Vegan diet, vegan life

When I was in bi-lingual Montréal recently I quickly figured out the difference between végétarien (vegatarian) and végétalien (vegan) on menus. Except that I then realised it's not quite that simple and there is also a French word végan. I think I'm right in saying that végan goes beyond diet and refers more to lifestyle, avoiding... Continue Reading →

August 18, 2017 4

Hobson’s Choice

I visited my parents at the weekend. My mum, slightly freaked out by my new eating habits and unable to conceive of cooking a meal without meat or fish, booked us all in at a favourite local restaurant. There was much angsting over the menu, even on the internet before we left home. What would... Continue Reading →

August 15, 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

Larkin’ about with my mum and dad

They fuck you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you. It's really unfortunate that Philip Larkin's words are echoing round in my head after a weekend with my parents! It seems super-ungrateful,... Continue Reading →

April 2, 2017 2

Neighbourhood weirdo

Often when I go to yoga class on a Sunday morning I run into a particular guy in the street. He's one of those local characters, a bit larger than life. He hangs around by the bus stop or the coffee shop and shouts out to people as they pass. He's really friendly, with his calls... Continue Reading →

March 26, 2017 3

Equal parts of hope and doubt

I had lunch today with a fellow new graduate. She wanted to talk through the questions she's asking herself right now about teaching. It felt funny with her seeking my perspective on this. She has much, much more yoga experience than me (not just more years, but wider experience of different traditions) and her teaching... Continue Reading →

March 16, 2017 1

Ways of seeing

I saw an old friend in London this weekend (in between a yoga class and the final day of the Paul Nash exhibition at the Tate -- what a great day!). We had lots of wonderful conversation. One thing that struck me was her comments about her ageing body. She's just about to turn 40 and is... Continue Reading →

March 8, 2017 0

Tired of tired

I've seen a couple of news items recently about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Two different research teams coming up with different hypotheses about what triggers abnormal fatigue. Both firm in their message that this is a physiological, not psychological, condition. There's even some hint of a drug treatment... perhaps. The New Scientist piece was even accompanied... Continue Reading →

March 1, 2017 6

Mind the step

I've just stepped on the train heading home after a weekend with my parents. A 4 hour train journey ahead, laden with food from my mum (including a piece of her chocolate cake!). Suddenly she asked anxiously, "How will you spend your time on the train? Do you need a book to read?" She always... Continue Reading →

January 22, 2017 2

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 →