Talking back

I try not to be shy about asking my teacher when I don't understand something. I feel some increased imperative now, as I seek to clarify my own knowledge so that I can best support my own students. I take care not to give an alignment cue simply as he does, but to ensure I... Continue Reading →

February 5, 2019 4

Optative

I'm learning the optative in Sanskrit. My textbook tells me "the optative is a verb form that indicates possibility. It can be translated as 'should', 'would', 'could', 'ought' or 'may'. I found sentence 3 in the first exercise ironically amusing: "The teacher ought to be content". After all, the last time I had met with... Continue Reading →

November 5, 2018 0

Careful

One of my teachers seems to me to be indomitable. I don't know her well personally, but from what she shares publicly I know she's been through a bunch of sh*t. Most recently she underwent pretty serious surgery and from a distance I followed her steps towards healing and mobility with a sense of awe.... Continue Reading →

September 30, 2018 0

Quality not quantity

Numbers are one of my least favourite things. If you can have a phobia of numbers, then I do. I prefer things I can count simply on the fingers of one hand. Thankfully, leaving the magic 108 aside, yoga seems mercifully free of numbers. Or is it... After all, I have an Astanga-trained friend who... Continue Reading →

August 29, 2018 6

It’s my turn

So guru purnima is coming up and this is always a time of year when I take a little more time around and through my practice to reflect on my teachers, what they offer me, how I respond to that and how I might carry forward their teachings within my practice -- or not (yet).... Continue Reading →

July 19, 2018 0

Sorrier namaskar

"Inhale hands to prayer. Make it real" My teacher knows I'm nervous, gives me a breath to settle myself here before I 'show him' my Surya Namaskar A. I know it's not, but it feels like a test. He's standing just on the edge of my field of vision, a safe distance away, an unnerving... Continue Reading →

July 5, 2018 2

Resources at my feet

Hubby practised the other day with the door open. His choice, but he clearly felt self-conscious knowing I was around. I could hear him humming his 'baby elephant' song to himself with each transition in his standing sequence. I asked him about it afterwards. "I just felt so clunky and unco-ordinated", he told me. I... Continue Reading →

June 8, 2018 2

It’s not on my list

"Did you do any yoga while you were away?" my teacher asked me. I gave a ambiguous response -- confused, not quite believing this was a real question. "So what exactly did you do while you were away?" this time from my boss, and I gave a slightly more considered answer, because after all he... Continue Reading →

April 6, 2018 2

Beware the scorpion

I know I've said it before, but one again I think I've just been to the hardest yoga class ever. Physically, I mean. Well, along with that of course come the challenges of managing my emotions, reactions and fears, as well as trying to keep up some regularity of breathing... So not just physically. I... Continue Reading →

March 21, 2018 7

Not quite half a decade

Last month my local yoga studio sent me a sweet email acknowledging our anniversary! Apparently I've been going to class there for four years now. This is only a little less than the total length of time I've been practising. One of the teachers then messaged me with the breakdown of my 'stats' -- how... Continue Reading →