Running away and coming back

First words from the teacher, first breaths on my mat and nothing felt right. I never know how to handle this start to practice, when I just don't jive with what's going on around me and everything feels wrong. In my own practice time I never have a plan to adhere to so I don't... Continue Reading →

August 3, 2018 2

Listening to Chopin

I'm feeling a certain softness and tenderness towards myself these days. It's growing a little within me. My teachers are inspiring some honest self-care. Not the self-soothing warm baths and small indulgences type of nurturing that seems commonly advocated in popular media but which I suspect has little to do with yoga. Theirs is a... Continue Reading →

July 28, 2018 5

Local yoga

There's a small yoga studio at the end of my street. I went there a few times some years ago, but it wasn't the place for me. It's changed hands since and I feel a little guilty that I've not supported it in any way by attending even the odd class. But I'm happy trotting... Continue Reading →

July 27, 2018 4

Weed in my hair

The heatwave continues in the UK. I love it. The warmth brings me alive. I have more energy, my body is more open. The days are lighter for longer and I am filling them. Also in this weather, I don't feel guilty for taking a siesta in the afternoon when I get home from work!... Continue Reading →

July 22, 2018 2

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

Illuminating contrast

I was talking recently with a student who volunteered that she finds meditation in noisy places easier than in silence. She has stopped getting up so early for practice because she found the deep silence too difficult, whereas the noise of rush-hour traffic was much easier! I've found this to be true for myself too.... Continue Reading →

July 12, 2018 2

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

What is and what is not

An artist comes into one of my classes each month to sketch the students in their asana practice. She’s a yogi herself and is learning to draw the human body in movement. We have some great conversations about how to read anatomy in the way we each need to. She told me that in life... Continue Reading →

June 27, 2018 4

Handle with care

One of my teachers thanked me recently for wearing my hair in a beautiful braid -- doing this just for her, she said. She then used my braid to coax me into better alignment, tugging at it gently to guide me. I actually didn't mind this. She has such a light and loving touch, I... Continue Reading →

June 21, 2018 0

Beautiful practice

My Rolfing session today ended as it began with me walking around the room. At the beginning of a session it's all about body observation, her watching my way of locomotion, how my body negotiates gravity and travels through space. Specifically in my case, how I don't use my toes when I walk, they are... Continue Reading →