8, 9 AND 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 We are delighted to announce that internationally renowned ashtanga yoga teacher, Nancy Gilgoff, will be returning to Yoga Mama and The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy in September for three days of Mysore-style ashtanga yoga workshops. This is a unique opportunity to practice with Nancy, in her only teaching dates in London this year. Book early if you would like to attend, as places will go quickly. ABOUT NANCY GILGOFF Nancy is widely respected as one of the greatest pioneers of ashtanga yoga to the West. She was one of the first westerners to study ashtanga yoga over 30 years ago with K.Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. She is the director of Maui's House of Yoga and Zen. Her studies have led her to the dharma teachings of the Dalai Lama and the expression of love and compassion for all beings. We are honoured to host Nancy's only workshops in London this year. PROGRAMME OF EVENTS Tuesday 8th September (8:30am - 11:30am): Mysore ...

8, 9 AND 10 SEPTEMBER 2015 We are delighted to announce that internationally renowned ashtanga yoga teacher, Nancy Gilgoff, will be returning to Yoga Mama in September for three days of Mysore style workshops. This is a unique opportunity to practice with Nancy, in her only teaching dates in London this year. Book early if you would like to attend, as places will go quickly. BOOKINGS Bookings: call 020 8789 3881 or email info@putneyclinic.co.uk .

I recently did a 2nd series Ashtanga yoga adjustment clinic with Nancy Gilgoff in Berlin. Here Nancy shows how to crawl up from lotus position when learning this pose-She also recommend practicing lotus legs whilst in headstand, to gain strength and find the lotus without using your hands- Nancy is nearer to 70 then she is to 60-what an inspiring woman she is. 

I feel really lucky to have practised yoga with the two people I would call the most influential teachers in my yoga practice, Nancy Gilgoff and Sharath Jois, here in London this summer (see previous blog items). Nancy has of course known the Jois family for many, many years and recommended practising ashtanga yoga with Manju, if I got the opportunity. StillPoint yoga London hosted him here in London and I managed to get along to one led ashtanga yoga class. It was a wonderful experience and I can only describe it as a "soft and joyful" practice. It is always interesting to see how the same yoga asanas (more or less), are taught differently by different teachers. Manju counted us into the pose but not once we were in it. I glanced at him in in what seemed to be a very long Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana and saw that he was counting to himself throughout. This really made me smile. The long pranayama and chanting were the best and was indeed the pranayama practice Nancy ...

I love this...Thank you to  Amanda Manfredi  for sharing.

My daughter has been practising yoga on and off for a number of years. She and my son grew up in a household where yoga is a way of life for me. I have never imposed yoga on my family, but I have to say I love having my daughter in my classes. She has started to have a much deeper understanding of yoga and this understanding is helping her through a very difficult and stressful period of time as she prepares for her degree show at Central Saint Martins in London. I am currently her only yoga teacher but I am hoping she will be able to practice with my own teachers, Nancy Gilgoff and with Sharath Jois when they are in London over the summer. I remember discussing with Nancy many years ago how it felt to see her daughter practising with her. She had said she always loved looking through her legs and seeing Vanessa on a mat beside her. Vanessa now assists her quite often when she is teaching around the world. My daughter and I discuss yoga. All limbs. Not too much because, in a way...

A photo from the workshop Nancy taught at my Putney Studio June 2012.   www.yogamama.co.uk wwwputneyclinic.co.uk

This video is just fabulous-Thank you to the person who posted it. How wonderful to have all this information, from all these amazing first generation Ashtangi-So much shared knowledge and wisdom and not an asana in sight. 

Nancy Gilgoff London Ashtanga Yoga workshops 26 th -28 th June 2012. It is a great  privilege  for us to be hosting Nancy Gilgoffs only London yoga workshops. Nancy is widely respected as one of the greatest pioneers of ashtanga yoga to the West.  She was one of the first westerners to study ashtanga yoga, over 30 years ago with K.Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India.  She is the director of Maui’s House of Yoga and Zen www.ashtangamaui.com . Her studies have led her to the dharma teachings of the Dalai Lama and the expression of love and compassion for all beings.  Nancy travels throughout the US, Europe and Japan sharing her experience of yoga. We are very honoured to have her come and share her wisdom with us, on her rare trip to London. Workshop dates and format. Tuesday 26 th June 8,30am -11.30am ; Led class followed by Q&A and examining the breath in the practise. ...

Without the work of Sri K Pattabhi Jois, Ashtanga yoga would have been lost. All modern practitioners of Ashtanga yoga benefit directly or indirectly from his teachings. Sri K Patthabi Jois learned from his master Krishnamacharya, whose own master was Ramamohan Brahmachary. My own yoga teacher Nancy Gilgoff learnt directly from Pattabhi Jois. For me, keeping close to the lineage is very important. I try my best not to dilute my physical yoga practice and continue to study the text of Patanjali (Pattabhi Jois said he taught Patanjali's yoga). This, alongside reading items by writers who have given a lot of time to research both the history, and the physical practise of Ashtanga yoga. I am currently reading this book on my Kindle: Ashtanga Yoga: Practices and Philosophy by Gregor Maehle The first two lines above are quoted directly from this book by Gregor Maehle. It is a fascinatingread so far. My well-thumbed book, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ...

The past seven months have been a pretty difficult time in my life. As a family, we lost two friends to suicide, one of whom was 18 years old. My daughter became really unwell and we spent months trying to discover what was wrong and what we could do for her? The house was burgled, the dog had a major operation, the Vespa was stolen, the car blah, blah blah... Life stuff! Shit happens to everyone! Throughout this time, I consistently showed up on my yoga mat. I showed up and cried. I showed and did standing poses. I showed up and did what ever I could, but I showed up. For me, when I am in emotional pain, I feel it physically in my body so I had to sit with myself at times and allow those emotions to surface; something that is not always easy. I had to with draw from the debating society as my physical yoga practice felt like it was going backwards and I had to accept this. Binds I once had were no longer there, poses I once loved became my nemesis, I continued to place my mat on the f...

I have just booked a place on this workshop with Nancy Gilgoff in Tarifa, Spain. Adam Keen & Theresa Appleby have set up a beautiful yoga space in an area renowned for its windsurfing beaches. I had been trying to arrange to practice yoga with Nancy in her home studio in Maui, but life was getting in the way of making this big trip from London. I am delighted to be able to take the short flight and practice yoga with Nancy. She has so much wisdom and is always willing to share it. I would highly recommend practising Ashtanga with the grand dame, Nancy. June 2nd to June 6th: Nancy Gilgoff - 5 Day Practitioner’s Workshop Nancy began practicing Ashtanga yoga over 30 years ago with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and was one of the first Western women to study with him in Mysore, India. As a result of their long and close association Nancy is able to teach with a style and touch that comes directly from 'Guruji' who has told her to teach the same way he taught her, advice which she took ...

Nancy Gilgoff Yoga workshop 10 , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Drop back with Nancy Gilgoff - at her workshop in Wiltshire. Nancy will be back in the UK in July 2011.

I recently had the pleasure of attending Nancy Gilgoff’s Ashtanga workshop, the only one she will be holding in the UK this year. I have practised with her on many occasions and it is always a privilege for me to spend time with one of the world’s most renowned Ashtanga yoga teachers. Nancy was one of the first Western women to practice Ashtanga yoga with Sri Pattabhi Jois in India back in the 70s. She arrived at his shala with a lot of physical pain and, with the help of Pattabhi Jois, she was able to begin her wonderful Ashtanga yoga journey, which has now continued for more than 30 years. She was able to work through her physical pain using this physical form of yoga. Nancy has also studied with the "silent sadhu", Baba Hari Dass, and will sometimes refer to his teachings. She says that what she learnt from him has also helped her as a teacher. I missed the Friday evening led class, but I could tell immediately when I joined the Saturday intermediate class that there had b...

Here are some pictures taken during the yoga weekend in Wiltshire last weekend. Nancy Gilgoff Nancy Gilgoff and myself Photo taken during yoga session

I have just returned from a fantastic weekend in Wiltshire where I attended Ashtanga yoga workshops with Nancy Gilgoff. Nancy was one of the first western women to practice Ashtanga yoga in Mysore with Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) back in the 70's. She and her partner at the time, David Williams, brought SRI Pattabhi Jois to the USA and opened up the door of yoga to the west. Nancy has been practising this style of yoga for more than 34 years and has an amazing ability to share her knowledge of Ashtanga yoga, as it was taught to her, by her guru, Guruji. As the Ashtanga yoga practice has been embraced by the West, it sometimes gets slightly diluted or changed. Change will always naturally occur as traditions are passed down, but sometimes the changes are not always for the best. Nancy has kept true to the Ashtanga traditional teachings, but is able to see when a western body needs to do something differently to continue on their yogic journey. I am lucky enough to have practiced with Na...