Compassion in Action
Many ordinary people have lost their jobs and livelihoods in India as a result of Covid and the circumstances resulting from this, and we will be looking at how we can help these people.
Liminal spaces
We are all presently residing, to one extent or another, in a liminal space. The Cambridge dictionary definition of liminal is “between or belonging to two different places, states, etc. the liminal state between waking and sleeping.” So we are in all presently in this place that is somehow ‘in between.’ To a large extent…
Yoga, religion, spirituality. Can they go together or are they completely different?
A long term Yoga student of mine, following the recent ‘lock down’ contacted me to say that, (as have many of us, during this peculiar process) she had done a lot of inner reflecting and soul searching and had, as a result, converted to Christianity. As a result of this decision, and again after much thought and thorough consideration, she felt that she could no longer practice Yoga in any form, largely because of with Yogas’ links to Hinduism.
Yoga, putting it all into practice
Someone recently asked me why I don’t play music when we practise together, and also if I could cut back the philosophy content and chat a little less perhaps? I explained politely that if this is what they wanted from their practice that’s no problem, but that is not how I view Yoga and so it is not how I teach.
What type of Yoga is it?
I cannot tell you how frustrating I find this question! I get asked this a lot, and my response is usually ‘its Yoga’. Which is possibly not that helpful. I know that this question is usually asked in compete innocence. There are so many so called ‘types’ of Yoga being offered that it is no wonder people are confused. So I thought I would try to explain things from my perspective.
Yoga, keeping it real
I was introduced the other day as ‘A yoga teacher, and a person.’ How refreshing. All to often it can feel that because I teach Yoga I am apart from the regular members of the human race and that I should somehow float just above the ground and glide rather than walk as I am so serene and pure.
Who are we really?
We are generally seen as our roles or places in society. How often do we meet someone new and the initial question is always ‘what do you do?’ How often do we respond with our current (not necessarily chosen) job role or profession and not say what we actually do?
Yoga in challenging times
This is my most favourite and often thought of quote from the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali.
“Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked.”
Make your own luck, get grateful!
You’re always so lucky’….thats what people often say to me. Am I? How do you know? What is luck? And what is our lifes purpose or destiny? How often do we connect with our real life purpose and how often does it pass us by?
The coffee pot and the cat flap
Many years ago we had a coffee pot, a simple stovetop screw together affair that worked very well and made the best and most delicious coffee. The Dukkha (unsatisfactoriness with how things are) crept in.
The Orange Jumper
Its all about perspective. Optimist I am, I am also human. I do have days where I don’t feel so great, but most of the time I know what I need to do to feel ‘better’. Isn’t that the case with most of us? We know what we need to do to feel good, but we feel almost guilty for doing it.