Promises, promises

I feel that yoga promises much. Inherently. If you listen carefully. Sure, there are sometimes big bang fireworks moments where everything (and I mean everything) suddenly hits you with a crystal clarity that life is epically awesome, that you are awesome, and the cosmos is perfect. I feel fortunate that I have experienced something of... Continue Reading →

January 20, 2018 0

Yoga lyrics

I'm the urban spaceman, baby; I've got speed I've got everything I need I'm the urban spaceman, baby; I can fly I'm a supersonic guy I don't need pleasure I don't feel pain If you were to knock me down I'd just get up again ... I wake up every morning with a smile upon... Continue Reading →

April 7, 2017 2

Heart stopping yoga

I thought I was going to have a (thankfully metaphorical) heart attack in class the other night. Not because I was pushing myself too far, certainly not because the teacher was driving us hard, and not because I'd stepped up to face my inner demons and taken myself (and the demons) along to the weekly advanced class,... Continue Reading →

January 20, 2017 0

Awesome mindfulness

The really hard thing about mindfulness, moment to moment non-judgmental awareness, is in overcoming the over-familiar, not going on auto-pilot and missing half the story because it's so obvious it doesn't seem worth noticing. Changing some aspect, creating a different background, shakes things up and helps you notice more. I feel this in yoga asana: putting the... Continue Reading →

December 28, 2016 0

Crying for a qualification

Hubby is very proud of my new TT qualification. But he's ever-careful (too careful for my liking!) not to inflate my ego, so his congratulations were characteristically ironic: "Congratulations on stopping crying long enough to complete your three assessments". Many a true word spoken in jest... Yes, I did cry quite a lot on TT.... Continue Reading →

August 18, 2016 4

For crying out loud

We touched on crying in class recently in Teacher Training. My teacher asked me to talk about my experiences -- not about my own breakdowns (of course!) but a time when I was next to someone who was crying hard during class. No quiet weeping either, but some full-on gasping, heart-wrenching sobbing. The other student teachers asked me what I... Continue Reading →

July 24, 2016 4

Body of peace

My teacher came to check on me (or rather my hamstring) before class and offered some words of wisdom for my practice -- to observe, not to go deep, just to feel and explore. To this I mentally added my own intention to cultivate joy and compassion. I really appreciated his care. I felt well-looked... Continue Reading →

June 7, 2016 0

Yoga practice as a band aid

I have been touched by some expressions of care from readers following some recent posts where I've been confronting the fact that practice isn't always an uplifting experience and can be downright troubling. Blogging about personal experiences -- like yoga itself -- is a bit of a leap of faith. But if I'm finding something... Continue Reading →

April 25, 2016 1

Rollercoaster yoga

Practicing feels like a rollercoaster ride at the moment. One minute it's all hand waving and goofy grins, shrieking with excitement. The next my stomach drops out and I'm white-knuckling in fear, barely able to breathe. And then up and down again. Each practice unpredictably a peak or a trough. Because despite this disorientating unpredictability I keep... Continue Reading →

April 22, 2016 3

Catharsis

A wound that was left untended for years festers out of sight, pus-filled and infected. One day you unwittingly prod at it and find you take some strange pleasure in the discomfort, in really feeling the hurt as you probe how deep it runs. It opens up, spills out a little -- and it's messy. But there's... Continue Reading →