Zero Gravitas
योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥२॥
Yoga doesn’t need to be fancy. It needs to work.
There’s enough yogic literature, content, advice, culture, and sham-spiritualism out there to make you queasy. As a sweaty, grunty, inflexible noob, I absolutely dreaded entering yoga studios. (If you know the feeling, then read on.)
My uncomfortably-seated Adidas-clad-ass would draw disapproving looks from the coterie of be-mala’d regulars, whose communion with the divine I’d clearly interrupted as I clattered in to class (late, of course) like a low-frequency fart. Amidst all the eye-rolling, I found it strange that almost none of what I’d read of yogic philosophy was reflected in the practice. Acceptance, for one thing. I often imagined Patanjali spinning in his grave, as I noticed everything seemed to centre around achieving advanced asanas, body shape, the latest lycra, and spiritual baubles.
So if you’re as tired of all that yoga-tosh as I am, then, dear reader, allow me to welcome you to Zero Gravitas.
Here you will find a style of yoga that simply derives from the source, the Yoga Sutras. And who am I to be putting my flag so firmly in the ground, you may rightly ask? Well, despite what natty yoga schools or guru-culture would have you think, no one actually owns yoga, and it really is for everyone. After all, it’s the subjective science of the self - a laboratory, in which the body and mind are put to the test, observed, and treated accordingly. The goal is simply to bring the disturbances of the mind under control.
Drawing on a combination of traditional yoga techniques and modern science, my approach always has efficacy at its core; I share what has worked best in my own practice. Informed by a background in endurance sports and martial arts, I aim to build resilience, concentration, and sensitivity in students, since my experience is that the greatest joy comes from simple, honest work towards inner peace.
I call it reclaiming your spaceship. Because unless all is well with the craft that carries our experience - its hull and its operating system, the body and the mind - nothing will be well with the world. And no amount of money, power, sex, drugs, or Drum & Bass will ever change that.
Enough middle-women and middle-men. Enough empty promises and false prophets. Enough seriousness, enough pushing, comparing, fighting, and straining. Enough gravity and heaviness. Just movement where it’s needed, stillness when it’s due, and - if nothing else - plenty of play along the way.
Zero Gravitas means yoga for lighter life. That is my commitment to the practice.
Yoga for Lighter Life
In the true sense of the word, ‘yoga’ - etymologically linked to our words ‘yoke’ and ‘unite’ through the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ - is the process of transforming suffering through a series of systematic mental and physical practices. These involve ethical alignment, stretching and strengthening the body, controlling the breath, and focusing the mind.
When we sense ‘no medicine in the world can do [us] good,’ we begin to set external solutions to our problems aside, as naturally as day follows night. Instead, we embark on a journey to reclaim that most vital sovereign territory: the space within.
Yoga for lighter life is simply a modern restatement of the first verses of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: if you bring the mind to heel, life feels clear and bright.
Sounds to lift your movement.
In my free time I also like to mix music. I’ve curated some for flow yoga, running, and cycling. You’ll get informed on a new release via my newsletter. Click through to my YouTube and Soundcloud pages.
“The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path, I walk in peace. With each step, the wind blows. With each step, a flower blooms.”
Thich Naht Hanh
Book a class with me or express your interest in the forthcoming outdoor classes in Brighton!
Not sure about it? Lets chat anyway. You can book a slot for a free video call with me here, or send me an email if you prefer, and I’ll take you through my class format whilst also helping me to understand your needs.