Back in June my friend Tracey and I won third prize in the Blossom and Yarn Knitting festival raffle. Sadly it wasn’t enough to retire on but we decided to put aside our winnings and spend it on something we could both enjoy! One of the interests we have shared over time has been yoga and we have both been going to the same class for some 13 or 14 years! So we decided to invest our winnings in a day trip to London for the Om Yoga show.
Neither of us get out of Norfolk very much so it was a real treat to escape to the bright lights for a bit. Typically we had a bit of delay on the train to Kings Cross but by mid day we had arrived at Ally Pally amongst many other yoga pant clad members of our tribe!
After collecting our freebies and our Om Yoga bag (a very disappointing paid extra to our booking with nothing in it – not even a free copy of the magazine!) we made a plan for the day. I chose a free half an hour class while Tracey picked a meditation for us. So after a quick circumnavigate of the hall we found ourselves with around 30 others ready for a Vinyasa flow class with Rishin Paonaska. I have to say at first it felt very strange doing yoga in a very noisy wide open public space but we soon got into the flow of what was a dynamic and, towards the end, challenging sequence (Note to self: do some work on crow pose!).
Class over, we refuelled with a bit of lunch before some serious stand visiting. There was so much to see and so many lovely yoga leggings, mats, tops, etc. buy. I also thought that I would try and increase our winning streak by entering into as many competitions as I could to win a yoga retreat for us! Between us we made a few purchases – including bracelets, eye pillows and incense and a copper drinking bottle for Tracey.
Soon it was time for our meditation in the Rja yoga meditation space. It took me a while to relax into this as the hall was very noisy with music, general hubbub and gongs which were were being randomly banged on the stall next door, but it was a lovely restful 20 minutes out after a long day.
After a final sweep of the stands in the Yoga show we finished our visit by taking a trip round the Mind, Body and Soul Experience in the hall next door. I have to say I found some of the stuff on offer a little too “west”, but we did have a lovely automated neck massage and I got to snap a rather grumpy goddess! (See photo below!)
After more fun and games on the tube on the journey back which delayed us again, we eventually arrived back home at 10.00pm. I have to say it was well worth the trip giving me lots inspiration and food for thought for hopefully a new path on my yoga journey. Watch this space for more updates!
Great post Debbie, you might now become an annual visitor as the shows motivate your continued journey! Good luck ? with the competitions, if you win can I sneak in your suitcase ???