Food on the go

Readers who know me in real life often ask me about what I'm eating now. I've written now and then about the shifts in eating habits that are occurring, and I know this intrigues them (as well as making socialising a little more difficult!). In the last 18 months I've gone from being staunchly omnivore,... Continue Reading →

December 30, 2016 4

Awesome mindfulness

The really hard thing about mindfulness, moment to moment non-judgmental awareness, is in overcoming the over-familiar, not going on auto-pilot and missing half the story because it's so obvious it doesn't seem worth noticing. Changing some aspect, creating a different background, shakes things up and helps you notice more. I feel this in yoga asana: putting the... Continue Reading →

December 28, 2016 0

Christmas Yoga

One of the things I love about being away from home is that you have only limited possessions -- for a while at least. I'm not brave enough to do this at home in the context of my normal life even though I'd love to really pare stuff down, but when I'm travelling for a... Continue Reading →

December 26, 2016 3

Gone surfing

Destination reached and now we're properly on holiday after an epic journey. So much impatience in the modern world about arriving when really the idea of travelling half way round the world for a week's holiday is on a certain level quite bizarre. Certainly an indulgence, however you look at it, but one I'm prepared... Continue Reading →

December 24, 2016 3

Airport weirdo

I'm on the road right now. So I'm practising the yoga of travelling. The yoga of patience and allowing events to unfold without the ability to change much of what happens. I am a passive player in this and the experience of recognising that and just flowing along is quite interesting. Could I maintain this attitude... Continue Reading →

December 22, 2016 3

Validation and witness

"I give you permission NOT to do full Chaturaṇga each time". I wondered at this comment from my teacher in class today. Do people really need this permission? Do they feel some necessity for this action in every vinyasa? If they do, would the validation of the teacher make a difference? I wonder... I don't do... Continue Reading →

December 18, 2016 6

Saplings

I was teaching a complete beginner recently. What an experience! A challenge, but mostly just a delight. And an honour. Teaching challenge: How to describe the shapes, when the names of postures are meaningless? How much to demonstrate as a short-hand description but how to avoid setting an impossible standard (not that my shapes are... Continue Reading →

December 17, 2016 0

The sweetness of nāda yoga

Recently I haven't felt much like moving. It's the time of year maybe. English winters are so terribly dreary; not cold enough, not dark enough, just endless grey days of mild drizzle or dampness. Everything stagnates. For a while I tried fighting through which resulted in some very messy classes where I just upset myself... Continue Reading →

December 15, 2016 0

Physio for the brain

I was back with my physio this weekend, checking progress with the exercises I have for the pain in my right tricep. Initial diagnosis was that this was related to stiffness in my neck. She had expected it to resolve in a week. Three weeks on and my neck and scapulae seem to have increased... Continue Reading →

December 11, 2016 0

Winter break

My regular weekly semi-private has finished for the year now. The girls are busy with pre-Xmas stuff next week and then I'm travelling over the Christmas period visiting far-flung family. They were (gratifyingly!) disappointed that I wasn't around more to continue teaching them once they were done with their parties. It reminded me of years... Continue Reading →