Report on CYTA’s 40th Anniversary and Training Day
‘Embodying the symbolism of the Chakras, through Yoga and Sound.’
Words by Judith Lynch
On 9th August 2025 Helena Turner led the annual Training Day at Dunham Massey Village Hall. Afterwards we celebrated CYTA’s 40th Birthday with a festive shared lunch.
Helena introduced the topic of Chakras and described them as “a channel to explore the body/mind relationship”. Her approach incorporated associated aspects of each chakra – mudras, yantra (geometric images), colours, petals, chants and vibrations. Affirmations were spoken by Helena with accompanying singing bowls. She encouraged us throughout to take time to appreciate our bodies and our minds.
It was suggested we start with awareness of the ajna centre (brow centre) as this is the control centre between body and mind. We chanted Om, concentrating on the third eye.
Moving then to the root chakra we practised a slow breathing exercise, focussing on the 4 sides of the yellow square of the muladhara yantra. Inhalation, pause, exhalation, pause. The grounding function of the root chakra was emphasised by practising foot, leg and pelvic floor warm ups to strengthen muscles in the lower trunk and to experience, through steady breath and movements, our root connection to the earth. This built into bridge posture. We practised earth mudra with thumb touching ring finger and rest of fingers curled towards the floor. We took time to appreciate what makes us feel safe/supported in life. Chant Lam.
We practised lying with knees to chest, circling into hips and rocking on the lower back to feel the sacrum , the location of the svadhistana chakra. Mobilising the spine with slow cat movements where we were encouraged “to map the movement in our mind”. We focussed next on cat balance. The water element was emphasised with a flowing sequence rocking front to back and then into a lovely crescent moon balance. Cupped hands mudra and Vam mantra was followed by affirmations and then holding lower back/hips to help us truly allow joy into our lives, by making peace with any deep fears we may harbour.
Manipura chakra involved us in more dynamic stretches, lifting our energy and creating heat. “Churning the mill” seated forward flow was followed by the woodchopper pose with a loud “ha” exhalation. Linked hands on tiptoes, side bends and big swing twists with arms wrapping round the solar plexus area completed moving the spine in each dimension. I particularly enjoyed the version of Warrior 1 leaning forward with palms together and index fingers pointing firmly ahead to help us pin our courage to the mast acknowledging our personal power and aiming strongly to achieve our own goals. (Incidentally my class have named this the James Bond pose) We stood applying our mudra – palms over our stomachs – and chanted Ram.
Anahata (heart) chakra saw us linking our hands together above head then behind backs into forward fold and then a back bend to squeeze our shoulder blades together. We practised versions of Warrior 2, with hands in prayer position and then looking up at open palms. Palms awareness apparently links body to mind and of course to the heart. We were also saying thank you to ourselves for our intentions, aims and achievements and for the help we received in the past or in the future, whilst staying with our minds in the present moment. Mantra: Yam.
Helena told us the throat chakra is about accepting life as it is. Its function is communication. Expressing ourselves well in all its aspects eg good listening skills and saying what we really feel clearly and calmly. Vishuddi is associated with the element ether so there is an expansive aspect around bringing our ideas into the world. Thinking of space and our voices we practised a strong mini sequence starting in star stance with wide legs and arms, looking upwards, alternating with goddess asana on lion’s breath exhalation, arms down and palms facing forward. An exhilarating asana to practise. We placed our hands into the conch mudra shape and also chanted Ham.
And so back to the ajni centre (brow chakra) We practised focussing our breath at this chakra and tnen breathing from there into the centre of the brain and back again. This Helena told us once more is our control centre. We are in charge of our own body and mind.
For relaxation Helena treated us to a singing bowls session. She also talked us through a visualisation of each of the chakras’ colours and their number of petals. We imagined appropriate coloured felt tip pens and drew, then coloured in, the appropriate number of petals for each chakra. We imagined placing our petal drawings at the location of each one.
Thank you very much Helena for teaching us all in such an interesting and informative session. I am sure we all learned new things about the chakra system and also enjoyed all aspects of our practice that morning. It felt really good to work slowly and mindfully throughout the session. I am also sure it inspired the attendees to look at the chakras with new eyes.
Afterwards we enjoyed a veritable feast with an astounding range of delicious shared food, finishing with a very tasty “birthday cake” to celebrate the astounding 40 years of our CYTA organisation. A slide show of a huge range of events and activities and people over many years played in the background as we ate our lunch and chatted merrily.
Thanks to everyone who attended this celebratory event and to CYTA Committee for organising it. Also thank you to all CYTA members and committees over the 40 years since the organisation started up.
Please click here for David Glover’s video of the Sound Bowl Meditation on YouTube.
