ॐ My Distracted Mind ॐ

Hello yoga friend,

April has finally arrived!

April is all about getting outside, dusting off those climbing shoes and crossing off adventures on our bucket list and getting lost in the woods. I was recently up at Glendalough two weekends ago and though I didn’t get lost, I did have a glorious day in the mountains with lots of wind and rain that had me singing nature’s praise.

I’ve been studying the Bhagavad Gītā, have you? Are you interested in learning? This endeavour has been a challenging and technical project of mine this spring and I hope to share it with you.

In this newsletter, you’ll find how to book the Gītā online course, an announcement I’ll be teaching in Reno this summer; details about the YogApulia Italy retreat in August and a few other events that are happening here in April I want to share with you. And a poem, always a poem.

And I couldn’t - just couldn’t send an email without sharing a story about Nancy Gilgoff - have a read and find out why she was so important to the history and legacy of aṣtānga yoga that we define today.

Much kindness,

Sarah

ॐ Remembering Nancy Gilgoff ॐ

Nancy Gilgoff was the first western woman to learn ashtanga yoga in 1971; she was determined to learn from Guruji, and she told me that she sat and waited for Guruji to teach her the practice. She waited for weeks! And when he did finally teach her, she practiced as dutifully as she could for a long as she could. She told me once that she asked Guruji, “Now that I am 60, how long should I practice for?” and he said, “You take practice one hour every day.”

Nancy taught the method to myself and others so selflessly, often sharing the original method Guruji taught her. This was a joy to practice often switching sides without half vinyasa in-between; done with more breath emphasis, mudra and bandha.

I want to thank Nancy for teaching me and sharing her love of the practice with me. You see, I was a very new student to ashtanga yoga when I first met Nancy - her lineage - her students Christine Hoar and Randa Chehab were my first teachers. Christine and Randa introduced me to Nancy by bringing her to their towns of Bozeman, Montana and Bristol, Vermont. I traveled to see Nancy through the care and support of Christine and Randa, and I am forever grateful that they brought her to me and to so many of us.

I first met Nancy in 2002 or 2003? I would see her a few more times over the years, traveling to Vermont when Christine hosted her for her legendary week-long ‘adjustment clinics’. The first year I went she offered the primary series and the second year, the intermediate series. I did them both back to back and they were filled with stories of the early days in Mysore, stories of Guruji, stories of his late wife Amma and how they knew everything that went on in the shala. And the days were long though time slipped by quickly: always filled with laughter, friendship and joy.

Since Nancy was my teachers’ teacher (Christine and Randa) she had a huge impact on how I practice and teach to this day. I have a few photos of Nancy during our time together at Randa’s or at Christine’s: in all these photos I am just a baby new to the practice. When I look back at pictures of myself practicing the first ten years of ashtanga yoga, I think of how little I really knew about yoga: I am in my early-twenties.

One special piece of Nancy I’d like to share is how she directed me to Baba Hari Dass’ teachings. BHD was at the Mt Madonna Centre in the Santa Cruz, California mountains. Nancy had learned these basic and thorough prāṇāyama exercises called “The Four Purifications” which she shared with all of us. I learned them from Nancy and she always directed us - “go to see BHD to learn it all.” She had gone to the centre so I thought I would too.

Now BHD was a silent monk who didn’t speak for the majority of his life: 70 years! Sadly he is no longer with us (he passed away in 2018) and wrote instructions on a little chalk board that he had tied around his neck - this was how he communicated to his students. I went there and learned prāṇāyama from him and it is due to Nancy that I went. It was an “aṣtānga yoga liberation retreat” and all we did was sit in padmāsana, do three yoga āsanas a day and do prāṇāyama and chant to Hanuman. It was brilliant! I learned Patañjali’s version of aṣtānga yoga - and it was the first time that I understood that aṣtānga yoga can mean both the method as prescribed by Pattabhi Jois as well as the philosophy that comes from the sage Patañjali which is detailed in the yoga sūtras.

One story I have about Nancy is that when I first met her, I admit, like all beginning students, I wanted all the answers. I asked her if she could tell me more about mūla bandha: she replied that I should ask her again in ten years. I saw her again in 2013 (ten years later) and she said, “well Sarah, ask me again in ten years”. We both laughed.

The yoga community lost a beautiful soul, and she will be deeply missed. My sincere condolences go out to my dear friend and teacher Christine (Guruji always called Christine “Nancy’s student) and Vanessa - Nancy’s daughter.

May Nancy be flying with the angels and forever free! And I want to thank you Nancy, for bringing aṣtānga yoga to us women - for begging Guruji to teach you, and for your persistence to learn. We are all forever grateful for your efforts,

Om Tat Sat.

ॐ David Garrigues in Dublin 31 May-2 June ॐ

Don’t miss a great weekend ahead with David Garrigues!

David will be coming to Dublin 31 May-2 June teaching an intermediate series workshop.

Workshop schedule: details of each workshop click HERE.

FRIDAY 31 May:

6:00 - 8pm — The Vinyasas of the Intermediate Series

SATURDAY 1 June:

9:00 - 10:15am — Backbend Sequence in Second Series
10:15 - 11:30am — Arm Balances and Inversions in Second Series
12:30 - 2:00pm — Precision, Purification, and Pranayama

SUNDAY 2 June

9:00am - 11:00am -- Led Second Series, counted vinyasa with verbal cues
12:30pm — 1:30 pm - Yoga Philosophy 

Tuition is as follows:

€270 for full weekend
€75 Friday evening only 
€110 Saturday only   
€110 Sunday only 

Location of the workshop is Wunderbrook Studio, Rathmines.

To book the Weekend, register your spot now by sending me a deposit. Book it with me HERE.

ॐ Online and in-person
April Class Schedule ॐ

I’m teaching Thursday and Friday 4 and 5 April online and in studio I am AWAY to Purple Valley Tenerife - from 6-13 April
(Still spaces left for a last-minute get away!)
I am back back teaching Sunday 14 April

ZOOM ID is always 583 779 3991 and passcode is Practice
for all online classes and workshops
All in-studio classes are held at Little Bird Coffee and Yoga

Mysore Class Online and IN-studio:
Thursdays 7-9 am:
April: 4th, 18th, 25th
Sundays 7:45-9:45 am:
April: 14, 21, 28

Online Pop-Up Class Midmorning:
Tuesdays 9:30-11 am:
April: 16, 23 and 30th

Online and In-person LED PRIMARY Series with Pranayama:
Fridays 6 am chanting; 6:30 am pranayama led class 7 am:
April: 5th, 26th

Chanting Class Online:
Thursdays 6:30-7 am and Mondays 4 pm
April: 15, 22 and 29th

In-studio Class with Hannah
Tuesdays: 7-9 am Mysore

In-studio Class with Hannah
Fridays: 7-9 am Mysore

ॐ Why study the Gītā? ॐ

ॐ Teaching in Reno, Nevada 29-30 June! ॐ

Stay tuned for details on how to practice with me stateside late June this year! I will be at The Studio Reno Saturday, 29th of June teaching prānāyāma and a led primary series class. An afternoon workshop will be on the glorious inversions of the practice. Sunday 30th June is a morning class of Mysore and chanting.

Details on how to book the two-day event are coming soon, hope to see some of you there!

ॐ Dublin Summer Week Intensive In-person and Online JULY 14-19 ॐ

Book your week-long 14-19 July summer morning intensive with me - there are only 18 spaces for in-studio instruction at Little Bird Yoga Studio. This will book fast so please plan your visit and your study with me. Click HERE to register your in-studio place.

Online spaces are available, however only 5 spaces: if you would like to come for the online option: Click HERE.

ॐ YogApulia 17-23 August, 2024 ॐ

(For a full list of Retreats/Workshops in 2024, please click HERE)

Join me 17-23 August this year to Italy at YogApulia for 6-days of aṣtānga yoga, meditation, chanting and prāṇāyama.

This 6-day retreat is a great way to restart or reset your practice, dive into practical methods of practicing for you - and with 12 people on the retreat, you’ll receive personal instruction in a small group setting.

Each morning begins with breathing, meditation and chanting followed by Mysore and/or Led Class. Four afternoons will be spent in workshop environment for deeper exploration of asana, mudra, chanting and philosophy. Each individual will receive a 1:1 meeting with myself as well, which is included in the retreat.

Details include - planning your travel/flight to arrive Saturday the 17th and fly into Bari or Brindisi (Puglia region); hiring a car is always a good idea however not necessary - a taxi to and from the centre is 50€ each way. Plan your departure mid to late morning of Friday the 23rd.

YogApulia is located near Ostuni in a small village called Casalini. It is near the beach and one can walk to the small village of Casalini from the centre. To get to the beach one needs a hire car (I had one the last two years just so we can get to the beach).

For the full retreat it is €850 for shared accommodation (double room with another) or €1250 for single room.

Sit back, take it all in and enjoy the quiet Italian countryside. Please join me, Om!

ॐ My distracted Mind ॐ

Them clouds up high,
steal my attention
they wander and flutter.
My mind can’t decide
which one to look at.

I try to take them all in:
wide eyes and open heart, I see
swimming serpents, jellyfish, a giant
shell of a turtle; sea creatures
floating in the vast sea of blue.

How colourful them clouds can be!
Hints of yellow,
Oh lavender is there, too;
so full and rich:
hues of darker light
blend into my sight.

I become hungry, my palate curious
so I look away and return inwards
like a yogi reclaiming their meditation
I reset my focus,
over and over again.