“Do your practice and all is coming”
Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who said that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory!
Yoga means union, communion; the union of our will to the will of God which enables us to look evenly at life in all its aspects; the method to achieve this – the word yoga is derived from the root yuj meaning to join, to yoke.
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teaches you to move with the breath and use core strengthening. Learn the sequences to practice at home. Explore movement with lightness and ease, strengthen, stretch, tone, breathe, and release stress in a safe, fun, friendly environment.
My background with Ashtanga: I am passionate about sharing yoga with people and believe every posture can be modified to make it available for everyone in whatever way they can manage at all levels and abilities. I have been teaching yoga for over 25 years as directed by my teachers Derek Ireland, Kristina Karitinou-Ireland, David Swenson, and many others. As a dancer and dance teacher, with 20 years of experience in Iyengar Yoga, I knew instantly that I had found my passion and the style I wanted to teach; it felt like a dance, a moving meditation. Coached by Kristina, I eventually taught her classes from 1998. Following this, I became a Senior Yoga Alliance Teacher and Teacher Trainer while teaching Yoga practice throughout Sussex, including Brighton Natural Health Centre and Evolution. I am blessed to attend morning practice with Kristina online.
My teaching style: Whilst teaching I draw on nearly 40 years of experience in Osteopathy to ease aches, pains, and muscle tension for the development of your physical strength and flexibility. I create a safe and friendly environment where people can explore and use their bodies in ways that they can physically manage for the benefit of their health, mobility, and well-being. I believe that yoga works for us, we can embrace it as a learning journey, and it needs to have an element of fun. It is a tool to help guide us and show us the way through all stages and issues in life.
Origins of Ashtanga Yoga: It is an ancient system of Yoga that was taught by Vamana Rishi in the Yoga Korunta. This text was imparted to Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the early 1900s by his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari and was later passed down to Sri Pattabhi Jois during the duration of his studies with Krishnamacharya, beginning in 1927. The practice, as taught by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois his son, Manju Jois, Derek Ireland, Sharmila and his daughter Saraswathi Jois, Sharath Rangaswamy, and all the Senior teachers, encompasses asanas, chanting, pranayama as well as philosophy.
Patthabhi Jois emphasized the main components of Ashtanga practice:
Asana, Pranayama, and Chanting.
Vinyasa means synchronization of breath and movement, with all asanas assigned a certain number of vinyasas.
Tristhana means the three places of attention or action in asana: breathing, bandhas, and gazing points. These three are very important for yoga practice and cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous system, and mind. They are always performed in conjunction with each other.
Breathing is rechaka and puraka, which means inhale and exhale; both should be steady, and even, the length of the inhale should be the same as the exhale. Breathing in this manner purifies the nervous system.
Bandhas, mula, and uddiyana are important components of the breathing system and the core. These are the anal and lower abdominal locks which seal in energy, give lightness, strength, and health to the body, and help to build a strong internal fire. Without bandhas, breathing will not be correct, and the asanas will give no benefit. When mula bandha is perfect, mind control is automatic.
Drishti is the place where you look while in the asana. There are nine Drishtis: the nose, between the eyebrows, navel, thumb, hands, feet, up, right side, and left side. Drishti purifies and stabilizes the functioning of the mind.
Asanas purify, strengthen, and give flexibility to the body.
Ashtanga, as described by the sage Patanjali, is comprised of eight limbs:
Yama: moral codes
Niyama: self-observation
Asana: posture
Pranayama: breathing techniques
Pratyahara: sense withdrawal
Dharana: concentration
Dhyana: meditation
Samadhi: a state of joy and peace.
I run Ashtanga classes on Wednesdays at the Saltdean Lido
Please get in touch with me for details.
With deep love and gratitude to Kristina and for the information at Practice Place where you can see videos of Derek Ireland, as well as on YouTube
I am happy to advise you on your health matters.
Lin Bridgeford
DO KFRP MICAK MICRA FSCCO MCMA MSc
Registered Osteopath & Kinesiologist & Senior Yoga Teacher
Master Hypnosis and NLP Practitioner and Trainer
Aether Bios Clinic, Saltdean
07710 227038
For updates and a peak behind the scenes please follow me on Instagram
