Two years is no long stretch at ZenYoga Camberwell

This is an article I wrote about the 2nd anniversary of the ZenYoga studio. It was published by the SE5 Forum.
Here is a related article I wrote about ZenYoga which was published on the South London daily magazine belowtheriver.co.uk

On Sunday 16th June, the ZenYoga studio in Camberwell celebrated its second anniversary. The studio runs a variety of yoga classes and workshops throughout the week, and is the home of a thriving Zen meditation group led by Zen Master Julian Daizan Skinner (the first Englishman to become a Zen Master in the rigorous Rinzai school).

The ZenYoga studio. Photo credit: Hogetsu Baerndal.

The party began with a Precepts Ceremony (Jukai) led by Daizan Roshi for Michael Nathan-Pepple, inducting him into the Zen Buddhist path. Founding member Chris Owen then gave some heartfelt words of thanks, and related the story of an encounter he had four years ago with Daizan Roshi's teacher, Shinzan Roshi (who lives in Japan). After asking him to bow forwards, Shinzan beat him five times on the head with his fan and told him he must find a centre for the burgeoning zen group to practice in!

Fearing what he might be hit with next time, Chris found an ideal place through his contacts at the Butterfly Tennis Club in Camberwell. In what was (previously) a sales office for an up-market residential development on Camberwell Grove, ZenYoga (also known as the Yugagyo Dojo) has grown to become a much-needed oasis of calm just off the busy Camberwell Green, and a perfect practice space for both yoga and meditation.

Video greetings from Matt Shinkai Kane, a zen monk who has spent some time practicing with the group in the last few years, and Shinzan Roshi were projected onto the stunning Enso (circle) hung at the far end of the room. From Shinzan Roshi, now in his late-70s, came an incredible bubbly vitality and an encouragement to everyone to practice, practice, practice.

The enormous Enso was originally drawn by Shinzan Roshi himself at the opening ceremony of Zen Yoga back in 2011 with a cloth broom. The event was documented by Astrid-Hogetsu Baerndal as part of her year-long photographic study "A Portrait of Zenways", a contribution to the London Village Project organised by London Independent Photography. A selection of these photos formed a stunning backdrop to the party, capturing some of the people and events that took place in 2011-12 at Zen Yoga (published as part of a book).

Most of us who have been to a yoga class or two might have heard of styles like Ashtanga or Bikram, but not many people have heard of Zen Yoga. When I asked Daizan Roshi, himself a very experienced yoga teacher with over 5000 hours of teaching practice, he said that Zen Yoga "emphasises physical alignment, the flow of energy in the body and the student’s quality of awareness." Poses or movements are designed to "bring parts of the body into focus so that we can become aware of any tightness or restriction", and that the simple awareness of these areas can lead to them shifting and releasing. He went on, saying that "the great Zen master Hakuin taught that Buddhas (enlightened/awakened beings) are like water and ordinary people are like ice. Zen yoga practice melts away the tightness and resistance that prevents us from enjoying the flow of life."

For more information, and to see the schedule of classes at ZenYoga see www.zenyoga.org.uk.