What is the Difference Between Doing Our Best & Striving to Be Better?
Diary of an Imperfect Yogi
What is the Difference Between Doing Our Best & Striving to Be Better?
In between the rain and yoga class evenings this winter, you’ll generally catch me down at the beach, walking the dog and running number two son. I’m rarely disappointed with the vista; lots of beautiful sunsets, amazing colours and a sense of peace and space. But every day, even from this exact same angle is different…
Read MoreA Little Bit of Yoga History, Part 2
The harder and more intense the physical challenge, the higher the standard – and I am not just referring to yoga practise here -the more time and effort is required to maintain it. Hence, in my experience, many high level Astanga-vinyasa practitioners and teachers seem either to be men or women without children. In fact, it’s fair to say I’ve met many along the way who probably had some kind of family income as they didn’t seem to have to earn a living.
Read MoreWhat is Meditation Really?
All health seekers understand that meditation is good for us, but what image do we conjure up in our brain when we consider what it means? I had a conversation with someone last night who suggested that it was good, sometimes, to be “forced” into stillness if you were an otherwise “busy” person. In other…
Read MorePractising or Teaching Yoga? Ahimsa Must Prevail; Do No Harm…
One of my longterm students asked me last night in class why we hadn’t practised shoulder stands for a long time. I think of these things often, but for a few years now, my philosophy in a group class has been to teach something reasonably dynamic and doable that the most amount of people in…
Read MoreDo We Truly Understand The Deeper Dimensions of Actual “Yoga”?
I’ve been pondering this question since I got back from my recent annual “pilgrimage” to Sydney, where I got to hang out with many similar souls – people excited by all that is yoga; body, mind and spiritual health – and, of course, my teacher, modern-day “Guruji”, Simon Borg-Olivier. It’s fair to say that Simon has one…
Read MoreHappy 2017: The Importance of “Satsang”
The word “satsang” is a sanskrit word that means something along the lines of community gathering. Satya is the yogic yama meaning truthfulness or honesty and “sanga” means community. Along with the laughs, what I realised after my week in Bellingen, was the importance of community and connection and how the creative arts – and indeed all group activity – is so important on a deep level.
Read MoreIs Motivation Really Necessary?
The other day just before a morning yoga class, a conversation ensued about the idea of showing up. The discussion was centred around whether how we actually feel about showing up for something (in other words motivated or not) is a useful way to think.
Read More