Teaching honestly

I have a new regular student in class. She used to study with the Iyengar family in London -- and now she comes to me. Yikes! I was a bit freaked out at first, wondering what she would make of my lunchtime vinyasa flow class. But she keeps coming back, she seems content with what... Continue Reading →

October 27, 2019 2

Silence in class

I'm sitting on my own in a library café idly listening to the conversations around me, since I have no-one to talk to. Most people are studying something together. There are some young adults doing university work, something sciency, and a couple nearest me are learning a language and I notice the intricate script (Chinese?)... Continue Reading →

October 16, 2019 2

Knotty thoughts

I tied my first mala recently. I was feeling fragile. I didn't want to move, but I also didn't want to sit silently with my thoughts. What could I do to soothe myself? Somehow making a mala seemed like a good answer. Yoga practice is weird that way. Unexpected answers to questions I never used... Continue Reading →

October 13, 2019 2

Food for thought

I went to the supermarket today, something I don't do very often. Groceries usually come to me by doorstep delivery, supplemented by a weekly fruit and veg box and some small scale supplementary shopping by Hubby. I hate supermarkets. In truth I find them slightly overwhelming. Everything seems excessive -- quantities, choice, variety of brands.... Continue Reading →

October 6, 2019 4

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

Angel face

"Practise with the face of an angel". Advice recently given to me, and slightly reluctantly received. What is an angel to me? I'm a good student, I try to see how I can follow the words of my teachers. But this? What business do I have seeking to present an angelic face to the world?... Continue Reading →

September 6, 2019 4

Postal vote

This past week seems to have been a week of difficult communications. My day job involves firing off emails in all directions and although I pride myself on taking care with the clarity of my communication, it's still very functional stuff. I'm just doing a job, trying to be efficient and effective. In my personal... Continue Reading →

August 30, 2019

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

Invisible handstand

Some months ago I remember playing a private game in class, seeing if I could remain invisible to the teacher. I remember feeling smug that I'd got through the standing sequence without attracting any attention, while the students around me were given hands on assists or specific instruction. At the very moment when I was... Continue Reading →

July 27, 2019 0

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 →