The chakras are energy focal centres located at points along the spine from the root at its base up to the crown of the head. They are not physical tangible objects as such although they do each correspond to an organ or region in the body which is most aligned with them. They are also associated with a sound, an emotion and a colour, for example, the heart chakra's seed mantra is YAM, it is the seat of compassion and joy, and its colour is  green. If you wanted to focus on balancing and opening your heart energy you might sit and chant the sound YAM and visualise the colour green, or being in a green wood.
 
Chakra meditations can help to heal by calling upon sound and colour to help balance energy in the body and mind. In Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine system and sister science to yoga, the body is viewed as a dynamic whole and imbalances of the mind can manifest as disease and illness as much as any physical malady may affect mind. As well as prescribing what we might think of traditionally as medicine to take for an ailment, an Ayurvedic doctor would also treat mind and body together by suggesting possible adjustments to food, some appropriate yoga postures and maybe also some sound meditation (mantra chanting) that would help to balance your chakra energy. 
 
According to Ayurveda, all disease starts in the mind with upset and distressed thoughts and negative disturbances.  That’s not to say that it’s all in the mind when we get sick, but disease progresses from mental and emotional to physical.  On a biochemical level, our immune system can be impaired by stress and anxiety, which triggering  the fight and flight response, spike cortisol and kick off the inflammatory response in the body, so our systems are overburdened, and it is harder for us to fight off pathogens when we need to. Certainly, stress and mental upset predispose us to physical illness. Physical, emotional and mental – they are all connected. 
 
Sound can be a very powerful healing tool for reducing mental stress and anxiety. You only need to think about how soothing music can be for the soul to know this, how the body vibrates with happy, healing sensations when you listen to music that resonates with you.  In chakra meditation, by using the voice to chant seed mantra, your body is actually able to create the vibrations that help to calm and heal mind and body.  This can be specifically focussed or more general in nature. 
 
If you are interested in finding out more about the chakras, their meaning and their sounds, I love this website and would highly recommend it: http://ar-yoga.com/feel/chakras/, or just click on the individual seed mantras above. I love the explanations given and the site is very well-designed; it's visually appealing too. 
 
Next month, I will return to the Eight Limbs of Yoga as set out by Patanjali and consider the Niyamas (individual guidances for good living) following on from our look at the Yamas. I hope you are staying safe and well and send much love to you all. Thanks for reading. Namaste. 

Aparigraha: Non-possessiveness/ attachment. Letting go of all attachment to one’s possessions, including one’s body, and being willing to relinquish them all at a moment’s notice.
 
This is the fifth and final of the Yamas (restraints), and if there were a more appropriate one to look at during our current circumstances, I’d be hard pressed to think of it. There’s been a lot of discussion on social media about what is going on in the world being an opportunity to be kinder, to think of others, to reflect on what is really essential in our lives. I agree.  What do we really need? What is essential? I have witnessed many kindnesses based on selflessness impulse and non-attachment over the last few months.  A greater sense of sharing and wanting to share as a result of this crisis. The opposite is also true. 
 
Let’s face it, this pandemic sucks. It wreaking havoc on the way we do things. Ask anyone who is sick and suffering to practice non-attachment to their body and life, or who is watching a loved one suffer to let go of them and their pain, just like that, and in the moment, I doubt they would thank you for it.  It would be cruel and highly lacking in compassion. It’s worth remembering that the Yamas work together and we must also bring the others into play: kindness (Ahimsa) – give comfort where you can; truthfulness (Satya) – be honest, but temper it with kindness; non-stealing (Asteya) – including someone’s peace of mind; and right use of energy (Brahmacharya) – focus on what is productive and useful for growth and health. 
 
Rather than focus on the sacrifice that Aparigraha seems to require, through a combination of these principles we can focus on bringing positive energy to a horrible circumstance.  Perhaps we can try let go of the need to blame, to change anything and find some acceptance. Aparigraha encourages us to be softer and less demanding in life. It asks us to confront our own mortality for sure, but as a natural fact of life and not as something to be fearful of.  What we can do through the practice of Aparigraha is find a space to let go of the fear around that fact, and be conscious of it, so that we can carry on living as best we can rather than in a state of permanent fear or anger.  Resist the urge to lash out in anger on that social media post! 
 
As humans we have a natural tendency to want to control what we can and make ourselves feel secure in the process. This is our biological drive to survive in action. Witness the toilet paper hoarding.  It may seem ridiculous, but when in fear of the unknown we sometimes behave in very strange ways. And if toilet paper is an easy win, voila. I think we seriously need to question whether this drive is actually that helpful in our current age (that’s a whole other discussion really….). Some will disagree – survival of the fittest. Again, its a question of what values inform your life, but the ancient yogis would say we are all one anyway. There’s enough toilet paper (and everything else) for everyone who needs it, if we can learn to be less attached and fearful and to share. 
 
This pandemic will leave its mark and cause much suffering. I am very sad for the suffering and the pain. It can’t be denied though that it is certainly shining a spotlight on all of our values and priorities in the face of that. I pass no judgment on people; it is what it is. We do, however, have an opportunity like none seen before in this generation to really assess and let go of what is not serving us as individuals, as families, as communities, nations and a species, if we can but take it, although it is very hard to say at the moment which way we will go. We will just have to wait and see. 
 
As with all these matters, it starts with the individual and the yoga mat can be a crucible for change at the level of self. Come join us :)

May you be safe & well and may you find peace in troubled times. Namaste and love to all.   

Often the word Brahmacharya is translated as "celibacy". On the basis of its more traditional interpretation, this is the not the most popular of the Yamas. In context when you think about the history of Yoga and who was permitted to practice you can understand where the idea of celibacy comes from.  Yoga was co-opted as a religious spiritual pathway and the practice of the physical aspect of yoga, a pathway to the divine by Hindu religion and culture. It was limited to people, to men, religious men, as a practice.  And for some reason sex and god are not compatible in many minds. I guess it's just too much of a distraction. 
 
However, the good news is that this is a very limited definition and the word Brahmacharya, as is so often the case we find with language, has layers of meaning. It's generally accepted that the practice of this Yama is not limited to the narrow definition subscribe to by the Brahmins.  
 
What a relief! We can enjoy the pleasure of intimacy with ourselves and with others, physical, emotional and spiritual, without feeling bad about it. Everything is part of the whole and to suppress or deny anything in life that is life-affirming in its essence goes against the universal balance nature seeks. It causes big problems! Just take a look around if you need evidence of that.
 
What then does Brahmacharya mean and what does it look like in practice? Personally, I prefer to associate it with the concept of right use of energy and restraint from excessive behaviours, thoughts and deeds. That I find is very helpful for modern life. “Where attention goes, energy flows” as they say and this has been my experience.

I try to find life-affirming things I love to do and do them with care and attention to the wellbeing of others and myself as well as simply appreciate being in the flow of life as much as I can.   Simples. Haha.  Of course, we have to work and we have to deal with the sometimes-gritty business of living. But we don't have to be slaves to drudgery and the anxiety that often arises from the constant pressure to succeed, achieve and surpass that seems to be so prevalent. 

So for me, it is not about big, grand actions - ostentatious shows of kindness and virtue-signaling restraint (hello Lent), although that can of course be of help as a reminder of what's important, if translated into daily living somehow -  but small daily acts of care, kindness and consideration without abandoning myself in the process. Right use of energy includes looking after myself too. Hope to see you soon on the mat. Namaste :) 
​

I'm not a fan of big, bold resolutions or promises in the "new year, new you" vein. What I have learnt is that it's often impossible to change if too much happens too quickly. Sudden change can lead to big collapse and overwhelm.  My preference is small, slow increments and to keep on keeping on trying to be the best version of yourself you can be for today. That's my plan! Be kind to yourself and others. Namaste and may 2020 be an amazing year for you. 

​Satya, or truthfulness, is the next of the Yamas that comes up. It’s not a particularly appealing one in my opinion. An absolute minefield in fact and not at all easy to negotiate in life. People often wonder what exactly it means and how it fits with Ahimsa. Have you ever seen that Jim Carrey film The Liar, where he loses the ability to lie and has to tell the truth all the time….. well, it makes the point perfectly. Being brutally honest is often not kind and causes problems in relationships of all kinds – if the truth is brutal or will possibly cause harm you’ve got to ask yourself: does it need to be said, does it need to be said now and does it need to be said by me? 
 
It may well be that the answer to those questions is affirmative in both cases due to some other moral imperative – we don’t have to become passive and powerless in the face of wrongdoing, for example – but what Satya and Ahimsa working together lead us to is the idea that due care and consideration does need to be given to the potential impact of  what we say or do, as well as the when and the how. Even if a loved one, or simply someone we know casually is doing something we think is silly, irritating or simply not what we would do, we also have to question whether our judgment is really that important – who cares? Keep that ego in check and tend your own garden as they say….each of us is finding our own way most of the time and that is necessary.  And yet it is important to be honest with yourself always and with others when it matters. The art lies in judging when that is, I suppose, and that's the truly thorny issue for most, I'd guess.  
 
Related to that, there is, of course, the whole concept and culture that’s grown up around the idea of being true to yourself. Again, I have found this to be pretty vital for living my life if I want any hope of having a sense of balance and coping with the darker parts of living.  There are big (but actually very simple) questions to be asked like: What do I actually want if I am truly honest? Am I happy doing this job? With this person? In that friendship? In this country? Is my life serving me well and am I serving life well?  If you’re not honest with yourself, how can you hope to be connected and content in life? I find that what causes most suffering for people who share these kinds of things with me is living someone else’s idea of success and finding it wanting or being disconnected from self to the extent that ignorance (or lack of knowledge – in this case of the self - avedya) reigns. We can cause a lot of pain and suffering to ourselves and others simply by not being honest about what we really want and living a lie.

It’s a well-established idea that ignorance is not bliss in Vedic tradition – far from it! But it takes courage to find your own truth and accept that it is what it is, not least because it might not be what you have been taught to expect it will be, or even what you necessarily want it to be!  Hmmmmm, food for thought….  Clearly there’s a connection with the next Yama – non-stealing - as well, but we’ll save that tbd for next time…. In the meantime, get on the mat and start getting connected to yourself I say! Namaste. 

According to the Eight Limbs of Yoga, Kindness, or Ahimsa, is one of the Yamas (5 social ethics). Ahimsa is often translated as “nonviolence”, but that is in truth just one aspect of the sense of the Sanskrit word.  It also encompasses in a sense the idea of positive kind action towards others and all things. 
 
It’s worth remembering that yoga is a practice that, according to the great sage Patanjali, Chitta Vritti Nirodha. Patanjali’s definition of yoga tells us that: Yoga quiets the mind. In that restful state we can experience ultimate reality without the distraction of our minds and their prejudices, biases and filters. We can understand that all things and beings in the universe are connected and that we are part of that. This means that any harm we inflict on others is also harm we inflict upon ourselves. 
 
So Kindness, what and why?  Whilst it isn’t too complicated really, it is aspirational and not so easy to practice in reality. Mind, ego and perceived self-interest easily interfere and cause great suffering in the end because we forget, or have no concept in the first place, that being kind is self-care and love turned outwards. Something to reflect upon.

I find reassurance that I can be kinder to myself and others in trying consciously to do one or two little acts of kindness on a daily basis - that gives me hope when sometimes the bigger picture is too overwhelming and too much to comprehend. They’re manageable and really cost nothing at all. Smiling at someone, offering a hand, sending a text to let someone know you're thinking of them (or better yet calling), even putting the spider outside the front door rather than squishing it in fear, being kinder to yourself in your head, celebrating small successes and being positive, and radiating that out to the people around you. The nicest things that have happened to me recently have been a hug I was not expecting and someone saying I smelt nice. It's very easy to overlook little small kindnesses and fixate on the negative. I suppose you could say that kindness that way can become a habit that is built over time, or even a mindset. 
 
That’s not to say that we all need to turn into Pollyanna overnight. That would be just as unkind to the world – a state of perpetual denial about the reality of things from where there would be no way to move forward. The next Yama is Satya or Truthfulness and they all work together, tempering each other, balancing ….. 
 
But it’s worth to remembering – the next time you have the chance to be kind take it. It’s a small random act of healing and hope in a mixed up, crazy world and may just make someone’s day, month or year. It may even give you greater peace of mind too. Peace and Namaste.

“What’s the difference between Yoga and Pilates? And which one is better?”,  I get asked quite a lot. Totally understandable, as they are often thrown together as if connected in some way, and perhaps they are, but perhaps not as directly as many may think. 
 
So I thought I would use my blog space this month to shed some light on and hopefully demystify the differences (and similarities) between the two practices. In my view, nether is “better” and what I have noticed is that for some people Pilates clicks and for others Yoga really does. I think it’s a question of trying it and seeing what you like as they’re both great, although of course, I have to admit, I am a teensy bit biased towards Yoga… 
 
In summary then, Yoga is a holistic practice based upon the teachings of the Vedas and other texts out of India and has been a round for a very long time indeed – thousands of years in fact. By comparison, Pilates is a baby of a practice having been created and systematised by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. Both of them have a physical aspect and involve controlled movement to work the body, in Pilates particularly the core, to build strength and flexibility, but the focus in Pilates is purely physical.
 
Perhaps the biggest link between the two is the emphasis both systems place on using breathing as part of the practice to help with this.  However, in Yoga the practice, including the breath work, is part of a holistic system designed to connect mind and body - it has a strong spiritual component.   That’s not to be confused with a religious dogma – I’d highly recommend checking out what Gabor Mate has to say on secular spirituality and connection to “self” if you’re interested in this further. In short, Yoga goes beyond the physical. Intentionally. Whereas, Pilates does not.
 
Another way of putting this is to say that a main aim of Yoga is to calm and quiet the mind, as well as strengthen to the body. The ancient Yogis needed to be strong in both to sit and meditate for days on end. That’s not to say that Pilates does not also have this benefit: all exercise, to an extent, supports a better sense of mental wellbeing. But in Pilates this is not a primary purpose and you will not find the opening and closing meditations in a Pilates class that are common in most Yoga classes. 
 
And that is it in a nutshell. There is a great deal of crossover and even some of the postures (asanas in Yoga) may appear similar, and there is some evidence that Mr Pilates borrowed from the extensive repertoire of Yoga postures on which Yoga does not have a monopoly  either. The human body moves how it moves afterall and IP rights are a modern Western concept, but the intention and origins of the two are not in anyway directly connected.  In Yoga, you will find a whole life outlook if you wish to and it resonates with you. My suggestion is to try both and see what you like.  Hope to see you on the mat soon. Peace and Namaste.

An early addition this month, to make up for July's lack. The question of yoga and money has been on my mind a lot recently. As someone who has at times made a lot of money from my career, and also been at the other end of the spectrum, I have had ample opportunity over the years to examine my attitude towards money. Ultimately, as in all things, I have always come back to an idea of balance being king here. Live within your means, save a bit for a rainy day and be as generous according to them as you can be as, but not overly so.  Respect money, but keep it in its place. It's the means to many things, but not the end. The yogic principles can guide us in this as much as any other aspect of daily living (see June's blog). 

One thing I have noticed recently because of things that have happened is that other people's attitudes towards yoga teachers and money are often quite interesting. There are those who see a free class as a given and fail to acknowledge the gift it is.  There are profitable businesses who want to hire yoga teachers for nothing, just for the "opportunity" they are giving them and make money themselves off the back of that. Or there are the students who ignore the rules laid out for the validity of their class passes, that they have themselves agreed to, and still expect to get discounted class prices, and then malign their teachers for being avaricious when the agreed terms are enforced. These are exceptions to the rule I hasten to add, but noticeable exceptions. 

Let me be clear in what I think. Yoga teachers like any other kind of trained specialists should be fairly compensated for their time, respected fo their expertise and rewarded for their effort. It is totally disrespectful and against yogic principles to demand for free simply because yoga is a spiritual practice. Very few are the teachers who become millionaires from their sincere and passionate efforts to do good through their teachings. And the principle of Karma Yoga, free service to others,  such as offering free taster classes to new students in modern practice, extends only so far. Even Patanjali had to eat. I am very grateful for the vast majority of my students who see the reciprocity of the exchange for what it is. 

It's time to take a break for a week or so and I am off to Cornwall to explore. I'm tired and I can't wait. Travel within the UK is definitely something I have not done enough of and we are so lucky to have such amazing places within such short travelling distances. I am looking forward to some downtime. Happy practicing and namaste to you all. Claire xx

Whilst we’re all pretty familiar with the physical practice of yoga these days, there is more to it than simple asana practice as a form of exercise.   Circa 300 BC, Patanjali, the sage and wisest of yogis, who was the first person really to codify Yoga via his sutras, set out to systematically set down on paper (or whatever was in use back then!) the whole of yoga teaching. His much quoted phrase “Chitta Vrtti Nirodha” roughly translated means “Yoga Stills The Mind” and that sort of sums it up, but in understanding how that stillness comes about and what it means in truth, we need to understand more of what “Yoga” really entails, and here Patanjali and his categorization of Yoga into eight limbs or “Ashtanga Yoga” (ashtanga is sanskrit for eight limbs) provides the insight we need.
 
Ashtanga Yoga is often confused with Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which is an athletic form of asana practice cultivated by Pattabhi Jois in Mysore which follows a fixed sequence (Primary Series) and has been made famous by many celebs. It’s a really beautiful practice, check out Laruga Glaser’s videos online if you want to be mesmerised by grace, strength and elegance embodied,  but it is not quite the same thing as Patanjali’s Eight Limbs, of which asana is one, but which tend to emphasise the mental and moral aspects of Yoga over the purely physical practice. 
 
So what are these eight limbs already! Here we go (and bear with me, do remember this is a beautiful if challenging moral ideal, not a stick with which to beat anyone, or a covert criticism of those that find it unappealing…..): 
 
Yama – the five moral restraints  

• Ahmisa - non-violence in thought, deed and word
• Satya – honesty/ truthfulness
• Asteya - don’t steal from others – including their time and energy as well as material things 
• Brahmacharya – restraint and moderation, particularly in sexual matters 
• Aparigraha – non-attachment, curbing covetousness, greed and jealousy

Niyama – the five individual observances 

• Saucha – purity and cleanliness
• Santosa – contentment and gratitude
• Tapas – commitment to practice
• Svadhaya – study and improving knowledge 
• Ishara Pranidhana – letting go of ego, devotion to a higher consciousness or power

Asanas – postures 
Pranayama – control of vital energy through the breath
Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses to self – going within 
Dhyana – meditation 
Samadhi – bliss, super conscious state
 
The eight limbs can be taken individually or worked together - this I believe is one reason for the vast diversity of yoga practiced today. Some of us are purely focusing on asana, others mediation and others the more devotional aspects.  Some of us are incorporating aspects of all eight limbs into our daily lives without even knowing it, others more consciously, others not at all. 
 
One thing that strikes me more and more is the overlap with so many of today’s secular mindfulness practices and concepts: meditation, being kind, compassion for others, having curiosity and seeking out learning, mindful movement, finding joy and so on.  
 
In this modern world many are averse to any hint of spiritual mongering or religiosity – and I can totally understand why, with so many wannabe gurus around seeking fame, ego-inflation and more often than not enrichment, I feel the same way myself a lot of the time – but at the time these concepts were set out faith in a deity was the norm. 
 
I'm convinced we can reframe this teaching and secularise the process of becoming connect to self and consciousness. There is no need to disregard the essence of yoga for the sake of (justified) aversion to dogma - that's just throwing out the baby with the bath water. There's also no need to be intimidated by it.  I sometimes imagine that the sense of intimidation so many feel coming to a yoga practice is a subconscious instinct that this is something really potentially life changing, which floats up to the level of our consciousness, manifesting as a strange, small fear or anxiety,  and is really nothing to be worried about at all. Yoga is at its heart a spiritual practice – cultivating a path to Samadhi and oneness with the divine. What I firmly believe is how you chose to conceive of the divine is up to you.  Yoga embraces all. 
 
Namaste 🙏🏼❤️🕉