Warrior Yoga

November 25, 2018

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been talking about this incredible network called Warrior Yoga. I’ve posted about them on my Instagram and Facebook, and also made a video on IGTV talking about the movement in more depth. IĀ wanted to write a blog providing more information about what Warrior Yoga is and how I come into their picture.

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Warrior Yoga was founded by Ida Farneman and Cassie Connor. The two girls met during their 200hour YTTC at Kranti Yoga in October 2017 where they shared a mutual dream of making yoga accessible for all. They both have first hand experience with the healing benefits of yoga and how it can promote positive growth. Therefore “Warrior Yoga is born out of the understanding that all people can heal from yoga, but not all people have the means to effectively access the teachings of yoga”.

So what does this mean? The three overarching principles of Warrior Yoga are:Ā Healing, Empowerment and Accessibility. These foundations mean that Warrior Yoga students are provided with access to yoga classes, for free, which are either private or small group based. The reason why they are free is because Warrior Yoga believes all people should have access to this practice and sometimes individuals don’t have the financial means to attend a class at a studio or pay for a gym membership. It might even be the case that there aren’t classes easily available to the individual or they don’t feel comfortable in that environment. Regardless, during these classes, the Warrior Yoga teacher is able to tailor the practiceĀ to suit the needs of the student(s), in order to facilitate their journey towards healing and empowerment. Therefore, classes can be a mixture of yogic practices such as ashtanga to yin asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation or even sharing some knowledge about the wider aspects of yoga.

At present, some Warrior Yoga students are refugees, sexual abuse survivors, survivors of human trafficking, people dealing with chronic pain and other physical limitations, people with brain injuries, and more. These students have all aligned with the notion that the teachings and practice of yoga can nourish our bodies, calm our minds and help to heal us whilst also feeling empowered. The founders believe thatĀ “once we have healed and benefited from yoga, it is our responsibility to extend that healing to another” which I couldn’t agree with more. Yoga creates a sense of community, and providing access to those who need it is something I believe in wholeheartedly.

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Building on this, it gives me an amazing sense of gratitude to say that I’m now a part of this network as a Warrior Yoga teacher – operating out of Brighton and surrounding Sussex areas in the UK. I’m incredibly happy to have become a part of the Warrior Yoga family alongside some other wonderful teachers across the globe (in Canada, Sweden and other parts of England so far!). Having experienced the profound healing benefits of yoga on a personal level, I’m extremely passionate about providing others with the same opportunity. I already have one wonderful student, who I’ve been working with for a month now, and I’m so proud of how far she has already come on her Warrior Yoga journey.

It is very important to keep in mind that despite offering a healing and safe space for our Warrior Yoga students, we are just yoga teachers. Despite some of us having backgrounds in psychology, mental health experiences, therapy etc, we hold these classes as yoga teachers. Therefore we cannot provide professional advice about treatments or therapies that a trained professional like a doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist could suggest or even offer. It’s important to make this distinction in order for students to realise that the Warrior Yoga classes are there to be used alongside existing treatments (if there are any), but want to use their yoga practice to facilitate the healing process from more holistic approach.

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If you know anyone who you think would benefit from Warrior Yoga classes (private or group based), or think you would, please get in touch with me via email – oliviaannwalton@hotmail.com – and we can take it from there!

You can find out more about Warrior Yoga on: https://www.warrioryoga.network/

Namaste.

Who I am becoming

September 7, 2018

At the beginning of the year I lacked direction, a sense of purpose and who I was. Having graduated a couple of months before I was still struggling to find my feet and adjust to life after university. Now nine months on, I can’t quite believe the transformation I have gone through.

The pivotal point that started it all was when I went to do my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in Goa, back in February.Ā It was the first time I had ever travelled alone to a new country, but it also felt like I was going back home (being half Indian this was my first time going to the motherland). During my time in India, I felt empowered and independent, like I was finally becoming the person who I have always wanted to be. It was such a liberating time and those that I was surrounded with have played a major part in my journey of who I am transforming in to.

After returning from India in mid-March and pursuing a career as a full time yoga teacher at the beginning of May, my life has taken a complete 360. Not only am I more confident in who I am but also in the life I’m leading and the visions that I have for myself.

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Since starting my teaching journey, I have connected with so many incredible people from all walks of life. All my students I have had the pleasure of teaching so far have brought me so much joy with their passion and enthusiasm during our practice. There have been a couple of instances where I’ve almost cried at the end of class when we all chant “Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti” because of the amazing energy I feel from everyone and how fortunate I am to be able to share my passion with others. I’m doing something I truly love and it brings me so much happiness to be a part of my student’s yoga journey.

As well as my students, I’ve met so many amazing yoga teachers (there are so many of us in Brighton!) who have such a diverse range of knowledge and experience. The yoga community here is so wonderfully close knit! Everyone seems to know one another, or have heard of another, and it is so thrilling to be apart of this community. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting individuals from different fitness disciplines – acro yoga, climbing, personal training, parkour, callisthenics – and it has fuelled my desire to get my body moving in as many ways possible.

As much as I adore the asana practice of yoga, I do sometimes feel restricted in terms of how linear and heavily push based the movements are. As a result of this, and with the introduction to some of the above disciplines, I’m focussing on expanding the ways in which I allow my body to move. I’m back into regularly bouldering, where pull movements are the majority, which has helped strengthened my asana practice in ways I couldn’t imagine. As well as this, my yoga practice has helped teach me patience which is incredibly beneficial for when I’m doing a new climb. Both yoga and climbing facilitate mindful movement and a deeper connection to the body, which is wonderful.

My interest in Acro Yoga has also peaked since the amazing Lauren Azor did a 1-on-1 with me. I’ve had the honour of assisting on her Beginners Acro Yoga workshop which was so much fun! With some foundations built, I’ve been practicing acro with a friend who is a PT.Ā  It is new to the both of us and it has been a fun challenging figuring out moves and seeing what are bodies are capable of doing when working together. There is still so much to learn, but the journey ahead is filled with so much excitement!

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I believe is is important to diversify how you move and the kinds of people you surround yourself with in order to become a well rounded individual. It helps to keep perspectives fresh and interesting. Having connected with climbers, vegans, yogis, parkour artists, personal trainers, bloggers and independent business owners, I’ve been able to surround myself with an array of healthy and deep connections.

I’ve experienced such a shift in myself these past couple of months and I’m embracing every single second of it. I am falling madly in love with the woman I am becoming.

Namaste.

Community classes on Hove Lawns

June 16, 2018

For three weeks now I’ve been running community classes on Hove Lawns and have had the pleasure of teaching some wonderful yogis! The first week there was dense sea mist rolling in, the second week was beautiful and hot, and today’s class saw some powerful wind coming from the sea! Its been a weird and wonderful mixture of weather, but I’ve had such an incredible time teaching so many different individuals.

If you wanted to join me over the next couple of weeks, here are some of the details:

Every Saturday, throughout summer, I’m going to be teaching free community classes on Hove Lawns from 10:00-11:00am. They will be Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow classes, where we’ll move through a sequence of postures whilst focussing on the breath.

I have 12 mats kindly supplied to me by Brighton Yoga Foundation and Yoga Matters, but if you have your own mat, bring it along!

After flowing with me, by the sea, you’ll be able to get 10% off drinks at Wolfox. They’re a wonderful cafe just at the top of Brunswick Square, and only a short walk from where the class will be.

If you have any questions about the class, or the classes I teach elsewhere round the city, feel free to get in touch!

I look forward to seeing some of you over the coming weeks!

Namaste.

 

The fourth week at Kranti Yoga

March 12, 2018

My time at Kranti Yoga has sadly come to an end, but it also means that I’m now qualified as a 200RYT in Ashtanga Vinyasa!

I couldn’t be more proud of myself and the inspiring group of people I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know over the past month. It was intense, it was bloody hard work and every one of us had days where we struggled (mentally, emotionally, physically). In spite of this, all of us constantly strived to expand our knowledge and develop our practice. The amount of support we offered to one another was unquestionably generous. It truly was such a pleasure to be around such like-minded individuals and I already miss them. I know in my heart that we will meet again in the future because the bonds that we formed developed with such familiarity and under positive circumstances.

Having arrived back in England this morning, every now and then I catch myself remembering a snippet from the past month. It produces such a warm feeling in my heart, but I am also trying to stay present as much as possible. However it is hard to do so when the past month has had such a profound impact upon my life.

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The last week flew by, to say the least, but it was filled with beautiful memories that I will forever treasure. On Wednesday we had a sunrise practice at a reservoir which was surreal. We did our Mysore practice and started off in relative darkness – the only light coming from the moon which was casting a reflection on the water. As we got further into the primary series, everything started to get brighter until finally the sun started to rise from behind the mountains. It was the most wonderful practice I have ever had, and there was something so magical about how our surroundings transformed. It was almost like as the sun started to rise, our bodies got warmer and the heat inside us built up – nature reflected the internal sensations.

For our final class at Kranti, our teacher led us through a chakra meditation. We were in partners and sat facing one another. As we closed our eyes, we had to visualise thatĀ  particular chakra and what it meant to us. When we then opened our eyes and held our partner’s gaze, we expressed the words relating to the chakra with our eyes. The idea was that our partner was a mirror of ourselves, so whatever word we expressed to them, was how we saw ourselves. It was an incredibly emotional and personal experience. As we reached the throat chakra, a wave of emotions hit me like a tonnes of bricks and the tears poured from my eyes. It was beautifully healing experience and I felt such a profound sense of weightlessness once the meditation came to an end.

The fire ceremony – which happened at the start of the course – brought us all together for one last time. This time there was such a profound difference in the closeness I felt towards everyone. We were no longer strangers to one another, but instead individuals grown close as this journey progressed. It was such a wonderful transformation! After finishing the ceremony we got our certificates from Kranti before heading down to the beach for the celebrations. Everyone was in such high spirits and full of this beautifully positive energy! It was such an idyllic way to draw a close on our time together.

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This month has been incredibly empowering and full of love. I didn’t know what to expect as I came to Kranti, but my expectations have certainly been exceeded. I have made such powerful connections with individuals from around the world, delved into the journey of self discovery and rekindled my love for yoga. I will forever hold this experience close to my heart and I cannot help but express my gratitude to everyone who helped make this journey both possible and into what it was. I’m excited to see the way in which my yoga journey transforms as I continue to learn and share my knowledge with others.

Namaste.

The third week at Kranti Yoga

March 4, 2018

Time is moving so quickly at the moment – it’s already the end of week three – and I’m trying not to look towards the end of the course but instead be completely absorbed in the present moment.

It has been such an exciting and hard working week here at Kranti, for all of us. We started doing our own Mysore practice in the morning sessions (guiding ourselves through the primary series, working and moving with our own breath) and it has been such a wonderfully internal experience. I’ve been enjoying Mysore so much and it’s great to see everyone’s progression over the past few weeks. As well as this, I’ve started to become more familiar with the primary series sequences and transitions, that my practice has started to flow with ease. I’m looking forward to really working on the primary series over the foreseeable future and seeing the improvements over time.

This week we have also had two exams – the first on Anatomy and Alignment and the second was our practical exam where we had to teach a 60 minute Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow class to some of our peers and one of the teachers. Both of them went really well and it was amazing to see how much knowledge we have all absorbed over the past couple of weeks! After this afternoon’s practical exam, my confidence has certainly increased. The feedback I received from my group was full of positive energy as well as some constructive points to work on. It has made me incredibly excited to start teaching, and I feel like I’ve finally found my true passion.

Since finishing the Anatomy and Alignment module, we have moved onto AdjustmentsĀ and it has been such a laugh so far! It’s so interesting learning how to correctly adjust someone in order to help them get deeper into an asana. My knowledge base has certainly improved and I can’t wait to share all my knowledge and experience with others when I head home!

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The reason why we did our practical exam today was because it was Holi – the festival of colour – on Friday and everyone at Kranti had the most beautiful time celebrating this wonderful tradition. Everyone was in such high spirits and really getting immersed in the atmosphere. We were all dancing and singing away whilst getting covered in the vibrant colours! There is still a tonne of coloured powder around the shala, with the majority of us still with pinks and reds on our skin and in our hair!

I keep saying this, whether to others here on the 200hr or on previous blog posts, but I truly feel like we’ve known each other all for years. There is such a sense of familiarity between us all and I have never felt more comfortable dancing, laughing and talking with another group of people before. Maybe we all knew each other from past lives.

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As I look ahead to the last week – without being too time conscious and worried – we only have four full days left with one another. The course has flown by and as soon as we know it, we’re going to be saying goodbye to one another. There will be so many tears!

I think I’m going to struggle when I get back home and settle back into a normal routine. Life over here has become so natural, especially seeing everyone throughout the day whenever suits. I’m going to miss each and every individual so much but I’m also so grateful for all the time I’ve spent with them. It’s going to be hard to readjust but for now I’m going to completely embrace and immerse myself in this upcoming week. I know it will be a good one.

Namaste.

The second week at Kranti Yoga

February 25, 2018

This week has absolutely flown by and I can’t believe we’re already half way through the course! It’s bittersweet because as much as I am excited to continue expanding my knowledge and learning, I’m also going to be so sad to leave. Not only leave the beautiful Patnam beach, but also Kranti Yoga and everyone I have met and spent so much time with.

Yesterday we had a visit and talk from the Hare Krishnas, who come to Kranti three times during the length of our course – once at the start, halfway through and finally when we graduate. The first time they came we were all such strangers to one another, but after yesterday’s visit it was beautiful to see how much closer we have all become in such a short space of time. I feel like I’ve known the others for years and there is such a sense of familiarity between all of us.

For our last practice of the week – Yin Yoga – we all squeezed into the ocean shala (all 23 of us) meaning our mats were less than a hands distance apart! It was super cosy but I could just feel how positive and full of love our collective energy was. There couldn’t have been a more beautiful way to end the week and Yin Yoga really brought out some powerful personal emotions about being here and experiencing the YTTC with this amazing group of people. I really believe that a higher force has brought us all together to experience this journey, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

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This week has also seen me face some challenges with my personal practice and I’ve had to take an even bigger step back from last week. After three days of Ashtanga practice my wrists were in absolute agony. In the Ashtanga primary series, there is a total of 60 vinyasas (a particular flow done to reset the body and breath), and I think my wrists took a bit of a beating. I realised that the best thing to do was to take care of my body, rather than feed my ego.

One particular intention from a morning class stuck with me this week and continuously reminded me to stay grounded in practice. It was ‘santosha’ which means being content with where I am in the present moment. I manifested it every time I stepped onto my mat and I’m starting to regain my once positive attitude towards yoga. It truly feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

Leading on from this, we started the Yoga Lifestyle and Philosophy module this week and our teacher shared such a beautiful poem with us at the end of one class that I couldn’t resist sharing it:

Watch the waves in an ocean. The higher the wave goes, the deeper is the wake that follows it. One moment you are the wave, another moment you are the hollow wake that follows. Enjoy both – don’t get addicted to one. Don’t say: “I would always like to be on the peak”. It is not possible. Simply see the fact: it is not possible. It has never happened and it will never happen. It is simply impossible – not in the nature of things.Ā 

Then what to do? Enjoy the peak while it lasts and then enjoy the valley when it comes. What is wrong with the valley? What is wrong with being low? It is a relaxation. A peak is an excitement, and nobody can exist continuously in an excitement.Ā 

It really effected me because for so long I have withheld myself from my practice due to this fear of falling into the hollow wake. I have always wanted to remain on the peak, but it is an impossibility that I’m only now starting to come to terms with. Of course there will be days where my practice feels weak, but there will also be days of elation. It is perfectly acceptable to experience both, so long as I remain content. Santosha.

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I’ve has such a relaxing day off and it has allowed me to catch up with bits and bobs before heading into another busy and intense week. I’m looking forward to welcoming this week with a rested body, mind and soul – especially after my deep tissue massage tomorrow evening!

Namaste.

The first week at Kranti Yoga

February 18, 2018

It’s Sunday here at Kranti meaning it is a day of rest and recovery before the next week begins. It also means that the first week of the 200hr YTTC is completed! I can’t believe how quickly time has gone by and every now and then I have to remind myself that I’m here – in Kranti, in Goa, in India.

It has been a long time in the making (almost a year) and I couldn’t be happier now that I’m finally here and get the chance to fully immerse myself in the training, whilst learning so much everyday. I am already so excited to share what I have learnt so far, and it is wonderful to finally have some formal teaching. This past week has helped me learn so much about my personal practice, as well as understand what it means to practice Yoga. We’ve had a combination of interestingĀ and intense classes, from transition workshops to Yoga Nidra, to building up our Ashtanga practice in the primary series to learning about the anatomy. It has been a fantastic week and I feel so full of knowledge, love and gratitude!

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As well as learning and practicing, I have been amongst such a beautifully diverse range of individuals from all over the world. The teachers come from such a mix of backgrounds and are all such genuine individuals who have such a passion for teaching. The owner of the school – Kranti – is wonderful. He is so knowledgable and has such a way of holding everyones’ attention when leading a class. His presence, whether walking round the shala or teaching a class, is incredibly warming.

The other people who are here on the 200hr and 300hr YTTC are all incredible. I feel so comfortable and at ease over here with everyone. We have all become so close this past week and it has been so fascinating learning about everyone’s back stories and what brought them here to Kranti. I already know that the friendships we have formed the past week will last a lifetime. As well as this, each individual has a wealth of knowledge about different topics that are so interesting to hear and learn about.

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The past week has also made me more aware of the importance of engaging in my practice with no ego. Yoga should not be about showing off the depth of an asana, but instead being able to focus on the quality of it. If that means taking a step back, it is far better to do so and listen to your body, rather than pushing it just for the sake of the ego.

I am learning and trying to incorporate this into my daily practice, which is a pretty big step for me. For years I have been so competitive with myself and would get so worked up if I couldn’t do an asana as well as the last time I was on my mat. It made me reluctant to practice regularly and I developed such a negative attitude towards something I enjoyed so much. I am slowly accepting that not every practice is going to be as I would like it and I’ve started to focus more on releasing and replacing that ego with positive energy.

Today has been just what I needed. I feel so rejuvenated and ready to take on this upcoming week after a lovely day off! I’m thrilled to bits to be here and have so much gratitude for this beautiful opportunity.

Namaste.