“Gary, you taught this (Viloma Pranayama) during one of the sessions at work. I use it frequently when I wake in the middle of the night and feel restless and cannot get back to sleep. Concentrating on breathing really helps me settle and before I know it the alarm is going off! – Lynn Jones, September 2015; to read blog on Viloma go to http://www.yogabristol.co.uk/2015/07/13/viloma-in-practice/
“The stress reduction session was very nice by the way, I enjoyed it very much! Gary had a lovely voice, so relaxing! Hope to apply what he told us, his explanations were very nice.” – staff member at Airbus, September 2015
Today’s Breathing and Stress Reduction workshop was excellent. Wish I could bottle this and send it to my patients. Would make my life a lot easier.” – Dr Lynn Thompson (GP), March 2014
“I have been coming to Gary’s yoga classes for a while now, I suffer with frequent migraines and advanced arthritis in my hip due to congenital hip dysplasia. The result of these ailments is that I have taken over 2,500 strong painkillers in the last 5 years (possibly more). I’m 36 now and know that this is not a sustainable way to live. I was starting to get even worse headaches from taking the painkillers amongst other side effects!
“I recently attended one of Gary’s workshops which is a longer session of 3 hrs, so there is time to really focus on the breath and meditation practice. I can be a fidgety anxious person at times. A few days after attending the workshop I got my usual monthly migraine in the evening, I unconsciously reached for the painkillers and for the first time I stopped and decided not to. I lay down and concentrated on my breath, (something that was fresh in my mind from the yoga classes), I was able to observe my usual racing thoughts that come at a time like this. I watched myself stressing about the migraine. Was I going to feel sick? Was it going to be a really bad one with a thumping headache? Was one side of face going to feel numb? Will I feel like death tomorrow? Oh no I have so much to do tomorrow….. and so it goes on. I realised that none of this was going to help me and what will be will be. As I concentrated on my breath my anxiety came down and down until I had feeling of calm, this was physically tangible, not just psychological. All I knew after that was that the sun was coming up and the birds were singing and I had no headache, just a really good night’s sleep.” – Nicola H, Feb 2014
“Gary runs workshops on Saturday mornings, these are a great way to start the weekend and to master the postures and breathing techniques.
“In our busy lives, we often say we don’t have the time to do these things; Gary’s classes give time and space back to ‘me’; essential in our hectic lives. My mind and body feel nourished.” – Beverley W, Feb 2014
“Gary has been my one-to-one meditation/life coach for nearly a year now and I am completely satisfied with the way it’s working. It’s great to have someone to talk to about meditation’s ups and downs and is a most valuable tool for me. Gary is very knowledgeable and I feel ever so slightly more enlightened after each one of our meetings! Thank you Gary!” – Jamie Bell, Sep 2013
“I had regularly gone to Gary’s workshops in previous years, but for about a year I stopped going. At some point I realised that something was missing in my life and I decided to renew my practice and came to this summer’s workshop. I cannot remember when I felt so good! After the workshop, I felt that I could do tons of work without being tired and exhausting my mental energy, I felt like wanting to do things, even mundane, even my admin, which I usually find tedious (does not everyone?). In short, I found that vital energy and love to life again. We all need from time to time to see a new perspective in life and Gary’s workshops help me to see my life at a different angle. All we do is yoga and pranayama, but this practice, actually, in combination with Gary’s inspirational teaching, help you to get rid of repetitive thoughts and old ideas, which seem to dominate your mind at times, such ideas become so unimportant and distant and your mind starts ticking in the more productive and positive direction.” – Maria G, June 2013
“Just wanted you to know that I haven’t deserted your Monday evening yoga class. I’ve had acute pneumonia and been in hospital for a week. Apparently if I hadn’t been fit this would have been a lot worse. So I thank you for your excellent yoga class, I’m sure it all helped. Also, when I had difficulty breathing I did some of your breathing exercises which helped to calm me down. So I won’t be along for a while, but will come back as soon as I’m able.” – Caroline, February 2013
“I’ve never experienced anything quite like Gary’s yoga and meditation workshops. It is for me a very rare opportunity to spend three hours completely switched off from the world. It’s difficult to describe the sense of total and absolute relaxation that I always reach by the end of the sessions. Any worries I may have about work, family or finances all seem to fade away. I can’t recommend the workshops enough.” – Lee D, November 2012
I wanted to share this experience with you. I do practice the breathing techniques you taught me, they help. Particular help was needed yesterday in the middle of my exam. I was not feeling well, I had a hay fever attack and took some tablets to stop me from sneezing during the exams, but of course, such tablets have got a side effect, I felt drowsy. I was beginning to lose concentration in the 3d hour of my exam, I went to the bathroom and did the breathing technique (with one nostril closed at a time). I came back, one must say, re-energized and calm and the symptoms of allergy almost gone (later re-appeared though). I was able to continue focused on my exam.
I have got another exam coming up, need to focus more. Feel like have got more control after some breathing exercises. Helps a great deal. — MG, May 2012
“I was initially rather daunted by a full 3 hour’s workshop as I have only been practicing yoga for around six months (and only 1 hour a week) but I wanted to take things a little further. I need not have worried – Gary made the time fly by very quickly and successfully managed to cater for the varying abilities of the people attending. I also enjoyed the meditation session far more than I was expecting as Gary broke this down into bite sized, manageable sections of ten minutes or so. I will certainly attend another of these workshops” — Tracy C, May 2012
I think your website is excellent – your writing on issues of yoga and philosophy in general are inspirational and informative. Your classes are also the best I’ve ever been to; I’ve practiced yoga for very many years, sometimes alone, sometimes in classes and although I’ve had some very good teachers (and a couple of mediocre ones), you are definitely the best. Your style is a perfect combination of teaching, the physical elements of yoga and the spiritual connection of yoga/Buddhism.
— Yvonne Holland, Feb 2012
