Episode 46: Adapting to Change and Embracing Chaos with Naomi Annand

Naomi has been teaching yoga full time since 2002. Over this time she has developed a deeply compassionate style of teaching that emphasises the therapeutic benefits of yoga and also its potential to uplift and inspire. In 2012, she set up Yoga on the Lane with the intention of creating a dynamic community of teachers and students united by their commitment to practicing mindful, breath-led, vinyasa yoga. And then, in 2015, she designed the 200hr Yoga on the Lane Teacher Training Programme, which has set more than fifty brilliant new teachers off on their own paths. In October 2019 her first book, Yoga: A Manual for Life was published by Bloomsbury, and is currently being translated into six languages.

In this episode, we talked about:

Adapting from having a neighbourhood yoga studio, ‘Yoga on the Lane’ in Hackney, London, to an attic studio teaching classes online during lockdown
The surprising intimacy of continuing classes online and connected community
‘Yoga: A Manual for Life’ came out in 2019
The reality of being on screens more
A time to renew, challenge and push boundaries
Managing highs and lows and finding balance with Type 1 diabetes
Daily space to meditate or practice yoga to support energy levels and lessen anxiety
The link between autoimmune conditions and empathetic personality types
‘Little and often’ practices are little moments for yourself
Many people don’t ever have their ‘Teacher’ or a lineage, but we can all tune into our own experiences and find our own way
Noone ever feels ready
Naomi joined the Royal Ballet School at 12 years old and was in a competitive environment but experienced camaraderie and deep friendship
In the Royal Ballet Company from 17 until 21 and retired following a stress fracture in her foot
Contradictions between ballet and yoga - working on turnout (Charlie Chaplin stance), so standing with parallel legs was a challenge initially
Initially Naomi practiced Bikram (hot) yoga and brought competitiveness, striving and pushing to her practice.
She studied pregnancy yoga with Francoise Freedman founder of Birthlight and her soft, rounded approached opened up a new way of teaching
Not a hierarchy but a collective
Celebrating what your body can do
The power of yoga beyond the mat
Evolving from an extreme yoga practice to one that’s more poetic
“Connecting to the body and feeling part of an experience beyond my skin”
Yoga is democratic- everyone is breathing.
Naomi remembers creating meditative space and doing visualisation as a child
Retreats at Gaia House
Explore meditation by finding a space, making time, and start by sitting and watching the breath for 2 minutes
The nervous system can’t take on too much change at once, it wants to shift gently over time
Sit with your hips higher than your knees, against a cool wall
You can create a shrine for yourself with an image that’s meaningful and a candle to burn if you want to, but these are extras
If you’re struggling with sleep, try not to implement practices just before going to bed. Instead, affirmations such as “I am resting well” or “I am supported by my sleep” can be helpful to repeat throughout the day. Then, a restorative yoga practice later in the evening can be supportive, such as lying with the legs above the wall to drain the effort of the day, or lying over a cushion on the belly. Some yoga postures in the morning can help to raise energy levels if you haven’t slept well
Practicing with children as a playful exploration and embracing the chaos. Seeing children as guides in order to break through patterns