This weekend we hosted the lovely Mimi Kuo-Deemer for the first of her five yoga and qigong seasonal (five elements) workshops. A naturally gifted teacher, Mimi has a captivating, joyful presence and a deep understanding of yoga and Daiost philosophy. Her workshops are uplifting, informed and full of laughter and her teachings are profound and enlightening, yet always accessible and engaging. Her topics are broad-reaching ranging from Chinese medicine to Martin Luther King and quirky anecdotes such as the one about the tired man in the Mac Store who Mimi taught the energising “bubbling spring” technique whilst purchasing an iPhone!

Mimi’s next workshop at the Shala on 13 June will explore Summer and the element of fire and will focus on exploring transformation, purification, spirit and joy. The beauty of the five elements is that they are cyclical and without distinct starting points or ends so the programme of five seasonal workshops does not need to be taken sequentially and you can start with any one of the workshops – or just take one workshop individually.