Dear Yogis,

MAORI CULTURE.  I learned this morning that 600 years ago the Maori of Chatham Islands off the Coast of New Zealand made a covenant to do away with war and follow the path of peace.  It is the longest peace covenant in the world.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his life so that those who came after him could experience the freedom promised them in the Constitution.    Mohandas Gandhi chose a path that led to death so that others might experience a more meaningful life.     The Moriori of New Zealand’s Rekohu/Chatham Island laid down their lives because they believed in peace and non-violence.

MY BOOK on Yoga Disability to accompany our course is coming along in leaps and bounds.

Today (and next Thursday) I am going to speak to insurance brokers to learn the actuarial implications, and I have been to the NDIS – it will take a few visits – to learn the ins and outs of this scheme and how it will help you.  I have my ID and will have my CertIV.  These are not really required at the moment, but if I wanted to be employed with Windarring for instance they require us all to have these qualifications.  It might seem like overkill (I did in the beginning) but I have revised my ideas and have learned that they can be quite valuable.

• Belonging to a community by  showing up regularly
• The release of endorphins and stimulation of parasympathetic activity through correct breathing, and when able ujaii
• Down regulating the nervous system, in this community I encourage regular “omming” practice..
• Inducing a mindful state and the brain activity associated with that.
• Regulation of the nervous system by releasing physical tension.
• Promotion of the mind body connection – and in this way working towards integration of sensory awareness and increased interoceptive integration

These benefits are not unique to YOGA FOR DISABILITY

Yet there is something different because of the limitation of the students, however the system remains the same. Psychologically it acts as a mirror. Every time you do the same sequence, each time it is different. What has changed? Your mind! Using the same sequence at least a couple of times a week (if not more) changes our client’s habitual ways of thinking and being in the world. In yoga philosophy these are samskaras.

Most yoga disciplines also set you up to fail and be ok with that. There is no chance you can do all the asanas, they are just too hard. It teaches you about effort and then releasing the fruits of that effort – this is a key teaching in India’s most popular yoga text, The Bhagavad Gita. We love talking about how and why yoga works. We spent decades studying the scriptures and during covid lockdowns you joined us consistently to learn more.

We just do it, it works. End of story.   In our classes yoga can be something intimate, empowering.  A yoga practice that guides us, in a very unique way.