Welcome to the first of our occasional newsletters for u3a Yoga Group Co-ordinators with news about forthcoming u3a Yoga Events and a Spring practice you might like to share with your group.

Patricia, u3a Yoga Subject Adviser

Update: Since taking over the Subject Adviser Role from Peter Burton in Autumn ’23, it’s been good to have the opportunity to correspond and/or ‘meet’ many of you via our Zoom sessions. Since November ’23, we have had a few online events, from an initial question and answer Subject Surgery Session, to how to set up a new Yoga Group. It’s been a good chance for a few of you to share tips and help each other with issues or problems in running your yoga group.

Events: Our next online workshop is on Monday, 25^th March, 2024 from 10.00-12.30

The theme is ‘Sharing our Yoga Practice.’ Our colleagues will share short practices with the group and as usual, there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. Book via Eventbrite on the online events webpage. 

York Festival Weekend 18^th-20^th July 2024: Details of all the workshops and lectures will be coming out soon via the u3a office. If you’ve not already arranged to attend, please consider it as there is a huge variety of topics on offer. I’m running gentle Yoga sessions on the Friday afternoon and Saturday morning – so it would be great to meet a few of you in person if you are free to attend. Rather optimistically, I may include an optional ‘mindfulness’ walk in the lovely campus grounds after the Saturday slot. However, this will be weather dependent.

Feedback and Contributions:  Over the last few months, it’s been useful to hear from many of you ‘out there’ who are running Yoga Groups in your u3a communities. The relevance of the Subject Advice and content of workshops very much depends on what you each feel is of benefit to you and your group. So, please keep suggestions coming, and if you have a particular anecdote, tip or resources to recommend to others, please email a short ‘article’ and I’ll include this in the next newsletter.

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Jargon buster of the month : YOGA

What is ‘Yoga?’ is it a whole body exercise system, a tool for chilling out or what? The term comes from a translation of the Sanskrit word for ‘yoke.’ As with any translation, some of the subtle meaning can be lost. In this case, ‘yoke’ is taken to mean ‘union’- ie the integration of mind, body and spirit via the regular practice of dhyana ( meditation), asana ( postures) and prananayama ( breath control.) Therefore, yoga is so much more than a series of physical movements.

Book of the month: Johnson, W.J. ‘The Bhagavad Gita,’ OUP 1994

The classic text which contains the ‘essence’ of yoga. Perhaps – for a future workshop?