Sprezzatura yoga

Sprezzatura is a beautiful-sounding word coined in the sixteenth century to define the ideals of courtly behaviour in Renaissance Italy. It originally meant "a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it". I think my yoga teacher displays... Continue Reading →

November 24, 2015 3

Stepping on the teacher’s toes?

I'm a bit of a fixer by nature I think. I like to restore order, inspire peace, and smooth out the difficulties others are experiencing. I like to help make things better. I guess on good days that makes me a devoted wife and daughter, useful employee, and supportive friend. On bad days it probably just... Continue Reading →

November 15, 2015 3

Bio-geometry? Is that a word?

My teacher often asks us to feel this kind of thing in āsana: "feel the connection between your heel and the crown of your head" and so on. Energetic connection that is, not pretzel shapes with your foot behind your head! I think the idea is to find some structural integrity, so that your whole being is united... Continue Reading →

November 13, 2015 2

Being and laughing — good in any language

In the next thrilling instalment following my farewell to the Sanskrit professor and his super-fast class, I'm happy to report I've already found myself a new teacher! He teaches an adult group for just one hour a week, and it slots in perfectly right before my favourite yoga class of the week. Wow! Now Sanskrit feels like... Continue Reading →

November 10, 2015 6

Stop! Go! Yes? No?

My mum's had a few one-to-one classes with her yoga teacher recently. She doesn't like the group class so she's trying to get up some confidence and explore yoga a little bit more to see if it really is for her or not. She just called me to talk after the last session in the... Continue Reading →

November 2, 2015 1

Reversing triangle

Reversing triangle? Don't I mean 'reverse triangle'? Or 'revolved triangle'? Alas not! I'm just talking about plain old Trikoṇāsana. A staple in most of the classes I attend. It’s a pose I've been doing for as long as I've been practicing yoga. But now it suddenly feels all wrong. It started some months ago with feeling... Continue Reading →

October 27, 2015 3

Jelly-asana

I went to class last night feeling like a jelly. Muscles felt non-existent. I was weak, devoid of energy. How would it be to practice like that? I'm slowly, slowly learning to ask the question genuinely without fearing the answer. If I am well enough to get there, I go to class and let the... Continue Reading →

October 23, 2015 1

Lighter and deeper

A young friend of mine has just bought a house with her boyfriend. To her the financial commitment of joint property ownership comes easier than the emotional commitment of getting married. I thought this was strange. But now I wonder if it's not as topsy-turvy as it seemed. At my local yoga studio after an initial... Continue Reading →

October 19, 2015 5

Asking for help

I think a lot of us struggle to ask for help. It's difficult to admit you can't handle something. This is definitely true for me. I like to think I have an inner superhero who can rise to anything. But if asking for help is a common difficulty (among certain personality types at least), I wonder... Continue Reading →

September 25, 2015 4

Hooded crow

Today I've mostly encountered the world from under a deep black hood. It's been raining on and off all day and it seemed to be bucketing down each time I needed to be on the move, by foot. And the grey skies and bleak weather suited my mood, creating this sense of justified misery. See... Continue Reading →