Pioneering on and off the mat

The days that we spent out east in British Columbia were wonderful. It's technically a desert environment and the scenery was beautiful. It reminded me of parts of the Mediterranean: the desert sage brush looked from a distance like maquis and smelt a bit like it too. I was a bit frustrated that I... Continue Reading →

July 31, 2017 4

At whose convenience?

As well as adapting my yoga practice to travelling, I'm also adapting other behaviours. Diet is of course an area for compromise. In the city the veggie options were great, and I totally fell in love with one local restaurant in Vancouver. It had two versions of everything: one vegetarian, one full-on vegan. I'm hoping... Continue Reading →

July 28, 2017 4

Change of scene

When I'm at home I love to roll my mat out in the same place each time. I know exactly where I need to be to avoid the lampshade in Urdhva Hastasana... In my local studio I have my favourite spots also, depending on which class it is, how I'm feeling... Oh yes, many attachments... Continue Reading →

July 27, 2017 6

Bilingual yoga

I've been a few days in Montréal this week while Hubby's been at a conference. While's he's been engaged in serious work, I've amused myself wandering the city, sitting in cafés writing and people watching. There are some seriously cool people here and I have to say more handsome men in concentration than I've ever... Continue Reading →

July 24, 2017 5

Yoga training

I'm sitting my favourite way on the train -- facing backwards. I like to watch the landscape unfold in front of my eyes rather than seeking it out, craning forwards. It's like what one of my teachers says about receiving an asana rather than grasping for it. If there's a yoga of train journeys this... Continue Reading →

July 22, 2017 3

Flow of words

In my teaching this week I was thrown off what I'd prepared by a comment at the start of class which kicked off some ideas in my mind and the moment I opened my mouth I found I was extemporising from her comment instead of doggedly sticking to my prepared plan. The physical sequence was... Continue Reading →

July 21, 2017 5

What’s the answer? What’s the question?

My boss is just back from a conference so we spent some time chatting about it. The major theme for us was understanding how to organise information or data and how we find the information we need. We talked about the possible relationship between the availability of data and the questions we choose to ask,... Continue Reading →

July 13, 2017 2

Living in obscurity

Yesterday was Guru Purnima, a time to honour our teachers, in their various forms. I spent some time during the day reflecting on the most obvious teachers in my life and the many ways they help me, and my students too, with some appreciation now of how knowledge and understanding is transmitted by each of... Continue Reading →

July 10, 2017 1

Forceful yoga

I was listening to a senior teacher talking recently about her background in dance and music and performance and wondering how to relate to that. I am not an exhibitionist or a performer. I write an anonymous blog. I prefer to be a silent witness in the back corner. Barely seen, not heard. My social interactions... Continue Reading →

July 8, 2017 2

Remember, remember

I started my class this week by asking if anyone could remember what we'd been chanting the week before, a simple sutra, familiar enough to me now that it readily springs to mind or lips in particular situations. It can be something of an anchor when I feel drowning in a sea of new (half)... Continue Reading →