The birth of an adjustment angel...

As part of my teacher training we spent a lot of time learning adjustments. I didn't think much of this at first, but as time went by I came to love it...

Our timetable at Brahmani worked as a rota; we'd be assistants to teachers in class as well as practice. As assistants, we'd correct postures and give adjustments. At first, I found it a little tricky. Yoga is all about a journey inside yourself; where emphasis is on FEELING or OBSERVING the body, not SEEING it. So LOOKING at other people's postures to SEE how to help them almost went against everything I had been training myself to do. But over time I became sensitive to all the different kinds of body types, where they held their tension and how I could help alleviate it.

I came to feel like an adjustment angel; floating discreetly around a class, placing my hand on people where they needed more strength or growth. I'd say "breathe into my hand" and like magic, their bodies would expand and their alignment corrected.

And then there were the more intense adjustments, to help guide people deeper into postures. At first this made me nervous. In order to give a really good adjustment, you almost have to become that person, working with the ryhthum of their breath to guide and sculpt their body a little further in than they could do themselves. The barrier between their body and my body needed to dissolve and that took a little getting used to. But now, what a gift - to use my body as a tool of support and guidanceto help a person breathe, grow, relax, expand and release.

Like I say, MAGIC.

Here's a few snaps of us Brahmani adjustment angels in training.

They met, and they all SHINED

So here they are - my classmates and friends; each one a little bundle of inspiration. Funny really, when I knew this adventure was about to happen, I didn't think about the beautiful souls I was about to meet. My head was too preoccupied worrying about pointless things like 'shit, what happens if everyone on my course can do Scorpion'. Well let me tell you, no one could do Scorpi0n and neither did I care how flashy anyone's asana was; neither did anyone care about mine. What really came to count was the support and love that each one of my yoginis gave each other. And that was in abundance.

The course got pretty tough and relentless at times. We all got sick. We all had our moments. But what became so beautiful was watching how every person, each so different to one other, overcome their own battles. And how each person shared their inner quarrels, and these were received without judgement and with empathy. I've never really experienced anything like that before. I came to see the ability to share, trust and respect as testamont of strength. That Scorpian was long from my head..

The first class yoga empress Julie Martin taught us was based upon foundation and core. More specifically, grounding yourself to the earth and drawing its energy into your being. It's only when your relationship to the thing that is supporting you is stable and rooted, that you can grow and expand. And that concept can be extended to our day to day lives - we need our jobs, our homes, our families etc - these are our foundation. When we feel these are fixed, we have the confidence to be creative, to experiment, to build. Without doubt, over my 2 month course, my yoginis who had only known for just a second, became my grounding. It's through their constant love, support and lack of judgement (and general all round AMAZINGNESS!) that gave me the energy to grow and expand. Stripped from everyday identities where money, careers etc had no value whatsoever, they became my foundation. And for that, I feel blessed.

I think Emil Wendel, our mediation and philiosophy teacher, got it right when he said: I look forward to meeting all your hearts in the silence. They met, and they all shined.

I dedicate this to you all.

Fx

Fx

And then.. an ANGEL called

It's my birthday today. I'm 27. That's old for some, young for others. I had some birthday blues this morning, thinking about that number. I've just got back from India having completed my yoga teacher training. I'm now back in London, staying in a friend's spare room and finding it pretty tricky to adapt back to Western life, where money seems to be at the core of everything (and I'm a little unemployed). So I've been looking at this number of 27,trying to work out what it means for me.

London, I love it. I really do. But right now everything feels so hard and rigid. Where are the toothy Indian smiles and the cows in the middle of the roads? Where is my moped that I can float about on and where are the coconut stands with an elephant to chat to? And where

are all my yoginis, whose hearts I met every morning as the sun opened the day? I've been in India making my dreams come true. Then I bounced back to London in bliss and motivated, thinking how lucky I am to be so young and so on track. But then London punched me with doom straight in my solar plex chakra and flooded me with doubt. And this morning on my birthday, I sit here thinking: 'I'm 27, I should be an Account Director at at some hot shot ad agency by now'.

And then... an ANGEL called. From Australia she radiated light around the globe straight

into my small spirit and made me shine. She rapped me a little birthday rap and my heart sang with absolute love and adoration. (Isn't it funny how your people know just when to call?!)

I'd spent the morning reiki'ing and yoga'ing but... meh. Nothing quite lifted me like the energy in her voice. Her YES lifted my NO to a good honest MAYBE and the rest, was up to me.

So now I'm about to jet out and have birthday hugs with my other people. And when this birthday is all polished off and put in the cupboard with the other trophies of birthday's past, I'm going to get back on this blog and share all my stories from a trip that outbeat perfect.

And then I'll be thinking: " Damn, check me out. 27 and FLYING!'