FM
What are your yoga plans going forward
It’s my dream to eventually open a Sattva yoga centre in London. In
the meantime, it’s my mission to make Sattva accessible to people
who wouldn’t normally go to a yoga studio. Currently I teach classes
at a gastro pub in Earl’s Court. I call it pub yoga. It’s really taken off.
The great thing is I’m getting a good turn out of guys, much more
than you would typically see in yoga studios. I would also like to hold
classes for special needs people. I can see Sattva greatly benefiting
people with autism and Downs Syndrome particularly.
Tell us about Australia’s yoga scene
Like London, Sydney’s yoga scene is thriving. There are a lot of large
studios around now. My favourites are the ones still maintaining a
sense of ‘sangha’, of community, such as Yoga Bowl in Lane Cove. It
started out as a boutique studio on a bowling lawn. Last year they
celebrated 10 years and this year moved to a new space in the Lane
Cove Tennis Centre. It’s owned and operated by Mitch Gibson who’s
a yoga teacher herself. When in Sydney I always make a point of
going to do a class with Mitch. Everything she does, from her classes
to her retreats, have so much love and care put into them you can’t
help but have that feeling of home after being in her presence.
My other favourite studio is Dharma Shala in North Bondi which
offers beautiful, free flowing vinyasa classes. I particularly like the
way the teachers explore pranayama and mantra. Marc Wittenberg
is one of my favourite teachers there. He brings a lot of integrity,
strength and humour to his classes.Anything else
Someone asked me the other day if I’d ever go back to TV
presenting. Well, never say never. But if I did, it would be different. I’d
be presenting something like Yoga TV or documentaries that aim to
raise consciousness.
After I gave up TV, I began a writing project. A screenplay. A
sci-fi thriller about human evolution and all the things that have
captivated me on this spiritual path, such as ancient civilisations,
quantum physics and consciousness. Screenwriting is a huge
commitment. My co-writer and I get together to write three or four
days a week, four hours a day. And we’ve been at it for 10 years. But
we’re nearly there. We are on track to finish our final draft in time for
the Cannes Film Festival next May.Caleb Packham teaches at Embody Wellness
(embodywellness.co.uk). For information about his Pub Yoga
classes or to discover more about him visit: yogicaleb.com