David Michel Yoga

Crikey there seems to be all sorts going on in the world.

What is happening is what is happening. There's always something happening. Sometimes there's a heck of a lot happening. But, what is happening is actually of very little lasting consequence compared to how we manage ourselves with respect to what is happening.

Our wellbeing is ultimately formed, and reformed, from that 'how', not from the 'what'. Is my heart still aligned with the love that I am, even in the midst of what is happening now? Do I believe that such an alignment is possible, regardless of my passing circumstances? Is there some aspect of me that is unshakeable, immovable, eternal? On the chance that the answer to these questions is yes, roll your sleeves up and turn inwards. When that which is truly essential in you is sorted out from the fray, the 'happenings' all around us, and within us, are much more enjoyable.

Giving thanks is a practice, as well as a way of being in the world.

There is no such thing as a muscle cell that doesn't have a motor unit connecting to it. That means literally every microscopic part of all of your muscles are in communication with your brain. Every part of the muscle hears every word that you think.

And that's not all. You have tens of trillions of cells that move in concert with your brain, swirls upon swirls of energetic purpose in every organ, every single one responding in kind to your thoughts and feelings. When you are feeling gratitude, they know it! They exult in it! Liver cells, heart cells, you name it, they all celebrate when they receive your grace, and the resulting activity and chemical releases are emblematic of their appreciation, as they shower love throughout your physical being. This gift, your body, is soooooo good! It will always surpass my understanding. Give thanks!

I hardly use my phone these days, especially not for social media. Not because I think we need a revolution, and not because of some big epiphany. Although my phone has a strange way of making me feel like I need it to stay relevant and connected, it turns out that the complete opposite is true. Less time in the virtual world is amounting to more time on the teachers mat in the real world.

I'm giving my love (in the form of my full attention) to my students, my friends, and my family. I'm watering the plants, harnessing and nurturing my teaching and training skills, and I'm feeling more grounded and thankful than ever.

I'd love to share some time on the mat with you soon and will make a big effort to put some updates on here in the coming weeks🙏

The human body is perfectly tailored for a life full of movement. And it's awesome fun! I believe it's time to shift focus towards real world exercises that access a wider range of muscles, with an emphasis on mobility, flexibility, and endurance.

Anyone else fancy hopping on the trajectory to become one of the healthiest 90 year olds to ever walk this planet? 👵🏼💪

200hr YTT New Dates, spring 2025.

I am super proud to announce that we will be running our renowned 200hr yoga teacher training in Sandwich, Kent. The founder and owner of the studio, Betty Rose-Johnson, is a graduate of this course, which makes it feel all the more special to be launching here.

If you enjoy trainings that hit home, uplift, educate, and meet your interest in all things body, mind and spirit, then this is for you. We have only just announced the new dates and we are already almost half full. Get in touch via the link in my bio to find out more.

The news about Sir Chris Hoy has had such a deep impact on me. I put some of this down to my longstanding love for cycling, and the fact that cycling was always the bonding platform between my dad, my brothers, and me.

I’m no stranger to cancer, and I’m no stranger to grief. My mum passed away from cancer a day before my 23rd bday (I rode this bike from London to Paris in under 19hrs for cancer research month later). My dad is currently living with cancer, and both my uncle and grandma have had cancer that thankfully has been treated successfully.

Today at the swimming pool I noticed conversations happening throughout the morning between the men in the changing rooms. I have also had conversations in recent days with the men who I am closest to in my life. The vulnerability bears a little less heavy when things are spoken about. It’s a great starting point. As much as I don’t fancy a finger up my bum, the actual off putting thing is the fear of bad news.

I’m only writing this because it could help more men to embrace embarrassment and vulnerability enough to open up the dialogue. Chris’ words will certainly stick with me:

“As unnatural as it feels, this is nature. You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process. You remind yourself, aren't I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible."

The heart of a yoga teachers role is to mirror back the inherent potential of the student. There is no formula for this process, but there are two essential ingredients: having empathy, and paying attention. While a student-teacher dynamic plays out in all settings (not just yoga), I do find the studio space a remarkable platform to help humans connect and grow.

Time is the most valuable thing that we've got. It's also the only thing in life that's impossible to get back. It blows my mind how easy it is to waste time, to give it to the wrong things, people, and places. Even worse, to give our attention to moments that aren't this one. Fulfilment and vibrancy are direct results of being present, here and now.

With gratitude... Use your time wisely.

Yin Yoga advanced teacher training day 1, and a few wheels beginning to spin.

Do our bodies merit the level of judgment, scrutiny, disdain, and even contempt that we too often bear towards them? Our bodies, recalcitrant as they are to our ephemeral standards of health and beauty, are nonetheless marvels of nature, infinite in their complexity, and sophisticated beyond our understanding in their self-operations.

When standing in front of the mirror on the brink of one more mental dressing-down for some perceived flaw, perhaps a pause, a return to the native truth: self-appreciation. It is inbuilt as an anatomical blueprint, written into the fabric of our tissues. A harder pause, and a light relief, is this definite knowledge: You are not just your body. You are neither flesh nor bone, both of which mysteriously come and go. Whatever the matter is, you are not that!

Breathe a sigh of self-welcome. You’ve known yourself to be who you are long before today’s particular aggregate of atoms assembled as that body you see in the mirror. Those atoms will pass from you as quick as they came, and still, you are you. Continuous, persistent, irresistible, conscious, and safe.

I've seen an increase in posts and articles lately about injuries that might happen in yoga. It's true that an injury can occur in yoga, and it wouldn't help to trivialise that point. In fact, part of how I make a living is because students know I teach a practice that is well-informed, mechanically sound, and sustainable. That said, remember to take a step back and see the bigger picture ~ nothing is more dangerous than being afraid to move your body.

Being unreasonably fearful of exploring movement poses a greater threat to your wellbeing than attending a movement class could ever bring. Take away the imagined future instance of injury, and you are left with a lighter, and more hopeful vision of what your rather miraculous body can do.

Today. This moment. This is the life that you’re living. I don’t believe anyone is keeping score of your degrees or accomplishments. Perhaps if anything, I imagine there is a record of your attention, your presence or affection, with regard to absolutely anything at all. Tying your shoes. Seeing patterns and colour variations in your cupboard doors. Smelling coffee and watching the spiralling steam as it rises from it. Suspending your mental wanderings long enough to listen and hear what your friend or lover is trying so hard to say. Because it’s not easy to say, is it?

Are you actually here? We are often mentally ‘somewhere else’. I wonder if we don’t remember our days very clearly because we spend most of them wandering internally amidst thoughts that amount to nothing more than a house of mirrors, endlessly repeating the same themes. This is your life. Not that story in your head. Not tomorrow. We’re invited to live it in our body, today. Hope to see you there!

I’ve been all over the world and until last night the best sunset I’ve ever seen was on a beach in Goa about 15 years ago. A photo can never match what your eyes see. The sun was ginormous, like a huge blood orange, lowering over still baby blue water. I’ve seen the sun set in Margate before but never like this. Now I know exactly what Turner was talking about.

It meant even more because some of my dearest friends finally met the wee man after almost a year and a half. Thank you from both of us for the big hugs and big giggles