Cleaning, sharing, and still smiling

Up early. Time for cleaning: hot shower, hot water and lemon to drink, floor to sweep. My friend comes over for yoga. Can I guide her in practice? I somehow do, though the words come out wrong and I don't know how to read another's body. Am I teaching or are we just practicing together? I... Continue Reading →

August 31, 2015 2

Taking a beginner’s brain to yoga class

I was talking over dinner last week with a friend who's new to yoga. I rather provocatively asked her what yoga was for her right now. I was curious to know. I've been trying to define my yoga for myself since I started and some of my earlier notions now strike me as surprisingly naive.... Continue Reading →

August 26, 2015 2

Well, hello aching muscles! You haven’t been around for a while!

I totally surprised Hubby the other day (and I mean surprised to the point of speechlessness) when I ventured that I don’t really think of myself as ‘sick’ anymore, more as someone pretty well, but just being careful. [If not you’re not a regular reader, I was diagnosed with ME (aka Chronic Fatigue Syndrome more... Continue Reading →

August 21, 2015 5

Comparing crows and seeking contentment

I came across some photos just recently that I took of myself about two years ago, near the start of my yoga journey. I wanted to record how particular poses looked so that I could understand what I needed to work on. It was a learning exercise. I didn't understand how to interpret the sensations in my body to have much of a... Continue Reading →

August 15, 2015 9

Reading Kaminoff’s ‘Yoga Anatomy’

I've started reading Kaminoff's Yoga Anatomy again. I hope now that I understand a bit more overall about yoga I'll be able to get more benefit from it compared to a bewildering first perusal. I'm still in the front-matter and loving their notion of the body as laboratory for the exploration of what it means to be human and... Continue Reading →

August 9, 2015 7

Taking Hubby to yoga class

I think Hubby's yoga is awesome. He has some pretty uncomfortable physical conditions to work with, and he does so with such equanimity and acceptance that I sometimes slip into thinking that he's totally happy with the way his practice is. Really I know that's not true, but he deals with his limitations so consistently.... Continue Reading →

August 7, 2015 1

Brahman and bacteria

Class started today with the teacher asking what came before Siri. His rhetorical line was to trace back a sequence of ‘what came befores’. What was before the internet, before reference books, spoken language, sound, breathing… "What was before breathing?" I volunteered "anaerobic respiration" which got a laugh at least (I am in a very... Continue Reading →

August 4, 2015 4

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

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 →