I remember during my yoga teacher training being in tears. A lot. At the time I had no idea why, and I went through a range of emotions such as shame, anger, fear, embarrassment and annoyance. I woke up in the morning and often thought, “I don’t want to go to yoga.” I did go […]
This year has been tough. We have all been impacted in some way or another by the Covid-19 pandemic. You might have caught the virus, and are still recovering. You might have lost someone you love. You will almost certainly have lost business, or been furloughed, had to change the way you work or lost
Have you ever felt stuck on your yoga journey? Or got the niggling feeling that something’s getting in your way? Read on to discover the five obstacles that might be blocking your path. Road Blocks Happen In part two of the Yoga Sūtras, Patañjali introduces the concept of the five kleśhas. This chapter is considered
Born in Brasil in 1939 and teaching yoga since 1967, Dharma Mittra has been teaching yoga for almost 50 years, and is still teaching at the Dharma Yoga Centre in New York City, as well as offering courses and retreats around the world. After years of reading books about yoga as a teenager, Dharma Mittra
I whole heartedly succumbed to the holiday season frenzy. Every temptation was welcome as though they were necessary for survival. Logic and reason vanished as deep-filled mince pies were washed down with oodles of red wine, after a hedonistic night in the company of Nicole Kidman and the delicious Alexander Skarsgard. I ‘caught up’ on
Say What? Confession time: aparigraha is one of the yamas I really love thinking about. Translated as non-grasping, I remember the first time I heard it and thinking, “Wow that really resonates!” A few hours later I was sitting in front of my laptop. The TV was on in the background, and my phone buzzed.
What does feeling connected mean to you? How does this relate to your yoga practice? Read on to discover why our fourth niyama, svādhyāya, is crucial to a truly mindful practice. Say What? Svādhyāya translates roughly as self study; sva meaning self and dhyaya meaning to contemplate, or think. It’s also thought of as spiritual
Yoga is not just a physical practice, it is an 8 step programme to enlightenment. While we often think of yoga as something we do as an individual, it can help us in all aspects of our lives, including how to parent and how to deal with our own parents. Here are 6 ways
Ahimsā is the practice of not causing harm to ourselves or others – in other words, being kind and considerate. Sound easy? Read on to find out if you may be bringing unnecessary pain into your life – and how you can practise more ahimsā both on and off the mat. Say What? Ahimsā, pronounced ‘a-hymn-sa‘, is a combination
Learn how to build your internal heat and bring discipline to your yoga practice without getting burnt along the way with this niyama, tapas. Say What? Tapas (not to be confused with delicious Spanish nibbles) is like fire. Derived from the Sanskrit word ‘tap’ which means ‘to burn’, Ashtanga teacher Melanie Cooper calls it the
