Getting comfortable

I really enjoyed the restorative yoga class last night. I'm getting more used to letting go, 'inviting the pose' as the teacher puts it, rather than trying to get somewhere -- or indeed fervently wishing I was somewhere else entirely! Maintaining concentration is still really hard, but I'm more conscious of physical sensations and unnecessary tensing... Continue Reading →

July 23, 2016 1

Corpsing in class

At the beginning of teacher training we were asked what our favourite and least favourite yoga pose was. As my least favourite I settled on Tāḍāsana. Though it was a close call between that and Śavāsana. No-one else seemed to get the difficulty I had here; these are simple poses right? Huh, well not so... Continue Reading →

July 15, 2016 2

Under observation

First days of TT offered all sorts of new experiences -- obviously. One major feature was observation in various ways. We practised watching each other in a pose; we were asked to begin to reflect on anatomical alignment and energetic qualities. This needs much more experience and understanding than I currently have, but these first... Continue Reading →

July 11, 2016 0

Beloved hamstring

My hamstring is grumbling again at the moment. I can't deny I'm a bit scared by this: I start TT in less than a month and I can't help wondering what that would be like with an injury. But if it is, it is. I'll just have to figure it out. My classmates will also... Continue Reading →

June 3, 2016 10

Lost for words

My teacher's just come back after some time off sick. He'd lost his voice. I asked him if he'd meditated on the ill-health and learned anything from that! I was being ironic or teasing a little: he asked me to do just this after an injury many months ago, and it was simultaneously the most... Continue Reading →

May 23, 2016 4

How does Yoga work?

I've just finished reading How Yoga Works. I'll say it's not a book I would have chosen to read and I did have to dig in a bit to see it through to the end, but it was loaned to me by my teacher and so I took the recommendation seriously and gratefully. I can't remember... Continue Reading →

May 11, 2016 2

Chacun à son goût

"Best class ever!" A yogi friend enjoyed a recent class so much she has been in touch with the teacher meantime to urge him to run every class like that. I agreed. "It was magic. Everything about my practice felt magic. That is surely Yoga" Only of course it turned out we were talking about different classes! For her... Continue Reading →

May 3, 2016 2

Sore in patches

When I got home after my extended arm-balancing playtime in class the other night I was scrutinised by Hubby. "Did you do a lot of crow today?" he asked me. How can he tell? Do I have a particular post-Bakasana look? No, it turned out he'd caught sight of bruises on my arms! And a friction burn... Continue Reading →

April 8, 2016 0

Joy and Sorrow

The yogini to one side of me was having a tough time last night. Sobbing through class, tearing my heartstrings until I could almost not bear the proximity of her pain. It was in such stark contrast to my own feelings of exuberance and light curiosity that carried me through such physical exploration I would have thought impossible. How to... Continue Reading →

April 8, 2016 0

New nest

I've just moved into a new office at work. Still sharing -- and in a slightly cosier-sized room than previously, but the environment overall is much more babycrow-friendly, so this is very OK. For a start I've swapped a slightly uninspiring rooftop view for a beautiful tree view. And if you look closely you'll see there's even... Continue Reading →