Past life

I took a bit of a trip down memory lane this week. In my past life I was an archaeologist and my old field director was in town for just a few hours giving a seminar in the university. Nearly 20 years ago I was an enthusiastic grad student and he was an up-and-coming lecturer,... Continue Reading →

January 23, 2018 2

Promises, promises

I feel that yoga promises much. Inherently. If you listen carefully. Sure, there are sometimes big bang fireworks moments where everything (and I mean everything) suddenly hits you with a crystal clarity that life is epically awesome, that you are awesome, and the cosmos is perfect. I feel fortunate that I have experienced something of... Continue Reading →

January 20, 2018 0

Wonder-ful

A yoga friend today told me that her physio advised against asana practice for 24 hours after any bodywork. I'd stopped her as she was rolling up her mat after class and asked her please to sit with me a few minutes. I wasn't ready to leave the room and rush straight back out into... Continue Reading →

January 18, 2018 4

Getting serious

I was talking with an experienced teacher recently about to how to keep yoga class (vinyasa specifically) safe. His pointers were really interesting. I was expecting loads of alignment stuff and the need to draw boundaries between being a yoga teacher and being a doctor/physio. But this wasn't it. Sure, he talked some about the... Continue Reading →

January 17, 2018 3

Seeing me

A man on the tube platform asked if I was ok and lightly touched my arm in reassurance as he let me be and continued on his way. At the mainline station the vendor gave me my hot chocolate for free. I clearly look a bit of a mess. But I don't mind so much... Continue Reading →

January 14, 2018 3

New year, old me

So inexorably the year has turned. On social media I see others partying, recovering, and setting intentions for the next 12 months. I've managed the first two of these to some degree, but I don't feel at all ready to look forward yet. There still seems so much unresolved from the previous year. So many... Continue Reading →

January 3, 2018 7

Loss and gain

Am I the only healthy person who lost weight over Christmas? Not much (nothing to worry about!), but I don't ever drop weight, nor do I try to, so I'm quite surprised. It's not just the number on the scales though, my jeans don't fit any more. Actually they've started to hang so low on... Continue Reading →

December 30, 2017 11

Being at home

As assist in class today helping me move a little deeper in Agnistambhasana (Firelog pose) was offered with the words: "don't do anything, just breathe". It was undoubtedly the most reassuring instruction I'd heard in a good few days and filled me with quiet relief during those moments. After all, outside of the movies, Christmas... Continue Reading →

December 28, 2017 2

All I want for Christmas

It's funny how the build up for Christmas all too easily takes on a life of its own, even for those of us who don't feel particularly strongly about this festival. Expectations mount; things must be just so. I had been moaning a little about Christmas this year: my first vegetarian Christmas with my own... Continue Reading →

December 25, 2017 4

A little bit Christmassy

This week my yoga boss offered me a bag of Santa hats in case I wanted to give them out during the last class of the year... ...I didn't! But I did offer my class a festive treat my own way -- I taught them to chant lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu, with some of my... Continue Reading →