Nowadays it seems as if multitasking is the norm. We grab a sandwich or a coffee on the go, while working, checking emails or texting. We check texts and emails compulsively while talking on the phone or ‘having a conversation’ in person with someone. We don’t just walk and savour the moment; we rush, eyes down, shoulders hunched, head forward checking our phones and worrying about what we have to do. Continue reading
One of the satisfying things about yoga is that it is very inclusive and can be practised by people of all ages. It can also be started at any age.
In fact in a mixed ability, adult yoga class the age range can extend from people in their 20’s to people who are more than 6o years older than that.
In yoga, as in other activities, there are words and expressions which teachers use regularly that are a bit specialist and which might not be used much elsewhere -‘yoga jargon’ if you like.
Shortly after Christmas I went over to Thailand to see my son who has been working there in a particularly unspoiled spot, way off the tourist trail, for almost 2 years. He’s teaching English and not saving a lot of money so doesn’t get back to see us much.
There is no doubt about it that some people are easier to get on with than others whether they are relatives, work colleagues or people we meet in daily life. There are lots of wonderful, compassionate, kind people around, but in all walks of life there are also people we come across who seem difficult and challenging.
A man is but the product of his thoughts – what he thinks, he becomes. Mahatma Gandhi
I am nearing the completion of my Mindfulness Training and this week has been about thoughts and the power they hold over us. I have been learning that thoughts are only mental events- they are not facts, and we are not our thoughts.
Yesterday I visited a prisoner at Highpoint and he told me he has been practising yoga and meditation in his prison cell -thanks to a book and CD sent to him by the wonderful Phoenix Trust- and finds it helps him feel less stressed and agitated.
Today I went to Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre and had a lovely time, browsing the street market with a friend. The town was packed with crowds of people meandering round the shops and market stalls, stopping now and again to look and admire, taste and buy and, in the words of the song, it was ‘beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.’
I have been thinking about how yoga can complement other activities we do in life, including sports.
Now that many of us have a more sedentary life style, working in offices, spending time hunched over computers and electronic devices, sitting in cars and so on, our posture tends to suffer. In addition as we age our posture is more likely to deteriorate- we might start to stoop, losing a few inches in height with our shoulders rounding, head falling forward and stomach jutting out. So over time we can find ourselves in a very ageing posture!!
