“Hey,” said Matthew, wheeling past me as I arrived at Triyoga.  I felt star struck.  I’d been re-reading his book, ‘Waking’, the night before; an intimate glimpse into a life I found so inspiring.  Now I was sitting chatting with Matthew, about to participate in his all humanities yoga class.

The description had made me tingle; ‘this class explores universal themes within asanas for all levels of ability and disability – from someone paralysed and confined to a wheelchair to the most advanced asana practitioner.  Asanas will be taught in a manner that reaches everyone simultaneously.  Participants will perform their own poses, help each other, and learn from each other.  When ability and disability authentically show up and share universal vulnerability, the releasing humanity is transformative and life changing.’ I had eagerly booked my place for Matthew’s class in London. 

The story Matthew shares has deeply inspired my yoga practice and life beyond.  He is an internationally recognised yoga teacher from the States, both for able and less able bodied people.  Paralysed from the chest down in a car accident that killed his father and sister when he was just thirteen, he discovered through yoga how he could still tune into sensations of his inner experience, even in the parts of his body where he is paralysed.  He has delved deeply into his mind body connections, and continues to help others do the same.  “I haven’t had to overcome my disability to become a yoga teacher; I’ve lived my experience.”

During our pre-class chat, I got the feeling Matthew was looking right inside me.  He seemed to know things about me I didn’t yet know myself.  There was an intensity about him I found intriguing.  He was also smiley and warm, and intuitively seemed to understand me.  He wanted to understand me.  The fact that we were both sitting there in wheelchairs, talking about practising yoga from the inside out, gave an immediate connection.  He offered me two pieces of advice; “take support,” and “be a smart yoga student (not a good yoga student).”

The class took place in the brand new ground floor studio at Triyoga Camden.  There were around forty participants; a mix of yoga teachers and adaptive yoga students.  It was the first class I’d been to with others in wheelchairs.  “Yoga’s the time I’m at peace in my body,” said the lady next to me.  Our experiences and approaches to our yoga practice were all so different.  But we all had something to give and we all had something to learn.

Meeting Matthew Sanford – All Humanities Yoga Class Part 2

You can read more about Matthew and about my own yoga practice in Yoga for Every Body.  A diary of my participation in his organisation Mind Body Solutions’ fundraiser ‘Kiss My Asana’ begins here.