During the lockdown, we’re all allowed one walk, run, or cycle a day to get our daily exercise. This precious time of being outdoors is invaluable, especially for those that live in built-up urban areas. While on your walk, there are lots of ways that we can practice yoga, through the way that we interact […]
Self-care is a term that is bandied about these days. ‘Look after yourself’, we say on bidding farewell, and ‘take care’. But the truth is that we are mostly very bad at looking after ourselves. We ‘look after ourselves’ by binge-eating chocolates, lying in bed, chilling out and watching TV, or scrolling through our social
I wish I had a pound for every time I have told my students to ‘listen to your body’ – it’s just one of those things yoga teachers say, isn’t it? It slips off the tongue so easily, but what does it really mean? Listen through Ahimsa Listening to your body starts with ahimsa –
Our scapula, or shoulder blade, glides around on the chest wall allowing the complex movements that we use in our asana. It plays a vital role in keeping the scapula firmly fixed on the chest wall. Here is how to activate, strengthen and make the most of this important muscle in your classes. The When and
Were you scared this Halloween? Whilst witches, mummies and vampires may no longer scare us (not as much as our credit card bill) they do represent the unknown darker side of life and those fears can still catch us unawares. And those fears can lurk even in our yoga practice. I’ve had many poses over
What are the important relationships in our lives? Our other halves, our parents, our children, our besties – but what about the student-teacher relationship? How important is that? According to ancient Indian culture, the relationship between a Guru and a shishya (disciple) is a very special one, even transcending the bond between parent and child,
We’re starting our series on famous yogis and yoginis with Sri Swami Satchidananda, for the simple reason that his version of the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali has become such a pervasive text in yoga and teacher training courses, and many will be familiar with this guru’s face smiling at you from the cover. He became
Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is a Japanese word meaning ‘universal life energy’ and is a beautiful system of natural healing that can be particularly beneficial for yoga teachers. Founded by a Japanese Buddhist, Dr Mikao Usui (1865 – 1926), in the late 19th century, Reiki has evolved as a result of his research, experience and dedication. What
The Hatha Yoga Pradipida is an ancient amalgamation of knowledge about cleansing and purifying practices that is still widely referenced today. If you’re uncertain that a book written around the 15th century retains much modern-day relevance, take a look… Name: Hatha Yoga PradipikaDate written: 15th century approx. (some dates go as far back as the
Trying to work on your arm balances and inversions? Strong, stable, sexy shoulders are key, so we’re focussing on poses that will build them up! This week we are working on our shoulders with five simple poses that are sure to leaving you burning. If you do it right, you won’t be able to do
