Change is difficult for humans. We place ourselves in the past or the future instead of that tricky present moment of in-betweenness. Yoga has a lot to teach us here.
Tag Archives: Self-awareness
Will yoga make me happy?
You’d be forgiven for thinking that yoga is all about making you happy, being positive, and looking on the bright side (well, either that or having a workout, but that’s a topic for another time). But if yoga isn’t about making you happy, what is it about?
Aligning with love: Why alignment matters
I’ve always been drawn to alignment-focused yoga, where there is enough time in a pose to focus on how micro-adjustments affect your body, energy and breath. Here are my top four reasons why I love practicing alignment-focused yoga and why I teach this way.
The power of pranayama
I’ve been spending more time working with my breath recently, revisiting familiar pranayama practices and exploring new ones. It’s been a wonderful reminder of the power of breathing for shifting energy, changing thought patterns, and finding balance and calm. And I’m enjoying hearing my beginner students’ reflections and reactions as they explore how breath affects their bodies and their state of mind too.
Self care: When what you want is not what you need
You’re feeling tired but wired, and all you can think about is sleeping, mindlessly watching TV, scrolling through your social media feeds, or stocking up on chocolate, caffeine, or a nice glass or two of wine. Sound familiar? It does to me.
Read on for a few ideas about how to figure out what you need rather than what you think you want (as well as an embarrassing insight into my occasional toddler-like tantrums!).
How to strengthen the vagus nerve for wellbeing and resilience
A few weeks ago I introduced you to the vagus nerve. Read on to find out about the signs of a weak or strong vagus nerve and how make this nerve as healthy as possible to keep us happy and resilient in the face of life’s stresses and upheavals.
Less is more: Slowing down for stress relief
A vigorous yoga practice has never been my thing. What I love is a strong but slow Hatha yoga class, with plenty of mindfulness, and lots of attention to micro-movements and alignment. So that is what I teach. Here are a few reasons why I love to slow my yoga practice down and why less can be more, especially when it comes to managing stress.
Ceremony and transition: “Honour the space between no longer and not yet”
Transitions can be hard: those times where beginnings and endings exist simultaneously. Could ceremony be a helpful way for you to navigate transitions?
A lesson on the self-indulgence of self-doubt
I took a good lesson about self-doubt away with me from our most recent yoga teacher training weekend. Admittedly it wasn’t a new lesson, but sometimes we need to learn the same thing many times…
Avoidance and the seeds of self-doubt
I’ve been doing a lot of avoiding lately. Not so much in my asana practice, but more in terms of thinking, processing, studying, and being alone with my thoughts. So what’s going on here?
Peach Yoga 