Saplings

I was teaching a complete beginner recently. What an experience! A challenge, but mostly just a delight. And an honour. Teaching challenge: How to describe the shapes, when the names of postures are meaningless? How much to demonstrate as a short-hand description but how to avoid setting an impossible standard (not that my shapes are... Continue Reading →

December 17, 2016 0

Beginner brain and pomegranates

I'm guessing (from the wisdom of my two and a bit years!) that one of the secrets of a long-lasting yoga practice is to retain the 'beginner brain', to keep seeing things afresh, finding novelty in the familiar. Keeping it vital. It's a nice attitude to have in life too and I've been trying to... Continue Reading →

November 12, 2015 2

Taking a beginner’s brain to yoga class

I was talking over dinner last week with a friend who's new to yoga. I rather provocatively asked her what yoga was for her right now. I was curious to know. I've been trying to define my yoga for myself since I started and some of my earlier notions now strike me as surprisingly naive.... Continue Reading →

August 26, 2015 2

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday me! I'm 40 today. I thought I'd get the number out of the way up front. If I say it quickly enough, maybe we won't any of us notice it... My day started beautifully across town in my home yoga studio. My first two-hour class in a long while. Perhaps even the first of... Continue Reading →