Yoga teachers are amazing people. I've practised consistently with less than a handful of teachers in the almost two years that I've been practising. OK two years is not a long time, but I am ultra-picky about who I would put my trust in and offer my respect to. And I do have experience of teaching... Continue Reading →
Sharing my practice: yoga with a friend
Two mats are better than one! A good friend of mine is becoming increasingly interested in yoga -- probably because it features in almost every conversation we have despite my best intentions not to inflict yoga on all those around me. She should stop asking me what I'm doing at the weekend/evening/lunchtime... It always involves something yoga-related. She's... Continue Reading →
A weekend of celebrations
Happy International Yoga Day, yogis and readers! I was excited that my home studio was offering 'bring a friend for free' today to celebrate the occasion. Ordinarily this would have been a great opportunity for me to mix up my yoga with my social life and maybe introduce someone new to yoga. But I wasn't... Continue Reading →
May was (supposed to be) the month of pranayama
A good few weeks back kiwiyogirunner and I came up with a crackpot notion of tackling our mutual aversion of pranayama by facing it down and bringing it into our practice more during the month of May. I think she might have had a fever when she agreed to this. Her May didn't start so well... Continue Reading →
Space and boundaries: where I practice my yoga
I've been thinking a little about space recently, or maybe that should be spaces in the plural, since I don't mean the intergalactic variety but more on the smaller personal environment scale. I'm still thinking through the class vs. home practice thing I've been wondering about recently. An aspect of this is the different physical... Continue Reading →
The mad dream that is a yoga intensive
Real email exchange at work today: Me: Would you please let me know soonest if it's ok to book off the above dates as annual leave? Manager: Sure. Me: Thank you! I’ve logged it in the holiday tracker now. So I’m now committed to 28 hours of yoga in 3 days… Manager: Wow. Have you told... Continue Reading →
Sick and scared, but going to yoga class anyway
I don't remember what Sunday mornings used to be like before the introduction into my routine of a 2hour vinyasa class. Now I look forward to springing out of bed at 8am for a quick shower then getting a couple of miles across town without stopping for breakfast. Well, I always look forward to the idea of... Continue Reading →
Expressing happiness
I realised recently that I've developed an emotional tic of biting my lip. Not an anxiety thing, but as a way of controlling the insane grin that's liable to break across my face at odd moments when I relax. I notice this a lot while I'm out and about, walking to work, doing the shopping. It's less a... Continue Reading →
Support at home — exploring asana with props
A friend remarked to me recently how she hates it when her teacher quietly gives her a second block to sit on at the start of class. She knows its an ego thing, but she feels frustrated every time. My own teacher strongly encourages props in class, but I've rarely seen him impose one on... Continue Reading →
Philosophy and Prosecco — the bookends of my week
It’s been a bit of a week of gritty conversations. Not bad conversations necessarily. Just some big ideas, some open questions, and maybe there’s a radical solution kicking about somewhere. In all cases only time will be the judge. These conversations have had a philosophical, even existential, quality: - what is the relationship between meditation... Continue Reading →