Videos from Dianne Bondy
When lockdown first started, I found myself stuck at home with a lot of time on my hands. To inspire both my own yoga practice and my teaching, I made it a mission to seek out inclusive yoga teachers online. As many of you have heard me say, Yoga With Adriene is great if you have a body like Adriene (and Candace and Kassandra and the various other young skinny white women who tend to dominate YouTube searches). But if you’re older or bigger or injured or disabled or not a cis-gender female? Chances are that a lot of the content from well-known online teachers isn’t that accessible or enjoyable for you. It worries me that so many people get put off yoga because they feel like a failure after trying such a class. But there are loads of great teachers out there who DO offer inclusive videos, and by sharing their work here I can hopefully help you with finding resources easily and confidently. Which leads me to introduce the fabulous Dianne Bondy!
Dianne was one of the teachers that I discovered early in this process and I become more of a fan every day. Definitely consider subscribing to her YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWcJy1CK5mknhyPu7SIZ1w?sub_confirmation=1 : she posts new videos every Tuesday, in which she consistently encourages safe use of props and creates sequences that help you to move confidently within your own comfort zone. She’s also a great poster on social media, so if that’s your vibe you can find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DianneBondyYogaOfficial/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/diannebondyyogaofficial/. I definitely recommend following her if you want to learn more about the contemporary experiences of black people living in North America.
Here are three videos from Dianne that have influenced my own teaching recently.
1) A tutorial for using blocks
As many of you know, I LOVE props - and blocks are my favourite of all the props! In this 5-minute video, Dianne demonstrates how blocks can help avoid wrist and shoulder pain during downward dog and plank. We’ve been using this strategy a lot in recent classes, and I recommend that you find a bit of time to experiment with different block placings/heights to find your comfort spot in various poses. There are lots of different types of block available, so if you live nearby and want to try a few different types before buying, drop me a line.
2) A ten minute flow
I’m enjoying this flow and how it encourages us to reach in different directions - which is a great physical AND mental practice! You’ve probably spotted some of the shapes in my Monday classes recently and I’m hoping to teach the whole sequence next week. The practice begins at 1:50 with a brilliant talk-through for tadasana, which makes a great one-minute practice in its own right. Dianne then leads us through standing crescent moon and a wide-legged forward fold, before moving into a sequence that uses high lunge, warrior two and chair as the foundation for various twists. Unlike many twist-based sequences from other online teachers, Dianne actually cues the poses so that there is space for our bodies! There are kneeling and standing variations, and the sequence is repeated several times so, if you want to take things slowly, you could alternate between watching Dianne and joining in (just make sure you go to both the left and right sides).
3) A post-run stretch
I’ve run every other day since the start of lockdown. Which I think must be about 45 runs by now! I always run the same 2.5 mile route and it still takes me about 40 minutes, but I enjoy getting out of the house and seeing the seasons slowly changing. I’m certain that the reason I haven’t got injured, or felt stiff after running, is because I’ve religiously done yoga before and after each run. Having the time for such an approach is definitely a major lockdown benefit! Dianne shared this 15-minute post-run session recently and I’ve started doing it after one run each week. It begins with a series of slow stretches that will be familiar to anyone who comes to my classes - so it’s also a great video for those of you who don’t run but want a general, whole-body stretch without having to worry about ‘keeping up’ with a complicated sequence. The last five minutes use a foam roller which, until massage therapists are allowed to return to work, is the only thing keeping me mobile! If you want to invest in a foam roller, definitely get a long, sturdy one. Or if space/money make it an unattractive option, you could do the exercises in this video using a spiky ball.
If you try these videos, let me know how you get on! And if you like them, definitely follow Dianne for more resources.