A friend was recently telling me about a novel she read where the protagonist's inner self appeared as a character, a literary device to explore how hard we are on ourselves and dramatise the effect our self-criticism has by making it visible to the character in the book. We agreed that we often say things to... Continue Reading →
Practising sauca (cleanliness) with the hairdresser
I tend to get a bit esoteric when I address the yamas and niyamas. It's part of my tendency to over-think and intellectualise that often means I skip over the obvious and jump to the obscure if I possibly can. The (ni)yamas I think about the most are the ones my brain doesn't understand. I've temporarily... Continue Reading →
babycrowyoga hits the newsstands!
I am super-excited to have a small piece in omyoga magazine this month! Brace yourself, regular readers -- it's about my hamstring! It's a bit of a whimsical piece written in the style of a love letter, but there's an underlying serious message about how we treat our bodies (or how our ego perceives our... Continue Reading →
Finding energy in class
I've been thinking a bit recently about teachers and classes, wondering what makes a good class experience and what the role of a teacher is in that. I'm coming at this from a couple of angles, so brace yourself for more posts as I work through some thoughts over the coming months -- and do... Continue Reading →
My Hot Yoga nightmare
It wasn't until I was in the changing room that I realised that I hadn't brought my shorts with me for Hot Yoga. On top I was wearing a vest, so that was ok, except that I wasn't sure I had a bra on underneath. I had vision of embarrassing exposure every time we did cobra. No,... Continue Reading →
When even restorative yoga class is too much
I felt totally bleurgh today. Nothing dramatic, nothing life-threatening. Just an M.E. day. How does that feel? It's boring to describe, but basically like I've run a marathon, have jet-lag, with a dose of proper flu on top. The longer, and slightly more boring, version is something like: severe headache making me feel sick, muscles feeling... Continue Reading →
Time out with Patanjali
Happy monthi-versary to me -- it's now just over a month since I started back attending yoga classes after a few months off with injury. I just realised this and can hardly believe it's been so little time. A real case of time flying. It made me think that I should pause, take stock of the... Continue Reading →
Barefoot shoes and yoga feet
I'm getting more and more obsessed with my feet. It's that time of year here in UK where I've just about transitioned from my trusty Uggs to wearing something less warm and cosy for getting to and from yoga class. I've rediscovered my very light and cool (they are more mesh than anything else) barefoot running shoes.... Continue Reading →
Vinyasa in the real world
In my early classes I was as graceful as a hippo: I didn't feel graceful and I'm sure I didn't look it. One of the first things my first yoga teacher explained to me in my very first class was what vinyasa meant -- placing in a special way, deliberately, thoughtfully, with intent. And as with... Continue Reading →
“God be in my understanding” — a yogi’s perspective
Just because I can't define it or describe it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I'm talking about spirituality and yoga. Or rather spirituality and my yoga. It's something I feel very uncomfortable about as a lifelong atheist. And yet my yoga practice was never a purely physical practice; it sprang from my meditation. But increasingly I... Continue Reading →