Managing better

In my earlier yoga days I was a more prolific blogger than now. All the experiences were so vivid and so new, I struggled to make sense of them. Writing as a process of reflection seemed to help. Also the little blog community that included me in their circle was a wonderful support with a... Continue Reading →

July 1, 2023 2

Turning to see

Back in the depths of lockdown when in UK we had restrictions about social interactions and you could only meet with those outside your household outdoors, I used to meet my yoga teacher in a local green space. I’m recollecting one such time strongly at the moment. Maybe it was about this time of year.... Continue Reading →

June 22, 2023 3

Park Run

I did my first Park Run just recently. This has been an item on my wishlist for a couple of years. Ahem, maybe it's a bit longer even than that. I know I've been holding back. Can I run 5km? Can I run 5km on a random Saturday morning, 'on demand', rather than picking optimal... Continue Reading →

June 16, 2023 5

In my hands

I met with my philosophy teacher this evening. I don't meet with her often enough. She doesn't push it, she lets me find my own way. We're both finding our way. She's kind. She lets me talk. She hears my questions and my hesitancy. We talk about commitment and discipline, teachers and authority, prayer and... Continue Reading →

June 1, 2023 3

Practice makes much less than perfect

"I don't want you to be good at this, I want you to practise being really bad at something." My teacher has given me a new chant to practise this week. She's going to give me a new chant to practise every week for six weeks. I'm not supposed to get good at them in... Continue Reading →

May 22, 2023 2

Dabbling

I'm dabbling a little in Vedic chanting right now. I'm not fully committed, just dabbling. Like a duck or a duckling, just very unlike a baby crow 🙂 I am drawn to the simplicity of this form, just as my mother was in a previous life drawn to plainchant. These limited tones carry an infinity... Continue Reading →

March 24, 2023 1

6 weeks later

I just completed my six weeks of beginner weights training! Oof, quite an experience. I was chatting over with a girlfriend recently. She's the best! Eagerly asking about it, keen to hear how I had found it, more interested in the mental/emotional difficulties she anticipated I would have with this degree of physical effort. She... Continue Reading →

March 10, 2023 0

30 day yoga challenge

One of the studios where I teach has just run a 30 day challenge. I found it really hard. Not because I participated myself but because I kept getting drawn into conversations I didn't want to have about it with the students. The judgmental part of my brain just wanted to laugh out loud at... Continue Reading →

February 23, 2023 0

Comparisons can be helpful

I finally got back to handstand class this week. I was paired with a really great partner who was fantastic at spotting me, giving loads of verbal and physical feedback which helped me feel safe and steady. I had a great practice. Yay! Much better than a previous experience of partner work. This time we... Continue Reading →

February 10, 2023 2

Where’s the new year headed?

"New year, new you"? No, that's never been my way! I'm a chronic hater of New Year's resolutions and that whole vibe of self-improvement. My changes tend to be slower and quieter, more integrated into my general practice rather than listed out in a goal-setting page in a bullet journal. But this year things are... Continue Reading →