Greeting the sun

Morning practice: a single slow sun salute. A breath in each āsana. That is all. So this will never turn me into an āsana champion, but it generated a spontaneous giggle from me and that's all I need. A giggle at how stiff and sore and tired my body is after just a couple of days... Continue Reading →

February 25, 2016 2

Beloved savasana

My teacher sometimes refers to śavāsana as a 'little death' and I have to fight an immature giggle at what can only sound like a sexual metaphor to my ears. Funny in contrast that his referring to the breath as 'the beloved' simply sounds esoteric and rather pure! Because 'bhakti' isn't from my native language... Continue Reading →

February 21, 2016 0

If Zorba the Greek practiced yoga

It's not exactly a seismic shift, more a tremble, perhaps still just a wobble. I wonder if my practice is shifting subtly. Or could shift subtly (or even seismically!) if I let it. My teacher has led some truly awesome classes of late that has opened me up to some new ways of practicing. I feel... Continue Reading →

February 17, 2016 11

Darkness in surya namaskar

I know the yogic drill. I'm supposed to be present. I'm supposed to let my body move through the sequences, breathing through any intensity, avoiding nothing. Today the choreography of movement was some exquisite torture. Each surya namaskar was a physical confrontation to my desire to retreat, to curl up and make myself small. Instead... Continue Reading →

February 12, 2016 2

Seek and ye shall find?

A girl turned up to yoga last night and found she had left her yoga clothes at home. She laughed as she told me about looking in her bag for a third time not quite believing that they weren't there. She couldn't shake the feeling that if she just looked again a bit harder they'd... Continue Reading →

February 10, 2016 5

Being dim

"Do you think I'm really dim?" I asked Hubby. "Uh... yeah!" he told me. Mock incredulity. Did I really need to ask!! We were talking about yoga. Of course. Specifically we were talking about breath leading the movement. Clearly pretty important in yoga. Clearly very important in vinyasa style. But hard, right? Or is it? Am... Continue Reading →

February 8, 2016 8

Make mine a double

A few months ago my teacher made a half-joking suggestion that I could try taking two classes back to back. I didn't even know that was allowed! My first thought was "shouldn't I ration my class attendance so everyone gets a look in"? I'm so law-abiding! My quick-following second thought was all about whether I would... Continue Reading →

February 5, 2016 0

Feel the burn

Hubby's been working his socks off recently, finishing a big submission for publication. 50,000 words no less! His students struggling currently with their 8,000 word dissertations couldn't believe this level of work or what it represented in understanding and knowledge. I'm super proud of him -- of what he does and how he does it.... Continue Reading →

February 3, 2016 8

Do your yoga pants vibrate?

I was always a bit of tech girl. I do like a cool gadget if it does the job well. My reaction to the prospect of having to buy a new iPad after mine took a bit of a hit recently? -- Squee!!! But yoga's changing me a bit. I'm actually starting to have second thoughts about... Continue Reading →

January 17, 2016 8

Yoga by moonlight

I was chatting a friend over coffee today and conversation turned as often to yoga. We're both busy with relationships, work, family, keeping well/feeling ill... the usual flow of life stuff. And for myself I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by work right now (I'm covering the essentials of my boss's workload while he's on extended leave).... Continue Reading →