Tuning in and reprogramming

I adjusted the hands of a student in down dog the other day; she had one much further forward than the other. She twisted to look up at me anxiously: "Are you sure? That feels really weird!" I reassured her that weird was OK. She does this every single down dog and she's been practising... Continue Reading →

November 23, 2016 0

All in season

The season is changing. Autumn is at the pretty stage: golden leaves that crunch pleasingly underfoot and there are still blue skies to enjoy and days warm enough to encourage me to walk more slowly, to saunter and enjoy the sunshine. The horse chestnuts are looking a little bit drab because they drop early, but... Continue Reading →

October 23, 2016 3

Getting (un)comfortable

My teacher often talks about playing the edge. I'm still not sure I get where this is exactly. Maybe that's part of the game, part of the playing -- first finding it, then flirting with it, finally staring it down rather than running away. I always thought I was good at the staring game, unblinking,... Continue Reading →

October 3, 2016 1

Yoga in my dreams and nightmares

My favourite daydreaming topic at the moment is my upcoming teacher training. It's never far from my thoughts, and I have been indulging in some epic fantasies about how great it's going to be: the luxury of such an exclusive focus on yoga, the effect it will have on my practice and on me as a... Continue Reading →

June 13, 2016 11

Yoga in the closet

I'm just back from a weekend visiting my family. A time for deep connection with those who know me most intimately, back in the house I grew up in. A time for reminiscing and replaying familiar jokes. A time for easy company, and well-established roles. In some senses a total reconnection with where I came from.... Continue Reading →

May 15, 2016 8

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

Breaking the virtuous circle

I realise there's something of a virtuous circle going in my yoga: I am used to my regular teacher's take on things so this always seems self evidently 'the truth' because it's what I'm familiar with... because it's what he taught me... It's very comforting because it's self-reinforcing. Does that make it a vicious circle in... Continue Reading →

April 5, 2016 4

Hope for change

I'm going to share with you the ultimate wisdom (for today anyway!) that I've gleaned from my massive (that's nearly three years 😉 ) of practicing yoga: There'll always be room for improvement and there's always hope for change. What has struck me from a regular practice where I try to do something every day... Continue Reading →

April 1, 2016 8

Springtime — the start of something

Spring is a great time of year for new beginnings. So much more so than the start of the calendar year, I think. New Year with its traditional guilt trip of resolution-making and self-improvement seems serious; springtime by contrast feels fun and optimistic. Turning over a new leaf in various ways (no pun intended) simply feels... Continue Reading →

March 27, 2016 0

Turning my practice upside-down

Class the other day was all about change -- making changes oneself and accepting changes that occur. Some amusing thoughts, as always, from my teacher on his experiences of yoga. I liked his consideration of how many friends you might lose through yoga because you become apparently boring -- finding more pleasure in the emerging spring flowers... Continue Reading →