The Secret Gift of Summer

When I was little, my older sister used to play schools with me. She was the teacher, obviously. One day she made me learn a poem by heart. More than fifty years later, I can still recite it. In winter I get up at nightAnd dress by yellow candlelight.In summer, quite the other way,I have to go to... Read More

What If It Rains?

Every year, without fail, somebody asks the question. "What if it rains?" They're talking about outdoor yoga, of course. It's a sensible question. Nobody wants to spend an hour in downward dog while slowly turning into a soggy sponge. The answer, by the way, is that if the weather is dreadful, we... Read More

I Cleaned the House for Nothing

Last night, just before I went to bed, I received a message from my friend Stacey. Stacey and I met in Seoul, South Korea in 1997. We were both teaching English, both a long way from home and somehow, despite being very different, became close friends. Nearly thirty years later we're still friend... Read More

What Actually Changes When You Start Doing Yoga Regularly

What Actually Changes When You Start Doing Yoga Regularly People often ask what changes when you start doing yoga regularly. They’re usually hoping for something like: You become more flexible. More relaxed. Glide through life like someone who definitely drinks herbal tea on purpose. Some of that... Read More

My Yoga Personality Disorder

At the moment, my yoga practice appears to have split into two entirely seemingly incompatible personalities… Half of me wants to lie on the floor exploring organic spirals and “responding to sensation.” The other half wants to be told exactly when to inhale. I appreciate that this makes absolute... Read More

Yoga Spotlight On Gil Turner - “I Thought Yoga Wasn’t For Me”

My name is Gil and I am a retired (sort of) mathematics teacher. Before the days of "The Pandemic" I was really a quite active member of Moreton Hall gym which is where I first me that legend Jordanna. She taught Zumba and step, and I really looked forward to and enjoyed her classes. There was a... Read More

The Day I (Almost) Went Viral - (and nothing actually changed)

The other day, something very exciting happened. I posted an 8-second video on Instagram. Eight seconds. It wasn’t educational.It wasn’t inspirational.It didn’t involve a complex yoga sequence, a profound quote, or even particularly good lighting. It was simply this: “Highlight of the week: I wen... Read More

The Course Has Finished. Now what? 🤷‍♀️

Most people think finishing a course is the achievement.It’s not. It’s what you do the week after. The Ashtanga course has finished. Five weeks.Five Saturday mornings.Sun Salutes that, at first, felt like being slowly folded into an envelope you hadn’t agreed to enter… and then, somehow, became m... Read More

You Don’t Need Motivation — You Need Rhythm

You Don’t Need Motivation — You Need Rhythm“I just need to get my motivation back.” I hear this all the time. Usually said with a slightly defeated tone, as if motivation has wandered off somewhere and might return if we’re patient enough. It won’t. Motivation is unreliable. It's like your flakie... Read More

The Gate I Don’t Open

Every year, without fail, I abandon my garden. Not in a dramatic, windswept, “nature reclaims all things” sort of way. More a quiet passive-aggressive neglect. I simply… stop going in there. It’s not even attached to the house. It sits about 30 paces away, behind a fence. Which, in winter, might ... Read More