Pratyahara by the pool, with my ego (and others) for company

I retreated poolside this afternoon. I didn't want a swim, I just wanted some quiet mat-time. But we don't always get what we want. My mum wanted to come with me. She wanted to watch. She also joined in for a bit! Then Hubby came along. Partly I think to distract Mama. He took a few photos.... Continue Reading →

July 31, 2015 4

Guilty eating

I worked myself up into a small tizzy recently about telling my mum and dad that I'm not eating meat at the moment, given that we're all away for a week's holiday together. They are what you might call traditional English eaters -- meat and two veg and all that. Plus they regularly fret about... Continue Reading →

July 30, 2015 2

Doing nothing is doing everything

I think of energetic people as active, always on the move. Energy equates in my mind to restlessness. But paradoxically, the more energy I come to have, the more I discover greater depths of patience. More energy means I can move more, but it also gives me a greater capacity to be genuinely still. At... Continue Reading →

July 28, 2015 3

Hot holiday yoga

Yoga on holiday -- sometimes a challenge, but always a pleasure. A bit like yoga at home, now that I've put it that way! Yet holiday yoga always feels different. Why is that? Is it the warmth? Hmm, maybe, but my usual studio is far from cool, nor is my home on home practice days. It's certainly not... Continue Reading →

July 27, 2015 4

Sweet vairagya — cake and yoga

My teacher started class last night with a personal story. It was about wanting something, having it taken away, finding a way of accepting that — and then having it offered to you after all. It happened trivially, rather sweetly, to be about wanting a cake-trip to a favourite café. But it could have been... Continue Reading →

July 22, 2015 1

Goodbye Nutella — it was nice knowing you

It was a landmark moment a few weeks ago when I finally threw out the half-eaten jar of Nutella in the kitchen cupboard. I can't remember when I last ate it; I've long favoured this bizarre paste made with brazilnuts and cocoa. It tastes a bit earthy, like some long-lost, slightly grizzled distant relation to... Continue Reading →

July 22, 2015 4

Their needs, my needs

These past few days I've been at a conference, so each day has been all about talking to delegates. And I've given a presentation. Plus I've had breakfast and dinner each day with a colleague who definitely likes company more than I do (what is wrong with eating alone, I ask myself?). Being with people... Continue Reading →

July 20, 2015 2

Relax, I’m a first-aider!

I'm now a trained first aider! I recently completed a three day course with the St. John's Ambulance, a charity in UK that provides first aid training for the public and sends volunteers to attend sporting events and suchlike. The course I went on was really well done and I met some interesting people there. We were... Continue Reading →

July 15, 2015 4

Metronomes and breathing in yoga asana

My teacher often says that yoga is just about breathing and that asanas are just an extension of this. It’s one of those things I hear, but my brain can’t quite compute. Intellectually I think I get it, but experientially not so much. I mean I know that pranayama is one of the eight limbs... Continue Reading →

July 12, 2015 8

Giving and receiving: some recent experiences of yoga adjustments

Ever since I started practising with a teacher who's very hands on in class I've wondered about the role of adjustments in yoga asana. I've deliberately not read much about the theory, though I get the impression adjustments are a highly contentious issue, given the potential for harm -- whether physical or psychological. For now I’m... Continue Reading →