A lot of teachers use the expression ‘root to rise’ in their classes but what does it mean? When I was new to yoga, I was pretty dismissive of this. It sounded a little flowery to me. Then one day during a slower class, I found myself feeling much more grounded and firmer in my foundation than ever before, and I finally understood the expression. Ever since then, this simple expression guides how I practice and teach, because it adds…
I recently started running – and I absolutely love it. I already feel I can breathe more deeply after a run, and I’m full of lots of feel-good endorphins, helping me to stay motivated and strong. I know I’m a little late to the party – lots of yogis are runners and lots of runners are yogis. For good reason – there are many ways these two practices can be complementary. Here are my four highlights so far. Muscular endurance…
I got on the bus on Friday evening for what would be a 45 minute journey – and my phone battery was nearly out. I got this minor sense of panic – what would I do with 45 minutes without podcasts, WhatsApp, email and all the other entertainments I could fill the time with? Was there a charging port on the bus? Why didn’t I charge it earlier? What would I do for the time? My brain was lit up…
The sunshine over the last few weeks has been amazing and has left many of us with proud tan lines and rosy faces. The sunshine can help us to boost our vitamin D levels, change our sleep patterns, and enhance our immune system as well as our mood. Not to mention all the summer events popping up everywhere to keep us out and active. What’s not to love about the sunshine? If you’re like me and you’ve been trying to…
A student was talking to me after class recently and mentioned that her friend is really ‘good at yoga’ and that there are loads of people in class who are ‘better than her’. It strikes me that there is a tendency for all of us to focus on the aesthetic of the postures without really examining our thought patterns and judgements while we move through postures. That is to say, we automatically jump to how things look, and put the…
There are times when everyone hits a bit of a yoga slump, when your schedule starts to fill up and making time for your yoga practice takes a back seat. The immediate things (texts, emails, work engagements) overpower the important things (health, happiness, peace of mind) and you start to feel a little ‘off’ and don’t know why. When this happens, you might notice a quiet little voice in your head saying ‘slow down’ which you promptly ignore because oh-look-my-phone-beeped-must-answer-now….
Mindfulness is a tricky thing. It’s such a complex and yet simple subject. At the heart of it, it couldn’t be simpler – purposefully paying attention to the present moment. But we all have deeply ingrained thought patterns and in the busy world we live in, there are multiple demands on our minds at all times, so it can feel much more complex when we actively start a mindfulness practice. I really fell in love with yoga only after a…
We all hear the teacher tell us to inhale, and to exhale, and we follow along. We then get to a standing posture, or a challenging posture – and what do we do? We stop breathing. Whether it’s holding our breath or going back to shallow breathing, we lose the rhythm of the breath that we had at the start of class. So what’s all the fuss about? What differentiates yoga asana from most other forms of physical activity is…
Go for a tech-free walk. Spend some time in nature without any technology on your body. See how it feels to go even just 15 minutes without a phone to reach for! Enjoy daily tasks. Be aware when you’re doing things like brushing your teeth, making dinner, putting on the wash. Let yourself experience the task, rather than just hurrying to finish it. Have a long chat with a friend. Spend some time with someone and be present. Be a…
Release expectation. One of the best things about yoga is that there are no goals. I know, this might sound like a crazy concept, but it’s true! There is actually no need to ever have a goal in your yoga practice. You can, if you find it beneficial, but the whole point of yoga is to be aware. Being aware can happen at any level, on any day, during any kind of practice. Being aware and being compassionate with yourself,…
