Skillful practice

Other teachers will know the way; someone asks you what you do and you tell them you're a yoga teacher and they say: "Oh, I could never do yoga, I'm far too stiff, I'm not at all flexible, I have a bad back, my shoulder won't let me..." and an infinity of other reasons.

And then on the other hand I've read many descriptions of yoga as being far more than just a physical practice, anyone can practice yoga, yoga is non-competitive...This too is my conviction

So where and why is this message not getting across? could it have something to do with the way yoga is portrayed on social media? Sure, some images are inspiring and beautiful but I can see why people with a stiff knee, or a difficult back or general tension in the muscles may be put off by this gymnastic asana display.

There are so many teachers nowadays, yoga has become one of the common lifestyle choices of our times, yet is hardly to be equated with drinking enough water or keeping your eyebrows tidy. Skilled teachers are few and far between, teachers who actually realize the intimate connection between the state of the mind and the state of the body.

With yoga getting so much press, good and bad, it is vital that these skilled teachers are recognized. Yoga is not merely a therapy, it is a mode of empowerment as we awaken to the truth that our best teacher, doctor and therapist is within. Only a skilled person can reveal this to you.

A skilled teacher will help you experience your body as not merely a solid object. You may at times perceive it as such but when you connect to the subtle sensations in your practice you can break through this seeming solidity and quite literally begin to heal.

Yoga is a wondrous journey, it is my strong wish that many more shall embark on it and not injure themselves along the way

I am teaching a workshop on setting a good foundation for your practice on the 13th of November, click here for more details

Why all this yoga?

The Koshas

The yogic model of the human being is beautifully simple yet wise in its complexity. It elucidates one step at a time so that we progress only when we are ready to do so.

At every turn we run the risk of being tripped up by our own cleverness, like the Buddhist saying goes: if you are too clever, you may miss the point entirely!

So we begin where we can all begin, with the physical body: the annamaya kosha. Through our intelligent alignment in our yoga asanas (postures) we are able to build stability in the physical body, a balance between strength and flexibility that allows us to undertake our chores with minimum distraction. The body therefore is not an obstacle to our progress on the path to enlightenment in fact it is a tool.

Once stable in the physical body we are able to feel a vitality in the energy body, the pranamaya kosha. We can begin to engage with the breathing practices of yoga (pranayama) and the more subtle sensations. A lack of energy is no longer an obstacle on the path to enlightenment and the vitality we feel propels us and lends us inspiration.

As a result of this work we achieve clarity on the mental level, the manomaya kosha; and what greater gift than clarity at this stage?

We are now on the road towards being able to cultivate true intelligence in jnanamaya kosha the wisdom body, in order to connect with the truth in anandamaya kosha, and when we get to know the truth, we shall be one again, this is the bliss body, no more no less.

-chai-, or how not to detox

I once embarked on a grape fast when I ate nothing but grapes for ten days, don't ask me why as I can't for the life of me remember. I was living in Kathmandu at the time and the only grapes available were imported from Iran and were sold on street carts at over inflated prices ( at least to me ). They were also coated in a sticky tar like substance which I guess was the residue from their travels and which I wiped off devotedly, the grapes providing more than ample sustenance for this frankly surreal time.

In fact I lie if I say I lived off grapes alone. It was hard to resist ( ok, I didnt even try ) the sweet milky 'chiya' that was offered whenever one went a-visiting anywhere. 'Chiya' is the nepalese word for chai and is just as garam (hot) and just as mitho (delicious) as the indian version. A far cry from the bastardized starbucks fare and well worth the hassle of making yourself. Think of it not as a hassle, but a ritual and you may find you enjoy the preparation as much as I do.

If you happen to be avoiding dairy, you could use a substitute milk, if you happen to be avoiding caffeine, you could use red tea and if you happen to be avoiding sweeteners, I wouldn't bother, this is really to be drunk sweet, any sweetener will do.

Warning: don't drink it on a grape fast, this is no way to detox!

Ingredients

-for 2 people

2 cups of milk

10 cardamom pods

half a thumb of peeled, chopped ginger

10 black peppercorns

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 tsp loose leaf black tea

4 cloves

Method

  Place tea in a saucepan and cover with 1/2 cup of boiling water. Crush cardamom pods and black pepper in a mortar and add along with all the ingredients, then turn on the heat low and allow to simmer for as long as you can wait. The longer the stronger. Strain & sweeten to taste

  Some people add the sugar while its cooking so it is more syrupy but I use honey so I'd rather not heat it.

why retreat? to learn to live well

What do you set off with when you set off on retreat?

Everything you've learnt I guess...

When I first embarked on my teacher training I had much to learn (and I still do!) On the physical level it was about letting go of the idea that only by pushing yourself to your limit are you able to transcend. Ruth taught me to hold back and in a sense I've been re-learning this ever since. Now I realize it is not only on the physical level that we feel the need to fill until bursting but also when it comes to our direction and to what we choose to do with our lives. I can't help but feel that with all this overstretching something is getting lost, the art of living well.

Step in the retreat. A retreat where we remember the art of living well, this most human of arts. The hustler in us, the part of us that is devoted to pushing, to covering more surface yet never truly getting beneath the skin is channeled into stillness. We challenge it. After all would it not be wonderful if we could place all our energy into the precise locations from where it could resurrect twice, thrice, four times as powerful. And when the energy increases, the energy heals, in a way that is so effortless.

This is how we set off on retreat

My October Retreat In Trasierra

"I've trained with several top yogis in the world for 14 years, but Amber Scott is alongside my top three yoga teachers because she helps reel me back into the basics of alignment, accessing the meditation in movement and returning to the original intent to practice yoga (for me), which is to return to my center and connect with the power of the universe outside myself on the deepest level. I was only able to access this depth with Amber in Trasierra and a few key teachers in the world." Elizabeth Alexy