Metronomes and breathing in yoga asana

My teacher often says that yoga is just about breathing and that asanas are just an extension of this. It’s one of those things I hear, but my brain can’t quite compute. Intellectually I think I get it, but experientially not so much. I mean I know that pranayama is one of the eight limbs... Continue Reading →

July 12, 2015 8

Giving and receiving: some recent experiences of yoga adjustments

Ever since I started practising with a teacher who's very hands on in class I've wondered about the role of adjustments in yoga asana. I've deliberately not read much about the theory, though I get the impression adjustments are a highly contentious issue, given the potential for harm -- whether physical or psychological. For now I’m... Continue Reading →

July 11, 2015 4

The injury count

I'm now more than 48 hours after my immersion finished, so I reckon I can tally up the damage without anything further coming unpleasantly to my attention: my physio tells me that tendons have a latent period, meaning that you can't tell if you've upset them until two days after practice. While some friends were really... Continue Reading →

July 8, 2015 0

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

Not waving but drowning

My three day yoga immersion is approaching and I have to say I am scared. What felt at the time of booking like a bold step forward now feels like a blind leap into the unknown. I guess the metaphor of an immersion requires you to be out of your depth. And for this babycrow... Continue Reading →

July 2, 2015 3

Respect for my mum’s yoga teacher

Yoga teachers are amazing people. I've practised consistently with less than a handful of teachers in the almost two years that I've been practising. OK two years is not a long time, but I am ultra-picky about who I would put my trust in and offer my respect to. And I do have experience of teaching... Continue Reading →

June 29, 2015 2

Space and boundaries: where I practice my yoga

I've been thinking a little about space recently, or maybe that should be spaces in the plural, since I don't mean the intergalactic variety but more on the smaller personal environment scale. I'm still thinking through the class vs. home practice thing I've been wondering about recently. An aspect of this is the different physical... Continue Reading →

June 17, 2015 0

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

Support at home — exploring asana with props

A friend remarked to me recently how she hates it when her teacher quietly gives her a second block to sit on at the start of class. She knows its an ego thing, but she feels frustrated every time. My own teacher strongly encourages props in class, but I've rarely seen him impose one on... Continue Reading →

June 8, 2015 3

Time out with Patanjali

Happy monthi-versary to me -- it's now just over a month since I started back attending yoga classes after a few months off with injury. I just realised this and can hardly believe it's been so little time. A real case of time flying. It made me think that I should pause, take stock of the... Continue Reading →