Sharath Jois workshop in Bali, Indonesia, September 2016

Ive been a dedicated and devoted Ashtanga Yoga Practitioner now for over 15 years. Actually, since before the turn of the century. I practice daily, well as much as my family life allows me to.   I love this practice and have grown my business and family around it. I couldn’t ask for a greater friend.

Sri K Patabhi Jois is the founding father of this beloved practice. He passed away at the age of 94 and the lineage has been taken up by his grandson Sharath Jois.

I had the pleasure of practicing with Sharath for the first time back in 2006 when he travelled to Byron Bay and held a week long intensive for all of us.

This September, 2016 Sharath journeyed to Bali, Indonesia, my Island of the Gods and of course I had to be there.

Actually, 400 of us had to be there. 400 Ashtangis converging on the town of Ubud in the hills of tropical Bali. The pull of the Guru and the opportunity to practice with him was too good to be missed, particularly in such a stunning setting.

This daily practice inspires me and I feel that the set sequence that is the same every day is the gift that we all share. There is something utterly magical and liberating about moving and breathing in unison with the other 200 people in the class with you. I say there were approximately 400 people as we had 2 classes each morning.

I found it surprising and delightful that there were so many Asian Ashtanga Practitioners here. I had no idea that Asia had cultivated such a large and dedicated mass of Ashtanga Yoga practitioners but they were here. Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Jakarta, so many, surprising and divine. What an unusual bunch of yogis to connect with and to see that they loved it as much as I did.

Sharath has taken the torch and it’s a big job. The pushing and shoving to get to the front row was reminiscent of a rock concert. Funny and treated with compassion, something to observe.

Yoga is about union, the breath, spirit and the mind. I found union during this week and thank myself and my family for getting me here. In a room full of hundreds of people I was reminded that peace really does come from within.

Walking through the rice fields to practice with the guru was a present to myself and I found it completely inspiring. I came up with many new designs, as always, this practice is the thing that fuels my business. No practice, no inspiration.

Business wise, it was delightful to see so many yogis in our gear, practicing on our yoga mats and wearing our yoga pants in such an arena. I designed these garments and yoga products to be worn during practice but also to be beautiful and functional. I was happy and proud to see them in action on so many devoted practicing yogis.

There was a large group of ladies in front of me from Jakarta and they were all practicing on our Ultimats which I designed particularly for travelling Ashtangis. They provide an excellent grip and great cushioning whilst weighing around 1 kg. Sweet and easy to travel with.

I give thanks to Sharath, thanks to this practice and look forward to practicing with the Guru again as soon as I can

Snapping a shot of the Guru, Sharath Jois I noticed that the two ladies from Jakarta in front of me were both practicing on our Ultimats that we created for travelling Ashtangis!

The walk through the forest on the first morning through the light rain was divine.  This bridge led the way to the Shala we all practiced in under the guidance of Sharath Jois.

It was incredibly exciting and liberating to practice in such a huge room full of Ashtangis from all over the world.  I was surprised and delighted to find myself next to my friend from Japan.  

If you look hard enough that is me practicing on our Ultimat in our Top Scrumptious with Sharath Jois standing on my mat and our new Yoga Towel I was product testing at this workshop!

The last morning and my walk through the rice fields to come to class was truly divine.  What a magical week I spent with the Guru of Ashtanga Yoga - thank you