He calls me Pesky

Hubby has many terms of endearment for me, which I won't share. It would embarrass us all! Recently he's started referring to me as 'Pesky'! I don't think he's falling out of love with me, I don't think I'm being particularly annoying (though I have my moments!) -- it's just short for 'pescetarian'. I increasingly... Continue Reading →

November 9, 2015 6

“You are not a patient”

I saw my GP last week. I wanted some advice about muscles aches -- not the regular over-asana'ed ones. The bone-pulling, dead-weight, so stiff you feel about to snap ME-style ones that make any travel further than the bathroom seem like an impossibility and holding arms up long enough to shampoo hair takes serious effort.... Continue Reading →

September 6, 2015 8

Doing nothing is doing everything

I think of energetic people as active, always on the move. Energy equates in my mind to restlessness. But paradoxically, the more energy I come to have, the more I discover greater depths of patience. More energy means I can move more, but it also gives me a greater capacity to be genuinely still. At... Continue Reading →

July 28, 2015 3

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

Expressing happiness

I realised recently that I've developed an emotional tic of biting my lip. Not an anxiety thing, but as a way of controlling the insane grin that's liable to break across my face at odd moments when I relax. I notice this a lot while I'm out and about, walking to work, doing the shopping. It's less a... Continue Reading →

June 11, 2015 0

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

Finding energy in class

I've been thinking a bit recently about teachers and classes, wondering what makes a good class experience and what the role of a teacher is in that. I'm coming at this from a couple of angles, so brace yourself for more posts as I work through some thoughts over the coming months -- and do... Continue Reading →