Toe-curling and squirming in yoga

When I was taught Mindfulness techniques, one of the practices we did was with a partner. We would take take turns to talk and to listen, within strict time limits, on a particular theme or experience. During this alternation of speaking and listening, I always experienced the same thing — at some point during the... Continue Reading →

November 18, 2015 5

Stepping on the teacher’s toes?

I'm a bit of a fixer by nature I think. I like to restore order, inspire peace, and smooth out the difficulties others are experiencing. I like to help make things better. I guess on good days that makes me a devoted wife and daughter, useful employee, and supportive friend. On bad days it probably just... Continue Reading →

November 15, 2015 3

Bio-geometry? Is that a word?

My teacher often asks us to feel this kind of thing in āsana: "feel the connection between your heel and the crown of your head" and so on. Energetic connection that is, not pretzel shapes with your foot behind your head! I think the idea is to find some structural integrity, so that your whole being is united... Continue Reading →

November 13, 2015 2

A daily necessity?

My teacher dropped the s-word into class this week. Sādhana. He glossed it as 'daily devotional practice' or something like that. Then he tried to qualify this, to restate it, perhaps wanting to soften the definition somehow. I don't know, I'm just guessing from how I remember it. I sometimes wonder how many people in... Continue Reading →

November 8, 2015 4

I laughed my socks off

Last night's yoga practice was reduced to some simple stretches in the lounge while Hubby and I talked and caught up on each other's days. There wasn't space in my day for more. To start with Hubby kept poking me and making me laugh. We joked about a lot! But I kept on with my stretches... Continue Reading →

November 5, 2015 5

Stop! Go! Yes? No?

My mum's had a few one-to-one classes with her yoga teacher recently. She doesn't like the group class so she's trying to get up some confidence and explore yoga a little bit more to see if it really is for her or not. She just called me to talk after the last session in the... Continue Reading →

November 2, 2015 1

Reversing triangle

Reversing triangle? Don't I mean 'reverse triangle'? Or 'revolved triangle'? Alas not! I'm just talking about plain old Trikoṇāsana. A staple in most of the classes I attend. It’s a pose I've been doing for as long as I've been practicing yoga. But now it suddenly feels all wrong. It started some months ago with feeling... Continue Reading →

October 27, 2015 3

Beauty from within: finding grace in yoga and tango

A friend of mine took up tango recently and is clearly hooked by it, though I think she feels one step behind (pun intended) picking something up in her 40s. This reminds me of my yoga asana. She mentioned an article she'd been reading recently called "Why your dance does not look good despite all... Continue Reading →

October 24, 2015 2

Jelly-asana

I went to class last night feeling like a jelly. Muscles felt non-existent. I was weak, devoid of energy. How would it be to practice like that? I'm slowly, slowly learning to ask the question genuinely without fearing the answer. If I am well enough to get there, I go to class and let the... Continue Reading →

October 23, 2015 1

Lighter and deeper

A young friend of mine has just bought a house with her boyfriend. To her the financial commitment of joint property ownership comes easier than the emotional commitment of getting married. I thought this was strange. But now I wonder if it's not as topsy-turvy as it seemed. At my local yoga studio after an initial... Continue Reading →