My Inner Landscape Dive into your inner landscape. The invitation is from our guide in the practice of yoga. I am intrigued. I did not realise that I had an inner landscape. Arthritic joints, sluggish, ageing organs, yes; an inner landscape sounds far more interesting. I lay prone in Savanasa, the corpse pose. I find this pose challenging. You must suspend reality as you focus on your breath. How can you relax and refresh your mind, with a thin piece of carpet between you, yo

Have you ever had a panic attack? That scary, intense feeling of panic can cause a range of symptoms including shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness and muscle tension. Panic attacks are really common, with up to 35% of us having them at some point in our lives, and can be a reaction to periods of stress or illness. A little bit of fear is normal. It keeps us alert and actually makes us feel whole. The problem starts when this fear becomes persistent and starts t

Our world has endless ways to connect us to a stream of sensory stimulation … and it’s not slowing down. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Are you in control or lost in the toxic sticky tape that takes us away from our inner balance, self-care and creative pursuits? Do you have a regular practice that helps you turn off and tune in? Have you noticed how often we affirm to ourselves, even unconsciously, how busy we are? It seems the more we have to do, the less we mak

Life is too short, we should all move more slowly. - Thich Nhat Hanh Being calm in life's fullness is certainly a challenge. But taking a moment out of your busy day to breathe with awareness and reconnect to your body, and simply feeling into whatever is there without any judgement, is easier than you think. Close your eyes for a minute now, and notice how your body feels. Notice if there is a call to 'not waste any time' or the need to 'push on'. Simply observe this, as it

I was once told that certain spiritual masters in Tibet used to set their teacups upside down before they went to bed each night as a reminder that all life was impermanent. And then, when they awoke each morning, they turned their teacups right side up again with the happy thought, ‘I'm still here!’ This simple gesture is a wonderful reminder to let go a little more now autumn has arrived, to celebrate every moment, and to have a sense of gratitude for the simple things in l

So you’ve become a regular yoga class goer, but the momentum is occasionally broken by family sickness or work commitments. You have the space at home for your yoga mat, but can’t seem to get down to it. I can hear myself saying to my two boys, ‘if you want to be good at something it requires practice and practice and practice!’ Easier said than done, right? But it’s true, a yoga practice is just that … a practice. So here are some tips to get you regularly downward dogging o

Do you ever feel like your whole life has prepared you for this moment? A moment where you have a chance to step up and shine or soldier on like a warrior? What helps you through difficult times? I feel like my past experiences have prepared me for this week’s challenges. At least that’s what I feel. I hope that I’m right. And if I’m not, then it’s only me who’s unproductively judging myself! And so on reaching the top of my mountain walk today, I see the grass is overgrown,

Practicing yoga without studying yoga philosophy is like sailing without much wind. In a world that praises speed and busyness, we see a counterculture of SLOW on the rise, bringing along with it ideas like slow cooking, down shifting, and Restorative and Mindfulness Yoga. Quite often stress builds up because we have not allowed ourselves the nurturing space to relax and BE, on a regular weekly basis. When you create stillness within yourself, something starts to shift and yo