It's the little things...

It's funny how little things can make you pause and take stock.

Last week, triyoga's weekly marketing email landed in my inbox. It included a link to my recent post about tackling jump through transitions. 

Just below that was a link to a profile of David Swenson. For those of you who don't know him, David is one of the best loved and most popular teachers out there - he's had a major influence on my own yoga practice and teaching. 

In fact it was David who first inspired me to want to teach myself. 

I very clearly remember the moment when, sat with my wife on a beach in Goa, we decided that we were going to enrol in a teacher training course on our return to London. 

This was during a 2 week retreat with David - so you can certainly say that it was one of the most transformational experiences of my life (retreats do have a way of doing that!). 

Up until that point I'd worked in media agencies for a decade and I'd never felt happy or that I belonged in that environment. In fact at times I felt quite desperate that I had to spend so much time, energy and focus on something that I had no real passion for.

And if you'd told me 10 years ago that I'd be featured in the same email as David, I'd never have believed you. 

So yes, the email was a small thing but it prompted me to reflect on how far I've come in that time - and how lucky I am to now do something that I truly love.

It's so easy to take things for granted sometimes...it's good to have these little reminders to be grateful.

My Top 5 Tips for Cracking Jump Through Transitions

In this video I demonstrate a few variations of the jump through and jump back transitions

I remember my first Ashtanga class vividly....particularly the point at which the teacher, Nick, instructed everyone to 'lift up and jump back'. 

Try as I might I couldn't get my sit bones more than a fraction of an inch off the floor and there was absolutely no way that my legs were going to get through my arms. 

Thankfully Nick was a good teacher, and over the next weeks he explained the mechanics and principles behind this seemingly impossible movement...and with practice it came over time.

In the years since that initial encounter, I've picked up many tips, techniques and practices that can help to develop the strength and control to 'lift up and jump back' or to float from down dog through to a seated position.

Below I've distilled these down to my Top 5 Tips for cracking the jump through code - I hope you'll find them helpful.

1. Strong hands, mobile wrists

When taking jump through and jump back movements we need to ensure we have a really strong foundation in our hands...if it’s weak, then that weakness will carry through the entire kinetic chain, making the movements impossible.

‘Hasta bandha’ or the cambered hand position creates a strong foundation through the hands

So the harder we press down into the floor, the better  - that connection down into the floor then creates the ‘rebound energy’ needed to lift and support the weight of the body with the hands.

(I wrote about settling hand positions for hand balances in my Top 5 Tips for Mastering Hand Balances - the same principles apply)

The other thing that we need to be conscious of is that, because we need to bring the shoulders forward of the hands and wrists (with the arms fully extended), jump back and jump forward transitions require a LOT of wrist extension.

So if you don’t currently have that range of motion in the wrists then you’ll need to spend some time developing it before attempting these transitions. The easiest way to do this is to replicate the jump through hand and shoulder set up but with the weight of the body supported by the floor.

From all fours, with arms extended, shift the weight forward to bring your shoulders forward of your wrists (squeezing the mat with your fingertips)…you can build up over time to increase the range of the movement.

Also make sure that you spend a few minutes mobilising the wrists first (at minimum circling them with bunched fists, and then flexing and extending them with flat palms and fingers extended).

2. Make your arms longer

Cat stretch helps us to develop shoulder blade protraction and spinal flexion

I know…that sounds impossible! But by flexing (or ‘rounding’) our spine and drawing our shoulder blades forward and around the sides of our rib cage - just as we do in cat stretch and bakasana - we’re able to make our arms ‘functionally longer’.

So imagine that your arms start not from your shoulders, but from the centre of your chest - by reaching as far forward as possible you will add a few valuable inches to your reach.

When applied to jump backs and jump throughs these extra inches create the space we need to ‘get all the way through’ - but in order to make use of that space we need to apply our next two principles...

3. Compression + Core

Let’s be honest - even when we’ve made our arms ‘longer’ there’s still not much space to squeeze through.

So we need to make the rest of our body as small as possible by tucking into as tight a ball as we can manage.

Actively ‘compressing’ the thighs and abdomen together and squeezing the heels towards our sitbones will help us to keep the feet lifted. Poses such as Navasana (with bent knees and shins crossed to replicate the ‘jump through’ position) will help us to develop the compression strength we need.

4. Tuck in tight

Bent knee Navasana develops hip flexor and compression strength

We also need to work on our hip mobility - not only is a deep cross legged forward fold required, but we also need enough strength in our hip flexors to keep the legs drawn into the body without the use of hands or gravity.

Squats and cross legged forward folds will help to develop the range of motion we need, and again poses such as bent knee Navasana will develop hip flexor strength.

There are also more specific applied practices and drills for the jump back / through. I explore all of these in my ‘cracking the jump through code’ workshops (check here for the next date).

5. Send your hips high

Often I see people trying to take the jump through with a very flat trajectory - which means that their feet hit the mat way before they’ve reached their hands.

Instead, rather than jumping forward, jump up and ‘swing’ through. David Swenson uses the analogy of a skateboard ramp - we need to get to the top of the ramp in order to generate the momentum and trajectory required.

Sukhasana (cross legged forward fold) helps to develop hip mobility

And rather than thinking about your seated position as the end point in the movement (the ‘bottom of the skate ramp’), think about making it back up to the top edge, on the opposite side.

Keep Practising...

So there you have my Top 5 Tips to cracking the jump through code…

We also need to exercise patience (a LOT of patience) and be prepared to spend time working on foundational postures that help us to build towards these challenging movements.

This will help us to approach our exploration with confidence - progressively building strength and technique over time.

So do spend time mobilising the wrists, spend time in cat stretch, plank and bakasana to build strength and stability in the shoulders and work on your hip mobility too.

You can also check out my jump through workshops - in these we look at various approaches to each transition, progressing from basic options to more challenging variations.

You'll leave the workshop with an understanding of the techniques behind these movements and with some simple practices that you'll be able to take back to your mat and work with over time...if you stick with them I guarantee you'll be floating before you know it!

And if you have any other questions about these transitions, or would like to work on them in person - please do get in touch.

The jump through - hips high, arms long...and through we come

Man Up...

Man up...

I can’t tell you how much I hate phrases like this...or maybe I can.

I hate them because they entrench the notion that to be a ‘real man’ you have to conform to a certain set of behaviours ( what the hell does ‘real man’ even mean...?).

That you need to be a tough guy, emotionally retentive, ‘strong’. That to display feelings, emotions or affection (even to those closest to you) is a sign of weakness. That being a ‘real man’ is worth more than the alternatives.

Meaning that every challenge is met with anger and aggression...because that’s all we’ve got to work with.

There was a time when, driven by insecurity and low self esteem I tried to walk that walk...tried to fit in by presenting an image of myself that was something other than who I really am.

I knew that I didn’t measure up to the model of a ‘man’s man’ (another stupid phrase)...I was continually reminded of that fact by the culture around me and it made me feel like I was worth less as a result.

But playing at that role felt completely unnatural and to be frank, ridiculous. The cap didn’t fit and I was deeply unhappy until I began to feel more at ease with who I actually am.

Of course the flip side to this behaviour is equally sinister...misogyny, a need to assert dominance over others, violence.

It’s the reason that rape culture exists, why there’s a mental health epidemic amongst young men (and, partly as a consequence, amongst women too) and also why so many young men are losing their lives at a heartbreakingly early age (either to suicide or at the hands of other young men).

I have the privilege of being a dad to an amazing daughter. We’re bringing her up to be strong and independent and to know that she never has to feel less than anyone, ever.

If I ever have the equal privilege of being a dad to a son I hope I can raise him up to know that sensitivity and emotions are nothing to be ashamed of - to show him that it’s not necessary to take on all of that macho bullshit.

I just really hope that the next generation are less weighed down by all of this stuff and that they can live their lives with the freedom and comfort to move beyond this poisonous conditioning.

Ok I’m done...for now ✌️

Don't Trust Your Yoga Teacher

What is yoga to you?

For me, yoga is first a foremost a practice of exploration and discovery - a practice that is unique and individual to each one of us.

Unlike religion, in which we’re told what to think, how to behave and what to do, yoga is a practice that encourages us to find our own truths, a practice free from dogma (at least in theory - I’ll leave that discussion for another day :)).

There are many many different yoga techniques, practices, styles and traditions. Too many to list here.

But each of them share fundamentally the same goal - that of connecting to the true essence of our Self. To expand our awareness beyond the narrow confines of how we see ourselves, and expand our concept of ego or ‘I am’ to its fullest potential.

So when your yoga teacher tells you to feel something in a particular posture or practice (whoops…I’ve definitely done this!) don’t listen to them. Trust YOUR intuition and YOUR experience of the practice instead…

This habit of telling people what to feel and how to act robs them of the opportunity to explore the richness of the practice for themselves.

And it can potentially lead to darker consequences too - such as those we’ve seen come to light from pretty much every one of the major modern schools of yoga over the last few years.

That’s not to say that teachers aren’t of value. Of course they are - they help to point us in the right direction and facilitate our exploration of the practice. But they can’t walk the path for us.

I attended a talk last year with Christopher Hareesh Wallis, a very well respected Tantric scholar and practitioner (proper Tantra, not the weird new-agey Sting take on it). Hareesh talked about the ‘epistemological triangle’ - which sounds like something you’d probably rather avoid.

This exotic sounding triangle tells us that there are three primary sources for our exploration of yoga practice: the yoga texts, the words of the teacher (or guru) and OUR direct experience of the practice.

Without the third, crucial, component of this triangle we really can’t trust that what we’re told or what we read is true or has any value.

If you’re told to feel something and it’s not there, it’s not because you got it wrong, it’s simply because your experience of the practice is different….but that experience is exactly as it should be, in fact the only way it can be.

So read the texts, listen to the words of your teacher, but above all trust your own experience of the practice…be your own guru.

There's No Point Being Good At Yoga

A comment that my meditation teacher Martin Aylward once made has always stuck with me.

He said there’s no point in being good at meditation - it has no value, it’s useless. Who wants to be ‘good at meditation’?

He went on to explain that what is valuable is the effect that meditation has on your life while you’re not meditating...

That if you look back on the trajectory of your life since you began your meditation practice, then the value is usually obvious and apparent...even if you feel that your mind is a jumbled mess when you sit on your meditation cushion.

I feel similarly about yoga...that there’s no point in being ‘good at yoga’ - or that it’s even possible to be so (at least in a way that can be externally validated).

One of the world’s most celebrated free climbers, Dean Potter (now sadly deceased), once said ‘I don’t climb to sit on top of rocks’.

In the same way, we don’t practice yoga to make shapes with our body...but to cultivate the state of stillness and presence that the time spent making shapes allows. 

Ok, you might become more proficient at making these shapes over time - and you might even choose to make other somewhat more challenging shapes.

But to a large extent what we do matters much less than our intention for what we do and how we approach it.

Because its not in the execution of postures that the value of the practice lies.

The value lies in the time spent connecting with our bodies and breath and simply noticing how our experience of the practice unfolds.

Becoming more aware of our patterns of thought and behaviour and in so doing, loosening the control they have over us. 

These are benefits that will last long beyond any physical effects of the practice have passed. 

And they are benefits that we can continue to develop away from the time we spend on the mat...once we start to groove those channels of awareness then our ‘mindfulness muscles’ continue to grow across the course of our everyday lives.

This is why the notion of ‘advanced practice’ has nothing to do with our technical ability to take poses, but with our ability to stay present, to act skilfully and to extend compassion to ourselves and others.

I’ll leave you with one more quote. During a workshop one of my favourite teachers, David Swenson, said (in his inimitable style):

‘If you stick your leg behind your head but are mean to the first person you meet after practice you’re not a yogi, you’re just a stretchy a***hole.’ :)

It was very funny but he was making a serious point.

So which are you?

The Day I Danced

One of my earliest memories is of a children's Christmas party that I went to when I was about 5 years old.

At a certain point it was announced that there would be a dancing competition. The prize was a big shiny remote controlled car with all sorts of flashing lights.

I wanted that car. I decided I would give everything I had to win it.

And so...I DANCED MY ASS OFF (to 'Uptown Girl' by Billy Joel - ha ha). 

As my dancing reached a frenzied level I remember the looks on the faces of the adults present. Amusement, bewilderment and (I like to think) a sense of awe rolled in to one. 

I felt a twinge of self consciousness but then renewed my commitment to winning that car. The dance went on.

And then a funny thing happened. The desire to win the car was eclipsed by the simple joy of moving my body. It was the first time I recall feeling a sense of 'flow state'. That sense of being completely absorbed in and focussed on what you're doing, a sense of feeling completely embodied. 

Sadly my talent for dancing wasn't nurtured further until the 'clubbing years' of my teens and 20s (when I was usually in a flow state of a different sort). But I think back to this event (I won the car by the way :P) as an early indication of the love for movement that is a defining part of who I am today.

Since that day I've explored lots of approaches to movement and many different forms of sport and exercise and I loved (pretty much) all of them (apart from running...I just don't get it). There is something primal in the joy of simply moving, of fully inhabiting the body.

But when I found yoga I discovered a new dimension to movement - that it was also possible to cultivate a deeper sense of presence by moving with awareness and intention. 

Yoga (and other mindful movement practices) provide us with the opportunity to develop an intimate connection to our bodies and breath. An opportunity to actively cultivate and access that state of flow by developing a deep connection to our experience as it unfolds in each moment.

These are benefits of the practice that can be carried out into our everyday lives, beyond the limited amount of time that we're making shapes on our mats. 

This is why I'm so grateful that I've been given the opportunity to facilitate other people's exploration of the practice. Not only for the joy of movement that it brings but also because it helps us to live with more awareness and freedom. 

So I look forward to seeing you in class soon where we can continue this exploration of the practice together.

Be Where You're At

Last week a student who I'd not met before, and who was new to yoga, turned up to one of my classes. He arrived a little early and as we got chatting he told me about his history of movement and exercise. 

He was an ex rugby player and a keen cyclist and felt that he had a lot of stiffness in his hips and legs.

This may or may not have been true but as he was telling me this he was sat in a pose called Baddha Konasana (in which the soles of the feet are together with the heels drawn in towards the pelvis) - and his knees were almost resting on the floor.

So it definitely didn't look like there was a lot of stiffness in his hips from where I was sitting...at least not in that pose (it's interesting how our perception sometimes bears little resemblance to reality...maybe a post for another day!)

I've practised a lot of yoga and my knees do not reach the floor in Baddha Konasana - if I really activate the muscles around my hips then they get pretty close but without external force or leverage they definitely won't reach all the way (and I don't believe in using external leverage to 'deepen' a posture - again that's a post for another day).

And here's the thing - it really really doesn't matter. I wrote recently about gently probing the boundaries of our comfort zone and there's so much value in this.

But at the same time there's great freedom in approaching our exploration of postures without attachment to end goals or results...using our practice as a means to connect to our bodies and breath. As a means to cultivate presence rather than worrying about achieving a certain aesthetic. 

How 'deeply' we can enter a posture is affected by many variables - our history of movement, exercise and injury and the bony structures and dimensions of our bodies. And whilst pushing and forcing may achieve short term results it's not sustainable in the longer term - there will be repercussions somewhere down the line. 

What might be easy, natural even, for some people, will never be achievable by others. This is why the notion of an 'advanced practice' has nothing to do with how 'well' we execute postures. 

A 'deeper' back bend or forward fold won't necessarily yield a deeper internal experience of the posture - and this after all is where the essence of the practice lies. In the nature of our experience over the form of the postures we take. 

So when you move through your practice, rather than worrying about where you want to 'get to' in a posture see if you can simply drop your awareness deep into the body, really taking time to connect to the range of sensations that can be felt in each pose and noting how the movement of breath is affected by the position of the body and it's relationship to the earth. 

See if you can simply practice being where you're at.

Teaching Yoga Made Me Sick

Do you ever find yourself so focused on reaching a goal or objective that somewhere along the line you lose sight of  why it was important in the first place?

I realised recently that I’d fallen into that very trap. I’d been diligently building my teaching schedule over the years but when I took time out to pause and reflect, I realised that some of the ways in which I was teaching yoga weren’t fully aligned with how I want to share the practice.

I’ve never been good at feigning passion for things - hence my career in advertising was never destined for greatness - and I became a yoga teacher partly so that I’d no longer have to make compromises.

This is why I’m grateful every day that I get to spend my life sharing practices that I love and truly believe in.

But in my desire to be a ‘successful’ teacher and build a sustainable income doing what I love (not always easy) I lost sight of what was important. I compromised.

I took on a number of classes teaching an approach to yoga that I wasn’t truly passionate about and this became increasingly draining on my energy levels.

In fact I ended up getting quite sick which, ironically, was what gave me the opportunity to pause and reflect. The wisdom of my body was telling me something that deep down I knew all along.

And so…I made the decision to let these classes go.

It can be difficult and scary to let go of things - even when they’re not serving you. It’s unsettling to move from the familiar to the unknown...

But if we bring it back to the core principles of our yoga practice, it’s only when we recognise and remove blockages that we can find a sense of freedom and flow. 

So whilst it’s a bit unsettling, it also feels very liberating to be refocusing my schedule as it gives me time to focus on a number of exciting projects for the future.

And whatever happens I won’t make the same mistake of compromising on my approach to teaching again.

It feels good to be back on track.

Men Do Yoga Interview with 'So We Flow...'

A few months back whilst perusing the shop at one of the studios I teach at I noticed some clothes that stood out amongst the mass of polyester because they were actually made from cotton.

I’d never heard of 'So We Flow...' before but their clothes looked and felt great so (unusually for me) I snapped some bits up there and then.

Fast forward a few months...I got chatting to a student after class and it turned out he was the owner of the company.

He's a great guy and I love the ethos that he brings to what he does - to make good looking clothes that are made from sustainably sourced natural and recycled materials...clothes that are designed to move in.

More than that he shares my passion for yoga and movement - his goal (like mine) is to encourage as many people as possible to dive into the practice and get moving.

So I was more than happy to accept when he asked me if I’d like to do a ‘men do yoga’ interview with them. You can read it here - I hope you enjoy getting a little more insight into my background and approach to yoga practice (and life!). 

And if you’d like to buy anything from their online store just use the code MATTFLOW10 and you'll benefit from a 10% discount. 

Enjoy!

Do What's Uncomfortable

Is there anything holding you back from living life the way you want to? For me it's always been a lack of self confidence. 

As a kid I was cripplingly shy. At family gatherings I would cling, koala-like, to my mum, too scared to speak to my cousins, uncles and aunts.

This lack of confidence followed me through life and has often been an impediment to doing the things I want to do. 

So it might have seemed a strange choice for me to become a yoga teacher - to regularly put myself in the somewhat vulnerable position of standing up in front of other people and teaching.

But the thing is, I loved yoga, and I was determined that my lack of confidence wouldn't stop me from reaching my goal of being a teacher...it had already blocked me in too many other ways in the past.

And although it was extremely challenging at times, I accomplished my goal. 

I couldn't have done this without the foundations of my yoga and mindfulness practice - and the support of good teachers. The ways in which I've gently probed the boundaries of my comfort zone and challenged myself (just as we 'explore the edge' in our yoga postures) have helped me to cultivate the self confidence and belief that were so lacking in my younger years (of course there are still wobbles).

If we never step out of our comfort zone then there's no opportunity for growth or learning...and over time that comfort zone actually starts to shrink. Our world gets smaller.  

So right now I'm continuing to challenge myself - I'm planning to develop online content but I hate being in front of a camera. Solution? I'm recording a series of 60 second talking videos - you can see them here (cringe). 

It's been challenging...really challenging...I don't enjoy watching myself on camera at all. But I have to say it's also been a lot of fun and very liberating...and I believe it's going to help me take my teaching forward in the way I want. 

So my question to you is this - is there any way in which you're safely able to explore, challenge and expand the boundaries of your comfort zone? Are you prepared to do what's uncomfortable in order to nurture growth?

The Evolution of Practice

What brings you to practice? What are your motivations and intentions?

When I was younger I played squash to a fairly decent, competitive level...so much of my motivation for moving and exercising was for competition. And up to my mid 20s aesthetics were also a big motivation for me - simply put, I wanted to look better. 

When I found yoga, the motivation moved away from aesthetics...I loved exploring the movement and flow of the practice. But without realising it, I'd come to play out a lot of my existing patterns and behaviours through my practice (in yoga these are often referred to as samskaras...all that really means is a conditioned way of doing / seeing / thinking about things). 

I'd push myself hard and really test the limits of what my body was capable of...striving to 'get the next pose' which was a big motivation in the system of yoga I was practising. It took me a long time to realise what was going on...that I was striving and pushing so hard because I didn't feel good enough as I was. 

In the last few years the focus for my practice has shifted to a more functional approach - trying to get my body to work as well as possible. I still include a lot of challenging, strength building elements in my practice because I believe in the benefits of cultivating strength, proprioception and mobility...but my contortionist days are over. I'm also increasingly exploring other movement disciplines because, well, I love movement and I think it's healthy to mix things up. 

But is it 'yoga'? For me the answer is a resounding yes - these days I believe that the form of the practice is much less important the its function. After all it doesn't really matter 'what' we do but how we're use our practice to cultivate greater awareness, presence and compassion. 

You Never Forget Your First Time...

Do you remember your first yoga class? I remember mine vividly...it was with a bona fide Indian Swami in Goa and it was quite a trial by fire. 

Just getting to the class was pretty traumatic - my girlfriend and I were accosted by a feral dog intent on savaging us as a procession of tuk tuk drivers played a fun game amongst themselves…‘let’s see how close we can drive to the tourists without actually killing them’. 

The class itself was a completely mind blowing experience for someone who had no idea what yoga was about. We began with chanting (I remember thinking ‘I wonder what my friends would think if they could see me now?’) and then into some strong breath kriyas (cleansing practices). I think it was at this point that I got the giggles but that soon stopped when we moved into the postures. 

What followed was one of the most intense and uncomfortable experiences of my life. At the time I was so inflexible I could barely reach my shins, so even the most basic poses were a serious ask for me and the teacher didn't seem inclined to modify the practice to accommodate the fact I was as supple as a plank.

But somehow I managed to make it to the end of the class, and as I lay back for savasana I clearly remember the most incredible sensation pulsating throughout my body - a sense of feeling fully alive and completely energised. I was hooked.  

When I woke the next morning I could barely walk - my body ached from top to toe. But once the pain had eased a little, off we set again (armed with a bottle of water to squirt at the scary dog) and that was the beginning of the journey that’s brought me to where I am today…there’s been a lot of yoga since, but if I’m honest none as memorable as that very first class. 

How was your first experience of yoga? Let me know in the comments below...

The day my back 'exploded'

Have you had a moment that felt like a real turning point in your practice? 

For years I would take leg behind the leg poses as part of my daily practice . They formed an integral part of the system of yoga I was practising and I also had this weird notion that I needed to become proficient at these postures in order to become an 'advanced' yogi. It sounds ridiculous reading it here in black and white but I was caught in the trap of feeling not good enough in my practice and constantly pushing myself harder. If I'd been honest with myself and really listened to the intuition of my body, I'd have accepted that these postures were causing me harm - my hamstrings felt constantly tweaky and I was suffering from low level chronic back pain. One day the inevitable happened - as I took my right leg behind my head, I felt my lower back 'explode' in searing pain. So obsessed was I with these poses that as I lay on my back in agony and panic a thought floated through my mind "maybe I should try the other side"... (WTF??!).

I often think back on this event as a turning point in my relationship to yoga. A move away from formalised 'systems' of yoga to a more intuitive and explorative approach to my practice, one in which I work within controlled ranges of motion rather than 'pulling' my body into positions it wasn't designed to take. Of course it shouldn't have required a serious injury to really come into relationship with my body and treat it with kindness and patience, but I got there in the end. 

Yoga is a wonderful practice that can help us to find greater ease and fluidity in our bodies and in our lives - but if we're simply using it to reinforce existing patterns of behaviour or to meet certain arbitrary standards of physical prowess (imposed on us by our own expectations or those of our teachers) then we're missing out on the real transformative potential of the practice.

There's much more to unpick here about how we can sensitively explore our boundaries in practice. I’ll save that for a follow up post, but in the meantime let me know if you've ever had a similar turning point in your own practice...

So what actually happens on yoga retreat (with me)?

““It isn’t at all untrue to say that being on retreat with Matt was genuinely a life changing experience for me. Being able to come away and connect with Matt’s yoga and meditation teaching, with nature, with delicious food and with a really genuine group of humans, was hugely meaningful. Tilton House is an incredible setting; warmth radiates equally from the log fires, the kitchen, and the host; and practicing in a yurt listening to the rain outside is really quite magical - you chose a great spot!””

— Retreat Participant, November 2018

Joining a yoga retreat is a wonderful opportunity to deepen your exploration of the practice...no matter what your previous level of experience

Are you curious about joining your first yoga retreat but not sure what to expect? In which case, read on...

Joining a yoga retreat can be a truly precious gift to yourself - an opportunity to immerse yourself in a sustained period of practice and a way to deepen your understanding of yoga, no matter what your previous level of experience has been. 

But if you're newer to yoga and you've not been on retreat before then I'm conscious that it can perhaps seem a little daunting to take that first step. I well remember feeling the exact same way...

Will you be surrounded by elite level 'gymnast-yogis' with the teacher exhorting them to wrap themselves into ever more exotic contortions? Do you have to be able to do a handstand? Will you be hit with a stick if you inadvertently slouch during meditation?

The answer to all of these questions is a definitive no...at least not on my retreats!

My intention for running retreats is to leave all participants feeling more centred and grounded at the end of our time together...more connected to their practice, more connected to their bodies and breath. And perhaps more connected to a sense of inner stillness.

We will of course deep-dive into the postural aspects of the practice, but with the greater time afforded to us we'll also have time to explore pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation and other elements of practice.

There will be time for open discussion about different aspects of the practice (philosophy, anatomy etc.) and time too for relaxation...to read, write, sleep or explore the surrounding countryside as you see fit - an increasing rarity in this day and age. 

Another wonderful aspect of retreats is the opportunity to spend time in a transformative space with like minded yogis and to forge new friendships. Many people who I consider to be amongst my very best friends are people who I first met on a yoga retreat.

And at the risk of over-promising, it's amazing how taking time out to pause and find stillness often opens up the space for us to connect to our sense of creativity, vision and purpose. 

In fact it was whilst on retreat with one of my own teachers that I decided I wanted to spend my life teaching yoga and meditation to others...who knows what might open up for you?

“Matt’s yoga retreat gave me the physical, mental and emotional space to practice yoga and explore meditation with ease and confidence.

A safe, warm and encouraging environment filled with friendly people”

— Retreat Participant, July 2019

Working with our Inner Critic

This post was originally posted on my Instagram feed on World Mental Health Day. 

The demon Mara who tried to tempt the Buddha on the eve of his enlightenment

Mental health issues are something that most of us will struggle with to some degree in our lives and it's really positive that these issues are beginning to be spoken of more openly and honestly. 

For me a trigger can often be the mutterings of my inner critic - that voice telling me I'm not good enough, not this enough, not that enough...blah blah blah!

The above image is of the powerful demon Mara who tried to tempt and frighten the Buddha on the eve of his enlightenment in order to prevent him from attaining liberation. Mara can be considered to be a representation of this inner critic, this sense of self-doubt or lack - something that can attack at any time leaving us feeling depleted and dejected. 

Of course Mara failed - the Buddha saw Mara's efforts for what they were and made a physical gesture, touching the earth to steady himself, at which point Mara disappeared and the Buddha attained enlightenment. 

The guidance of one of my teachers, Martin Aylward, has been immensely valuable in helping me to work with these patterns of the mind. Helping me to see critical thoughts for what they are and thus loosening their power to limit or crush. And in the same way that the Buddha touched the earth, making a physical gesture when these thought patterns arise can sometimes help to stop them in their tracks. 

It's something I need to be constantly vigilant about...Mara is a sneaky ****er and occasionally it feels like he's got the upper hand. But finding respite from the power of the inner critic helps to open up a sense of ease and spaciousness with what is, a knowing that we are indeed enough just as we are. In Martin's words "When judgement ceases, there is unconditional space to be. Space for the love and ease, spaciousness and responsiveness that are the natural resting places of the liberated heart."

My Top 5 Tips For Mastering Hand Balances

Bakasana - crane pose

Hand balances are hands down (sorry!) my favourite type of pose - for me they bring a wonderfully fun and playful quality to our yoga practice. 

They also invite us to undertake a curious exploration of our perceived boundaries, patterns and possibilities - fear, striving, exhilaration and frustration are all likely to arise at different points in the exploration…and all can be held with friendly awareness. 

In fact they're a significant reason as to why I fell in love with yoga practice in the first place - I loved the challenge that they presented, even though I was rarely able to hold the poses for long (if at all). 

Over the years of practicing yoga I have increasingly come to appreciate that hand balances are not simply (or even primarily) a question of strength. Of course a degree of strength is involved  - but the practice of balancing on our hands is really more a question of refined technique. 

So...to help you take your hand balance practice to the next level, I have outlined below 5 key principles for safely exploring these wonderful poses. 

1. Use your hands as feet

This might sound obvious…but it's critical that we build the foundations through our hands correctly (just as we set up the feet properly in standing poses) by activating 'hasta bandha' (hand lock or seal - also know as the ‘cambered hand’ position).

Hasta bandha - or the cambered hand position - creates a strong foundation for hand balances

To do this spread your fingers wide with your index fingers pointing VERY SLIGHTLY away from centre and focus on actively rooting the hands down into the mat.

Most importantly ensure that there’s a strong connection into the earth through the undersides of the knuckles - and that the weight isn’t sinking into the heels of the hands and wrists.

Once the hands are set, squeeze the floor with your fingertips to create a subtle 'cupping' action of the centre of the palm.

Setting the hands up in this way helps to provide a much greater sense of stability and foundation in hand balances - it also helps to avoid injuries that can be caused by weight collapsing into your wrists.

2. Stabilise the shoulders

Our shoulders are built primarily for mobility rather than for stability - in fact they are the most mobile joints in our bodies.  

So in order to safely engage our shoulders during hand balance practice we have create as much stability as we can through these joints.

We do this by ensuring that the head of the upper arm bone (the humerus) is properly 'plugged into' the shoulder socket by rolling your inner bicep forward and the outer arm back (external rotation)…so that the 'eye' of your elbow is in line with your thumb. 

Additionally, broaden and flatten your shoulder blades across the back and draw them forward so that they don't wing upwards and away from the body - this can strain the muscles of the rotator cuff surrounding the shoulder joint (causing further instability). 

3. Hug your elbows to your centre line

When you bend your elbows, hug them in towards your mid line so that your forearms are parallel to one another rather than bending your elbows out sideways either side of the body. 

Again this helps to stabilise your shoulders and it also creates a strong skeletal structure upon which we can 'stack' the rest of body in some hand balance poses - reducing the amount of muscular effort we need to invest.

4. Use your whole body

You will never knowingly underwork in a hand balance - so if you’re struggling then pushing harder is rarely the answer. 

Instead you have to understand the relationship between each part of the body and how these work together in combination to take a particular posture.  

Plank pose

Think about a simple plank pose (a foundational pose for all hand balances) - in order to hold your plank you need to activate muscles throughout the entire chain of the body to avoid collapsing towards the floor. 

We can apply similar principles to more challenging arm balances. 

For example in Bakasana (pictured at the top of this post) we need to activate our hip flexors to draw the knees in towards the body and the adductors to hug the knees against the upper outer arms. 

Without understanding how to access and activate these muscles, the pose is simply not possible. 

5. Don’t cheat the process 

I know how tempting it is to want to ‘get the pose’ - I often fall into that trap myself. 

But when approaching hand balance poses we really need exercise patience and be prepared to spend time working on foundational movements that help us to build towards the particular posture that we’re looking to take.

This will help us to approach our exploration safely - building strength and technique without the risk of injury. 

Cat pose

Again, thinking of Bakasana…you can see from the above picture that the position of my spine is not too dissimilar from a basic cat stretch.

So spend lots of time in cat pose actively pressing down through the hands to slightly round the spine and feel a sense of the front body ‘lifting’ towards the back body. 

And then when it comes to actually practising Bakasana, be prepared to start with the elbows bent and with the tips of the toes still resting on the floor.

From there, and over time, you can explore raising one foot at a time (maybe with the forehead resting against a wall for more support) to build the strength required to eventually take the second foot up as well.

But do make sure that you’ve really mastered each stage on the journey before progressing to the next. 

Ok, so that’s it…my Top 5 hand balance tips. I hope you’ll find them useful. 

As I mentioned at the start of this post I love hand balances for the playful quality they can bring to our yoga practice. 

Embrace this playfulness and use the above tips to safely approach your exploration of these wonderful poses - it might take a little while to get the hang of some of them but with persistence, they'll come.

And if you have any further questions or would like to work with these poses on a one to one basis then please do get in touch.

The Benefits of Yoga for Feet

Our poor feet!

Squeezed into tight, uncomfortable, smelly shoes when all they want is to be free. Forced to totter around on high heels when what they really crave is to feel the earth between their dainty little toes.

The human foot is an incredibly complex structure containing 28 bones, 33 muscles, 31 joints, and over 100 ligaments – in fact the feet contain a quarter of all bones in the body.

As a result of this complexity, our feet are incredibly adaptable, with the ability to move in a variety of different ways. They have developed in this way to provide us with stability and balance as we move across uneven terrain - useful when running away from dangerous beasties or hunting prey back in our cave dwelling days.

However, in contemporary life, when we're usually walking on evenly paved surfaces and cramming our feet into the latest in fashion footwear, the adaptability of the foot is seemingly no longer required – in fact you could say that it's somewhat over-engineered. Unfortunately, this leads to a situation where the deep musculature of the foot, which supports the 4 arches of the foot that provide our architectural strength, is not fully utilised and so becomes redundant and weakens.

This in turn creates a variety of problems such as flat feet (fallen arches), weak ankles, bunions, hammer toes and claw toes - all of which reduce the strength of our body’s foundation and lead to further misalignment in the legs, hips, spine and head. So ignore those pinkies at your peril!

Practicing yoga postures awakens the four layers of musculature in the soles of our feet and reintroduces movement into the foot, restoring the natural aliveness, strength and adaptability of the feet. Furthermore, it can help to correct a variety of conditions caused by wearing inappropriate and constrictive footwear – such as shortening of the Achilles tendon from wearing high heels (forward bends will stretch the Achilles tendon and the calf muscles attaching to it).

Spacing the toes in yoga asana practice also helps to counter the effect of wearing shoes that are too tight (a common cause of bunions), allowing more blood to flow in and out of the feet and releasing the musculature. Ahhh...happy feet.

So do your feet a favour - let them out of their straight jacket, get on the mat and get them wriggling free again. They'll be ever so grateful - and in the long run so will you.

Myths and Misconceptions: 5 Things Every Beginner Yoga Student Should Know

1.       Don’t get hung up on how inflexible you are. 

There are no prizes for people who can wrap their legs around their head twice (not recommended :)) after all, yoga is more about how you feel inside rather than how you look on the outside.  If you work mindfully within your present limitations you will enjoy all benefits that yoga has to offer.

2.       Yoga isn’t just for the ladies. 

In fact, historically yoga was exclusively taught and practised by men. Indeed, the roots of some of the very dynamic forms of yoga we enjoy today were first introduced to adolescent boys to harness their testosterone energy and give it a positive outlet.  Nowadays, men are feeling the benefits of yoga in all areas of their life from their work life to the sports field.

3.       There is more to yoga than first meets the eye. 

The yoga postures (asana) we learn in classes are only a small part of the practice of yoga. There are many other disciplines to be experienced including pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation to name a few. Asana is a good place to start as it helps to strengthen the body and begins to focus the mind.

4.       Yoga is not just about sitting around with your legs crossed and ‘Omming’ a lot. 

Of course it can be, but yoga is a very personal journey and so different things work for different people. Yoga asana can be practiced for many different reasons; as a method of exercise, stress relief, injury prevention or spiritual exploration to name a few. It’s up to you - with so many different styles of yoga available and different teachers offering different perspectives keep an open mind and have fun exploring what feels right for you.

5.       Don’t be miffed if you’re not floating around your mat with grace and finesse within a few weeks. 

First of all, don’t waste energy worrying about what you can and can’t do – just enjoy the practice for what it is. And secondly, be patient - acquiring new skills takes time and there are no short cuts. With a regular practice, everything comes in its own good time.

From Competitiveness to Creating Freedom

Have you ever caught yourself gritting your teeth in angst as someone in yoga class effortlessly slides into the splits, or gracefully lifts themselves into a handstand? Or have you ever noticed a sense of smugness creep in as you take an Insta-worthy Bakasana whilst the person next to you performs a spectacular nose dive into their mat? You're probably not alone...

Recently I was asked by one of my students. "How can I avoid feeling competitive in class?". I thought it was a brilliant question and so I wanted to share some thoughts about it below...

I'm sure many of us have heard it said that one of the great things about yoga is that there's no competition (despite those curious yoga competitions that are starting to crop up - have you read Hell Bent?). But really, how true is this, or can this ever be, when we live in a culture that's built on the foundations of striving to be the best, the winner, number 1? Competition is an inherent part of our culture and environment, of our genetic make up even, and so how realistic is it to expect someone to relinquish this impulse the moment they step foot into a yoga studio? In fact it could be the case that the oft repeated assertion that there is no competition in yoga could be making us feel even worse about ourselves by setting up an unrealistic set of expectations (and making us feel that we're 'bad' yogis for feeling competitive). Indeed, it's not competitiveness (an abstract concept) in itself that's bad, but the way we reflect it back at ourselves (for example, to give ourselves a hard time) and the way it can make us feel (shitty or superior). Competitiveness is a fundamental human characteristic and, for me at least, yoga practice should be about becoming a more embodied human being (Patanjali would perhaps beg to differ). 

I'm sure that if most of us were honest with ourselves, we'll admit to being competitive in yoga class on the odd occasion. The great news is that this doesn't make us bad yogis (at least not in my book). For me, one of the most powerful benefits of yoga practice is that it helps us to uncover our conditioned patterns of behaviour and thought (often referred to as samskaras in yogic parlance).

These conditioned patterns of behaviour will, more often than not, manifest in the way we approach our yoga practice. If we're used to striving, straining and struggling to be the best, then it's likely we'll encounter similar behaviours in our practice. If we tend to be lethargic, or full of energy, or a risk taker, or if we like to give ourselves a hard time...each of these patterns will probably manifest in some way.

Often we remain oblivious to these patterns even though they can exert a strongly negative influence on our lives. For example, striving for success at the expense of others can be a path to alienation, and constantly giving ourselves a hard time can be truly debilitating. But when we practice asana or meditation, we're presented with a really valuable opportunity to recognise and explore our patterns of behaviour and thought. This is a wonderful gift of the practice because when we become consciously aware of something, the power that it exerts over us tends to weaken. To paraphrase my meditation teacher, Martin Aylward, our practice then becomes a 'practice of creating freedom by becoming aware of the ways in which we're trapped'. In this way, whatever arises in our practice can be used as a doorway for exploration and liberation.

So the next time you catch yourself feeling competitive in your yoga practice, rather than giving yourself a hard time, perhaps use it as an opportunity for enquiry. Recognise that this is a very natural, very human behaviour and then shift your awareness and attention away from your thoughts and the story they're painting and into your body, noticing what sensations are present at that moment and meeting them with a friendly curiosity. Notice where theses sensations can be felt and how they shift and change...holding them in awareness without judging or labelling them. 

It's amazing what a liberating and powerful experience this simple technique can be. It helps to free us from the tyranny of negative internal dialogue and allows us to show some kindness to ourselves (and others) by recognising our very human behaviours and patterns for what they are. And it helps us to become more accepting of ourselves and our practice - complete and whole just as we are. In this way, we can use our practice to enrich and nourish us, allowing us to become more fully embodied and present to our everyday experiences - rather than as another stick to beat ourselves with.