Inspiration

If you are new to physical Yoga practice, it can all seem strange and at times esoteric. However, something you saw at some point or something you heard at some time has piqued an interest in you, and now you are here, reading a blog post written by a little known Yogi in Cork City. Good for you!

So, as you're here, let me share with you a question I recently asked myself, "Why am I teaching people these (sometimes strange looking) postures?"

At the time, clichéd as it may sound, I was walking along a beach in the early morning. The beach is called Curracloe Beach. It is a beautiful beach set behind the Raven Wood Nature Reserve, a beautiful forest in the Sunny South East. The weather was pristine. The Sun was rising in the East as the Moon was escaping to the West.

All of a sudden, a seal pup popped up his bald black skull as a mature black-backed gull swooped passed overhead. I was mesmerised, but at the same time taken aback. I have seen my fair share of seals and more than enough sea gulls. So, what exactly was fascinating me about these creatures all of a sudden?

As I grounded my feet into the cool, dry sand, it became clear. The feathered friend flying flawlessly above and the smooth seal swimming swiftly alongside were demonstrating to me ideal movement. They were demonstrating movement which I could only dream of imitating.

There are many reasons for attending a physical Yoga class. And there are many reasons why different teachers teach what they do. My physical practice is about studying the body and learning a more complete way to move. As a result of this study, I hope you see in me what I saw it in that seal and in that gull, a way of moving which looks like it could be worthy of imitation.

So, while I may not enable you to fly like that gull or swim like that seal, I can teach you a way of moving which is equally as captivating. And who knows, in time you may indeed feel as if you are soaring across the highest heights or diving deep into the darkest oceans.

Or maybe you will one day touch your toes again and remember that sensation in the same way you might have done once before as a young child. Or maybe you will feel something new, something as of yet unfelt, a new frontier in human movement! Or maybe, just maybe, you will find within yourself a place of perfect stillness and complete relaxation. And maybe, just maybe, you will see yourself in a way you may not have seen yourself before.

All I can promise as a teacher is that I will show up and share everything I know. And in the process I look forward to watching you learn how you can make the sea gull stop and watch you for a change.