Yoga nidra or yogic sleep is a both a specific practice and a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping. It is a powerful ancient technique similar to a body scan meditation – now thoroughly backed by science – in which you learn to consciously relax body and mind.
Read MoreI was inspired by our teacher Mia to unearth my thumbed out copy of Consolations this week and revisit the poetry of David Whyte. He is an incredible poet, unpacking the sticky parts of being human and giving voice to some of the universal yet often unshared aspects of life.
Read MoreAll schools of spiritual thought offer us guidelines for living with integrity. You can look to the Ten Commandments (Christianity), the Six Perfections (Buddhism) or the Yamas and Niyamas that form the foundation of yogic moral thought.
Read MoreOne of the reasons a yoga practice is so powerful is because it gives us a chance to land back in the moment. During our day to day, the thinking mind seems to be always just a little bit ahead or a little bit behind - not quite grounded in the here and now. Our body on the other hand, is always in the present moment. It is beating, breathing and feeling in total nowness.
Read MoreOne of the most important elements of a yoga practice is pranayama. By regulating the inhalation, the exhalation and the suspension of the breath, we learn to modulate our breathing and interrupt unconscious (and often unhelpful) breathing patterns.
Read MoreAccording to Buddhist philosophy, the root of suffering is resisting the certainty that no matter who we are or what we do, uncertainty is all we really have. If we accept that we can never really know what will happen next, then it is up to us to determine if not-knowing is something to fear or is actually part of the adventure.
Read MoreThis last lockdown in Melbourne was interesting. I sensed in myself and the people around me a shift; a realisation that this is how life is now. Despite all our sacrifices to date, lockdowns and all the associated uncertainty, anguish and disruption are far from over.
Read MoreI am a big Brene Brown fan and have been revisiting her podcasts lately. One of the cool things she has to say about joy (which always gives me a well needed kick in the proverbial) is that it is right there in the everyday moments if we are paying attention.
Read MoreWith yoga (like most things) the more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know. Yoga is a rich and complex tradition and there is an overwhelming amount of information available to those keen to learn more about it.
Read MoreOne of my favourite meditation practices is called metta, or loving kindness. In this practice, we offer well wishes in the form of short phrases (may you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be safe) to others and to ourselves.
Read MoreA popular quote from the Tao Te Ching describes life as 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows. The capacity to calmly navigate the ups and downs of life is called equanimity. Equanimity is the attitude of unshakableness that keeps us on an even keel, even in the face of the unruliness of life.
Read MoreThis week I was talking with our wonderful teacher Mia about urgency culture and the deeply entrenched illusion that we have to live our lives this way. You might recognise some of these hallmarks of haste: a sense that you are always running behind, feeling pressure to respond to messages instantly, and expecting yourself (or others) to have the perfect opinion-response-solution to any given circumstance in that very moment.
Read MoreDeveloping an easy, flowing breath is the cornerstone of any yoga practice. Not only is connecting to your breath a method for staying present, but learning to regulate our breathing helps us remain (mentally) focused and steady, even as the physical postures challenge us.
Read MoreI got the chance to see Ben Crowe speak in person a few weeks back. He has heaps of great stuff to share about the power of your mindset and I’ve been putting one of his tips in action recently with great success. It’s ridiculously simple but I wanted share it with you because it’s really been helping me access gratitude in moments when I’m feeling anything but.
Read MoreOne of the attributes we develop through a mindfulness practice is the quality of openness. That is, we drop our expectations and do our best to welcome both the “good” and the “bad.” To practice being open, we don’t have to like all the cards we are dealt but we don’t waste our energy fighting against reality (or pretending it isn’t happening).
Read MoreIt is easy to get bogged down in waiting for the perfect time or just the right conditions to take a leap. When I am mustering up to courage to take a risk, I often catch myself planning and overthinking which of course is really just me holding back.
Read MoreThere are only so many hours in a day. To make space for something, we need to let something else go. Saying yes to something, is a no to everything else. In the end, the quality of our lives comes down to how we spend our time and what we give our attention to.
Read MoreIt’s easy to be a good person when things are going well. To be grateful when the going is good and loving towards people we like. But who are we in the tough times and to the people who challenge us?
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