Commit to yourself

and a few things about number 'three'

When I started offering yoga classes on zoom, I decided to make them very accessible financially (you can get a 5 short class pack for £12,50) because I wanted to encourage people to do yoga three times a week.

Why? Because that’s when you start feeling a difference and this is what will keep you motivated. I didn’t choose the number 3 because according to the website numerology.com, ‘Its energy is youthful and positive and it has an incredible zest for life. It dances from one enjoyable experience to the next, eager to interact with others along the way. The prized skill of the number 3 is communication and it uses this talent to build a wide and interesting circle of friends, lovers, and kindred spirits.’

I said number 3 based on my own experience both as a practitioner and as a teacher. But what does research says about this?

Practice & the Growth of Myelin

According to a research published in 2022 in Communications Medicine, exercising three times a week has beneficial effects on memory in people over 55. But to be honest, most research focuses on ‘regularity’ rather than a specific number. Researchers agree that practising regularly is crucial and it has to do with ….. myelin!

Myelin is the white fatty insulation that encloses certain axons and nerve fibres. It is also the substance that the immune system of people living with MS destroys. We keep creating myelin around our axons throughout our life, but at a slower rate as time goes by. Researchers identified cells in our brain that play a key role in creating new myelin. They are called glial cells. They also found out that regular practice increases neural activity that causes the growth of myelin. More practice = more myelin, and more myelin = better performance.

Up your Game

So we need regularity! But what about intensity or progression? Some prefer to stay at one level instead of moving up to the next level. It is totally fine if you want to relax for instance and the class gives you just that. But if you want to improve your strength, flexibility or fitness, then at one stage you’ll need to challenge yourself a bit more to progress.

Obviously this is a very general observation and there might be more reasons why someone prefers to stay in a given class, at a given level (for instance, due to balance issues you might want to stay in a chair yoga class). But if you want to progress….

there is always a way

I try to offer a variety of live classes at different times during the day (See TIMETABLE) but it is clearly impossible to suit everyone’s needs. This is why I created 3 VIDEO COLLECTIONS (I hope this number will help build a wide and interesting circle of friends, lovers, and kindred spirits.’) so everyone can choose a class that suits their level and timetable. And right now, until April 15th, there is 20%. Just use the code BACKONTHEMAT as the checkout.

Finally, as some of you know, I always finish my classes with AUM… Guess what? The Symbol of AUM consists of three curves representing the three states of consciousness. The sound of AUM has three hidden sounds and the word AUM has three letters. I had no idea I would write about numbers today… it just happened ;-)

Hope to see you soon on the mat.