Envy is a dark, hidden emotion. It can sour friendships, harden hearts and most of all, poison yourself. In the yoga world, where the underlying philosophy is based on love, light, and unity, the dark underbelly of envy and jealousy goes un-spoken about, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not there. Sometimes you’re the one […]
Welcome to Zen Monkey’s Āsana Dictionary! This department came to be as a result of the Zen Monkey Āsana Challenge in June of 2015, and we’re constantly adding to and improving it! Please click on the pose titles below to see details about each of the poses listed, and check back regularly to see new poses as we add
Headstand is one of my favourite poses. A headstand demands much. It requires strength AND flexibility, but that is not all. Turning upside-down and balancing on your head takes courage. And self-belief. A headstand is a mental and physical challenge that, once mastered, continues to be a highlight of time spent on the mat. Though
Stressed? Busy? Juggling too many balls? Trying to tick off an endless ‘to-do’ list? This seems to be most of us, especially if we’re lucky enough to live in the buzzing capital city of London. What with work, family, a social life, and the mental load that comes with that trio, it’s easy to let
Shona Vertue is a yoga teacher and personal trainer who counts David Beckham as one of her clients. And this 30-year-old, Australian-born, London-based fitness fanatic is on a mission to get as many of us fit and strong as she can. When David Beckham was looking for a way to combat pain after playing football,
Meditation and Tai Chi don’t just calm the mind – they seem to affect our DNA too. Evidence has emerged that these ‘mind-body practices’ reduce the activity of genes associated with inflammation – essentially reversing molecular damage caused by stress. It has been found that genes related to inflammation become less active in people practising
I am an Iyengar yoga teacher, so props are part of my practice, day in, day out. In Iyengar yoga, they are used as an extension of the body, a guide for alignment and a support to hold a pose for longer – and countless other things. They are not cool accessories to make yoga
As my YogaLondon training wisely taught me, teaching yoga requires linguistic and physical flexibility. As a keen poet and writer, this is one of the things I love most about yoga, and when words flow seamlessly around the physicality of poses, it’s a kick like no other. However, some days vinyasas can feel like the
We are ambassadors in this long line of teaching Weekend 7 Our second time doing the sequence without visuals – it was great except my hamstrings paid for it a little as I ran to class. Saturday Yoga London teacher Jo took our Saturday practice with the help of Chris and Anna from my course
Lockdown may have got to me. I have started to ramble at people, no longer satisfied with just polite conversations, I now orate epic monologues. Unsuspecting shoppers in Tescos fall prey to my need to connect. “Do you think I should buy this banana? It seems very green, I don’t know when I might want
