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

Seek and ye shall find?

A girl turned up to yoga last night and found she had left her yoga clothes at home. She laughed as she told me about looking in her bag for a third time not quite believing that they weren't there. She couldn't shake the feeling that if she just looked again a bit harder they'd... Continue Reading →

February 10, 2016 5

Being dim

"Do you think I'm really dim?" I asked Hubby. "Uh... yeah!" he told me. Mock incredulity. Did I really need to ask!! We were talking about yoga. Of course. Specifically we were talking about breath leading the movement. Clearly pretty important in yoga. Clearly very important in vinyasa style. But hard, right? Or is it? Am... Continue Reading →

February 8, 2016 8

Easy does it

Blurgh. This was my first thought on waking up today. A lousy night's sleep and I'm feeling really sick. Plus it was raining hard. But I went to yoga class anyway. This two hour class on a Sunday morning still feels like such a gift and I don't easily reject the offering. I was uncertain... Continue Reading →

February 7, 2016 5

Make mine a double

A few months ago my teacher made a half-joking suggestion that I could try taking two classes back to back. I didn't even know that was allowed! My first thought was "shouldn't I ration my class attendance so everyone gets a look in"? I'm so law-abiding! My quick-following second thought was all about whether I would... Continue Reading →

February 5, 2016 0

Yoga by moonlight

I was chatting a friend over coffee today and conversation turned as often to yoga. We're both busy with relationships, work, family, keeping well/feeling ill... the usual flow of life stuff. And for myself I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by work right now (I'm covering the essentials of my boss's workload while he's on extended leave).... Continue Reading →

January 13, 2016 7

Contented locusts at home

Class vs home? Today my continued cold made the decision for me. Trekking across town was several steps too far for me today -- especially in the rain! So home won out -- and happily. I had a fascinating practice. Lots of deep listening to my body in a way I don't/can't usually in class.... Continue Reading →

January 10, 2016 3

Green-eyed yogini

I envied the practice of the girl next to me in class. I wasn't watching her, but I had a sense of her gracefulness -- lightness and control, movements that looked deliberate and yet natural. I could sense this more than I actually saw it. I was trying to do my own practice, after all!... Continue Reading →

December 4, 2015 0

Lamp Posts and Bus Stops

I gave a mini-English lesson this evening as I waited for the bus home. I always have interesting moments at this bus stop after yoga class. Is it the bus stop? Maybe it's like the lamppost in Narnia -- where meetings happen! No, it's probably more likely another curious side-effect of yoga. Maybe somehow I give... Continue Reading →