Have you ever considered your own internal weather? I suspect there have been days you felt your disposition was sunny and bright, and other days you have been heavy with dark clouds and ready to explode with thunder and lightning - I am sure that can't be just me! I woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow here in Shilbottle. It was a fantastic reminder of our famously unpredictable weather - a little flurry of Winter in the middle of an otherwise blossoming Spring.
"Yoga is a process of action and reflection."Judith Hanson Lasater Sometimes we may be taking a stance, making an action or deliberately changing something about our body or our breath. At other times we allow ourselves to step back and to reflect, to remain curious and to witness ourselves from a wider perspective. Both of… Continue reading Action and Reflection (abhyāsa vairāgya)
A rose does not compare itself with the other roses, it just blooms! This month I am writing and teaching about the Niyama - five ideas from the Yoga Sutras that are about our personal habits. I think of them as a simple yogic model of self care and am almost a little amused to… Continue reading Blooming in Your Own Way (sauca samtosa)
Today I would like to share with you these words from Bob Sharples (an Australian psychologist and meditation teacher). He writes about 'meditation' but you could substitute this for 'yoga', 'relaxation' or even just 'practice'. Don’t meditate to fix yourself,to heal yourself,to improve yourself,to redeem yourself.Rather, do it as an act of love,of deep warm friendship… Continue reading Self Care Vs Self Improvement
Restriction can be unappealing, but whether we resist it or surrender to it, there is an opportunity to grow, to open or to move. I created this practice as a little exploration into boundaries and resistance.
This is how I see it - we are all going on retreat, separately, but together.
