Mindfulness in my workplace

Mindfulness in the workplace is a topic I feel a little ambivalent about -- sure, I feel strongly that such techniques can help our professional (corporate) lives as much they can support our personal lives, but I am concerned about why and how mindfulness is taught within a business. There's a lot of pressure for ROI (return on investment) and some... Continue Reading →

April 23, 2015 2

Figuring out how to feed myself

Figuring out what we both want to eat is keeping me and my hubby on our toes at the moment. I can genuinely say that we both have a curious interest in my evolving dietary preferences. I guess that's academic training for you -- we make an experiment or intellectual study out of anything! I really enjoyed... Continue Reading →

April 18, 2015 0

Will my mum give up yoga?

My mum is awesome. I reckon she invented the concept of unconditional love. She has always been my number one fan, even when she didn't quite get what I was up to or why it was important to me. She has been my rock through the years, the person I turned to for advice and... Continue Reading →

April 6, 2015 3

Me, Jung, and Patanjali on personalities

In my working life I was once unfortunate enough to have been given a personality test, the Myers Briggs test. It used to be quite fashionable I think. I came out as INTJ which is apparently a pretty rare personality type (nothing in it about smugness -- but I feel weirdly proud to be such... Continue Reading →

April 1, 2015 1

The yoga of airports? Not so much!

I'm writing this stuck at the airport trying to get home after my conference. The weather is bad so I'm delayed. But at least we seem to have a flight time. And if it sticks to that new schedule I will not quite be home before the end of today, but not too far off... Continue Reading →

March 31, 2015 3

The yoga of conference attendance?

What have conferences got to do with yoga? To be honest, I'm not sure. But I'm at one now, and I've been struck by how different my behaviour has been both towards other people and towards myself this time around. And I can't help feeling this is at least partly due to my yoga practice... Continue Reading →

March 30, 2015 0

Is yoga blogging a selfie in words instead of pictures?

My last days in Greece are at Delphi, known to the Ancient Greeks as the centre of the world: the myth is that Zeus sent two eagles off in opposite directions and they crossed paths at Delphi, so Delphi was called the 'navel' (omphalos) of the world. Cue many comments from my husband about 'navel-gazing'... Continue Reading →

March 27, 2015 8

In and out of the comfort zone

It's often said that Patanjali has little to offer on asana practice. Even so, I reckon that sthira sukham asanam (YS 2.46 "asana should be stable and comfortable") is one of the better known sutras. But I confess Patanjali's advice here has always just seemed something that might possibly apply to other people, but definitely not to me.... Continue Reading →

March 23, 2015 4

Eating in Greece — or “when in Rome”

I wrote recently about 'flexitarianism' suggesting that this could be viewed as an approach to eating and nourishment that adhered the concept of ahimsa (non-violence) by being mindful of what was appropriate in any particular situation, although not applying consistent food rules like vegetarianism and veganism. Being away from home and in a different country naturally disrupts one's diet (i.e.... Continue Reading →

March 20, 2015 1

Enjoying sufficiency — on and off the mat

Being away from home with limited possessions, clothing, books, company, and vocabulary even has paradoxically made it easier to focus on what I have, rather than what I don't have. On this trip I often feel that everything is simply sufficient, all that is required. Amazing preparation and uncanny packing abilities or just my state of... Continue Reading →