15th June - spiritual home

I visited the Astanga Shala for the first time today. I felt slightly nervous, because I haven’t practiced with others for years and I know that adaptations and short cuts have crept into my practice.

The place where I previously practiced was austere and unwelcoming. If you got something wrong, you would be corrected fairly brusquely, as if you should have known better. The room was white and sparse, and the teacher stayed aloof.

But from the moment I stepped inside this Shala I felt relaxed and welcome. Creaky old wooden floors, the scent of incense, diffuse light through frosted windows, the sound of bodies breathing and moving to their own rhythms.

The teachers were gentle and smiling, and expected me. They showed me around and invited me to choose a place in the ‘practice room’ and to begin when I was ready.

The teachers seemed somehow to know just when I was unsure about something. They appeared next to me and gave simple instructions and guidance.

I made my way through the opening sun salutations and the standing series, repeating a few times to get breathing and movement sequences right. Two floor poses, backbends, and then shavasana in the ‘finishing room’.

When I stepped outside onto the sunny pavement and looked up at the blue sky, I felt elated. This is a good place. These are good people to spend time around. This sense of connection and welcome from strangers is what I’ve really missed over the past year of lockdowns.

I am so excited to develop my practice at this Shala.