistently day after day (I am lucky to see a teacher face to face once a week in the UK), as having a child & not having childcare , means this is a gift

Today Promotion is Yoga Bags

Back to Life....Back to reality 12th April 2021 -Announcement

Opening face to face yoga classes -outside venue first , indoors May 17th 2021

Massage opening April 12th

Angelic Reiki treaments open April 12th

Please msg me for more info

Normal class times resume

Final Zoom Classes

Monday 15th March-5th April 6-7pm 4 weeks/ 19th April-10th May-then live from 17th May (in line with Government guidelines)

Wednesday Nights 6.15-7.15pm 17th March-7th April 4 weeks/21st April-12th May 4 weeks

then back to face to face

I will be running one zoom class from May and will confirmedly/time once we are nearer the time

Thank you

Lisa

Tier 4 and Classes

Government Guidelines Tier 4

Zoom Classes until further notice 2020-2021

All classes will be held on Zoom and move to face to face when allowed.

Booking has been set up online already with updated prices.

January 2021

This year for the first time in 4 years I have introduced a price increase , and now all zoom course are £10 per class or £12.50 drop in

This matches my face to face course price, so if we move from zoom to face to face, you will still enjoy the same quality of teaching from an experienced teacher.

For all Student who have supported me this year in face to face classes, I will be issuing a voucher via email towards the first new January course per household. This will be emailed first week in January

if you are experiencing any financial difficulties please call and discuss with me.

Thank you and see you on the mat

Lisa x x x

P.S

Gift Vouchers are available online to purchase for classes, clothes, mats , massage, meditation and pranayama classes etc

We Are Open, New Schedule for September 2020 Course now launched

So happy to be opening the doors and resuming some classes in August and looking forward to the autumn

Please see the new schedules and email me if you would like further information.

We are following Covid guideline to ensure your safety

Update on yoga for the next few months

Very excited to announce the new spring/Summer classes while social distancing

Zoom Classes

will begin week commencing May 18th for 6 weeks (22nd June)

( The courses will be £45.00 per household ) or £10 drop in

Schedule as follows

Monday 6.30pm Beginners yoga

Tuesday 7.30pm-8.30pm Men only Yoga

Wednesday 7pm-8pm Ashtanga yoga

The above is paid by bank transfer or paypal please

Outside Classes (to be confirmed)

Friday afternoon 1.30pm -2,30pm outside yoga

(adhoc weather permitting)

Sands/Seale area £10 per person prebook as limited spaces as 2m apart

Saturday Morning outside yoga 11am

(adhoc weather permitting)

Sands/Seael area prebook as limited spaces £10 per person

Please email me if interested in any of these classes, and i can send further details lisa@atma-alchemy.com

One to one outside classes and Zoom classes available

£45 per 60 minutes Zoom or £65.00 outside class (your garden with 2m distance )

Distant Reiki healing available too

MSG for more info x

May and June Yoga annoucments

Update on Yoga Classes in Central Guildford-Wonersh-Farnham

New times-Dates at Great locations.

Small friendly yoga classes for complete beginners for any age, flexibility and fitness.

"Anyone can do yoga"

"Its a state of mind that can influence the body by breath and kindness'

After birth...Me, Baby & Ashtanga Yoga Practice

Or how to cope with being a new mum and continuing your practice of yoga

You have practiced yoga alone at home or in a shala/class for years, and then that wonderful day arrives, and your baby is in your arms.......This is a joyful wonderful experience...yet you have been thinking how do I practice my yoga now.

I am going to try and keep this blog brief...as I have hardly any time to write and I know new mums have any time to read(especially if your baby doesn’t sleep)

For me, having this baby signifies a spiritual experience, a gift, a soul lesson for which every day I look to the new lessons to learn. I have found my physical yoga practice less demanding even if I do full primary as my expectations have changed towards my mat.

So you’re into 7th Series Ashtanga Yoga,  suddenly you have to cope with the organic, messy and unknown thing called unconditional love & a new soul.......and there is lots of exploding nappies, projectile vomit and washing to do.......plus lack of sleep and healing from giving birth (how ever that was for you)...so being kind and gentle with yourself is a must.

Firstly I can only advise what I did, and I followed my instincts.....firstly drop any judgement of yourself and try to focus on what feels right for you...everyone will give you an opinion on how to raise a baby & everyone will approach getting back to yoga differently, find out what's right for you.

Heal.....I had a emergency c section at the age of 46, breast fed and had an infection in the first few weeks of the new arrival Elliott plus Recti Diastasis (tummy muscle split right up to my ribs).....I was exhausted and ill, so I took care of me, baby & partner...and that was enough...

Elliott had a tongue-tie as well, so I was back and forth to hospital, doctors and Breast-feeding clinic, finding lifts from kind souls who could drive me, as I couldn't drive for 6 weeks. (C-section)

By 13 months Elliott was assisting me and we had such a giggle.

I didn't practice physical yoga until 12 weeks, and then it was 1 salutation at a time per week increasing as time went on. I wanted to take it slow, and take the opportunity to restart my practice with my new mamma body, your have muscle memory from the pre mamma body and then you have the hidden potential with this new body...I stayed positive. There is change and some is for the better. -I ignored the baby belly, the wrinkles the stretchmark’s & let yoga take care of me...the physical and non-physical.

By 6 months I was doing standing poses, and Elliott varied in his feeling towards my practice....he wasn’t crawling at this stage, but he was vocal.

I put Elliott first, if he kicked off I would stop and tend to his needs & abort the practice if necessary...once he started crawling..The new game of yoga with a clinging, crying ,giggling baby occurred, I would stop and take care of him when needed, again giving up when necessary as he was my priority. Yoga is now a messy organic crazy place while Elliott is with me...its different but Im still practicing yoga.

I decided to enjoy, relish in every moment, practice being present & watch Elliott...he can be my moving meditation, every action, noise etc. there is so much joy and him being a baby will be fleeting

I starting having private lessons at 7 months every 6 weeks and took Elliott with me (Lauren Munday Ashtanga Yoga London) the only way I could be in a shala.

*I had no one to look after the baby (5.30-6am is a tough babysitting call), couldn't find a yoga studio local who would allow me to bring a 3-6 month old baby to morning Ashtanga yoga. (He was not crawling at the time

Elliott is now walking and it is extremely funny practicing yoga, the joy he has watching and interacting with me during yoga class is a whole new dimension to the practice.

The yoga I did try to practice through out pregnancy & beyond was the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, with great focus on the Yamas.

Non attachment (Aparugraha) to my life before birth and my yoga practice afterwards.

Non Violence (Ahimsa) to myself and those around me allow healing to the body.

Truthfulness (Satya) honesty to myself and how to develop my practice. Not pushing myself and not being lazy, finding the middle ground. some days mother hood is hard, talk to friends, family and other mums for support, don't put on a brave face x

Non Stealing (Asteya) Didn't take time away from my new born to practice, he always came first, so practice was when he slept or when he could cope with mummy on the mat. Baby time is important

Brahmacarya/Grihastha......this is easy...family first.x

So my advise, enjoy your baby, live in the moment, practice the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga the best you can and let yoga happen when you & baby are ready

I now am hoping to start morning Mysore/Ashtanga class for families with young babies (non crawling) so that everyone can come practice Ashtanga Yoga with me in Seale, Farnham 5.30am-7am in the future

i hope in time I can support new mums back to the ashtanga practice and happy for them to bring baby to practice (I am qualified yoga teacher and pregnancy/post pregnancy)

Contact lisa@atma-alchemy.com for info.

Recommended Reading

Ashtanga Yoga Anusthana R Sharath Jois

Yoga Sadhana for Mothers Anna Wise and Sharmila Desai

The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda