Summer Celebrations

Interestingly, this summer I have had unexpected contact from students who I originally taught mainstream yoga in my Grove Park Yoga Centre some 42 years ago. As well as hearing from some YOU & ME Yoga Trainers, including Jo Osbourne who has given permission for her email to be shared on this blog:

'Hi Maria, I thought it was about time I let you know how much your work continues to help the children of New Zealand.

'I trained with you in London many years ago and have been living in New Zealand for the past 14 years. I just wanted to let you know that I continue to use YOU & ME Yoga with my paediatric physio clients on a regular basis (one-to-one usually) with great success. I still use the resources you provided and continue to enjoy teaching yoga to my clients and their siblings as an activity they can often do together. 

'Well done on keeping it going
Jo Osbourne'

Children’s Physiotherapist, YOU & ME Yoga Trainer, NZ International Association of Infant Massage (IAIM).

This article ‘London school sees positive effects in 10 months’ sums up Jo’s first yoga group that was published by British Wheel of Yoga, SE Newsletter, 2008

Mandy ffrench

Earlier this summer I met up with Mandy ffrench who first attended my Grove Park Yoga Centre in 1976 and soon after became the student’s registrar. Then she became a reflexologist with her own training school and 15 years ago moved to Australia. During Mandy’s visit to her family, her daughter Paula Lloyd organised healing camps at two music festivals in Kent, The Food Fest and the auspicious Black Deer Festival.

Paula invited three other healer friends to offer a variety of massage, Mandy and Paula offered reflexology, and I taught chair yoga. Our healing camp (as seen here with Paula) was very popular at these festivals. People were able to chill-out in a serene, comfortable area and it was very therapeutic for us six to spend two weekends together in such a special way!

Then during Mandy’s last weekend in England, her, Paula and I attended a Massage and Meditation Retreat at Osho Leela in Dorset which was such a lot of fun. The weekend course reminded me of the benefits of massage and of living in a well-organised commune, meditating, eating and sharing with many others.

Rosie and Nick met at Grove Park Yoga Centre and ended up getting married 37 years ago. I was invited to their wedding reception, where they hired a double-decker red bus to drive their family and friends to Brighton beach for their reception on the promenade grass area. 

This summer, I was invited to their big family party with 26 members. We had a glorious time in a beautiful spot with scrumptious food and delightful people.

How blessed I am to have made such wonderful friends to share and to have fun with since teaching them yoga. And to learn that YOU & ME Yoga continues to benefit Jo’s paediatric physio clients on the opposite side of the world.