Student of the Month - May 2025 - Joe
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👩🎓🎓🌟STUDENT OF THE MONTH🌟🎓👩🎓
May 2025 Student of the month is...... Joe Lamonby! Joe is a dedicated yoga practitioner who rarely misses his weekly class. He brings determination to every asana, an attitude likely rooted in the competitive spirit that has driven his lifelong involvement in sports. That passion for physical activity is clearly influencing his yoga practice. Joe also has a great sense of humour, and we often share a laugh about the various knocks and injuries he still picks up in his athletic pursuits. It’s been wonderful to see how he values the supportive role yoga plays in his sporting life and how his interest is now beginning to grow toward the mental benefits as well. He has a busy few weeks ahead of him getting ready for his forthcoming wedding - we wish him and Mary all the very best for their special day which coincides with the International Day of Yoga!
❓Tell us a little about yourself……
🧘My name is Joe. I’m 68 years old and live in East Coker with Mary and our three dogs. In June I’m marrying Mary who also attends Lisa’s yoga class. Between Mary and I we’ve six children and, to date, seven grandchildren. I’m a retired engineer and worked in the electricity industry. I thoroughly enjoyed my career, working on a number of nuclear power stations and working most recently as Chief Nuclear Officer for a nuclear site management company.
❓What made you start yoga?
🧘We took up yoga after Covid in 2021. My objective was to improve my flexibility as, in many years of playing football, I’d picked up a few injuries and experienced quite a bit of wear and tear of my joints.
❓What is your favourite pose?
🧘My favourite poses are the virabhadrasana (warrior) poses. The poses give me great leg stretches.
❓And what is your favourite prop?
🧘The prop that I find most helpful, is the belt which helps me with a number of stretches, eg getting my leg ‘more’ perpendicular in supta padangusthasana. (I have much respect for the many members of our class who can perform this exercise with relative ease.) The prop that I enjoy using the most is the mat when relaxing in the savasana at the end of the class.
❓How has practicing yoga benefitted your life?
🧘Yoga has helped a lot with my overall fitness. The classes provide a structured build-up of the poses and gradually work the muscles while Lisa ensures that we exercise within our personal limitations. I’ve recently started playing football again – well, walking football – and I’m really enjoying playing for a local over-60s side. Yoga has also helped me with the flexibility beneficial for a golf swing although unfortunately it hasn’t helped to improve my accuracy! And whilst I started yoga primarily for the physical benefits, I am appreciating the sense of calm experienced at the end of the class.
❓What makes you keep practicing?
🧘I enjoy the classes and value the benefits of yoga for maintaining flexibility. The sessions are always interesting and good humoured.
❓Anything else?
🧘I wish that I’d started yoga a few decades ago and I’ve become an advocate of the benefits among my friends and family. My younger daughter Chloe has come to a couple of Lisa’s classes with me.
Thank you Joe for sharing your yoga journey with us!❤🙏❤
Joe in his favourite warrior pose - Virabhadrasana 2
A pretty perpendicular supta padangusthasana 1
Joe and his beautiful bride to be Mary
Joe keeping up with his practice in South Africa