When Connie Sporne took up yoga 25 years ago she had no idea that within a decade she would have relocated to Doha in the Gulf Emirates with her husband, an oil and gas engineer, and be teaching the practice in people’s homes, one of them a princess’s palace.
At the time she was living in Adelaide, had children, owned and ran a health food store, and was training to be a naturopath. A technique to reduce stress seemed a useful part of the mix.
Later, Connie moved to Melbourne where she took up yoga teacher training, and conducted classes that were attended by her daughter Lucy, then pregnant with twins, now aged 36 and also living in Alstonville.
Next came the move to Doha where she conducted classes attended largely by the wives of expatriate workers. These were run discreetly, as yoga, seen as a Hindu pursuit, is frowned upon by Muslims. It might be added that the practice is opposed in certain Christian quarters as well, presumably because its terminology is Sanskrit derived, although attempts to convert practitioners to Hinduism have seldom, if ever, been reported in Australia.
One stand-out student - in social terms, if not for yogic prowess - was a princess related to the Emir. Some classes were even held in HRH’s palatial home.
Like her mother, Lucy became hooked on yoga and went on to become a teacher herself, running several classes a week in Alstonville. Often these are attended by her mother, with Connie providing back-up when Lucy has children demands, or needs a break.
Both believe yoga’s value lies less in the physical asanas than in “the mental stuff… to encourage relaxation, and a better perspective on what life presents.”
As Connie said, “It teaches you to be an observer”, although this may be where one gets to when the physical exercises have become less challenging.
“The West is a body obsessed society,” Lucy added, and who could disagree?
“So the initial attraction of yoga tends to be about the asanas, but that accounts for only half of the levels. The real benefits are in its ability to assist with alleviating anxiety and depression… there’s nothing better than a perfect Warrior Pose.”
Suffice it to say that this familial double-act is doing much to benefit the health and wellbeing of the local community.
