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

It's time to take your shoes off! Now it's warmer, I've been feeling more contact with the earth and realising just how stiff and sensitive my feet have become over winter. Our feet were never meant to be covered up all the time and definitely never designed to walk on flat hard surfaces either. The consequence of this? Tight fascia and lingering inflammatory conditions like plantar fasciitis. Movement keeps the fascia hydrated and feeling free, so dense areas of the body d

Yoga has a lovely way of filtering itself into our life in a positive way. It’s the art of slowing down, simplifying, and paying more attention to the present moment. My own light bulb moment came during an intense 10-day Vipassana meditation sitting. I realised that, beyond my neediness to achieve or relax, there was a place of ease within myself, where I could let life unfold of its own accord. The practice of mindfulness was all I needed to get clarity, insights and keep a

The malls are already saturating us with Christmas jingles and we're trying to juggle present shopping with planning meals and holidays and what to do with the kids and pets. How would you like to approach the silly season? Stressed or calm? I know what I would prefer! Leaving a visit to this relaxed inner space until after Christmas may mean that you fall into a heap during your holidays. Who wants that? I am reminded of how our senses are constantly bombarded with stimulati

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

I am often asked whether or not yoga can help with weight loss. Moving into my late forties I can understand how quick we can be to judge ourselves when the bulge appears to grow. But judgement gets us nowhere. Yoga encourages us to move beyond the popular expectations around body image. It gets to the source of our movement and eating rhythms. It helps us unravel and observe those behaviours that may be stopping us from feeling at home with ourselves. And it helps to reduce

Namaste and g’day Would you like to go to yoga today? No thanks I would not No yoga today I’m far too hot Would you do yoga at home or in the car? A breath here and there can really go far I’m in pain and I just can’t bend Sometimes I think yoga is only a trend Yoga calms the mind and helps you de-stress It even helps you to worry much less Namaste and g’day I really don’t feel like yoga today I’m stuck at work in a meeting And all my mind has taken a beating I’m too old and

A quiet mindful space The malls are already saturating us with Christmas jingles and we're trying to juggle present shopping with planning meals and holidays and what to do with the kids/pets. How would you like to approach the silly season? Stressed or calm? I know what I would prefer! Leaving a visit to this relaxed inner space until after Christmas may mean that you fall into a heap during your holidays. Who wants that? I am reminded of how our senses are constantly bombar

Abiding in generosity and honesty, material and spiritual prosperity is bestowed. Sutra 11.37 On occasion, you may admire something someone else has that you do not; a better car, a longer holiday, a different relationship. It’s interesting to be aware of how much power that original thought can have, by growing into the sense of ‘not having enough’. The Yama of Asteya ‘Asteya reminds us that greediness that goes beyond the resources that we actually need, robs us of our abil

Dedicated to truth and integrity (Satya), our thoughts words and actions gain the power to manifest. Sutra 11.36 Sometimes being silent is the wisest action, even though silence can sometimes be seen as aggressive in our society. Your words are so powerful that often you do not realise the benefits or consequences they bestow on others and ourselves. Even though your actions appear to be pleasing, your thoughts behind your words may be something different. The Yama of Satya B