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 [...]
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 [...]
Listen to this 11 min audio when you need to relax. Art of Relaxation Learning simple and practical ways to offload stress is priceless. The course itself was fun and relaxing. I couldn’t recommend it more! I felt empowered to handle stress and anxiety. Even before the end of the weekend, I was using [...]
Which door will you choose? One will definitely fit better, but it’s worth trying them all to see where it leads you. Becoming present is a process. You can’t flip the switch and expect to be ‘on’. It takes a certain kind of focus. Everyone always talks about being present, being in the now or [...]
To be honest, I'd never paid that much attention to my breath before I started practising yoga. And during class I used to hold my breath to squeeze into a yoga pose... I never really understood the breath connection until I trained to be a yoga teacher, which is why I place such an emphasis [...]
I tend to get my yoga inspiration from books rather than pictures. Sure I've viewed heaps of yoga online, but the things that have really moved me, resonated or struck a chord with me generally come from books. I've also had some inspiring teachers, but like books, they've pointed to things inside of me that I [...]
I like to look to the spaces in between. I like to explore the gaps and fall into the cracks. The space in between words, the pause between songs, the brief moment when there is no noise, just silence and space. I look for moments of stillness. I like the transitions between yoga poses. I [...]