Sore throat, big leap

I've had a sore throat for weeks now. It started when I was on holiday in Canada and has persisted. The accompanying cold disappeared weeks ago, but I'm still croaky. "It's psychosomatic" one of my yogi friends told me rather brusquely. Yogis can be so annoying right?! My teacher joked (I think it was a... Continue Reading →

September 2, 2017 6

Physiotherapy is no joke

I knew it wasn't going to be a laugh-a-minute when the physio started off the session by insisting that I speak up when (not if) the discomfort got too much to take. Cue instant muscular tension in my whole body in anticipation! But I find I've learnt a thing or two from yoga practices about... Continue Reading →

August 31, 2017 0

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

Keeping it in the family

I'm realising that when people know you're a trained yoga teacher there are two reactions: they either expect you to 'fix' anything that's ever been wrong with them and assume you live some kind of austere ascetic lifestyle, or there's mistrust and cynicism, doubting that you know anything of any value. I don't think I'm... Continue Reading →

August 3, 2017 3

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

What’s the answer? What’s the question?

My boss is just back from a conference so we spent some time chatting about it. The major theme for us was understanding how to organise information or data and how we find the information we need. We talked about the possible relationship between the availability of data and the questions we choose to ask,... Continue Reading →

July 13, 2017 2

Forceful yoga

I was listening to a senior teacher talking recently about her background in dance and music and performance and wondering how to relate to that. I am not an exhibitionist or a performer. I write an anonymous blog. I prefer to be a silent witness in the back corner. Barely seen, not heard. My social interactions... Continue Reading →

July 8, 2017 2

Yoga in the heatwave… and after

We had a heatwave in England recently. I loved it! I am definitely solar powered. I come alive when the rest of the country is wilting. And practice feels different in my body. Muscles just feel nicely stretchy from the outset. I don't know that I move more deeply within any particular āsana, but from... Continue Reading →

July 3, 2017 0

Grazie mille

Hubby's latest reason for calling me a weirdo (which he affectionately does over all sorts of things) is that I don't require him to buy me jewellery all the time! According to him this is how girls (and wives) behave. I think he's been watching too many American films, but he insists this is true.... Continue Reading →