Yin’s a tonic

I just came back from a Yin class. It was a ‘treat’ from Hubby. I say ‘treat’ with a tone of cynicism as I’m not super keen on going to yoga classes at the moment. It’s not that they’re bad in themselves, please don’t misunderstand me. It’s just recent history with yoga studios and what... Continue Reading →

December 23, 2023 4

Goggles

I was at a wedding recently. It was loads of fun, with mealtime conversation ranging widely and lots of laughs, although we didn't know each other. A beautiful moment of coming together with strangers as we shared a common love for the bride. One small part of the conversation came back to me recently. A... Continue Reading →

July 15, 2022 5

Days of rest

Two days before I went on vacation I taught a yoga class. It was restorative style. I joked with the students about how difficult I find holiday-time, how it takes me a few days to slide from habitual busyness towards rest and days that are not filled with obligations and self-imposed duties -- yes, they... Continue Reading →

July 9, 2022 3

Dropping in

I just took my first overseas trip since covid began. Not long planned, just a sudden realisation that I could join my husband for a few days of his work trip in Greece and use up a travel voucher that was about to expire. That gave me two nights only. Not long to orientate oneself... Continue Reading →

May 8, 2022 1

You are already home

Have the courageTo soften.Receiving this breath. Rest hereIn the safety of this sanctuary.You are already home. (Lizzie Lasater) I am writing this at home. Not my adult-version, married-woman home. Not quite my family home, where I spent my whole childhood. But I am at least nearby to my parents' house, visiting them in a covid-secure... Continue Reading →

September 5, 2021 4

Changing our view

Hmm, the whole lockdown-pandemic thing is starting to bore me a bit. I know I’m lucky to have made it through 4 months or so before beginning to feel like this... and only in a minor way even now! Hah, perhaps all that yoga practice really does ‘work’! In UK it’s hard sometimes to believe... Continue Reading →

August 2, 2020 3

Counting the days

I like to think I'm a pretty organised kind of person. So why does Christmas seem to take me by surprise every year? It starts so early in the shops, after all, and I seem to dwell in the self-righteous opinion that they're spoiling the season by over-exposure -- until all of a sudden it's... Continue Reading →

December 5, 2019 0

Holidaying at home

I was talking with my teacher recently about how wonderful I felt when I was on holiday. I felt physically much freer, more flexible and more confident in my energy and strength. I loved the fact that I went off for a morning run by the sea before it got too hot -- and before... Continue Reading →

September 25, 2019 1

Holiday pleasures

Before I left for my holiday my yoga theme in practice and teaching was about examining preferences. I was mostly thinking about how to learn to let them go, following the philosophy that preferences are a cause of suffering, preventing one achieving the equanimity that the Bhagavad Gita teaches yoga to be. Now I'm on... Continue Reading →

August 16, 2019

Building a life

While I was on holiday in Rome I visited the place my mum used to live many years ago, when she was a lot younger than I am now. She asked me to see if I could find it and it turned out the road was not too far away, just the other side of... Continue Reading →