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. Humanity is on the whole unaware that it is asleep, the Buddhists call this ignorance or mindlessness. Through the process of yoga our intention is to wake from this dream state, by the systematic cultivation of present moment awareness, and by using our ability to see more deeply into cause and effect Through the… Continue reading What happens now affects what happens next

From the beginning of this year in class we have been ruminating on being awake and dwelling in the present moment. Whether we realised it or not when we started out on our yoga journey, we had made a decision to wake up from the dream that most people remain in throughout their life. Waking… Continue reading Being awake

…we have been focusing on the breath in class over the past few weeks, so here is an article by one of my favourite writers Julie Gudmestad… Take a Deep Breath With each breath you take, a symphony of muscular activity occurs. As you inhale, some muscles contract while others relax. The result is an… Continue reading Take a Deep Breath

…..following our exploration of the kleshas in class here is an excellent article by Bo Forbes, a clinical psychologist and yoga teacher… Of the many crisis calls I’ve received, one in particular stands out. A good friend had awakened one morning to a note on her pillow: Her husband was leaving her for another woman.… Continue reading The Awakening

A little while back I published some notes on one of Brene Brown’s lectures on vulnerability, and wanted to share some more thoughts with you about another of her lectures that has helped me enormously with my own recent struggles. Brene Brown describes herself as a “Shame Researcher” and has spent many years exploring the… Continue reading Listening to Shame.

…..if you have not come across the TED talks you are missing out on a treat, they are free talks broadcast via the TED website from speakers across many disciplines….Brene Brown talks openly and passionately about her experience of exploring vulnerability, leading her to reclaim her own vulnerability after having a nervous breakdown. After I… Continue reading Brene Brown TED talk on vulnerability

Yoga and Depression By Michelle Chand “Rest in natural great peace this exhausted mind, beaten helpless by karma and neurotic thoughts, like the relentless fury of the pounding waves in the infinite ocean of samsara.” Khempo Jamyang Dorje The practice of backbends in yoga can be very uplifting, energising, challenging, exhilarating, and at times even… Continue reading The Pondering Yogini – Yoga and Depression

…following our theme of resistance, here are the words from last weeks class…….from John Kabbat Zinn… Letting go means just what it says. It is an invitation to cease clinging to anything – whether it be an idea, a thing, an event, a particular time, or view, or desire. It is a conscious decision to… Continue reading Letting Go

..over the last couple of weeks we have been looking at what happens to us when we meet with resistance both on and off the mat. Here is an article by Sally Kempton entitled “Free Yourself” which I found very helpful in my own life….. Free Yourself By Sally Kempton Giselle liked the way meditation… Continue reading Free Yourself

In class we will be exploring the balance between flexibility and strength, and why it is that both of these elements need to be present in our practice to maintain good health. Rather than bamboozle you with lots of technical jargon in class (though I will be touching on some of this stuff so read… Continue reading Why can’t we all do the box splits?