Mantra calling

I'm feeling a bit physically wrecked this week (just a a cold, but oh! that little virus certainly packs a punch!) so I haven't been up to much asana practice. I've been weak and a bit feverish. It makes for 'hot yoga' but not in a nice way... So asana practice is clearly not what my body... Continue Reading →

September 30, 2015 7

108 blog posts

108 is a symbolic number to some. So this could be a beautiful point in my blogging journey. I wish! Instead it's a moment that finds me bogged down in probably all the kleshas (the obstacles to the state of yoga) at once. I had a little abhinivesa moment (fear of death, or clinging to life) in class at the... Continue Reading →

September 17, 2015 2

Practising yoga as “swimming in a culture of advancement”

I enjoy reading Christina Sell's blog, though I've never met her. She has an openness, almost rawness in her writing that I personally find very appealing and engaging. She wrote recently a couple of blog posts (first this and then a follow up here) about -- amongst many things -- the performance of yoga compared... Continue Reading →

September 11, 2015 4

atha yoga anusasanam? now my yoga starts?

So I completed the 3 day immersion I was fretting about so much. And I've been trying to figure out how to write about it in a reasonable sized blog post... but I can't! It was just too much of an experience to boil down to anything sensible. Plus my heart, mind, and body are... Continue Reading →

July 7, 2015 5

Sick and scared, but going to yoga class anyway

I don't remember what Sunday mornings used to be like before the introduction into my routine of a 2hour vinyasa class. Now I look forward to springing out of bed at 8am for a quick shower then getting a couple of miles across town without stopping for breakfast. Well, I always look forward to the idea of... Continue Reading →

June 14, 2015 3

Letting go of expectations in yoga asana

It started when the yoga teacher said she was 'managing expectations' when she told students who hadn't pre-booked the class that they were unlikely to get a place in class. For my part, I came to class full of expectations. And I didn’t manage them all that well. I expected my hamstring to be tricky to... Continue Reading →