Yoga Articles
Opening and Closing Ashtanga Chants
A traditional Ashtanga class starts and ends with a chant in Sanskrit either chanted as call and response or as a group together.The practice of chanting shifts our consciousness to a higher level of vibration and brings us closer to the Divine. Physically it...
Common Yoga Injuries and how to avoid them
It’s never fun when you are injured and restricted in your asana practice. In this article, I look at 2 of the most common injuries you might encounter in a yoga practice.Wrists injuries in Yoga One of the most restrictive problems can be a poorly wrist. You don’t...
Why I Never Play Music in Yoga Classes – The Case for Silence
I don’t play music in my classes. Never have. Never will.Whether to play music in yoga classes can be quite polarising, and I often get asked why I don’t play it, especially when it “creates a nice atmosphere”. I guess it all comes back to the 5th limb of yoga –...
Rethinking Labels in Yoga
What do we think about labels in yoga? We use labels every day to identify who we are: parent, manager, doctor, accountant, partner. A first question when we meet someone new is often “what do you do?”.It is part of who we are. An identifying feature.Labelling Yoga...
Trishana Method
In Ashtanga Vinyasa we have a framework to take us deeper into the practice and to create a moving meditation out of a physical practice. It is called the Tristhana [ three dwelling places] method and brings together postures - asanas - including the use of bandhas,...
Healthy Body Healthy Mind
I often get asked what yoga is and I usually reply that it is a system, a way of life which transcends religion and teaches us how to be better people to ourselves and to others. It is all about creating a healthy body and a healthy mind.The 8 limbs of yoga The 8...
Being Spiritual
When people find out that I practice yoga and teach yoga classes and and that I have been on retreats and stayed in ashrams they often ask me if I am “spiritual”. Many people say that they are spiritual adding on “but I am not religious”. That got me thinking. I just...
Yoga for Seniors
I am normally a calm and collected yoga teacher but recently my blood has been well and truly boiling. There have been several posts in yoga teacher Facebook groups asking how to market classes targeted at “seniors” who the authors then go on to describe as “over 50s”...
Modern Yoga
Yoga has certainly moved on since the days of Patanjali. What started as essentially an inward-looking solitary practice has become a big business group activity whether the yoga class itself or its accoutrements – clothing, accessories, or luxury yoga retreats. There...
What is the hardest Yoga Pose?
So here is a question for you. What is the hardest yoga pose? Which is the yoga pose which most practitioners struggle with? Handstand? Crow? Pigeon? Camel? Quite possibly – they are pretty evil, aren’t they? Would it surprise you to learn though that its none of the...
Yoga Om / Aum
In one of my previous articles Om Shanti Shanti Shanti I discussed what this well know chant means. This article looks at “Om” or “aum” which is the first sacred Hindu chant most yoga students will hear in a yoga class as many classes start and end with. “Om” is...
How Many Yoga Asanas Are There?
In one of my previous articles Asanas Yoga, where’s Your Head At I discussed what do you do when you are practising Asanas yoga. This article asks How Many Yoga Asanas Are There? So let's jump right in and the answer very much depends on whom you ask. We can look at...
The Breath and Yoga
The breath and the practice of yoga are inextricably linked – how often do you hear yoga teachers talk about “moving with the breath”? But what does it mean and why should we do it? The first thing we do when we are born is inhale, and the last thing we do before we...
What are the benefits of attending Yoga Workshops?
It may seem a bit of a quantum leap and if we are honest a bit scary going from a 1-hour yoga class to a full-on yoga workshop that may last several hours. Many thoughts may run through your head such as “I’m not good enough”, “I don’t know enough”, “they are only for...
The Gayatri Mantra
Like many people The Gayatri mantra [sung by Deva Premal] was my first experience of spiritual music and I was like a thing possessed hoovering up any Kirtan CD I could find. It is now my “go to” mantra and I often find myself slipping into chanting it silently in...
Mudras
We often use Mudras in a yoga class. The word “mudra “means “seal “or “gesture” and “mudras” are hand positions one of the most common being Anjali mudra where we bring the palms together in front of the heart at the start or end of a class. They also exist however in...
What is a Guru ?
So what is a Guru? According to Wikipedia a “guru” is “a mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. ... A guru is also one's spiritual guide, who helps one to discover the same potentialities that the guru has already realized “ Guru is a...
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Om Shanti om meaning. Om Peace Peace Peace. Those 4 short words are often spoken at the end of a yoga class but what do they mean and why do we say them? “Om” is the first mantra most yoga students will hear as many classes start and end with this. It is also chanted...
Asanas Yoga – Where’s Your Head At?
What do you do when you are practising asanas Yoga? Where’s your attention? Are you making lists? Winning imaginary arguments? Reliving the past or speculating on the future? In Ashtanga, we count the breath. The inhale and the exhale. In Sanskrit when we flow. In...
The Prayer Of St Francis
Lord make me an instrument of Your peace Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine master grant that I may Not...
Shiva – The Lord Of The Dance
Shiva is one of the main trio of Hindu gods. Brahma creates, Vishnu maintains and Shiva destroys [the bad things so that there can be rebirth]. His followers [Shaivites] believe that he is the supreme Lord, the creator, protector and transformer of the universe. He is...
What Style of Yoga Right For Me?
There is a bewildering array of yoga styles and classes out there from Yin to Ashtanga and from power yoga to restorative. If truth be told there are as many styles of yoga as there are yoga teachers and the most important thing is to get on with the teacher and how...
Creating Ceremony
I have always been fascinated by the ceremony. On my many ashram visits, the times I looked forward to the most were morning prayers and the weekly kirtan. In the half-light we would sit in stillness in the temple room wrapped in blankets to ward off the chill whilst...
Why is 108 the sacred number in Yoga
Since I started practising yoga I have always wondered what the significance of the number 108 was. I was intrigued why Sun Salutations were practised 108 times – often for charity and why there were 108 beads on a mala. The one benefit of lockdown #3 is that I have...
A peek behind the scenes
I get my inspiration for class themes from many places – a class or workshop I have attended myself- too many to list, a book – such as Tias Littles amazing book “The Practice is the Path”, a philosophical aspect of yoga such as the yamas and niyamas an aspect of the...
How To Crack Yoga Arm Balances
Most yoga classes are vinyasa flow type and if they contain arm balances at all there is never enough time. At best there might be 1 or 2 attempts at bakasana [crow] and then the class moves on. This never gives enough time to practice technique or modifications and...
Why I Practice Ashtanga
I came to Ashtanga by default. I had been attending a power yoga class where I used to live in Northampton and the teacher went on maternity leave. An Ashtanga teacher had relocated to the area and she continued with the class – and so did the students. Ashtanga is a...
What Does It Mean To Practice Yoga
Now, that is what I’d call a challenging question. I am often asked what I used to do for a living – you know - when I had a “ proper job”. For many reasons I am apprehensive about giving details of my previous life ( I was a lawyer ). If I do confess I get a...
Why we roll to the right at the end of Savasana
You’ve reached the end of a yoga class. You ‘re just coming out of Savasana. You’ve wriggled your fingers and toes , rolled your head slowly from side to side, hugged your knees into the chest and given your body a full on stretch . Your instructor then asks you to...
