The number of men practising yoga is growing. According to the 2016 Yoga in America Study by Yoga Journal and the Yoga Alliance, of those practising yoga in America, 28 percent are men. Though that may not sound very high, it’s up significantly from the mere 17.8 percentage of men identified in the 2012 edition […]
When I first began practising yoga many moons ago I used to marvel at the energy of the teacher: their sustained patience and sense of calm, their ability to entangle (or more aptly perhaps, untangle) us in an atmosphere of judgemental peace. They would float into the classroom – glowing, smiling and ethereal. What species were
If I had £5 for every time I’ve said, “I’m so busy.” I would be so rich that I’d never need to be busy ever again! Of course if that was a reality, no doubt I would find many other things to fill my time with, as our (my) obsession with busyness goes far beyond
I roll out my ultra sticky yoga mat, take off my Sweaty Betty leg warmers, light some Nag Champa incense, turn the volume up on my playlist of chilled world music, prepare a bottle of lavender essential oil, dim the lights and finally I’m ready to practice yoga. At the same time a group of
Many people are attracted to yoga by its physicality rather than its spirituality. Teaching some simple deep breathing techniques is a great way to introduce pranayama to novice yogis. So What is Pranayama Anyway? In its simplest form, pranayama is just deep breathing. Yes, we can make it technical by using only one nostril, closing
This week gives us the opportunity to move from a passing acquaintance to an established relationship with yoga. Moving From Stage Two To Three In my last article for this series, I talked about the four stages of the yoga journey: commencement, intent endeavour, intimate knowledge and consummation. Having covered ‘starting out’ and ‘staying on
Abby and I had just met on a Costa Rica yoga retreat and she would introduce me to something that would change my life. We practiced Sun Salutations against a sea-foam backdrop, that turned white as it crashed against powder browned with volcanic ash. We were cheered on by the high-pitched chirp of exotic birds,
Abs, core or midsection — whatever you call it, it should never be forgotten! You guessed it, this week we’re looking at core strength, focusing on the many layers of your abdomen. Before we jump straight in, let’s take a quick look at what it is we’re working out. There are six core muscles going
Who’s Who and What’s What at 5 of the Internet’s hottest studios Whilst it’s true that London – like many of the world’s capital cities – has more yoga studios than ever before, it can still be difficult to get to class. With long days in the office, kids’ after-school rotas, socialising and the need
There are three ways to practice authenticity in yoga. The first is to learn how to connect with your heart. The second is to connect in with your heart every day. And the third is to honour the wisdom of the heart by taking appropriate action. How to do this? Let’s find out. 1. Connect
