Beloved savasana

My teacher sometimes refers to śavāsana as a 'little death' and I have to fight an immature giggle at what can only sound like a sexual metaphor to my ears. Funny in contrast that his referring to the breath as 'the beloved' simply sounds esoteric and rather pure! Because 'bhakti' isn't from my native language... Continue Reading →

February 21, 2016 0

Purring cats and the power of Om

My teacher's on a thing with Om at the moment. So that kind of means I am too. We've been beginning class chanting PYS 1.28: taj-japas tad-artha-bhāvanam By chanting Om one realizes the meaning of Om He's talked to us about the three sounds that make up Om (AUM) and how they relate to the body --... Continue Reading →

February 18, 2016 3

Yoga is embarrassing

It's about 5am right now in my corner of the world. I'm awake. I'm hungry and thirsty so I'm taking care of that. My mind is restless, so this blog is my way of trying to take care of that. I can't sleep. I'm full of awe and excitement and I'm happily sh*t scared of... Continue Reading →

February 14, 2016 9

Darkness in surya namaskar

I know the yogic drill. I'm supposed to be present. I'm supposed to let my body move through the sequences, breathing through any intensity, avoiding nothing. Today the choreography of movement was some exquisite torture. Each surya namaskar was a physical confrontation to my desire to retreat, to curl up and make myself small. Instead... Continue Reading →

February 12, 2016 2

head vs heart

the head tells me it has true understanding. it offers up endless sequences of thoughts, seductive in their logic. they fit together, they sound good and neat, so they must be true. they cohere. they adhere, sticking to me through the years. through thick and thin. the characterisation they offer must be how things really are.... Continue Reading →

February 11, 2016 0

Feel the burn

Hubby's been working his socks off recently, finishing a big submission for publication. 50,000 words no less! His students struggling currently with their 8,000 word dissertations couldn't believe this level of work or what it represented in understanding and knowledge. I'm super proud of him -- of what he does and how he does it.... Continue Reading →

February 3, 2016 8

Answering from the heart

"just wonderful!" "fruit and pizza" "gravity in the belly" What are these? Answers I've given this week to questions. Questions that people have asked me with the explicit instruction to answer first, think later. They're after gut-reactions, not reasoned cognitive responses, nor the sound of my ego projecting itself into the situation. I hate this!... Continue Reading →

November 26, 2015 0

Joyous vertigo

Moving towards the end of year means planning next year in various ways. At work it's all about next financial year's budget, at home it's about holidays with Hubby and with a wide-flung family we're already asking what continent best suits us all for Xmas 2016! Cyclical questions that inevitably come round with the year change. Part... Continue Reading →

November 16, 2015 1

A pearl fisher in camouflage

Spoonies are masters of disguise. I sure know that with years of diligent practice I've developed the art of camouflaging how I feel: I only go out on good days, and the bad days spent curled up at home are invisible to everyone but my nearest and dearest. I sometimes don't even offer my friends the... Continue Reading →

October 14, 2015 7

Losing control

It was one of those magical practices when the yoga happens and all you can do is let it. Let the breath come in and go out, let my limbs find their shape in each asana, let my body feel where to go -- bodily sensations only, no brain involved. The teacher's words resolved themselves in my movements.... Continue Reading →