The yoga of airports? Not so much!

I'm writing this stuck at the airport trying to get home after my conference. The weather is bad so I'm delayed. But at least we seem to have a flight time. And if it sticks to that new schedule I will not quite be home before the end of today, but not too far off... Continue Reading →

March 31, 2015 3

The yoga of conference attendance?

What have conferences got to do with yoga? To be honest, I'm not sure. But I'm at one now, and I've been struck by how different my behaviour has been both towards other people and towards myself this time around. And I can't help feeling this is at least partly due to my yoga practice... Continue Reading →

March 30, 2015 0

Flying carpets and the weight of expectation

I've heard people describe their yoga mat as a flying carpet, alluding presumably to the places it transports them in their practice. Having been on the road with my mat for a month in Greece I'm just back at home for a day before I head back to Heathrow for another trip. So I also am feeling... Continue Reading →

March 28, 2015 4

Is yoga blogging a selfie in words instead of pictures?

My last days in Greece are at Delphi, known to the Ancient Greeks as the centre of the world: the myth is that Zeus sent two eagles off in opposite directions and they crossed paths at Delphi, so Delphi was called the 'navel' (omphalos) of the world. Cue many comments from my husband about 'navel-gazing'... Continue Reading →

March 27, 2015 8

In and out of the comfort zone

It's often said that Patanjali has little to offer on asana practice. Even so, I reckon that sthira sukham asanam (YS 2.46 "asana should be stable and comfortable") is one of the better known sutras. But I confess Patanjali's advice here has always just seemed something that might possibly apply to other people, but definitely not to me.... Continue Reading →

March 23, 2015 4

On my mat with the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I love audiobooks. They are terrific for me when I'm too tired to read and want some easy entertainment. Recently I've been revisiting my childhood and listening to an audiobook of the Narnia stories by C.S. Lewis. One of the plot devices in the stories is that Narnia time is different, and that however long... Continue Reading →

March 21, 2015 4

Eating in Greece — or “when in Rome”

I wrote recently about 'flexitarianism' suggesting that this could be viewed as an approach to eating and nourishment that adhered the concept of ahimsa (non-violence) by being mindful of what was appropriate in any particular situation, although not applying consistent food rules like vegetarianism and veganism. Being away from home and in a different country naturally disrupts one's diet (i.e.... Continue Reading →

March 20, 2015 1

Me and my physio

It seems like a long time ago that I frantically asked my teacher for physio recommendations. Now I feel as though I practically have A on speed-dial! She's been great in helping me heal the damage to my hamstring tendons and very patient with me, despite the fact that she more often deals with proper... Continue Reading →

March 18, 2015 3

Enjoying sufficiency — on and off the mat

Being away from home with limited possessions, clothing, books, company, and vocabulary even has paradoxically made it easier to focus on what I have, rather than what I don't have. On this trip I often feel that everything is simply sufficient, all that is required. Amazing preparation and uncanny packing abilities or just my state of... Continue Reading →

March 16, 2015 3

Silence is the language of God

“Silence is the language of God. All else is poor translation.” Rumi A while ago I wrote a first little something about the ineffable quality of the divine wondering what I might do with the notion of union with the divine in my own yoga practice. This is uncomfortable territory for me: I was brought up in a god-less... Continue Reading →