Out beyond the castle defences

We had dinner with neighbours just recently. They're only a door away but even so our interactions have been quite limited. An Englishman's home is his castle after all. A party at ours a couple of years ago is still the longest time we've ever spent together; it's just quick hellos in the street as... Continue Reading →

February 20, 2018 1

Practice time

Time was when I'd wear a watch to every class so that I could keep an eye on the time. I wanted to pace myself so that I'd have enough energy to take me through the full sequence. I needed to reassure myself that I could get to the end OK. And aside from lacking... Continue Reading →

February 11, 2018 2

Safe space

I remember early days of yoga class when I felt really intimidated simply by being in the room and I would sit anxiously waiting for class to start, fidgeting mindlessly and half-considering doing a runner to the pub while there was still time to get out. (Nowadays I admit I still often feel this anxiety... Continue Reading →

February 7, 2018 5

Trust up and down the line

A yoga friend recently told me that whenever she had a ‘good practice’ in class she always made sure to tell the teacher what a great class it was; if she didn’t have this experience she simply said a brief thank you as she left. Wow, really? I observed that, while I take care to... Continue Reading →

February 1, 2018 3

Ineffable

I'm reeling. Not just wobbly from physical fatigue as muscles I didn't know I had assert themselves with increasing soreness. I'm also reeling mentally from so many new ideas and possibilities... I'm just back from a weekend of workshops which involved some of the most physically intense asana and pranayama practice I've ever attempted, some... Continue Reading →

January 29, 2018 2

Rock and roll

I finished my lunchtime class today with my usual closing words and a namaste. There was total silence and stillness through the room. No-one moved. There wasn’t the usual instant stampede when half the room leap up and rush out, due at their afternoon meetings I assume — or desperately hungry after lunchtime yoga class!... Continue Reading →

January 24, 2018 1

Past life

I took a bit of a trip down memory lane this week. In my past life I was an archaeologist and my old field director was in town for just a few hours giving a seminar in the university. Nearly 20 years ago I was an enthusiastic grad student and he was an up-and-coming lecturer,... Continue Reading →

January 23, 2018 2

Promises, promises

I feel that yoga promises much. Inherently. If you listen carefully. Sure, there are sometimes big bang fireworks moments where everything (and I mean everything) suddenly hits you with a crystal clarity that life is epically awesome, that you are awesome, and the cosmos is perfect. I feel fortunate that I have experienced something of... Continue Reading →

January 20, 2018 0

Wonder-ful

A yoga friend today told me that her physio advised against asana practice for 24 hours after any bodywork. I'd stopped her as she was rolling up her mat after class and asked her please to sit with me a few minutes. I wasn't ready to leave the room and rush straight back out into... Continue Reading →

January 18, 2018 4

Getting serious

I was talking with an experienced teacher recently about to how to keep yoga class (vinyasa specifically) safe. His pointers were really interesting. I was expecting loads of alignment stuff and the need to draw boundaries between being a yoga teacher and being a doctor/physio. But this wasn't it. Sure, he talked some about the... Continue Reading →