Cape Men's Yoga

After a great retreat weekend, we are back at our regular practice. Today, 28 July 2013, we had some new guys on board, regulars and returnees. We practised the fire meditation, examining the fire element and how it links up with our ability to generate heat, effort, power, creativity and change. Why get stuck in a bad place when through skilful effort we can bring about valuable changes? Life does not always deal easy cards and it certainly brings challenges and disappointments. That is part of what it is to be human. The key to a yogic life is to allow life to unfold and to find inspiration and quiet within the changes and flow, to turn the shocks into opportunities, and to avoid doing harm to yourself or others - ahimsa . What we focus on, how we interpret certain events can pull us down, lift us up, make us feel stuck, or open up new ways of seeing a situation. This is also true in our yoga asana practice. If you are looking to touch your toes, get stronger, become calmer or

It is a humbling experience. Imagine having a dream about connecting people and sharing life-skills to bring men into a supportive network of yoga practitioners in the full sense of the word. And then it happens! Twenty-one men gathered at the beautiful Bodhi Khaya retreat centre between Gansbaai and Stanford in Western Cape Province for a weekend of yoga and meditation. The theme of the weekend was exploring four basic elements: air, fire, water and earth and how these link to our understanding of ourselves and the India yogic system of chakras. The focus was on the lower chakras which are associated with the main elements and which are governed by the heart. One can take this literally or figuratively. In either form it creates a framework for considering how our body is truly made up of other elements which have come together in such a configuration that it permits us to be alive. And on another level it is a metaphor for how we live, how we balance our habits and attitudes to

Dear Yogi brothers, We had a great class today - an asana practice at intermediate level, a savasana meditation and then a meditation on our inner light - connecting with the other men's light and sharing compassionate brilliance to all who need it out there. It was an inspiring class to share together. There is no class on Sunday 21 July 2013 as we have our Overberg retreat weekend. There will be 19 of our members there for a weekend of diverse yoga, meditation, sharing and deepening our lives through our community of practice. If you are in Cape Town and looking for something to do, there is a very special event on at the River Club in Observatory. Renowned dhamma and meditation teacher Thanissara (from Dharmagiri retreat centre) will be in dialogue with social activist and national icon, Dr Mamphela Ramphele. The poster is below. The next Cape Men's Yoga class is on Sunday 28 July 2013, at 10h00 until noon. Kindly contact us by email for further information: capeme

Our regular classes are back on schedule. We welcome you to two hours of nude men's yoga, meditation and pranayama breathing. Classes are from 10h00 - midday, Sunday 14 July 2013. You need a mat and a sweat towel. The room is heated. Yoga style is vinyasa dynamic yoga. The venue is in Hout Bay, Cape Town. There is secure parking. For more information email us on capemensyoga@gmail.com Namaste

Getting ready for the retreat! Cape Men's Yoga will hold its third major retreat from 19-21 July 2013. We have 18 confirmed participants. Teaching will be provided by skilled and qualified yogis - Sean, Aidan and Nigel, with input from Duncan and Bradley. The yoga hall has underfloor heating, there is a nice log burning fire. Participants are invited to bring blankets with them for some of the early meditation sessions. A renowned chef will be providing vegetarian meals throughout the weekend. For any further information, contact capemensyoga@gmail.com