When I practice yoga at home I tend to mess about here and there, answer my phone, the door, clean the floor…. and not push myself half as much as I should so I thought I needed to get back into regular classes for my own benefit. I wanted a class that would be challenging, inspirational and realistic. I already practice at least 4 times a week for at least an hour a time and realise the importance of regular discipline and practice. Yoga plays a big part in my life now, so much so that I had a big summerhouse built in my garden for my own yoga space where I retreat to nearly every evening. I believe that if a student wants to advance in yoga it is totally necessary to have a teacher to learn from, and especially one who is experienced and trustworthy. If the teacher cannot master postures that they are instructing I feel they are not qualified to teach the practice

.Looking on Yoga Finder I was just flicking through teachers when a bright yellow website with people of all ages performing advanced yoga postures (that I could only dream of) popped up PERFECT!! I thought.

It was www.omyoga.co.uk where classes are held in South Wimbledon, reading through the site I found I held very similar views especially where yoga is concerned.

I am from Luton so I thought it would be a bit of a trek to get there but if it was as good as it looked and offered such good classes I was willing to travel this far. I have travelled to London several times before in search of a good yoga teacher but still had not found someone I was totally confident with.

I decided to give it a go as a headstand workshop was coming up and I thought it would be a good time to enquire. I was a little nervous as my preconceptions of the teacher were that he was very strict, tough and a bit scary! I was early so snuck into the church hall where the class takes place and there was the teacher from the website, he was very welcoming, humble and kind (not much like I imagined).

From the workshop I took home a new variation of headstand and crow, which I thought would be impossible to master (but with his confidence I did) and a full belly from the lunch he arranged!! Learning the new postures was an achievement in itself as most classes I had been to just had the same postures, nothing new, nothing different and nothing to master.

After that I was determined to take the 4hr round trip train journey to go to his classes every week. 3 trains, delays and crowded tubes are just a few of the delights of my travelling!! Then I have to travel back again! But when I have my I-pod on it takes some of the stress of the journey away and by the time I get to South Wimbledon I am quite relaxed but still needy of a good stretch.

The very first advanced class was hard it left me sore for days!! I watched everyone else most of the time and let my brain take in what I was seeing. In fact every time I thought it was the end of the warm up, we started another! And then another! Before the class had even started we had been warming up for over an hour! We carried on with the class and my preconception was in fact right, he was strict and tough during the class but in a different way to what I thought. He would push and correct you to do your best, in a humorous way that would just mimic my dad telling me off! And everyone else just laughs too. He tells you exactly what you ought to be doing for your own benefit and sees even the tiniest mistake which pushes you toward perfection. I really needed the sit down on the train on the way home, I didn’t even want to get up when it was my stop I was so tired. I realised if I wanted to further in my practice the only way to do it was to make this trip every Saturday without fail, What is one day in a week? Without putting any effort in how can I expect to reap any rewards?

His other students are inspirational to me I watch their feet touch their head in a backbend, splits variations, headstand variations etc… It makes the class more realistic because I can see that “normal” people can practice these variations it just takes time, practice and effort.

These classes have been all that I was looking for and more, challenging, inspirational, realistic and to top it all off, FUN!! Everyone makes me feel welcome, makes an effort to talk to me and are always offering help in anyway whether it’s a lift to the station or straightening up in natarajasana or balance in pinchomayurasana. It is more like a community than just another class.

In 3 months I have improved in many variations and learnt several new techniques and yogic secrets! Which, without my teacher’s guidance or confidence I wouldn’t have been able to. My teacher is the greatest because he practices what he preaches and I am fully confident in his knowledge and guidance in all aspects of yoga, he would never teach what he hasn’t already mastered and I am glad I found him.

About Jo Prakash:

Jo Prakash is a Sivananda Trained Yoga Teacher. She Teaches in Luton, Please visit her website for more information.