Tibetan Yoga comes to Somerset

05/09/2007

Caroline Sherwood, who had already completed a fairly intensive seven year meditation training involving a lot of physical exercise, thought she knew everything there was to know about relaxation - until she started training in Kum Nye Tibetan Relaxation in California back in 1981. Meaning "massage of the subtle body", Num Kye is gentle, and ideal for all ages and levels of fitness.

"Kum Nye came as a total revelation to me” said Caroline. "It's the Heineken of exercise systems, reaching muscles you didn’t know you had and it teases out and dissolves tensions that other methods don’t reach!” But if you think this must make it tough and arduous, you’ll be relieved to know that it is actually quite gentle and the exercises are performed even more slowly than T’ai Chi movements, making it suitable for people of all ages and levels of fitness.

Kum Nye was introduced to the west by Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan lama whose father was also a doctor. Originally practised by monks sitting in meditation for long hours, often in confined spaces, the exercises (there are over a hundred of them) come from the Tibetan medical system and have a beneficial mental and emotional effect, as well as being deeply relaxing physically. This is reflected in their names, such as Loosening up the mind, Calming inner energy, and Transforming emotions.

Caroline has taught meditation since 1980, including courses at Strode and S.C.A.T.. She only asks a £10 deposit to secure a place on her one-day workshops and teaches for donations. “I don’t think you can put an accurate price on this work, because it’s not a commodity to be bought and sold. I think it’s important that everyone can afford to have access to it.”

Weekly drop-in classes are held in Glastonbury, Somerset starting on 13th September. The charge of £6 per lesson (or £20 for five in advance) is to cover the hire of the hall.

There are also a series of one-day West Country workshops in September, October and November. Advance booking is essential so that Caroline can find out if you have any health problems or injuries. For more information, please phone 01458-830138.