 10 minutes of yoga every day sounds like hardly anything. What difference will it make?
My 3-week home yoga challenge starts on 1st January, you'll know what I'm talking about after only 1-week. You'll feel better, more grounded, more mobile, stronger, and more resilient. There is still time to join in if you haven't already registered, just send over your name in the registration form by the end of 2024! Jumpstart your home yoga practice with my free short home practice video series. Enjoy! Register Here before 2025 >
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 This week has been another doozy with chaotic, moody teens.
My job: to stay calm and not lose it, and help them navigate the ups and downs of where they are. I have mostly succeeded, which means I've lost it a couple of times. Ahem. Not proud. But I think I would have lost it many more times, and for a lot longer, if I hadn't started my day with my full quota of yoga. I knew I would need it. I knew the day could be much rockier had I not stepped on to my mat early, before they woke up, to do my practice. Yoga can be multi-layered and multi-purpose. It keeps us strong and fresh, grounded and feeling our best. It brings a calmer perspective and a more clear view. And it resets and helps regulate and rebalance emotions, mental turbulence, stored stress and an over-wired nervous system. And it enables us to connect to an inner spaciousness, even when experiencing challenging times. There is still a space where we are fine, even amidst chaos. Think you don't need this over the holiday season? We all do. We all have our own means to do this for ourselves, and in turn to help those around us. Keep up your daily practice, whatever it is, even when life is busy (especially if life is busy). I can highly recommend yoga.  I had a wonderful week away on the Mediterranean coast and the lemons in the picture above (yes, green lemons!) were fresh from the grove behind the apartment.
I had forgotten how a week of sunshine, sea and an abundance of fresh lemons can be truly restorative and the memory of it is still with me to drop in to when the grey skies aren't uplifting. My daily yoga was on the roof terrace in the glow of the morning sunrise overlooking the bay. The terracotta tiles were cold but the warmth of the sun was fabulous. But of course, there are still flies and bugs, and the idyllic bay still offers up the chug of boat engines. Even in paradise there are things to take issue with, if you want to. Yoga in a beautiful environment Our yoga practice doesn't need to be in a beautiful and inspiring environment (although it is wonderful!). The end of the bed, the corner of the studio, tuning in to a few breaths at our desk with a taller spine - it all counts. Eyes closed and tune in - it doesn't matter where you are. Enjoy each moment - get inspired by Chris Hoy I was listening to the cyclist Chris Hoy on the radio this morning and he summed this up brilliantly. As you might know, he has recently announced a very challenging health diagnosis. Yet he has learned to take inspiration from it. Whereas before he might get stuck waiting for a delayed plane and be frustrated and get annoyed. Now when he gets stuck waiting for a plane, he turns to enjoying the moment. He gets to notice and fully appreciate the day that he has been gifted, instead of just moving through it. He has time to experience the breath in the body, the friendly people around him, the book that he doesn't get to read enough, the health that he has while it lasts. Time is limited When you are facing how limited your time is, it helps you stay focused to attending to each moment more and make the most of it. When we don't face a challenging diagnosis we still have that option to bring this same attitude of appreciation, gratitude and enjoyment to our moments, even the challenging ones. Our surroundings ultimately aren't as influential as we think they are. We can all wake up to the moment we are in and enjoy it more fully. We can choose to let go of worrying about what might happen. We can let go of dwelling on that troublesome thing from a recent memory. We practice this on the yoga mat, focusing in on what is actually going on in the body and breath, without the extra thoughts layered over about past and future. Moving and breathing We stand on our mat. We breath and feel the body. We move and start to come out of our heads and pay attention to what we find. The movements help us settle into steadier breaths and release our tense shoulders and backs. We rebalance physically, mentally and emotionally, and find ourselves loosening our knots and becoming more connected to ourselves. We let go of the small stuff and rediscover that this moment, that we are in right now, this body and breath, is good. Sunshine or not. Enjoy it.  This term of classes has flown by. Kids and those who work in education have been hard at it for 8 weeks and next week is half term. We've also done a lot with our yoga practice over the last 8 weeks. It is good to reflect on what we have been doing.
Each term always has challenges and discoveries to explore and new ways to help you feel more established in your practice. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned practitioner. This term has built strength, technique, stability, insight and depth. Getting familiar with the posture set and breath, which in turn helps our focus and clarity of mind to become more tranquil. Physical development At one level, the poses have progressed to become either more adaptive or more demanding, and more precise as we get to grips with what we are doing. This term we have strengthened our backs, knees, core and hips in particular. At the start of term, each of us had to discover what was possible as a starting point. Gradually strength and stability are embodied and you to start to feel more spacious and confident in your practice (and throughout the rest of your day). Thank you for bearing with the challenge of locust pose over so many weeks! No-one's favourite I suspect. But it will have left us all with stronger posture and breath, and at less risk of injury going forwards. Hurrah and well done! Breath development At another level, our breath has developed. The exhalation has been encouraged to lengthen and become smoother, which in turn will calm the mind and nervous system. We've learnt a wonderful balancing pranayama technique and spent several weeks becoming more proficient. I often go to classes where pranayama is sprinkled in without much introduction and the technique and refinement leaves you hoping for the best. Once learned properly, the 'deer' hand mudra needed, the quality of inhale and exhale, and familiarity with the pattern alllow you to settle into a much more subtle practice. You need to get past the initial 'this is curious' stage of trying things, to allow these ancient techniques to become subtle, absorbing and thereby more effective at the rebalance, clarity and calm they can invoke. Calm, spacious presence We've all felt it. We can't really put a name to it. That wonderful quality that arises in moments during our practice, or at the end when we sit or lie down, or as we go back into the rest of our day feeling lighter and more open. What we cultivate during our practice is a connection to a quiet, calm space that is ever-present within us but that gets cluttered over by the day-to-day 'stuff'. This regular reconnection appreciates over time. It becomes easier to be calm and present, on and off the mat. It gradually gets to be our default setting as we go about our day. And ultimately helps us feel better about ourselves, our lives and cope with whatever comes our way. I hope you have enjoyed this term. As you know, each class is stand-alone too, but taken over the weeks you have experienced the progress and depth that can develop. As always, come and chat about anything that you find confusing. As teachers we are all here to help guide you towards the benefits, and help you overcome the obstacles that we all encounter along the way.  Last weekend I was an attendee at an inspiring weekend retreat of yoga and rest. Time away from day-to-day life to immerse myself in my practice, and to reconnect to the ancient wisdom underpinning it.
Ancient Wisdom The lead teacher was Sriram who rather impressively has been teaching yoga since 1977. He has encyclopaedic knowledge of the Yoga Sutra, and great insights into practice and philosophy, plus incredible stamina! The Yoga Sutra is an ancient wisdom text and is the foundation of what I teach in yoga classes. We study it, chant it, understand as many of the rich teachings as possible and embody them in our mat practice to help bring them into everyday life. They are as relevant now as they were 2,000 years ago. Sriram's sessions were lively and had me attempting things that were seemingly impossible. I say seemingly impossible because he is in his 70s and managed to do things that I simply couldn't get close to. He wasn't showing off. He sort of expected us to be able to do some things, and then adjusted it to be more accessible when he realised we couldn't. Apparently it all starts by playing Kabaddi as a kid. There is always something you can do Whether you have limited energy or mobility or come to yoga much later in life which many of us do. The practice will always meet us where we are and works its magic when we keep showing up to our practice consistently over time. Find the right starting point and benefit from there. Our mat practice embodies a profound philosophy to bring us to a place of greater contentment with life, no matter what our hamstrings, knees or or state of physical health are up to. It brings us to a place of greater equanimity, that lovely calm glow at the end of class, where our life-challenges don't feel as daunting. My kids remind me of this every day at the moment, and my yoga practice shows up not just on my mat each morning, but in my mindset, my relative equanimity, and my open heart in the face of teenage angst and tantrums. As I'm sure some of you know, parenting can mean holding a tough line sometimes, as long as it is done with clear intentions held with a loving heart. Both of which I cultivate on my mat each morning as I move and breathe. Yoga is transformative If you find yourself with struggles in your life in any form, a yoga practice or class can help you transform how you feel about them and how you handle them. The strength, confidence, equanimity and clarity born out of a regular practice aren't there to simply make you feel good. Even though they do. They are there to help you show up each day in the best way you can.  My family life with a teenage tearaway is hovering around Def Con 3. It can get pretty intense at times, but I'm riding the storm, parenting as best I know, and of course, am safe in the knowledge that it is only a 'phase' and will pass. Brilliantly though, this coming weekend I'm away immersing myself in yoga, handing over the reins to my partner. Every year me and about 100 other yoga teachers get together and share yoga workshops, practices, enjoy good company and good food. Early morning practices, in depth teachings, chanting together and enjoying the expertise and wisdom of some of the most senior teachers sharing yoga in the world today. Even the granddaughter of Krishnamacharya (the forefather of modern yoga), daughter of TKV Desikachar, is Zooming in to share yoga with us. Should I go? Absolutely. It's important. By committing to this time away, I'll return able to be a better parent / friend / spouse / person. I'm making time for myself to reconnect deeply to the yoga practice that sustains me every day and that I share with those around me. This weekend will help me show up for my son in the way that I need to, with patience and love while also holding firm boundaries and accountability. On a smaller scale, day-to-day, week-to-week, we are always faced with distractions interrupting our best-placed intentions to get to our yoga mat. Family demands, work emergencies, dark and rainy evenings, tiredness, etc. The list of potential hazzards on the way to our mat is long. Important or Urgent When I used to work in business, we used the Eisenhower Matrix. You took your To-Do list, and placed everything into a grid of four boxes. Each box has a title along the axis: Urgent, Important, Non-important, Not-urgent. Everything in the Important and Urgent box is prioritised to the top of what you need to do. It helps you weed out the Urgent stuff, the stuff that feels really pressing, but actually might not be as Important. It helps you prioritise wisely so that you ensure the Important things are attended to.  Yoga lands firmly in the Important box. Sometimes the Urgent stuff isn't as important and has to wait. Sometimes we leave getting to our mat until it is Urgent, instead of just Important. We wait until a health crisis, a burnout, anxiety overload, back pain, immobility, before we decide the time is right to get to yoga. Don't wait until it is Urgent Treat your yoga practice as Important now, don't wait until you have an Urgent health crisis. Yoga, alongside good sleep and nutrition are our foundation. They support us in our daily life so that literally everything feels easier and less urgent. And it even helps you enjoy the turmoil along the way.  Do you collapse in a heap at the end of the day?
Do any of these sound right: 1) If our yoga feels hard, then we must be getting more benefit. 2) If it feels easy, then it can't be 'doing' anything. 3) If we invest more in something, it has to pay us back with what we want. More effort = better results. Let's think again. There is a false belief that if we do something that is hard, or do more of it, it will give us better results. Of course this can't be true. If eat chocolate, it might feel good at first. If I keep on eating lots and lots of chocolate, my mood won't continue to feel better and better and better. I will get to a point where my body will grumble and I'll feel horrible. The amount of time and effort we put into something needs to be just right, and the way to tell is often subtle. We are used to listening to our heads, not our bodies or more subtle sensations or energetic cues. Our willpower often determines our level of effort. We override everything else. We do the hard stuff, enjoy the buzz, and carry on. Even though we may be increasing our stress levels, not noticing that we have become accustomed to struggling through our days and collapsing in a heap at the end. Yoga practice can become that quieter place where things become easier to listen to. We learn to attend to the subtle cues in the body, in the breath and in how grounded we feel. We start to notice that we are rushing, or pushing into a pose, or struggling to breathe well instead of inviting a full unfolding of ease and stability in each pose, and in each breath. Of course, at first this may feel elusive or even impossible but once established in your practice, sensitivity increases. Yoga helps us move and breathe better, to become more aware of ourselves, our habits, our blind spots and helps us work with ourselves in a much more skillful way. We learn to listen with openness, care and attention. And listening in this way is definitely a skill worth cultivating. Ultimately it can help unfold a new dimension of relationship to ourselves, and to those around us. And help us avoid the need to collapse in a heap at the end of each day. ___  One of my students said she feels the same after her yoga class as she does when she gets back from holiday.
The summer vibe after a holiday is a good place to reside, even when we are back in the swing of day-to-day life. Of course there are responsibilities and challenges to meet when the holiday is over, but we can rekindle our summer mindset which helps us live with more ease and joy. We're not glossing over the trials we encounter or pretending that everything is okay. We.re not turning our backs on it all which we might do when on holiday. The chaos and worries in our external lives are very real and need to be met with our clearest head and our best heart. The reset back to this is where our yoga practice comes front and centre. Grounding back into our bodies, noticing how out of balance we are. Moving back towards a more harmonious relationship with ourselves. None of this is hard to do, but you need to make time to do it - regularly. Showing up and committing to your movement, breath and meditation practices has never been more necessary. Slowing down and paying more attention to the postural habits we've built up. Re-training the aches and pains for greater ease and freedom. Building a better foundation of support physically, mentally and emotionally. Re-discovering that beneath all the tensions and stresses there is a consistent and quiet foundation that is all too easy to lose sight of. Here are 3 great ways to help keep that summer feel-good vibe: 1) Spend time outside in the daylight, even if its raining. It all counts and is even more important as the days shorten and get gloomier. 2) Get to your class or re-ignite your regular home practice - or even better, both. 3) Keep up some of the good habits you picked up this summer. Spend time relaxing, reading, exercising, gardening, whatever it is you enjoy in the summer. Make time for it. Even when life is hard on the outside, our relationship to all of what is going on is up to us. How we show up and respond is more within our power than we may at first realise. Yoga helps us ride the waves instead of getting churned up in the breakers. You can always find summer on the inside. It doesn't go anywhere, we just need ways to reconnect to it.  In the delightful way that teenagers sometimes can, my son is being uncooperative and a touch moody.
On a good day, I see him as asserting his independence and my role is trying to help him gain skills in how he does this a little more gracefully. It is all part of growing up and sometimes, it can get a little ugly. We are going on holiday in a week and it is looking a little rocky. It might not be the hoped for restorative time where we can recharge. But expectations need to be put aside, it is part of the ups and downs of life. It has definitely been stressful with all the curveballs that get thrown into our family life. This level of stress is manageable and I know life gets a lot worse than this. It is a nice problem to have really - we are lucky to have energetic kids and go on holidays. Thankfully I have my stress busters that help me through this turbulence. They help me respond as well as possible and avoid getting too caught in the stressful whirlwind. 1) Movement This includes yoga of course, plus gentle jogging with very loud music, walking the dog and sometimes even going for a swim. It all works. Exercise is a tried and tested for many people, and never fails. No-one ever went to a yoga class and came out feeling more stressed. Movement shifts the energy, it rebalances hormones in the body, it helps discharge overwhelming feelings and creates much-needed head space so we can address what is causing the stress as skillfully as possible. It is my first go-to method. 2) A break or change of scene Even if it is getting out for a coffee. A change of scene, a change of surroundings, and friendly people. It gives you perspective, clears the air, and reminds you that not everyone is hostile. Of course a retreat from it all (which holidays should be but often aren't) is great. It helps re-establish a more balanced view on everything that is going on and come back to base. My upcoming September day-retreat is just what some of you may need - I know need it. See more below. 3) Breathwork This isn't a first-aid, immediate kind of fix. It is a practice taken over time which builds resilience and balance with our energy and emotions. I have a daily breath practice. I take my yoga postures with slow, measured breaths making the calming 'ocean' sound, and then I sit for a few minutes at the end and take a pranayama (breathwork) practice. It is subtle; it feels like I could skip it and it wouldn't matter on any given day. But the accumulative effect over the weeks is profound. It makes a huge difference to how I show up and how well I cope. Yes, it does have an immediate effect, I feel more spacious and refreshed right away, but this also builds over time. It is sort of like taking a shower for your brain and nervous system, cleaning out the built up gunk that stress tends to leave us with and restores my sense of clarity. And the subtlety of it helps me connect to something far quieter and quite essential. We'll be doing some of this in the day-retreat if you want to learn more about it. My fourth one is coffee - but that really goes under taking a break :-) ___ | Upcoming retreats | Right here in Bristol with Clara for a lovely day of gentle yoga 15th September 2024 Or our weekend retreat for next year will be announced soon too. Find out more >  Once school broke up for the summer, I had an idea in my head that my teenage boys would sleep late. It turns out I got the other kind of teenage boys. Ones who get up really early, and I'm always the last one downstairs.
At first I was a bit disappointed. Where was my peaceful morning coffee while the kids lay in? This used to happen, even last year. Where was my longer yoga practice and more leisurely pace for the weeks over the summer? Yes, my expectations set me up for a mismatch with reality. It is all good really, I love that they are healthy and able to get up and start their days. It just seemed odd and out of kilter with what I had thought. It is easy for expectations to hit that mismatch in our yoga practice too. We expect a certain practice and a certain result. To feel stretched this way and that way. To feel energised, vibrant, calm and for it to improve how we feel in some way. And yes, it might. And thankfully, it usually does. But our expectations will set us up for a fall at some point. It won't always go how we expect it to. And we need to be open to what we aren't expecting or even open to what we wouldn't choose to experience. And to note any disappointment, anxiety, judgement or frustration that then arises. We might feel that our practice wasn't good enough, that we didn't like what we were doing, that the yoga didn't work. But perhaps the yoga did work, and is helping you discover something unexpected. Perhaps you have discovered the reality of how you are. Whether you like it or not. At some point in your practice, you'll discover that you can't do the thing you could do last time you tried. Perhaps you felt stiff or had a pain, didn't feel strong enough, felt agitated, stuck, dissatisfied in some way. You expected your practice to make you feel great again. You want your yoga to allow you to continue to do the tough stuff forever. Yoga can't do this, obviously. But there is something wonderful that we can find, every time. Yoga can help you discover that being open to how you actually are, not how you think you are or would like to be, and accepting completely what you find, is a beautiful, less effortful, less frustrating route to the spaciousness and ease that yoga can lead you to - if you allow it. Yoga doesn't do this by satisfying our expectations. Especially when these expectations are mismatched with reality. It does it by allowing you to let go of notions of what you hope to create or change. It feels like a conundrum at first - how do you do that? You don't, yoga does, you just show up and be open and attentive to what you discover.  We've just finished another term of classes and start on a new journey next week. While each class stands on its own merits, the accumulative journey holds so much potential.
At the start of this term of classes with me, I invited you into a few challenging poses. Our hips grumbled and the new sensations invited us to inquire into exactly what did we think we were doing!? We gently persisted and encouraged our hips and legs to carefully try again each class. They got the hang of it and listened and responded. And by the end, this week, they are stronger, more mobile, more stable, and yes, our hips are happier and healthier (and so are we). It took a few weeks for the kinks to unfold. For the familiarity in the poses to enable us to work skillfully with what our body would find helpful, and for the nervous system to allow the poses to take a more full expression once safety was established. The sequence unfolded over the weeks. The breath was able to settle and come into the foreground. Perhaps we discovered our breath potential a little more with the pyramid breathing and the rhythmic counting. As we turn towards the next term, and I put together the jigsaw of pieces that will become our focus for the next few weeks, I find it so helpful to listen to the feedback after class. The challenges, the gains, the insights that yoga has inspired for you. And to build on that. For those who enjoyed the challenge of Warrior 2 or the Half Moon balance, or the grounding of the pyramid breathing, the library has our end of term practice recording to maintain and continue this work. Do carry on if you feel it is a direction that you are benefitting from. Enjoy your yoga and look forward to more explorations next week.  Life can throw us so much stuff sometimes.
At the moment one of my kids is having a hard time. I wouldn't trade being a teenager again for anything, I've done my time, and he is doing his 100%. He is doing his teenage job of figuring himself out and facing some demons, and as his mum, I need to show up and be there for him as best I can. This is as much my yoga practice as when I step on my mat each morning. It is on me to keep calm because he can't yet. I need to tune in, to him and to me, to really listen to what is going on, so that I can keep regulated in the face of his teenage 'moments'. I need to practice patience, not over think what is happening or take any of it personally. To bounce back quickly, not be judgemental about what is going on and keep showing up moment by moment with my full presence and heart. To hold it all lightly and enjoy the moments even when they seem tough. And keep taking care of myself during the rough rides that are part of growing up. We do all of this in the microcosm of our mat practice, breath by breath, moment by moment, and we bring it with us into each day to help us show up as best we can. My mat based yoga practice is part of my self care. Nurturing myself and restoring equilibrium and balance. It is also essential maintenance for my body and mind, to ensure I'm staying as well as possible during challenging times. Not just taking care of myself, but also investing in preventing future problems emerging, physically, mentally and emotionally. It is challenging but who ever thought parenting was going to be easy? I just need to do what I can to make sure I am up for the challenge. But my yoga is also something much greater than self care and much more than essential maintenance... There are 3 ways you could view your practice: 1) Do you view yoga as 'self-care'? That thing we do when we feel stressed, stiff, immobile, in need of some nurture or emotional rebalancing. It is this, and more. 2) Do you see it as 'essential maintenance'? A bit more fundamental than self care. The oiling of the creaky bits, increasing the fluidity of whole body and mind suppleness. The clearing out of the accumulated grind and freeing the breath. The regular maintenance routine that helps us operate in the way we like to and help prevents things going awry too far. Yoga is this and more. 3) Do you see yoga as a way to connect to something more fundamental than either of these? Yoga can bring us to a place where nothing needs fixing, maintaining, or improving. Where we are able to let go of the need to change anything. Improving tight hamstrings wouldn't make any difference to how whole and connected you feel to yourself and others and how a sense of joy and contentment isn't improved by touching your toes or achieving your most focused practice state. The aches don't matter when the peace you are seeking is found. And it can continue to be found, felt and enjoyed throughout the moments of the day once you know what your looking for and the best route there - even in the face of a meltdown. Yoga does all three of these brilliantly. It is easy to be satisfied with the first one, and the second one, they are great to do and we should do them, regularly. But the third one, a little more subtle, is where the real power and joy of yoga can be found, no matter what the level of challenge life may be throwing our way. Enjoy your yoga.  I love the feedback I get about yoga. I got this wonderful email last week about the two-week yoga challenge that launched a couple of weeks ago in the online library:
"I just wanted to say how much I’m enjoying the 2 week yoga practice. I’m aiming for daily and achieving alternate days so far! Feeling good for it. Really helpful and inspiring." Another student told me yesterday he has managed to ward of impending shoulder surgery, as his regular practice has done enough. He has been keeping up a regular practice since the January 30-day challenge and it has been well worth it! What I love about these stories, is that they have done this for themselves. They have made it to their mats, found the impetus to keep it up, and discovered that the benefits far outweigh the 10-20 minutes each day that it takes. The recordings were the seed of a starting point to get them going. The led classes at the studio help to keep up the motivation, refine the practice and bring in the reminders of how to practice that are so helpful once you are familiar with the basics. Yoga can be so simple once it gets your attention. The hard part is competing with so much noise in our lives: constant distraction and entertainment, phones, marketing and consumerism, busy lives, and false narratives that tell us that simplicity isn't as good as complexity and that everything should feel hard or it isn't 'doing' anything'. I feel fortunate to have discovered a simple and accessible approach to yoga. It's emphasis is on 'little and often' at home with inspiration via 1:1 support or through your weekly group class. The approach manages to side-step the gymnastic forms of yoga and saves you years of getting lost in perfecting the postures without looking further at what is available from moving and breathing well. With consistent practice of this simple yet powerful yoga, you'll discover the distracting noise of life and the aches and pains drop further away. Gratitude for simplicity, and the recognition of a more subtle joy comes into the foreground. The practice of yoga helps you discover this, and helps it stay around for longer until it becomes your default way of travelling through the ups and downs of life. Of course I think that everyone should do yoga. I know they won't as it is doesn't appeal to everyone (they don't know what they are missing!). But if you know about it, and you know how good it is for you, and you know how brilliant you feel when you've done it, but then you don't do it... Make sure you get to your mat this weekend.  When I stepped on my yoga mat this morning I took time to fully experience the sensations of my feet on the mat, the breath moving in and out, the settling of the mind downwards from the head into the body.
As I started the first ujjayi breath I felt it fill my whole body as the arms rose up and found space in the ribs and abdomen. It is both mundane, we breathe all day, every day, for our entire lives. And it is also incredible that this complex, harmonious, finely tuned instrument of the body can do this with the smallest encouragement. To witness it is quite incredible and delightful. There is a tension in yoga about whether you are practicing for a future outcome or bringing yourself fully into the present moment. Of course it isn't an either / or. We are doing both. This morning, my yoga practice was very much with my body, not just for my body. It felt great at the time and it serves a wider aim. It keeps me grounded in the moment, grateful for the day ahead, and also helps me cultivate good health and more often than not feel pain free. In all of my classes there is someone who isn't pain free. I have students working to improve sciatica, back pain and various injuries, and they need to work with and around pain very carefully. Pain can be debilitating and can mean sometimes living with just a modest amount of movement. The breath and the movements may have a clear purpose of improving what we are looking to change. We may be seeking recovery or improvements of body or mental state. But they also bring us into a state of open ease and awareness. We discover that although the pain and worries can feel all consuming, in that same moment there is still a view available that remains aware of all this and not caught up within it. This view is subtle, easy to overlook, but well worth cultivating. In our yoga classes there is this dance throughout each session where we are serving both aims. We are working with our bodies to move, strengthen, stabilise, ease, rebalance, and energise. And at the same time, coming closer to being present and into the fullness of the moment. The aches and pains are addressed and improved, the weaknesses gradually strengthened, the tightness starts to resolve and future ailments hopefully prevented. We might need to target a posture here and there to more fully address things. The breath is respected and nurtured, the mind is calmed. The nervous system comes back to balance. And we finish the practice feeling renewed, refreshed, revitalised and more positive. The beauty of yoga is that it serves both aims seamlessly. You just need to show up to your mat, breathe, move, and cultivate an open mind that allows you to come more fully into your self and your practice. The benefits, the goals, the improvements will follow naturally, just as night follows day. Do your yoga. It works.  What I love most about summer is how much easier it is to spend time outdoors and in nature, amongst trees, and with the earth underfoot.
Popping outside doesn't require the right footwear, layers, waterproofs and umbrellas. And outdoor yoga is a possibility. Perhaps a few simple postures in the garden. Or more seated practices - try sitting for a moment aware of your breathing, or in meditation in the garden or on a park bench. Or try walking slowly through the trees noticing the sensations of the warm breeze and the sounds of bird song. Moments like these are easily missed. But when enjoyed they bring us right back to the same place that we enjoy in our mat practice. Yoga helps us cultivate more 'presence' - more awareness of what is in our direct experience. And it helps us notice when we are getting lost in our busy thoughts again. It helps us turn more fully towards our body and breath, our sensations and our surroundings. We start to let go of tension and worry and are invited to appreciate the moments of our life that are so easily overlooked. The moment you find yourself in right now might objectively benefit from being different. Perhaps your not happy about the twingey back, the red bills, or the wayward relative. I'm certainly not rushing towards the next time my son decides to yell at me and blame me for his teenage woes. But my practice helps me hold in mind that this moment, for all its apparent flaws, is still a moment that in 20 years from now, I'll feel blessed to have experienced, would love to have again, and will probably find amusing. Yoga helps us fully appreciate the moments that make up our lives. Life doesn't need to get objectively better for it to feel immeasurably better. Yoga reminds us that the small stuff doesn't need to bother us, our mind can become calmer, the world can feel more peaceful, and we get to embody that peace and then radiate it towards everyone we encounter. Enjoy your summer. Yoga can help.  Do you want to practice yoga at home and just don't get round to it?
I talk to people every week in my classes about wanting to do a home yoga practice. It is a future aspiration and may or may not come to pass. They love how yoga makes them feel, how they rediscover a vibrancy, ease and peace within themselves that you just don't get any other way. The aches and pains reduce, the strength of body and mind improve, and it feels great (or at least, loads better than before you did your yoga). The desire to start a home practice is step 1. Let's follow it up with a few more ideas, and address a few of the top obstacles that might be stopping you. TOP OBSTACLES I don't seem to find time... 10 minutes is a great starting point and makes a HUGE difference. I know you can find 10 minutes (put your phone down). I'm injured, I'll start once I've recovered... Don't forget about the rest of you. You will have to work carefully around the injury, but it will help you recover and you'll feel much better, mentally and physically, along the way. It's been a while, but I'll come back to it when... Get started today. Or come to class to help motivate you. If you don't do it now, then when? I'm not sure what to do... Keep it simple. See below for a couple of free home videos TOP TIPS 1) Put your mat in a visible place as a reminder of your good intentions. 2) Try adding 'Home Yoga' as a meeting in your calendar, mark it as important, and set an alarm as a reminder. 3) Be modest and start with just 10 minutes. Pick 2 or 3 postures, slow down, follow your breath. You won't believe how different you feel and it only takes a moment. Enjoy and do it again tomorrow. 4) When the time comes to do your yoga, don't think about it. Literally stand up, go to your mat and begin. 5) If you skip a day, no worries. Don't skip 2 days in a row. 6) Value your yoga. Prioritise it over the busy-ness of the rest of your life. It is important and you'll be so glad you did. I'll be setting a summer challenge soon but let's start today, small steps, build a good habit that could be life-changing. You'll love that you did. ___ Read on: | Urban Retreat Day in Bristol with Clara, 15th September| Find out more > | Ideas to inspire your home yoga practice - free videos | See the latest free videos > | Book Talk with Ranju Roy, 7th July | Find out more > ___  There are only 7 teachers at YogaSpace.
Between us, we have nearly 100 years of teaching experience. We are only a small team and some of us have been teaching here for many years. I even did my teacher training here almost 2 decades ago. This amount of experience means we have a lot to draw on when we teach every person who comes to class. This matters if we want to ensure that the practice, the poses, the breathing, will be able to meet the individual where they are on that day and help them get what they need from their yoga. Yoga is as unique as you Yoga isn't one-size-fits-all. We are all unique. Our reasons for why we come to yoga, our bodies, our levels of energy, our injuries, our life experiences, our previous illnesses and stuck tensions are completely individual. And they all show up on the mat in our attitudes, body, breath, postural habits, emotions and thought patterns. The beauty of yoga is that there is always something you can do that will benefit you enormously. The art of yoga Finding the right starting point, the best way to ensure that the postures, sequences, pace, approach and techniques are suitable. This is the art of yoga and where experience will bring a richness to what you do. And where the joy of yoga can be discovered by everyone. It might be that a more gentle class is the best place to get the most from your practice. Or perhaps your own level of experience means that you are well placed to adapt the practice for yourself in any class. Sometimes 1:1 is the best place to start, ensuring that it is adapted in a very bespoke way. Yoga can be very carefully and therapeutically applied using 1:1 guidance. This is especially good when working with health issues or for home practices, where the postures and approach selected are going to help you make the most of your time on your mat. Find your yoga Any yoga is better than no yoga. It all counts and is all worth showing up for. Part of your journey with yoga is finding the right teacher who can guide you towards your most ideal practice, and help you adapt and change it when your life-situation requires it. This doesn't necessarily mean advancing you towards harder, stronger, more complex poses, which in my opinion are a red herring in what we are doing on our mats. But in helping you unlock the postures, techniques, and breath that will help you develop your version of vibrant aliveness, spacious ease in your body and mind, and ultimately more joy in every day.  My seedlings haven't sprouted. Some did, they are in the garden magically growing into little lettuces. However, I have 4 egg boxes on my window sill that are showing no signs of life. I still water them in hope. But I think I'm going to have to admit defeat. More than half of what I planted didn't sprout.
You create a wonderfully fertile environment, plant some seeds, maintain light, moist and warm conditions, and hope for the best. There is nothing more to be done. Hope for magic to happen, participate in the possibility of magic, and enjoy the pleasure of gardening along the way. We might not call it magic. We might call it luck, or lifeforce or alchemy. Whatever your term for it, we all need 'it' more than we'd like to think. Rational? We like to think we are in control. That good compost and conditions = seedlings. Well half of the seeds got that memo, the other half... Plenty in our lives, like my seedlings & non-seedlings, is frankly quite mysterious. Our rational heads like things to be logical and rational. I bet some of you are thinking up reasons why my seedlings didn't sprout, and would have good advice for me. We like to feel in control and in charge, and think that the world makes sense. 3 intelligences But our intelligence is only partly in our heads. Our bodies have their own innate intelligence. They are doing a million things right now that we don't even know about, are not controlling, and don't understand. And beyond just the functioning of our bodies, our gut has its own intelligence. We feel things in our gut, perhaps we notice a reaction or an instinct that is worth following, even though our head might rationally think otherwise. Likewise our hearts also have a profound intelligence that we all know and feel, but don't perhaps give enough space for. We weren't always like this. As a little kid, before anything else we are usually asked - are you hungry? are you tired? do you need the loo? Beyond that, we were considered pretty much fine. But as grownups we don't ask our bodies how they are, we ask our minds. Our bodies, our hearts and guts have intelligence worth listening to. Our heads can't sort out how we feel much of the time. We overthink things. In fact we might just be thirsty - take a drink and feel better. Cultivate whole body-mind connectedness Our yoga practice is one of the places where we attend to and cultivate this wholeness, this whole body-mind connectedness. We invite our attention out of our heads, and attend to the body, to the heart, to the gut, and listen. At first we might find this hard. The mind throws up much more interesting stories and problems to solve, lists to make, distractions to offer us. But with practice our focus is able to be sustained elsewhere. We start to breathe from deeper in the body, we notice subtle sensations that are often overlooked. Our movements feel fuller and more satisfying. And we nourish something that we can't quite rationalise but we know is important. Stretching and strengthening is great Our heads rationalise what we are doing, and sensibly value the stretching and strengthening. We think that the stability in our back is the reason we keep up our daily or weekly yoga practice. And of course the physical benefits and better mood are reasons enough to keep doing it. But our body knows more. It knows that we have just attended to something vital, essential, and necessary. We have reconnected to something deeper within us, that when nurtured brings us back into harmony with ourselves and those around us. It's hard to verbalise By very definition it is beyond words, because it isn't from our heads. But just because you can't write it down, don't be tempted to underestimate it. You'll know it when you touch it, and you'll miss it if you don't. It is vital and essential. Prioritise your yoga Prioritise your yoga practice, above many other things in life. Let your mind think it is because it keeps you stronger and healthier. And allow space for the possibility that it offers you much more than your mind will ever know. UPCOMING EVENTS | Late-Summer Retreat Day in Bristol with Clara| Relax, pause and revitalise your whole self right here in our beautiful Bishopston studio. Sunday 15th September 2024 10:30am - 4:00pm Find out more > | Book Talk on "Yoga as Pilgrimage" with Ranju Roy, 7th July | Book here >  What does it mean to be tolerant?
Tolerant of what? We all have individual tolerance levels for a wide range of things. It could be for physical challenge, annoying teenagers, joint mobility, stress or quiet pauses, you get the idea. Finding your tolerance level is very individual, but also very adaptable. Our range of tolerance can increase in all directions. Our yoga practice is in part, building up our range of tolerance. Taking us out of our comfort zone into new areas or exploration and development. Being comfortable with discomfort We can build our tolerance of discomfort. We invite the body, breath and focusing capacity to stretch beyond their current range. Being able to tolerate discomfort is worth developing a familiarity with. We can't always be comfortable. Our lives can be designed to be as comfortable as possible, and this can make us complacent and we may lose resilience, and perhaps not feel as vibrant and confident. Feeling comfortable might be hard We may also need to build our ability to tolerate comfort and ease. Some of us are so used to being busy, rushing around, feeling tense and active, that actually relaxing is a very uncomfortable place to find ourselves. It might feel pointless, and we experience great aversion to stopping and relaxing - even though it might be exactly what we need. Our usual drive wants to keep us going all the time. Savasana (lying rest) and the more restorative postures invite us to tolerate slowing down, stopping, becoming still, noticing things that we perhaps might rather not. Building up our tolerance to this gradually can have enormous benefit and offer great potential to then experience the more subtle aspects of yoga practice. Feel resistance and do it anyway Don't worry if it feels uncomfortable going to either end of your range. Encountering resistance is how you will build your range of tolerance. That is the zone you need to hang out in to get used to it. Our yoga practice can be a place to build tolerance in all directions. The highs, the lows and the comfortable middles. If you are a busy person with lots of physical demands on you, the challenge might be to do less, take a softer approach to your asana and breathwork, take on the challenge of prioritising a different mode of being. If you are pretty chilled out and relaxed, you might try invigorating things a little and take on an extra challenge. Extend your breath in your postures, add in 10% more extension through your limbs. Find a new layer of practice to keep you actively engaged and not drifting through it going through the same motions as last time. Choose wisely, in a way that might feel counterintuitive as it isn't your usual mode, so that your tolerance range is as broad and resilient as possible in all directions. See below for a couple of home practice suggestions to take you out of your comfort zone. ___ Read on: | Book Talk on "Yoga as Pilgrimage" with Ranju Roy, 7th July 2024 | Join Ranju as he talks about his new book and brings it to life in person. There will also be time for questions too and he is happy to sign books :-) Books available to collect from the studio in advance of the talk, or on the day and costs £20. BOOK YOUR SPACE > | FREE home practice videos to build your tolerance | Practice challenge A) For busy people who like a strong practice Take the more gentle practice. It won't feel like your usual choice, it might feel too gentle. Do it anyway, do it every day for a week. See the effect of relaxing and doing less. It might surprise you. B) For those who like to practice gently As long as it feels safe, do the 20 minute practice, use a slower breath length, and perhaps hold the poses for an extra breath to create extra challenge. Do it every day for a week. Notice the difference. Step outside your usual mode and increase your ability to tolerate a wider range of challenge. FREE VIDEOS > | Upcoming Summer Retreat Day in Bristol with Clara | Take a pause from the busy-ness of life with a day of mindful yoga, breathwork, stillness, and relaxation. Discover fresh approaches to postures using breathwork, mantra and intention. Relax, pause and revitalise your whole self right here in our beautiful Bishopston studio. Suitable for everyone. A great toe in the water if your considering a retreat weekend with me. Refreshments and treats provided, bring along lunch. Sunday 15th September 2024 10:30am - 4:00pm *EARLY-BIRD OFFER* >  A weekly yoga class feels great and makes a huge difference. Getting into the rhythm of a weekly class is a wonderful thing and your body, mind and nervous system will enjoy the regularity that this offers.
You'll be pleased to know that daily yoga is in many ways much easier than the weekly class - once the rhythm and habit are established. A group class is typically longer, probably more demanding physically (you have days to recover from any intensity or challenge), and the approach is more group-centred so there may be things not as well suited to you so will need adapting. Home yoga feels quite different. It offers an intimacy with yourself, in the sanctuary of your own home. It is important time where you put aside other demands and distractions, turn attention fully inwards and move and breath well with care and curiosity. The invitation in home practice is to discover your yoga, which will be as unique as you are, based on your needs and interests. The only pre-requisite is a willingness to try. Daily yoga, like daily anything, is accumulative. The benefits grow, sometimes in surprising ways, based on consistently showing up, even if only for 15 minutes. Consider learning to play the guitar. Which would be better, a solid hour once a week practicing your chords and working on a few pieces. Or 15 minutes every day, building on what you did yesterday. Getting your muscle memory and coordination more refined, working on one piece until you have it in your musical vocabulary. We are doing this in yoga. We are learning to play an instrument, except the instrument we are playing is body, breath and mind. We are learning to play the most precious, complex, beautiful instrument we will ever have. We learn how to play it well, with the subtleties of breath and nuance, discovering a lot along the way. It isn't overly complex or hard - it just requires a good starting point that is realistic and will fit in with all the other demands of your day. And a commitment to prioritising it and scheduling it in. I love that many of you have still continued your home practice many months after the January challenge! Well done for those who have managed to keep it going. And for those who haven't, let's give it another go. I'll be launching a new daily yoga challenge soon to help jumpstart your home practice or re-ignite it if your finding things becoming mechanical. See below if you want to jumpstart your practice sooner, otherwise watch this space for the next challenge designed to get you on your mat regularly. ___ Current Announcements | Afternoon of Yoga with Ranju Roy | There are only a couple of spaces left for the workshop, but don't worry, the book talk will have more spaces available so if you miss out on the workshop, book a space for the book talk at 4:15pm - it'll be a wonderful afternoon! Sunday 7th July 2024 1:30pm workshop 4:15pm book talk ~ | 1:1 Yoga Home Practice Coaching | Yoga is ideally taught in a way that is realistically tailored to individual needs. Expert guidance is invaluable at avoiding the pitfalls of home yoga. Selecting the most effective posture set, starting at the right point, staying accountable and motivated, and ensuring the right balance and progression. Traditionally yoga was taught 1:1 and my 4-year teacher training was rooted in this. I've been supporting home practice for nearly 20 years. If your interested in establishing your own tailored home yoga practice, let's schedule a free 20 minute chat to discuss your needs. Either in person, on the phone, or on Zoom. It would be great to help you start your own home yoga practice. ~ | Upcoming Summer Retreat Day in Bristol with Clara | *Early-Bird Offer* Take a pause from the busy-ness of life with a day of mindful yoga, breathwork, stillness, and relaxation. Discover fresh approaches to postures using breathwork, mantra and intention. Relax, pause and revitalise your whole self right here in our beautiful Bishopston studio. Suitable for everyone. A great toe in the water if your considering a retreat weekend with me. Refreshments and treats provided, bring along lunch. Sunday 15th September 2024 10:30am - 4:00pm |
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