🌟🧘‍♀️STUDENT OF THE MONTH🧘‍♀️🌟

🌟July 2026 Student of the month is… Jane!

Some people seem to have yoga in their DNA…..

From the very first time Jane came to class, I had the feeling that this was not her first encounter with Iyengar Yoga. She seemed to instinctively understand the work… naturally finding alignment, listening deeply to the instructions and quickly processing what she heard.

Whether or not you believe in reincarnation, there is something about Jane’s practice that makes me wonder if she has done this before. Perhaps, in another lifetime, she was already practising yoga. Perhaps the seeds of that practice have simply carried forward into this one.

There is an instinctive understanding in the way Jane works. She is systematic, attentive and incredibly focused. She doesn’t need a lot of instruction or correction; she listens, observes and then seems to understand. I rarely need to say very much to her during a class because she picks things up so quickly.

And this, to me, is beautifully connected to the vijñānamaya kośa - the sheath of wisdom, discernment and understanding. (I will be teaching more about the kośas, the layers of our being in my upcoming summer workshops).

For some people, when they come to yoga, it can feel as though everything has to be learned from the beginning. For others, something seems to be waiting there already. A familiarity, an instinctive understanding, a recognition. Jane is one of those people.

She works with such concentration and focus that the practice seems to reveal itself to her almost effortlessly. Not because she doesn’t work hard - she does! - but because she listens so deeply that the instructions become understanding, and the understanding becomes action.

Jane, it has been a joy to watch you practise and to see the quiet, thoughtful way you approach your yoga. You are a very deserving Student of the Month. 🧘‍♀️✨

❓Tell us a little about yourself

🧘🏼‍♂️Hello, I'm Jane and I live in West Coker with my partner Steve. I work for a firm of financial advisers and spend much of my time in the office crunching numbers, so I like to get out and about when I'm not at work. I enjoy exploring local villages, especially if there's a fete and a tombola to try my luck on. I also enjoy "trig bagging" – tracking down the concrete Ordnance Survey trig points that are often found on the top of hills. It takes us to places we might never have visited otherwise and, although it can involve a steep climb, the views are usually well worth the effort.

❓How long have you been practicing yoga?

🧘🏼‍♂️I first tried yoga about 25 years ago, but I moved house and changed jobs - life moved on, and yoga slipped into the background. Then, when Lisa started a class in the village in 2018, I decided to give it another go, and I’ve been coming ever since.

❓What made you start yoga?

🧘🏼‍♂️I’d always been fairly flexible, so yoga seemed like something that would suit me and help me stay that way. But I soon realised there’s a lot more to it, and that flexibility isn’t always the advantage I thought it was. What’s kept me engaged is the precision and clarity of Iyengar yoga - the way each pose is broken down and worked through appeals to my sense of order, and that steady, methodical approach is what’s kept me coming back.

❓What’s your favourite pose?

🧘🏼‍♂️Trikonasana was one of the first poses I learned, and it’s stayed a favourite. I love how the whole body gets involved — feet, legs, hips, trunk and arms — and when everything works together, there’s a real feeling of openness and lightness.

❓What’s your favourite prop?

🧘🏼‍♂️A chair – I find it really versatile. It can provide stability, support and a bit of leverage when needed. I love that it can be used in so many different positions – open or closed, forwards or backwards, up or down – depending on what the pose needs.

❓How has practicing yoga benefitted your life?

🧘🏼‍♂️Yoga has become a really important part of my week. It gives me a bit of space to slow down and focus, and I like having that built‑in pause where I can just be present for a while. Some weeks it helps me settle, other weeks it gives me a bit more energy, but whatever the class is like, I'm always glad I made the effort to go, even on the dark, cold winter evenings when it would have been easier to stay at home.

❓What makes you keep practicing?

🧘🏼‍♂️I like that there is always something new to explore and improve, and that the practice can be adapted to how you are feeling on the day. Coming to class also helps me maintain some discipline, especially when my home practice is a bit hit and miss!

❓Anything else you’d like to add?

🧘🏼‍♂️After starting and stopping yoga many years ago, I’m glad I found my way back to it. I enjoy that there is always something new to learn and that the practice continues to evolve over time.

Thank you Jane for sharing your yoga journey with us! ❤️🙏🕉️

Student of the Month - July 2026 - Jane

Student of the Month - June 2026 - Mark Probert