I used to believe that being hard on myself was a good thing and that criticising myself would make me better. Yet we know how we feel when a friend criticises us, we contact, shut down or get defensive. Or we ruminate for days on end. Unless the criticism is constructive and said to highlight [...]
Have you ever noticed that the more we strive for happiness, the more miserable we are? Or that when we try to think only positive thoughts, we become acutely aware of our negative thoughts? It seems that our effort to pursue happiness only make happiness more elusive. This phenomenon is known as the Happiness Trap [...]
Life's hard when we lack Faith. Without Faith, life feels like we're on our own and that we have no one to turn to for support. Without faith, we struggle; we feel overwhelmed and anxious. Without Faith, we feel unsupported or even forsaken that life has overlooked us. Faith can be hard to come in [...]
Starting new things is exciting. There's so much to learn, there's so much potential and the possibilities seem endless. Starting yoga is no different. The initial learning curve in yoga is all about getting the poses right, trying not to hold the breath and figuring out what 'being present' actually means. This phase in our practice is [...]
Our mind is still a mystery. Despite using it our whole lives, we haven't yet found the user guide let alone the remote control to switch it off. And while modern science is constantly making new discoveries about the brain, the mind or consciousness is still so mysterious. The oldest books in the world (the [...]
When people ask me if I've been busy lately, I say 'Nope'. I'm not being rude, it's the truth of who I am and what I stand for. 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]