International Yoga Day

21 June has been declared International Yoga Day by the UN, with the support of South Africa and 176 other countries. I have been practicing yoga for more than half of my life and taught classes to children for a number of years. I have also volunteered at Project Playground but probably the most challenging was teaching yoga at a shelter for women and children. I learned much there...

Tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac in a quiet suburb in Cape Town is an unremarkable house which offers shelter to abused women and children. There are no signs to tell you what place this is. It is a small organisation offering shelter to 28 persons. I used to run a weekly breathing and relaxation class. Usually there were about 6 women but this varied from week to week, depending on whether they had gone back home, found a job or moved on from the shelter. The amount of complaining and cursing that was done because they were so stiff makes me hesitate to call it a yoga session! 

For many of these women, this was the first time they had ever done any ‘exercise” and this, coupled with the fact that there was so much tension sitting in those bodies because of all they had been through,  made it unbelievably difficult to stretch. However, the relaxation session was eagerly awaited by all. It was often noisy in the shelter and the room we used was close to the kitchen but I think that it created a valuable opportunity to learn to practice these skills in all conditions. It was highly unlikely that they would have a quiet little studio somewhere!

The sessions started with basic asanas (postures) and incorporated breathing exercises. At least a third of the class was dedicated to guided relaxation to music. Different visualisation techniques and the contract-relax methods were used. 

I have made some interesting observations during the classes. One is the difficulty the women have with any asana that requires any “force” e.g. when doing cleansing breaths they are unable to force the air out of the body. It is as if they have learned to suppress thoughts, actions and emotions. They were generally very passive and seemed to wait to “receive” what I had to offer them each week.  I noticed that they did not even offer to assist with putting out mats and were generally not ready for the class even though they knew when I was coming. It was as if they needed to be “led” into the session.

I had wondered about the effectiveness of what I was doing, but one morning I overheard one of the women (who happened to be the most vocal complainer) explain to a newcomer how important this session had become in her week. She said that it was the only time that was solely hers, when she was not expected to give anything to anyone. 

I have learned to be patient and tolerant. I have learned that it is not what I can do to help but what they need from me that is important. I have learned that it is the process that is important and not necessarily the end-product. I have learned that sometimes the only way to do something is to go with the flow. I have learned to work with what is given to me and in the place that it is given. And I am trying to be as flexible in my mind and attitude as the yoga I do aims for.

The first principle of yoga is to do no harm and this applies to your own body as well as to others. Yoga teaches you to treat your body with compassion and to work within your own boundaries. Yoga is not a competition. You are asked to not compare yourself to anyone else in the classroom. Your focus is on what you can do on your mat. Yoga emphasises that what you are, where you are, is good enough for today.

And your body is the harp of your soul, and it is yours to bring forth sweet music from it, or confused sounds. Khalil Gibran 

You might also like: Becoming Humble: Lessons teaching yoga in a township hall
Photo of Melissa Brake of YogaWay Pilates and Yoga Studio taken by me