Anxiety is so prevalent with an estimated one in four people experiencing it in Australia (1). People often ask me if yoga will help with their anxiety as they're desperate to find a way to beat it. But what if anxiety wasn't the enemy and we didn't have to fight it? Anxiety can be thought [...]
When people ask me if I've been busy lately, I say 'Nope'. And they look at me like this... Shocking, I know. I've written before about why I don't do busy. And I'm still writing about it. The biggest myth is that being busy = being productive. Or worse, that being busy = being important. I call [...]
It doesn't matter if you're ready or willing. At some point in our lives, we all take a ride aboard the Emotional Roller Coaster. And all we can do is hold on tight, clench our jaw and bear it. The general ups and downs of life are more like a merry go round. I’m talking about the [...]
As our lives get busier and more stressful, people are looking for ways to keep their busy mind calm. And in that search, many of us consider Meditation. After all, Meditation is slated to be the cure-all for our woes: stress, anxiety, sadness, unhappiness and the gateway to inner peace and enlightenment. Such high promises. [...]
I have an embarrassing habit I need to confess. I often buy things I don’t use. It’s terribly wasteful, I know, but sometimes I can’t help myself. I’ve bought equipment I've never used Books I’ve never read I’ve paid for training courses I haven’t finished It’s a terrible waste. And the one thing all these [...]
I'm often asked if yoga will help people with anxiety. And as tempted as I am to say, 'yes, yoga helps with anxiety', it's not so straightforward. The truth is, anxiety will often get worse before it gets better. If there was a quick fix for anxiety, we would have found it by now. Yoga [...]
I recently attended an event on the Art and Science of Relaxation which incorporated evidence-based relaxation techniques and an introduction to psychoneuroimmunology (aka the mind-body connection). It was fascinating and confirmed what yogis have known for thousands of years: that the mind and body are connected and our thoughts and emotions affect our health. As a [...]
The hardest part of any contemplative practice (Yoga, Meditation, Embodiment, Intimacy) is tolerating ourselves. It's not finding the time, being disciplined or finding motivation - for me, the challenge is being intimate with myself and tolerating what arises in that intimacy. Basically dealing with my own shit. Because there's nowhere to hide when you go [...]
There’s the yoga you can see, and the yoga that you can’t see. Initially the emphasis of our yoga practice is external. The body, the poses, building strength and gaining flexibility. But as our practice matures, the focus naturally shifts to the internal. Often people are surprised at how much internal focus there is in [...]
Here are real stories from real people who practice yoga on a regular basis. Lucinda "I have pain and stiffness often and my best protection is to practice yoga." Jim "Yoga sets me up for the day, I feel more energised and better able to deal with people". Joe "I'm a [...]