The tree listens

I sat with someone recently and told them my pain, my grief and my confusion. We were outside, always the best place for emotions to be expressed, digested, perhaps laid to rest even. I had chosen the spot, under a tree-friend of mine, where I’d been doing my yoga practice for some days. There were... Continue Reading →

July 6, 2024 2

Eumorphia

Eumorphia Is that a word? I just made it up. The benefits of a classical education 🙂 The opposite of dysmorphia, as in ‘body dysmorphia’, a condition where you become obsessive about how your body looks, the bits you hate, how flawed and imperfect it is compared to how you see others. So what would... Continue Reading →

June 25, 2024 3

Maha prana

I’ve started including a bit more pranayama in my classes. It’s not something that featured prominently in the classes I attended myself so I’m a bit slow to incorporate it much in my own teaching and lack some confidence in doing so. But suddenly everything I learn about yoga seems to emphasise the nervous system... Continue Reading →

April 29, 2024 3

Courage!

At university when I was struggling to complete my final exams owing to a double combo of ill health and a painful wrist injury my tutor sent me a note (haha pre-email days!) that said ‘courage -- in a French accent’. I loved it. I think of it still when things get tricky. It made... Continue Reading →

April 13, 2024 7

Fusion confusion

I am still struck by the poignancy of my dad’s late in life wondering about where he belonged, where he fitted in -- maybe if he fitted in, even. I have felt this throughout my life too and, were it not for the nonplussed confusion on my mum’s face, I could easily have assumed it... Continue Reading →

March 22, 2024 1

Groovy chanting

In my online Veda class recently we fell into a group discussion about the challenges of sending our chant recordings to the teacher, the vulnerability of being obviously sh*t at something and doing it anyway, the importance of feedback for correction as well as encouragement, the joy of being seen (or heard) especially in these... Continue Reading →

March 12, 2024 3

The wise soul’s capacity

I’m still somewhere in the weird, uncharted territory of the grief cycle as it pertains not to an actual death but from a loss of a relationship, namely breaking up with my long-time yoga teacher. It’s not a socially-acceptable kind of grief and likely sounds all cultish and dependent and creepy to anyone not in... Continue Reading →

February 28, 2024 2

My dream run

I’m having a lot of dreams at the moment, bad dreams (nightmares even) from which I wake up in a sweat with my heart beating hard, sometimes just a sense of unease or sometimes full-on panic. My first moments of consciousness swirl me back into reality, pulling me out of some strange situation or emotional... Continue Reading →

February 4, 2024 6

Social media lineage

I saw a thing on social media today. Looking at it one way, it was just a dumb marketing message. Looking at it another way, it was a teaching from my teacher’s teacher on the three things that make a good teacher: A lineage connection – A good teacher is part of a lineage and... Continue Reading →

January 22, 2024 3

Life saver

Years ago (when we were all younger!) my teacher would often do a breakout time in his vinyasa class to allow people to practise handstand against the wall. He would come around the room ensuring everyone was working to their level and had an appropriate challenge. When he got to me he kindly asked “can... Continue Reading →