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Reviews

Review from YOGA-LIVE the on-line Magazine October 2006

 

There’s a time and a place for everything. As soon as I met Turiya, I remembered that his class in Kingston was the very same one that a friend of mine had warmly recommended me to go to a few years ago but did not for whatever reason. Funny the way life goes sometimes. I also realized that our paths had already crossed in the past on previous occasions and I recognized in Turiya the yogi dressed in saffron clothes who used to come to some of our teacher training classes…

Mandy and I were so worried about being late for the class that we got there embarrassingly early! We made the best of our available time by relaxing on a bench nearby to enjoy the balminess of the perfect September late afternoon. Turiya himself arrived shortly after us. Having been to so many classes where the teacher arrives just on time to do their class (or sometimes late!) it was uplifting to meet one with such a genuine desire to make the experience of yoga truly special for everyone…...

….. Such attention is a great mark of respect.

 

Had we arrived on time for the class, we would have sadly missed the ritual preparation to transform an ordinary room into a sacred space - the hand-painted sign at the door welcoming all to the yoga practice, the runner on the floor, the beautiful deep-red Indian hangings on the wall, the burning of incense, the airing of the room, the sweeping of the floor, the flowers, the pictures, etc.

I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to do a class suitable for all, beginners, intermediates and teachers. One always runs the danger of not giving enough to some and too much to others (though one might argue that one can never be given too little). We are all journeying upon the path of life together. We are all spiritual pilgrims in search of enlightenment even if we do not know it, and we go about it the best way we know to, through our own set of lenses. All of us have different strengths and weaknesses and our own perceptions of things. We all have something to learn from each other - who is to say who the beginners are? -, we all need to see with the fresh eye of the beginner in order to see further. Only a teacher who is attentive and sensitive to the personal needs of his/her students can make a mixed-level class really work. This is why Turiya’s classes have such a broad appeal and are so popular.

The yoga room, though quite spacious, had very few inches left of bare wooden floor. The splendid patchwork formed by our mats looked like a gigantic cloth of peace and devotion.

As we stepped into the yoga room, I became aware of its positive energy - the dark brickwork of its walls, the exposed wooden rafters, the polished floor, the soft Indian music being played in the background, the smell of incense lingering in the air - everything concurred in making us feel welcome and comfortable and safe. Turiya was already sitting on a rug in deep meditation, giving everyone the time and space to quietly unroll their mats and turn their focus inwards. The tone of the class was set. Turiya first invited us to sit cross-legged on the floor, with our eyes closed, and gently, in a soft and slow voice, asked us to follow him as he brought our awareness to different parts of our body, making us notice the emotions and the sensations as they arose and dissolved, the restrictions in our breathing, the symmetry (or lack of) in both sides of our bodies. Turiya’s discreet though ever watchful presence could be felt at all times, even though we kept our eyes fully shut whenever possible, our attention entirely focused on our body/mind happenings, the searchlight of our senses drawn inwards. By scanning our own bodies for pockets of unknown tension, we looked and listened within with our inner eyes and our inner ears. As we moved our awareness from the left to the right side of the body, we became aware of various degrees of unexpected openness and tightness which we tried to adjust, letting go of the unnecessary resistance whenever possible, to bring our bodies back to their natural state equilibrium. We used our breath to shift the stagnant energy and release tension.

Turiya reminded us several times throughout the whole class to pay attention to the cues of our own body, working at the pace and level appropriate for us today, working not against our body but with it, resting in child’s pose whenever the need arose. We were given the opportunity to choose for ourselves how deep to go into each pose, acknowledging the non-competitive nature of yoga.

The whole practice involved a lot of loosening, softening, releasing and opening from the inside, going deeper and deeper within, at times engaging with our natural breath, at times following a certain breathing ratio. By releasing the breath, we were gradually able to release the body.

 

 

Drop-in yoga classes most days of the week for anyone living in Kingston, Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, Hampton, Surrey ~ no need to pre-book

As we explored the delicate balance between effort and release, stillness and movement, stretching and opening each cell of our body and mind, we were reminded that it is from the endless dance of opposites that all creation is born. Turiya slowly guided us through the sequence of postures with intent   focus    on

alignment, and the minimum amount of disruption between each one of them. He demonstrated the postures with quiet simplicity and then diligently set out to make all the necessary corrections to our postures.

Turiya led us through a well-balanced mix of long-held passive poses (yin) with more dynamic flowing ones (yang) to create a strong but sensitive practice. With each repetition of certain movements, I was pleased to notice that I was able to go each time that little bit deeper without (I hope) losing the intrinsic quality of the posture. I enjoyed the harmonious flow of each posture blending into the next one. The apparent simplicity of the movements belied all the deep internal work required to do them properly.

Turiya’s practice is profoundly imbued with spirituality; a deeply devotional attitude emanates from his entire person and yet there is absolutely nothing forceful about it, each of us were left to choose for ourselves whether to tune into his spiritual energy or not; using simple but evocative imagery, Turiya reminded us that we are nothing but specks of dust and that if we were to stand high above the planet Earth, we would realize that there are millions of specks of dust just like us. In yoga, we are reminded of the paradox of our uniqueness and oneness.

The class gradually wound down with us lying on our backs, focusing on our breathing, inhaling for the count of 4, retaining for 8 and exhaling for 12. We stayed with this ratio until it felt quite natural. Then Turiya guided us through yoga nidra, directing our consciousness to all the different parts of the body, taking us to the threshold between sleep and wakefulness, so as to induce deep and complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation. Yoga nidra offers a powerful technique in which we develop the ability to witness and absorb as we open the gateway for our heart to shine forth.

We are all beings of energy; we are all beings of light. Our energy body superimposes our physical body. The gentle tingling we can feel at the tip of our relaxed fingers is a manifestation of our energy body. Turiya invited us to open ourselves to the healing energy of the universe by surrounding ourselves with golden light in order to bring gentle balance in our body, mind and emotions and restore our body to a state of vibrant health.

If you are looking for a well-rounded, nurturing, introspective and mindful yoga practice, a practice that works from the inner to the outer, a practice that opens the body gently but deeply and stretches the mind as well, I warmly encourage you to experience one of Turiya's classes. Even if you are just passing through London, his yoga classes make a perfect end to a busy day and a perfect start to a new day."

 

 

Please note there will be a few cancellations around

Christmas so please check nearer the time, thank you