Yesterday Emily and I nipped up on the train to London for the 'Om Yoga Show' in Olympia National, and what a sight we experienced! Taking place this year over three days on the 24th, 25th and 26th of October, the show is an annually held function offering several yoga classes (with a special allocation for children), workshops, lectures and an exhibition displaying the kaleidoscopic array of health, ayurveda and yoga products out there on the market. See the website for the show here. Naturally, this was a must-see event for us, and resulted in our return home with a stack of leaflets and lots of amazing food, some of which was bought and some free! We were pleasantly surprised to see just how many people have been touched in some way by yoga and the spiritual and healing side of it too - it had the effect of creating a sense of connectivity among all of us who were there and increased the power cultivated in our yoga classes.
The classes
We took part in two fabulous yoga classes during our time at the show:
1. 'Yoga for Addictions' with Jo de Rosa.
You can check out her profile on this website; http://innerguidance.co.uk/about-us/. This class was advertised as a yoga for easing those addictive habits, be it booze, sugar or, wait for it, anxiety. I think that as humans we have a tendency to assume the role of the victim, ruled over by another power tempting us into behaviour we know is bad for us. It keeps us in a ceaseless cycle of destruction. For me this class was definitely good for releasing bad energies that I have been tackling these past few weeks! We loved it, and by the looks of it so did the other people around us.
Jo explained that it's important with overcoming any addiction that you recognise when you are being triggered, and do something to remind yourself of the reason you are trying to release the addiction. She found the strongest reminder through yoga. Whenever she felt triggered, she would do sun salutations to remind herself of her own strength.
One half of the class was also based on meditation. This half was really incredible as both Emily and I found that we were able to focus inward even though we were at an amazingly busy show and there was lots of noise all around us. Jo explained that we are not our thoughts. She had us visualise ourselves watching the movie of our life playing out on a TV screen. We can observe our past, our triggers, our unhealthy behaviours, from a position of infinite health and abundance that is already inside us. Through meditation we learn that what we desire from ourselves is already there, we just need to tap into it. It made both Emily and I feel powerful in the best sense of the word.
Jo explained that it's important with overcoming any addiction that you recognise when you are being triggered, and do something to remind yourself of the reason you are trying to release the addiction. She found the strongest reminder through yoga. Whenever she felt triggered, she would do sun salutations to remind herself of her own strength.
One half of the class was also based on meditation. This half was really incredible as both Emily and I found that we were able to focus inward even though we were at an amazingly busy show and there was lots of noise all around us. Jo explained that we are not our thoughts. She had us visualise ourselves watching the movie of our life playing out on a TV screen. We can observe our past, our triggers, our unhealthy behaviours, from a position of infinite health and abundance that is already inside us. Through meditation we learn that what we desire from ourselves is already there, we just need to tap into it. It made both Emily and I feel powerful in the best sense of the word.
2. 'Keep the Prana alive!' yoga with Roberto Miletti and Francesca Cassia, ambassadors of yoga clothing brand Wellicious; http://www.wellicious.com/.
Prana is a sanskrit term for the moving and creative universal life force, physically present in the human body from the time of conception. It is commonly understood in Indian medicine as responsible for the body's life, heat and maintenance. If we are honest we felt a little lost in the first part of the class because there seemed to be a lack of guidance and instruction, but it came into action with Roberto's awakening and uplifting approach to keeping the prana energy alive. With chest opening movements and deep twists, the practice left us feeling powerful and happy in the moment.
To our excitement, we watched 'Voga', a new workout combining the breath and movement synchronicity of yoga with the 80s dancing phenomenon of Vogueing that had prevailed in New York's drag ballrooms. The sharp and dramatic movements of Vogueing instill 'Voga' with a cardio element and an expressive feel. We think it looks like such fun! The traditional yogis are no doubt miffed by this new angle on the exercise, but so what if it makes you feel good! http://vogalondon.co.uk/
Lectures on offer included introductions to meditation, learning how raw foods can effect your yoga practice and using yoga for developing the flexibility of the brain. This was an area of particular interest for me from my studies in psychology of neuroplasticity. We had aimed to sit in for the lecture on how yoga can change the brain, but we found ourselves distracted by the allure of the stands and missed it! Among the products advertised these were some of our favourites (along with some more wacky ones).
Nakd
Possibly our favourite food brand - the Nakd stand had an offer going that meant we could pick 18 Nakd bars for £8! We were so happy to try out the new flavour, which is seriously so delicious and tastes just like a Bakewell Tart. We bought several of the Bakewell Tart flavour with the intention of giving them to our Dad, who loves a Bakewell Tart! If you have not before experienced the indescribable taste and texture of a Nakd bar we suggest you should go out and buy yourself one now. They are made only of fruit and nuts, and smooshed together (cold-pressed) so they remain raw and full of nutrients.
Aduna
This stall was beautifully decorated in bold and colourful African-inspired design, reflecting the small-scale African producers from which they source their natural ingredients. We were drawn by the Baobab Superfruit Powder they had for sale having heard of Baobab fruit and wanting to learn more. The powder can be used to increase the nutritional value of many different foods and meals, due to its vitamin C, fibre and antioxidant richness, and does not endure any transformation whatsoever, drying naturally on its branch.
The powder actually tasted amazing! Sweet and citrussy - it would be great in a tangy smoothie in the morning.
The powder actually tasted amazing! Sweet and citrussy - it would be great in a tangy smoothie in the morning.
The Sophrology Network
We thought this was a really forward thinking idea. It seeks to combine the best of Western and Eastern approaches to dealing with our life events and recommends a focus on the use of our inner resources. It offers multiple techniques such as yoga, meditation, relaxation and hypnosis as tools to be used in a fully practical and active sense for maintaining peace in our lives.
Vita Coco
Emily first tried coconut water from the Vita Coco exhibit at the show and loved it! We both are astounded by how sweet such a vitamin dense drink can be! That said, it is not too sweet by any means, but just a great alternative to water for a different taste and more hydration. They also had a great offer on their organic coconut oil, which we did not take advantage of when we first met with it - a big mistake! They had all sold out when we came back, so take our advice and buy while you have the chance!
Merkaba
We both agree this was the most odd stall we came across, but there was a very warm and kind man who tried to get us to have a look at his product, and for that we were happy to show some enthusiasm! In principle the product is a 3-D structure interspersed with crystals which you sit beneath. It is believed to emanate a strong energy and ease you into a deep meditative state. Some people have presumably received some benefit from it...
Satya Jewelry
Just beautiful. Honestly - you need to check out their website.
Conscious Chocolate
We bought three bars of these! Conscious Chocolate hand-make organic, raw, vegan chocolate made from primarily wild ingredients. There are so many different flavours, all of which are great tasting. Our favourites are Cheeky Cherry, The Nutty One, Goji and Coconut and Lion's Roar.
We will definitely be coming back again next year - thank you to Tracey for letting us know about it!
Namaste!
- rosinaviolets x
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