Ritualistic, with a focus on everything from breathing to spirituality. This is yoga as it’s meant to be, says Jessica Gearhart
I’m sure you’ve all probably been to a yoga session where the twinging in your muscles felt funny and left you thinking, ‘That’s gonna hurt in the morning’. You leave feeling more tense than when you arrived at your super-duper, multi-level yoga complex (constructed entirely of wheat grass and the blood, sweat and tears of its devotees), resigning yourself to the idea that maybe you just don’t, er, know how to relax. Or maybe it’s just that your teacher was a hack with a mail-order qualification, and you have yet to experience yoga in the hands of a true yogi.
After your first session with Chris James you’ll know what this yoga business was supposed to feel like all along. He’s so good he got this absolutely sedentary lady (not by choice… moving to England sapped the athlete out of me!) to take up the practice again. Yoga with him is as it’s meant to be: ritualistic with a focus on everything from breathing to spirituality. It’s not just the bit that makes you sweat (which he does) but the whole principle, something us westerners usually miss out on.
I felt refreshed yet calm after my initial consultation, ready to face the world on an even keel. You immediately start paying more attention to your breathing and the side exercises he teaches you (catered to your needs of course) are a great way to start every day. I came away with a few helpful exercises for folks slumped in front of a computer everyday and three weeks on I can honestly say they do help. During the session, Chris talks you through everything in the most relaxing, rhythmic voice that you fall right into it, breathing deeply, relaxing and really listening to what he’s saying. He also helps when need be but doesn’t force anything, listening to your body better than you ever have!
His yoga practice is the real deal. He’s practised with the yogis on the banks of the Ganges, studied theology and has been teaching for years and practicing for even longer. His 1-2-1 sessions (what I did) are great if you’re on the go or want a bit more privacy whilst doing your downward dogs and deep breathing. He’ll come to your home or you can meet him at any number of locations around town as he seems to work from all sorts of studios, hotels, gyms and, well, anywhere you can think of really. He also does corporate sessions, retreats and detox regimes. The detox is catered right to you and the 28-day programme promises to help you drop a dress size (no sneaking cream buns).
The two hours I spent with him relaxed me for the next week. I might be a puddle if I spent an entire week in his presence, but I have to say I’m seriously considering it. A true yogi who’s easy on the eyes to boot? And, relax…
Chris James Yoga, www.chrisjamesyoga.com and www.chrisjamesyoga.co.uk, call 020 8538 9516 or email Chrisjames@chrisjamesyoga.co.uk
