Blog

..as Autumn gets underway we have been looking in class at ways we can bring ourselves into line with the slower energy of the earth at this time of year, and prepare ourselves for a winter of wellness. Here is an article by Hillari Dowdle entitled “Season of Change” that will give you some good… Continue reading Season of change

…following our focus on the breath in class through October, here is an excerpt from an article by Julie Gudmestad, entitled “Take a Deep Breath” Take a Deep Breath With each breath you take, a symphony of muscular activity occurs. As you inhale, some muscles contract while others relax. The result is an expanded space… Continue reading Take a Deep Breath

……here we go again…..a few years ago there was a storm that began in a teacup when a yoga teacher had her classes discontinued in a church hall as the religious organisation involved in the case felt that the philosophy of yoga was at odds with christianity……interesting…..and THEN came the knee jerk reactions as churches… Continue reading Yoga and religion: the storm continues

Hi Yoga people, as we are working on the sides of the body through September, I thought I would post up the Egyptian Salutation, which includes lateral flexion (side bending) and spinal rotation (twisting) both of which do not feature in a traditional salutation to the sun….enjoy..xxx Michelle

…following on from our overview of the Brahamviharas of Buddhism, this week we looked at what stops us being in the present moment…this inspiring article by Christina Feldman from the Yoga Journal website,  gives some insight into one reason so many of us may have difficulty…… Don’t Hurry Be Happy By Christina Feldman Like a… Continue reading Don’t Hurry – Be Happy!

…we have been looking in class at the ‘four immeasurables’ from Buddhism, loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity, here is an article by Frank Jude Boccio on the subject…. Calm within: cultivating equanimity By Frank Jude Boccio A lot of people I know avoid reading the paper first thing in the morning—being confronted with… Continue reading The Brahmavihara’s: cultivating equanimity

…as we have been touching on the philosphical application of contentment whilst we work in forward folds, I thought I would give you a broad overview of how our physical yoga practice fits into the bigger picture. I would recommend that any serious yoga student gets hold of a copy of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. You… Continue reading The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Last week in class we practiced Naikan meditation……here is a “How To” guide from the ToDo Institite (www.todoinstitute.org) How to Practice Naikan Reflection The Three Questions Naikan reflection is based on three questions: What have I received from __________ ? What have I given to __________ ? What troubles and difficulties have I caused __________… Continue reading Naikan meditation

In class we have been looking at the upper back and opening the chest, with reference to anahata chakra the heart centre. Dwelling on the heart centre led to contemplation of  what we have to be grateful for, and the practice of Naikan, the art of staying grounded in gratitude. Here is an article by… Continue reading Gratitude

…for the next few weeks we will be focusing on the upper back, and looking at how our Yoga can help prevent a rounded upper back—and the depression, shallow breathing, tension, and headaches that often go with it. Here is an article by Julie Gudmestad on the topic……enjoy! “My middle back is tense and hurts… Continue reading Break out of your slump