The yoga of finding joy in the midst of suffering. The capacity to feel joy is a gift we all possess. You only need hear a baby laugh to know that the ability to be joyful is a natural and innate thing. But, life being life, we all inevitably go through periods where we can […]
Yoga is a perfect art. It leads to physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It takes many years to master the poses and a lifetime (or two – or three) to become a truly realised yogi. But if there was one thing that could, possibly, make yoga even more perfect – it would be chocolate. And
One of the worst things about this current crisis and the lockdown, is the loneliness. Loneliness is one of the number ONE factors in deciding life expectancy and can shorten a person’s life span by around 15 years. This extraordinary fact shows how social interactions are not only pleasurable but essential for life. Part of
There can be so much chaos in our outer and inner worlds. It can be overwhelming, confusing, depressing, and frustrating. And while we cannot fully control what happens outside of us, we can control what happens inside of us. It is through Ayurveda we are taught how to maintain a healthy mind, body, and spirit.
Ok, the title of this piece may be a little optimistic, but I really do think that we can challenge our way to a different life. A case in point is our Beginning Yoga-thon hero Rob, who this week is coming to the end of his challenge: attending a class a day for the whole
Yoga is good for you. This fact has been pretty much established by scientists, researchers, experts and long-lived, healthy yogis themselves. Yoga is now prescribed by some GPs, people are referred to yoga classes by physiotherapists. It has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of high blood pressure, heart disease, lower back pain, depression, and
As yoga teachers we are always on the look out for flared lower ribs in our students. But do you really know what causes that hollowing of the upper abdomen and jutting ribs? I know I didn’t when I first started teaching yoga. Here’s why it happens and what you can do about it in
It’s the holiday season, and the most wonderful stressful time of the year for many people. Amongst all this chaos, how can you slow down and take a moment for yourself? With this quick flow you can take a breath before getting back to the holiday bustle. Set aside the Christmas decorations and credit cards,
We are not all bendy. Even if you are born bendy, that flexibility tends to reduce with age – unless you do something about it. Every yogi knows that yoga is a GREAT way to maintain flexibility as you grow older. And even if you have the flexibility of an ironing board, yoga will help
As a novice yogi, I clearly remember the frustration of poor upper body strength. My shoulders were so weak that chaturaṅga daṇḍāsana resembled a breakdancing caterpillar and iconic poses like bakāsana (crow) and handstands were an impossible dream. But I was not alone. Many people lack strength in their shoulders when they first come to
