When I was asked to teach a workshop on the theme of 'Yoga and the Environment' I immediately said 'yes'. From 'Being in the Cycles' to 'Mother Earth Has Got Your Back', my yoga practice and teaching has always been infused with imagery from the natural world and I have written before about My Guru.… Continue reading Yoga and the Environment
Imbolc is a wonderful time to consider the first of Patanjali's eight limbs of yoga - Yama - as this guidance is all about our relationships. As we move through the gate out of winter hibernation to be more 'in the world', we can perhaps bring more awareness or consciousness to how we treat ourselves… Continue reading Imbolc / Yama
My classes this month have contained opportunities to explore opening and closing and what I have been describing as 'unfurling' - a journey from flexion to extension. For me, unfurling implies an opening that somehow seems to come from inside us. This is the way I understand aparigraha. Aparigraha is the fifth of the yama, usually translated… Continue reading Opening from Within (aparigraha)
The fourth yama is brahmacarya. This Sanskrit word has various connotations in Indian culture. It means celibacy, but is also to do with the phase of our life when we are young and still learning and developing - a time perhaps we should be concentrating on our studies and avoiding distractions. I choose to interpret… Continue reading Lines in the Sand (brahmacarya)
"Walk as if you were kissing the earth with your feet"Thich Nhat Hanh The third of the yama is asteya which means not-stealing. Although I'm sure we are all honest and trustworthy people in this community, a practice of asteya might also include attention to situations in which we might inadvertently 'steal' someone's words, time,… Continue reading Treading Lightly (asteya)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0p1-MGTK_8 "What hungry ducks they are - they're eating it!" The second of the Yama is Satya, which means truthfulness.I am sure most of us consider ourselves to be quite honest or truthful people. Have you ever said you would help out with something when actually you were really busy though? Have you ever said… Continue reading The Duck Index (satya)
