Anatomy at the hairdressers

There's nothing weird about studying anatomy at the hairdresser is there? Heaven knows I find the whole process so tedious I need some way of passing the time. Flicking through one magazine is usually my limit on that form of entertainment, so my Plan B in hairdresser survival is to bring my own reading matter. (Plan A,... Continue Reading →

March 17, 2016 0

My new normal

I feel so good most days now (recent bouts of flu aside) that I often persuade myself I'm fully well. I so want to be fully well. I'm done with having a half life. I find myself at a transition point, a no-man's land between well and unwell. Symptoms are reduced, energy is higher. My doctor has... Continue Reading →

March 16, 2016 8

The view from the front

The best thing about the front row in class -- there is no view! The studio I practice in has a very fashionable unadorned plain brick wall. Because I love walls (well, I did train in archaeology) this can be distracting enough as I become absorbed in the colours and textures and resist the temptation... Continue Reading →

March 15, 2016 5

Laughing and listening

The cue I was given about tucking the lower ribs in Kapotāsana made no sense at all -- my brain didn't understand and said so. "Why would I want to do that?" I asked my teacher. "Why indeed?" was his rather Delphic response which made me giggle. And hey presto -- it turns out that the... Continue Reading →

March 14, 2016 2

Turning my practice upside-down

Class the other day was all about change -- making changes oneself and accepting changes that occur. Some amusing thoughts, as always, from my teacher on his experiences of yoga. I liked his consideration of how many friends you might lose through yoga because you become apparently boring -- finding more pleasure in the emerging spring flowers... Continue Reading →

March 13, 2016 3

Tee-shirts and labels

I wrote a while ago how imposter syndrome made me feel ridiculously self-conscious about labelling myself as a serious enough yogini to merit mat-storage room at my local studio. Yeah, yeah, I know....!! The problems we create for ourselves! But, seriously -- calming my imposter syndrome down is a very real work in progress. Part of the practice for... Continue Reading →

March 11, 2016 0

Love and acceptance on Mother’s Day

It was Mother's Day in UK yesterday. Yes, we like to do things differently! My parents stayed for the weekend and I took my mum out for dinner -- and we graciously let our husbands come along too! I confess I'm a bit ambivalent about Mother's Day. I put it in the same category as... Continue Reading →

March 7, 2016 2

TT heebie jeebies

Someone was talking really loudly before class the other night. They were outside the studio door, but their voice carried clearly. I tried to ignore it. I'm breathing. I'm preparing. This is my time. Accept the sounds and then let them go -- that's what I was taught early on in meditation (in an absurdly... Continue Reading →

March 5, 2016 5

Practicing with a blank page

I wrote a bit earlier this week about how I'm finding practice really difficult at the moment. I currently have little patience or mental focus and attempts at home practice have been tough -- or totally abortive. Today I was booked onto an evening class and looking forward to it. Ah, a chance just to be told... Continue Reading →

March 3, 2016 2

Yoga + stress = practicing patience

GP appointments on the NHS are standardly 10 minutes. What can you do in 10 minutes? A lot as it turns out -- if you're experienced and have good rapport with your patient. I was back with my GP yesterday as a follow-up to my original appointment to talk about workplace stress (blogpost: does yoga... Continue Reading →