Answering from the heart

"just wonderful!" "fruit and pizza" "gravity in the belly" What are these? Answers I've given this week to questions. Questions that people have asked me with the explicit instruction to answer first, think later. They're after gut-reactions, not reasoned cognitive responses, nor the sound of my ego projecting itself into the situation. I hate this!... Continue Reading →

November 26, 2015 0

Joyous vertigo

Moving towards the end of year means planning next year in various ways. At work it's all about next financial year's budget, at home it's about holidays with Hubby and with a wide-flung family we're already asking what continent best suits us all for Xmas 2016! Cyclical questions that inevitably come round with the year change. Part... Continue Reading →

November 16, 2015 1

Beginner brain and pomegranates

I'm guessing (from the wisdom of my two and a bit years!) that one of the secrets of a long-lasting yoga practice is to retain the 'beginner brain', to keep seeing things afresh, finding novelty in the familiar. Keeping it vital. It's a nice attitude to have in life too and I've been trying to... Continue Reading →

November 12, 2015 2

He calls me Pesky

Hubby has many terms of endearment for me, which I won't share. It would embarrass us all! Recently he's started referring to me as 'Pesky'! I don't think he's falling out of love with me, I don't think I'm being particularly annoying (though I have my moments!) -- it's just short for 'pescetarian'. I increasingly... Continue Reading →

November 9, 2015 6

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

Beware yoga sheep — baaa!

I intended to go to yoga class this morning. Hubby was off to the hairdresser so I had the morning to myself. Perfect for sneaking in an extra class, I thought. I don't usually practice on a Saturday. Not for me an aṣtanga thing, that's not my style -- just an acknowledgement that Saturday needs... Continue Reading →

October 31, 2015 4

Métro, boulot, dodo — just add yoga!

I love the French expression "métro, boulot, dodo". There's no good English equivalent. It means "work, work, work", or more literally "commuting, working, sleeping", summing up the treadmill where work seems to dominate your existence. Life feels a little like this at the moment, but (here's the silver lining) with little in the way of commuting... Continue Reading →

October 30, 2015 0

Getting back to basics — it’s in my hands

After being rocketed into reading Sanskrit and finding the pace of my class too much, I've gone back to basics. Something my āsana practice has taught me: when in doubt go back to the simplest thing. Find stability before you move on; seek joy in the small details and linger there a while before your ego speeds... Continue Reading →