I would like to express my immense gratitude to the co-owners of EMYS, Tama Soble and Monica Voss for their dedication to the original creators of this approach to hatha yoga and its evolution through their continued learning, planning and teaching.
Throughout the thirty plus years of my involvement as a participant in weekly classes, the basic principles of grounding, breathing and releasing the spine have been most helpful. These principles have guided my personal practice and my life, becoming a foundation for most daily activities.
As I continued to practise, I became more alert to detecting and releasing physical and emotional tension and to enjoying ease of movement, an experience I refer to as “coming home to my body”. Essential in this regard were the teachings about the mind/body connection in all movement, as well as the encouragement to sense what is happening internally in order to guide what one personally needs in any exercise.
Over time I was able to learn more about stability and flexibility exercises which became even more important and useful as I aged. I wanted to be as active as possible, in spite of my body being less inclined in that direction. Everything in the teaching at EMYS has supported how vital this learning is as an ongoing practice and also in the healing after an accident to return to as much movement as possible.
For those who are curious about this approach to yoga or who want to enter the Teacher Training Programme, I can only share my experience of learning from several of the skilled and sensitive teachers who continue to create an atmosphere of openness, connection and focused learning, sprinkled with a sense of fun and creativity.
I feel there is and will be a great need for teaching yoga to the increasing number of seniors to support their physical health, mental agility, happiness and longevity.