yogi frog

India, one more time...

2012-02-06T08:28:00.003Z

“Scrape the surface and you might find…”

It feels a little like an addiction. When friends ask ‘Are you going to India again?’, I sheepishly nod and wonder why I keep going back...

Goa certainly does not have the most honourable reputation. As much as it is a protected, mostly catholic, rich coastal region with a pleasant climate and friendly residents, the decades of hippy travellers, followed by never ending parties, thumping trance music, drug use and abuse, has tainted some of the areas’ charm. Some of the beauty and purity has disappeared –inevitably- but parties are still happening, tourism ‘en-masse’ keeps growing, and Indian tourists view Goa as their escape from stressful city life. Drugs and alcohol, cheap tourism and lots of white flesh on display can also be an entertaining factor.

But there is still a more hidden part of Goa that many do not see. Look beyond the bars and loud music and you will find a more reasonable, pleasant and seducing life. A whole community of westerners living in Goa for many years, some on and off season, some throughout the monsoon. Like a subculture in a strangely built environment, this is where the ‘real’ Goa begins.

My favourite part of this scene lies within the sphere of yoga. This is possibly the main reason why I keep coming back. For most people, there is choice. Like many western hotspots in India, search and you will find any form, variation and brand of yoga or meditation. In Goa, this multiplies even more.

Choice is not necessarily a good thing however, especially for the beginner or a confused mind. From freestyle westernized yoga, to classic Hatha taught by Indians, intuitive dance and movement meditation, there are many options. Asthangis will find their home at YogaBones, Rolf Naujokat’s Shala, now located in Anjuna beach. It is possibly one of the few places that starts way before sunrise (here, at 6.45am) and remains open for self practice 5 days a week, throughout most of the monsoon. Old Style Asthanga, as Rolf would call it, attracts many students, willing to pay the high fee to study with one of the few certified teachers in the world. Strange that he has found his place in such a contrasted place like Goa. The rumour is that long ago, a handful of yogis (including Rolf) would practice on the beach at sunrise, while party goers would tumble down past them.

Such is the Goa I like. It constantly evolves and yet remains the same. The cows don’t party and the dogs keep barking. Rolf is up practicing at 2 every morning, when many are still on their last orders. I wake up when many get to bed. Just like in London or anywhere else in the world, we live, but just choose to experience life differently

The ethical yogi – practicing environmental awareness off the mat

2012-01-18T15:44:00.002Z

(this was published in Yoga Magazine UK, July 2011)

How can we explore the possibility of bringing environmental awareness (and nature loving kindness!) off the yoga mat and to the outside world?

So you’ve just bought a new ‘eco-mat’ (made with recycled fibres, biodegradable, perhaps even wholly compostable, and that somewhat smells the part), your organic cotton outfit feels luxuriously comforting, and you begin your practice safe in the knowledge that a bowl of organic muesli and green tea awaits. And some of you may even be cycling or walking to the shala, thus adding a few more ‘green points’ to your already fabulously virtuous yogic path.

But once caught up in the ‘busy-ness’ of daily life, priorities and complications, how often are we able to maintain that connection with nature, the environment, and all the goodness (essentially our ‘true selves’) that we try to perpetuate on the yoga mat?

Looking back

On way to approach the issue of environmentalism is by looking at age-old Sanskrit texts and concepts, which are at the root of yoga. Scriptures like the Yoga Sutras and the Vedas may not mention being ‘green’ or purposely acting as an eco-warrior, but both highlight the importance of Ahimsa – or non-violence- and universal kindness towards all living beings. What they do also emphasize, are some key guidelines and ethical principles that should guide each and every one of us into a positive path of yoga. Ahimsa is essential if one observes Patanjali’s ‘classical’ yoga path: Ahimsa is just one of the five Yamas (restraints) - the first of the 8 limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga.

Judith Lasater explains that living ethically, according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, is the first step on the true path of yoga: “The first yama is perhaps the most famous one: ahimsa, usually translated as "nonviolence." This refers not only to physical violence, but also to the violence of words or thoughts. What we think about ourselves or others can be as powerful as any physical attempt to harm. To practice ahimsa is to be constantly vigilant, to observe ourselves in interaction with others and to notice our thoughts and intentions. Try practicing ahimsa by observing your thoughts when a smoker sits next to you. Your thoughts may be just as damaging to you as his cigarette is to him. It is often said that if one can perfect the practice of ahimsa, one need learn no other practice of yoga, for all the other practices are subsumed in it. Whatever practices we do after the yamas must include ahimsa as well. Practicing breathing or postures without ahimsa, for example, negates the benefits these practices offer.”

It is not about strictly abiding to every single rule and obligation, but rather to maintain a level of awareness and aim to follow the path of yoga beyond the mere asana. For instance, this could mean choosing to be kinder to yourself in your own practice (forget the striving and the pushing) and allow this loving kindness to hover around you throughout the day. You leave your mat with a light and open body; wherever you go next – whether it is to work, home, to the shops or collecting the kids from school, maintaining awareness for any length of time can prove to be a challenge, and being ‘environmentally aware’ may not be a top priority.

However, the sense of environmental awareness is perhaps not strictly bound to immediate ‘green’ issues: driving a hybrid car, cycling to work, or buying locally produced organic foods will not make you a better yogi nor an environmental warrior. As much as they are positive actions everyone should try to incorporate (within reason) into their daily lives, the true answer lies in practice.

But the concept of ‘practice’ may be highly individual and have different meanings for each and every one of us. When we look at awareness and environmental issues, learning to be kind, gentle and aware of the world that surrounds us, as well as practicing Ahimsa can be one answer to being an ethical yogi. Some may even argue that Ahimsa alone is enough to save the earth.

Gandhi for instance, also saw Ahimsa as self reliance – as we become less dependent on others to provide basic needs, we are able to free ourselves from the circle of production, hierarchy and need. Non-violence not only applies to humans (avoiding inflicting physical and mental pain, being kind, honest etc), but also to nature. As we practice kindness and peaceful attitudes towards other beings, we can then perpetuate the same attitude with the world around us.

So one way is to first start by connecting with the environment through simple practices of kindness and awareness, being gentle with ourselves, others and nature.

A practice of connecting

Connect with the roots of Yoga: seek to learn more about the ethical principles that lie behind most yogic practices. You don’t necessarily have to dig into Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, but learning some simple ethical guidelines can be useful.

Cultivate an awareness practice. For just a few moments each day, let go of your plans for the future and thoughts of the past. Just notice the physical sensations that arise in that moment. Then observe the sounds and smells that surround you, maintaining an awareness of your physical self as you simply attend to what you see. Thoughts may come and go, but by trying to be present to what surrounds you, connection with the surrounding environment will naturally arise.

Connect with the earth – first in your asana practice (from standing in tadasana to sitting in dandasana to resting in shavasana) and then in your daily life. When you stand, feel your feet grounding into the earth. When you sit, sense the sit bones rooting into the floor. When you lie down, be aware of your connection with the ground below you. Simple practices like these will allow you to cultivate a quality of awareness off the mat and into life. This is where your life may start becoming your practice.

Connect with the elements and your food. Once you become aware of the environment that surrounds you –whether you are city bound or a country dweller, your body will naturally tune into the seasons, changes in weather and climate. Hopefully, your mind and desires will follow. In winter, we crave (and need) heartier nutrients and food, whereas the summer months offer an abundance of fruits and colourful vegetables to feed our body and soul. This does not mean banning tomatoes from your diet in winter, but simply noticing that they may not be all so beneficial for you (and hence the environment) at this time of the year.

Shop with conscience – but don’t overdo it. The benefits of buying fairtrade, organic goods cannot be ignored, but don’t let it be your primary goal. These –however necessary- products are all part of the external ‘stuff’ which clutter our senses. When you need to shop, do so, but try not to get attached to the self-satisfaction of being a ‘good’ consumer.

As we become more aware of the environmental impact of our actions, we can progressively let this permeate into our every day thoughts and activities.

The Bhagavad Gītā 5.12 The disciplined man, having abandoned the result of action, attains complete peace; the undisciplined man, whose action is impelled by desire, and who is attached to the result, is bound.

Yoga Shopping

2012-01-04T12:49:00.000Z

Yoga Shopping

As a new year begins, this is the time when resolutions kick in and many make commitments to start the year in a good stead. I have done this before but personally think resolutions should be part of a lifelong practice, not one of those feel good topics which sprouts up each January – and often sinks into oblivion by spring. In any case, I hope to carry on whatever I have started in the previous years, perhaps add a little more energy and effort into things I struggle with, and of course maintain a regular yoga practice.

But before I bring myself back into a strict morning Mysore practice again, I am indulging into a investigative luxury that many spend their lives doing – yoga shopping. From my point of view, I am curious to explore other traditions of asana practice, see what others are spending their energy teaching, and how these can all lead –eventually- to the same path. Although I am personally committed to Asthanga as a physical and life discipline, it can be interesting to see other approaches, all of which are valid in some ways. My only reservation lies in the fact that the variety of yoga on offer these days just reflects the whole social consumerist phenomenon. Like aisles of the supermarkets, we have endless choices of what classes to attend – from more classical Hatha, Iyengar and Asthanga styles to Glo Yoga, Myofit classes and Yogalates. Like a shopper who gets confused with which brand of eggs to buy (free range, organic, omega 3 enhanced?), a new yoga practioner will often get lots in choice, possibilities and confusion. Those lucky ones may just find the right class for them immediately, an inspiring teacher and develop from there on, but for most, attending a weekly yoga class is like buying a weekly loaf of sourdough bread at the local farmer’s market – it might make you feel good, but the effects will only go as far as one is able to commit. One box or organic eggs and a loaf of sourdough a week may feel like a leap in faith, but the real benefits lie beyond the weekly shop – or class in this case.

So for one week only, I have chosen to ‘shop around’ so to speak – try out some new styles and classes, perhaps learn some new tricks, but knowing that in the end I will go back to my regular discipline. Like a beginner, I find it interesting to experience how it feels to learn, listen and sense other forms of yoga practices. It can be liberating or frustrating. Liberating in the thrill of trying out new postures, techniques and approaches, but frustrating when these just don’t work for me. Without judging or making this a critique, exploring new possibilities is one valid way to start the year.

Namaste.

Yoga for cyclists

2011-12-01T16:09:00.004Z

Yoga for cyclists

As a keen commuting cyclist, I am somewhat familiar with the experience of tight hamstrings, gluteus and quads. As a yoga teacher, I am aware that some areas of the body become weaker, tighter and stiffer, whilst others get stronger- this is where a smartly thought through asana practice may help relieve some areas of tension caused by regular cycling.

This works on many levels – casual cyclists may find a sense of ease in their yoga practice by focusing on certain postures (which for instance release the psoas or quadriceps muscles), whereas committed cyclists will probably discover that over time, yoga can enhance their performance. This happens in many ways through yoga – on the physical level, applying asana in a therapeutic way, and on a spiritual level by releasing mental tensions, increasing concentration and breathing patterns. These are just some of the outcomes of a regular practice but, as with everything in life, patience, perseverance and loving kindness are key.

Cycling requires both physical strength as well as strength of mind – focus, concentration and awareness to be efficient on the road. The attention to breath and the mind-body connection found in yoga, can be used by cyclists so as to maintain mental clarity and a sense of calm.

Yoga postures can be extremely beneficial if practiced with consistency and awareness (meaning being aware of sensations and avoiding too intense stretching, intensity is fine, but sharp pain, especially in the joints, is not a good sign!). Awareness of breath practiced in a yoga class can bring more focus and calmness beyond the mat, and employing simple techniques like Ujayi breath or full diaphragmatic breathing will increase the capacity of the lungs, elongating each inhale and exhale, thus deepening the cycling experience.

When cycling, the quadriceps, hamstrings and hips never rest, so those areas often become overdeveloped and tighter. In some case the hips may be pulled out of alignment by tight hamstrings, and the constant flexing of the spine may cause shoulder or back pain. Practiced correctly, Yoga asana will help ease muscle tightness, whilst aligning the spine, hips and knees. Practice poses such as supta virasana, or the pigeon, if the knees allow it, and have a couple of blocks and/or blankets to hand. This is especially useful when holding the postures for a little longer than usual.

The key point is to avoid imbalances and discover breathing practices that may help expand the lung capacity so we - cyclists - can breathe deeper and with more ease.

Practice Sequence – one of many possibilities for those who cycle or simply fancy a lower body focus practice.

Warm up: Begin with lying on the back with the knees bent and hip distance apart. Let the knees slightly touch to release the lower back and just spend a few moments noticing the breath, sensations in the entire body.

‘Thread the needle’ or ‘Eye of the needle’ (Sucirandhrasana) – safe way to gently open up the hips and hamstrings without putting too much strain on the back. bend the right knee, placing the outside of the right ankle below your left knee. Try to maintain a neutral pelvis and a gentle flexion of feet to keep the posture healthy on the knees. To intensify the pose, bring the inner arch of the right foot closer towards the left shoulder.

Hold each side for five to ten breaths.

Spinal twist with knees bent, arms shoulder width apart, palms flat. Try to keep the shoulders grounded as you release the back. Look towards the opposite shoulder to deepen the stretch in upper back and neck. Hold each side for 5 breaths.

(Roll up and down to sitting.)

Virasana - ‘hero pose’: sit on a block or two (or three!) in between your heels– pain in the knees is not negotiable!)

The aim is to lengthen the quadriceps, which tighten up when cycling. This is also an internal rotation of the hips, so it may either feel very accessible or inaccessible, depending on bone structure.

Supta Virasana – ‘ reclined hero pose’. same indications as above, but be especially mindful of knees when going back.

Hold both poses for 10 to 15 breaths (they may be held for up to 3 minutes)

Pashimottanasana - Forward bend: The classic hamstring stretch, but this means that it's not all about touching your toes. Work on moving into the forward bend by tilting from your pelvis and above, while keeping the spine long rather than rounded. Work with the breath by lengthening the spine on each inhale and deepening the forward bend on each exhale.

Marichyasana A – a good, although complex pose, to help lengthen the hamstrings, hips, back and shoulders. The aim is to make space in those areas, so lengthening out of the trunk and keeping the chest lifted is key.

Utrasana – ‘camel’: the quadriceps, the large muscles in the front of the thighs, are especially in need of stretching for most cyclists. This pose also accesses the ribcage and chest area. One can practice Utrasana with blocks under the hands to emphasize the quadriceps stretch over the back bend. (Blocks can also be used in between the thighs to keep the thighs active and the back spacious).

Setu Bandasana – ‘bridge’:

This bridge is a great counter-pose for upper body positioning while on your bike. This direction of this pose counterbalances cycling posture by opening up the front line of the body whilst strengthening the spine.

Other areas involved are the hamstrimgs, IT band, gluteus, hip flexors, shoulders, chest and wrists. Interlacing the fingers behind the back in bridge pose intensifies the stretch in the ribcage and shoulders (the action of drawing the shoulder blades together will release the shoulder girdle and neck muscles).

Hold for eight breaths and then release – if you still have energy, come up one more time.

Finish

One inversion, either shoulderstand or any other suitable pose to reverse the flow of blood through the vessels - again a benefit for cyclists who use their legs a little more intensely than most of us.

Complete the sequence with a few minutes (or more!) of breathing – simple Ujayi breath is excellent or Nadi Shodana to regulate and calm the nervous system.

Leave plenty of time for a final relaxation to soak up the practice and let your body rest!

Note: if you want to make it a more dynamic sequence, add a few rounds of classical sun salutes, which include low/high lunges. This will warm up the entire body, loosen joints and the lunges will add some intensity to the hip area and psoas muscle.

A spot of raw food action

2011-11-30T22:15:00.000Z

Raw snacks experiment

I have only dabbled with raw food now and then (summer and warm weather helping), but now, with the acquisition of a new dehydrator toy, I have been up to some domestic creations.

I truly believe that including some raw food in our -modern- diets is extremely beneficial, and without going to extremes with it all, unprocessed, uncooked foods are really good for you! (wikipedia will provide all the scientific facts)
So I have been playing around and experimenting with stuff, one of my first creations is above - raw flax crackers. yum yum. They're fantastic, easy, delicious and satisfying and we all know (kind of) that flax seeds are full of omega 3 fatty acids, so excellent for the brain, immune system etc etc. The ingredients are so simple too - flax seeds (soaked), sea salt, pepper, seaweed (optional) and a dash of lemon juice. That's it! All you need is a bit of creativity, a taste for things slightly out of the ordinary -packets that is- and a dehydrator....

More soon on this subject. Yogis like eating!

New Studio opens in Marelybone

2011-11-21T23:02:00.000Z

A review I wrote for World Yoga Network...

Indaba Yoga is one of the latest offerings in the world of urban yoga studios in London. After many months of waiting, anticipating and wondering, numerous facebook launches, I finally get to see the impressive and much awaited 5000sq ft Indaba in Marelybone. I had heard a lot about the studio through friends, teachers, online and in the media, reading catch phrases such as ‘Real Yoga for real people’, ‘gorgeous airy studios’ and so on, so I had a vague picture in mind, but I didn’t quite expect what I found.

Set in a quiet street off Marelybone station, the building initially had no resemblance to other yoga studios I had visited so far (for some reason many seem to have white walls, a smell of incense reaching the street, a crowd of slim, smart yoga clad bunnies lurking outside drinking green juice). Not that Indaba lacks any of these, but at first glance I just see a neat red brick building. As I walk up the stairs, the décor really kicks in. So this is a stylish, sleek and smart place, that does smell of incense, but doesn’t feel pretentious in any way. I am greeted with a smile, take my shoes off and peek into Stewart Gilchrist’s ‘Yogasana’ class in the hot room. Looks hot indeed. Upstairs, there is another spacious, bright and airy studio with a proper Iyengar set up (wall ropes, belts, blankets and blocks). One more floor to the massage loft studio and I am blown away – to set up a huge space like this in central London is a feat. I would call it an inner-city yoga bubble.

Indaba may be very new on the market (hence the fresh feel and shiny floors), but they have managed to gather some hugely experienced teachers, a wide range of yoga styles and a full schedule.

So what about the yoga in all that? The teacher line-up is impressive enough – Stewart Gilchrist, Mark Khan, Norman Blair to name but a few- and classes include Mysore self pactice, Asthanga, Dharma Mittra, Jivamukti, Iyengar, Power Yoga and Slow Flow. The list is long, but they do cater for all styles, ages, abilities, so it is very much a ‘gathering’ space – the actual meaning of ‘Indaba’.

However, it is a tough time to open a yoga studio in London: summer holidays, recession, competition (this is the 3^rd new studio opening – coming after Life Center Islington and Triyoga Chelsea) and it is independently run. Time will tell how long it may take to gather a steady student following and make it to the ranks of Triyoga, but I hear word is spreading fast and calls keep coming in.

Later on, I have a quick look online, I notice the website faqs… Precise, concise as they should be, covering every single question that might arise, but I especially enjoyed reading these two:

“ Q: What happens if I smile? A: You will be reprimanded and made to scrub the communal mats down, alternatively you will receive a smile back, this is dependent on the moon.

Q: What if I don’t like it? A: Then you’re a fool”

All in all Indaba is a friendly, fun, and welcoming place to practice, relax and explore new possibilities. One for the little black book.

August 2011

http://indabayoga.com/

Goa.... again

2010-11-27T14:20:00.006Z

This is yet another year, a season of transition.

Leaving behind a brand new nest in London, I am shifting once again to a less luxurious one, but in a warmer climate for sure. The commodities of a power shower, running hot water and a quick-boil kettle are far away, but I'm happy to actually have clean running water, a kettle that works -slowly- and a cosy little Portuguese-Goan house to my own. There is even a lady living in the garden (kind of) and a cleaning lady who makes it all look pretty and neat once a week.
So I may have rats nesting in my roof (i noticed droppings and pitter patter on the tiles now and then) but then my office in London hosted a whole family of rodents too (again, droppings on computer desks, nibbled fruit bars and dead mice on the floor were clues).

I like Goa. It's not India and yet it's in the same continent. Goa is a bit of a sub-culture, a social experiment and strange mix of lost souls (mostly foreign), long term hippies (who haven't changed clothes since the 60s... fashion doesn't change that much anyway), yoga fanatics, soul searchers, therapy seekers, beach lovers, Russian tourists on a trip of a lifetime and Indian tourists on their Ibiza style vacation. It's also motorbike heaven, fashion heaven, party heaven and it just feels like a place where people meet and reinvent themselves. Until the season ends again, monsoon breaks and it becomes time to move on again.

Right now, things are still fresh, the last of the monsoon rains seem to have stopped, and houses, clothes, shops are finally drying out. The gardens are still lush and green but will soon require daily watering to survive. This is life under the tropics - seasonal, unpredictable and yet loveable.

Oh and yes, I am here for a few more months, working, teaching, practicing, writing and organising - things I tend to do well.

There will be more updates soon, but for now I need to put my mosquito net up, eat some papaya fruit and consider a refreshing cold shower.

Tokyo Yoga

2010-04-28T09:10:00.000+01:00

Tradition and modernity

What is it like to practice in one of the most modern, expensive and cutting-edge city in the world? Tokyo has for years been a trend-setting, buzzing capital, a hub for business, technology and consumer culture, attracting foreigners, tourists and the masses to its belly like a vortex running on adrenaline. Coffee can vending machines appear on virtually every street corner, station platform and parking lot, providing a quick fix solution to a demanding and hectic lifestyle.

Shibuya, Ginza and Ueno – epic, buzzing districts, always seem to appear in visitors’ snapshots of Japan, in the same way as London is famed for Piccadilly Circus and Big Ben. Media reports only really reinforce this post-modern, stereotyped view of Japanese culture, so when I told friends I was off to investigate the yoga ‘scene’ in Tokyo, I was greeted with some quizzical looks. Japan is certainly famous for its aesthetics, zen temples and spiritual roots, but yoga is a far more recent import.

Although as a practice, yoga has been around for many years, the big boom started in 2004, when yoga became trendy in most parts of East Asia – following a global trend partly set by people like Madonna or Sting, to name but a few. But that boom only lasted for a couple of years in Japan – by 2006, the few large yoga centers like Bikram Yoga had to close or downsize to adjust to falling numbers of students. The smaller, independent studios remained active and even grew with a smaller but more dedicated student base, some of which having traveled or studied abroad, wanting to take their practice to another level. The current student base still remains fairly young, with a typical class consisting of a majority of 25-35 year old women, but there has recently been an increase in Japanese men joining classes.
The fact that Yoga Journal just launched its quarterly edition in Japanese, should indicate that interest for yoga is here to stay, with a shift towards integrating yoga lifestyle into a modern environment.

To the difference of many East Asian cities, all the studios I visited in Tokyo were small (one room, holding up to 20 people on average), due to sky high rents and lack of space, but not surprisingly, all were extremely clean – students diligently spraying their mats after class wiping off every speck of dust or drop of sweat, tidying props and bolsters, in a typically respectful and dutiful manner.

Mindfulness in Japan’s capital

So my quest for places to practice yoga in Tokyo started in the West side of the city, in Ebisu, a quiet yet trendy and up market area. It is also home to YogaJaya, one of Tokyo’s leading independent studios. Opened by Patrick Oancia in 2004, and neatly tucked away in a residential back street, YogaJaya is a peaceful abode to all things yoga. A small reception on the ground floor acts the shop, information desk and meeting point.

I was greeted with a smile as I registered for Patrick’s busy Friday evening dynamic class. We all started by quietly sitting, while Patrick slipped in and led an extended breathing sequence. Core strength and arm balances happened to be the theme of the day, so we went straight into a playful, sweaty and hard session, but Patrick gave each student help and attention as if in a workshop.
Browsing the schedule after class, I felt reassured to see handstand practice wasn’t a Japanese studio specialty, but rather a one-off special: YogaJaya offers much more variety. Patrick pointed out that although dynamic styles are very popular, classes and workshops do range from gentler styles to meditation and pranayama with renowned practioners.

But, as I ask Patrick after the class, is the yoga approach here, typically Japanese? How are students’ general attitude to life reflected in their practice? (Tricky question to answer when the class is a mix of men, women, foreigners and teacher training students).
Japanese culture, he tells me, is on a very broad level, clearly regimented, structured and competitive. This is why at the start, dynamic practices like Astanga really kicked off. As a discipline, Astanga is systematic, organized and structured, which fits well with an ordered and controlled Japanese way of life. Students are generally dedicated and disciplined –often to the extreme, which is why they love this system.

But aspects of a culture that can sometimes be extremely dogmatic never came across in my yoga tour of Tokyo – and I saw rather less yoga fanatics than in London.

Yoga Jaya has always shifted more towards other forms of yoga – they offer less Astanga classes to balance the schedule with other styles like Hatha Vinyasa, Yoga Focus classes and special courses. Class dynamics vary, taught with an emphasis on alignment, breath awareness and mindfulness.

Patrick is a thinker and an activist. His dedicated yoga practice goes far beyond setting up and running one of Tokyo’s leading yoga studios – he has a vision for Yoga in Japan. (highlighted in a recent video: http://www.yogajaya.com/films/yogajaya_vision_small.mov).

The Teacher Training courses, workshops and classes held at YogaJaya reflect this vision whilst seek to provide an environment for people to explore their own practice; speaking eloquently and with passion, he encourages students to develop awareness and find their own way, by “working with different metaphors to find their potential in real life and become unified to the active life.“ A rather deep insight for a Friday night but I liked his style, the approach and most importantly, the space.

More Shibuya-yoga

Next stop, Hiroo station. Still in the heart of Shibuya, is Tokyo’s latest arrival, Yoga Tree studio. Running up 4 flights of stairs (I found out there was a lift on my way out!) after a somewhat confusing train journey through Tokyo, it felt like entering a sleek, intimate, yoga haven. I was late so missed the start of Michael Glenn’s Vinyasa Flow class, but was greeted with a smile as I quietly lay my mat down at the back. Michael, who opened the studio in 2009 (thanks to a slump in the property market, making spaces like these more affordable in central Tokyo), teaches in a calm and gentle manner, focusing on alignment, breath and body awareness. Students in this (English) class were mostly foreign but Yoga Tree attracts people from a mix of backgrounds, age, gender and levels.

Yoga Tree’s variety of classes and styles maintains the ‘belief that yoga is a big umbrella that offers something to everyone’. The schedule reflects this view: from traditional Hatha to Astanga, Vinyasa Flow, Yoga for Runners and Restorative – taught in both Japanese and English- there is definitely something here for everyone.

Having worked for years in advertising, Michael believes in letting the studio find its own space in the capital: he remains reluctant to overly promote his studio, new classes and workshops. He believes in letting the space “grow organically”, develop in its own terms – and this is exactly how Yoga Tree feels like – a peaceful, calm and open space with what it seems, a steady, harmonious future ahead.

Other places
Tokyo does offer a variety of other places to practice- Sun Moon Yoga, Lotus8 and Prana Power to name but a few. Each has its place in the capital, and each of them seems to offer a selection of Dynamic, Hatha and Restorative classes in both English and Japanese. Iyengar fans can pay -the officially certified BKS Iyengar teacher- Rajay Mahtani a visit in one of her central Tokyo classes (http://www.rajay.org/yoga/tyc.html).

The website Hello Yoga gives an honest overview of the main studios and practical information on each place (maps, websites, prices etc).

So yoga shopping in the capital of Japan could be an activity in itself, but this time, my tour stops here.

Costs
Tokyo is a notoriously expensive place to be and yoga classes reflect this costly lifestyle. Drop-ins vary between 2,500-3,000 yen (about GBP 20 on average per class), but cheaper options are available for residents or long-term stayers. Some studios like YogaJaya for instance, offer introductory discounts (half price for the first class). They also run daily open practice between 8.30-10 am for space-deprived Tokyo-ites wanting to roll out their mat and practice freely in a dedicated yoga place – a good concept for busy cities.

Closing thoughts

Has Yoga in Japan now evolved in a way of its own, taking some typically Japanese traits?

Yoga in one of the world’s most hectic, cutting-edge cities definitely has a place, rooted for many years but only fairly recently emerging into people’s daily lives. However, if yoga practice nevertheless remains a fairly new phenomenon, it leaving space for it to grow deeper roots and open up to new realms. Training teachers locally is one first step, a task that YogaJaya is deeply committed to.

Tokyo may in fact not be a number one destination for spiritual quests, but on a next visit to Japan’s capital, you can definitely feel safe in the knowledge you can roll out your mat, practice, breathe and find a welcoming yoga community, no matter which path you choose to take.

Useful Information:

Hello Yoga – run by yoga teacher Dylan Robertson, this is the website for Tokyo’s English speaking community, providing information on classes, workshops, teachers, and articles relating to yoga in Tokyo. (I liked the recent ‘Avoiding burnout in Tokyo’.)
http://www.helloyoga.com/

Yoga Jaya
1-25-11-2Fl.
Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya Ku
Tokyo, 150-0021
Ph: +81-(0)3-5784-3622
http://www.yogajaya.com

Yoga Tree
Tanaka Building 4F, 5-5-1 Hiroo,
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0012
http://www.yogatree.jp/

Eco Nikko – a retreat centre in the heart of Unesco World heritage site of Nikko, 2 hours north of Tokyo. They run some classes and retreats in a stunningly peaceful and buddhist temple setting.
http://econikko.com/

New Year's letting go

2010-01-18T10:39:00.004Z

Letting go, doing less and learning to switch off....

So another year has past by faster than expected, and here we are in January 2010, making resolutions, intentions and plans yet again. Well a lot of us do anyway. Partly fueled by the media, press, TV and radio shows, cunningly planning a year for us: from what we should read, wear, eat, think and do, we have little space to stop, think and make our own mind up. Trends, patterns and lifestyle directions are already set before we can even pause to consider our options.

Not that any of us really need to, but switching off from all that external decision making may just give us a little more time/space to be creative and think. Of course, we are bathed in a pool of information -I like to call it ‘stuff’- inhaling it and numbing our senses with stimuli, data etc, saturating our nervous system with junk. Research has shown that this saturation of the senses is one of the causes of stress in the modern world.

Residing in India for nearly 3 winters in a row does somewhat help when it comes to switching off – externally at least. Simply because high speed internet, cable television, foreign newspapers and magazines are still a bit of a luxury around here. However, even without all this outside stimulation (which to me only seems to fill this gap for deeper knowledge and understanding – a void that I will too easily fill up with all this ‘stuff’), it is incredibly hard to make space and clear out the superfluous junk that inevitably surrounds us. As much as we may have less to do in a place like Goa, the distractions always remain present and we will always find ways to fill up gaps in time and thought.

Why is that? The Chinese say that the mind is like a monkey – it jumps around- craves new stimulation and constant ‘filling up’, so as to stay away from more significant issues/questions like life, death, why we are, who we are. These questions can prove worrying to many. Making space to sit and think –or even attempt to answer- any of these questions is not a pre-requisite in life, but it’s good to try at least. A majority of people will happily sail through life without stopping, resting, questioning anything, and yet appear content, satisfied and in harmony.

However, I choose to pause. Simply because it is so hard. I’ve noted recurrent patterns in my own attitude, which I am aware of and want to work on. Living in a different continent, with different people, working different shifts, reading less press, being less informed and distracted should in theory lead to greater space and time to explore other areas of life. Even the simple act of sitting and reading quietly can be a struggle. Wherever one goes there are people, things to look at and do – general distractions of daily life. The issue is not all of this external stuff, but rather what to do with it. Saying no and actually switching off are just small things to focus on.

Some ways (to try) to be still –er.

* Switch off – and actually do it!
Turn the mobile phone off, unplug the TV and internet cable and see how long you last before getting fidgety. Remember, none of these things are really that important (unless you work in the ER unit and need to be on call!) and contribute to distractions.
* Take more time – between actions, and try not to constantly check your phone or emails.
* Do less – and learn to say ‘no’ more often.
* Prioritise – do you really need to do all this? Or are you also partly filling up time?
* Sit quietly
* Breathe- focus on your breath and notice what is happening.

And with all this in mind, without meditating or sitting each day, try simply cutting down on ‘stuff’, from shopping, to texting, to superfluous meetings which all fill up our agenda.

So Happy New Year from Goa! Do less, breathe more and do more yoga! ;-)

I will be back with a lighter update soon….

Green Goa - Green Yoga

2009-12-23T05:45:00.004Z

Karma Yoga and the art of transforming practice to life.

Karma Yoga is the art and science of “karmically” aware and responsible action and intention - to take responsible acts without attachment to results or rewards. It is selfless action. Karma yoga is thus the yoga of action: getting off the yoga mat and applying ourselves to the world around us. But at the same time, how many of us really do take active steps to change the world on our doorstep?

And what happens when we start to shift our focus to that other side of yoga, so often ignored in our physically oriented world?

Few people follow the path of ‘Karma Yoga’, and those who do often stay relatively discreet, as karma yoga acts simply become part of a daily life and routine. It could involve giving water to a thirsty dog or simply picking up street littler on the way to work. Mahatma Gandhi indeed said that you ‘must be the change you want to see in the world.’

And sometimes, making a statement is key to getting one’s voice heard. This is exactly what one group of people are now doing by taking their practice ‘off the mat’ and into real life in Goa, India. Staff and students from the Brahmani Yoga Centre launched ‘Karma Yoga – Clean up Goa’ days, to help clear rubbish on some of the region’s most beautiful beaches.

Goa is a huge tourist destination in India, and many holiday makers, seasonal residents and passers by, make a halt and spend time indulging in daily yoga classes and beachtime activities. In fact, as an international drop-in yoga centre, Brahmani sees hundreds of visitors each week. They also host a number of workshops, events and over 35 classes a week – that makes a lot of yogis! Other nearby retreat centres such as Purple Valley and Satsanga also see a substantial amount of yoga tourists passing through –but all are keen to give something back to the local environment. After all, tourism and yoga should work together, and it often does: most places have tried to set up recycling and green initiatives – such as saying no to plastic bags and bottles, separating rubbish and using eco-friendly, locally sourced materials.

But Goa's long-standing problem is not only unsightly for tourists and locals - it's incredibly hazardous to wildlife and animals.
For example, in April 2000, the Lucknow Times of India reported that as many as 100 local cows were dying every day as a result of eating discarded plastic bags. In Goa, cows are commonly seen chewing their way through plastic bags in hope of finding something to eat. The problem is that there is no rubbish collection system in place, so residents unaware of the hazardous effects of plastic waste, resort to burning their own rubbish – or simply throwing it in fields or on the side of the road.

This is why Julie Martin, Director of Brahmani Yoga and also the mind behind this initiative, decided to round up a number of local organizations, students, volunteers, and schools, to join forces and tackle one of the region’s most serious environmental issues: plastic waste and recycling rubbish. With the first day kicking off in Autumn 2009, the idea was to dedicate one Sunday morning a month, round up Yoga teachers, Teacher Training students, local residents and volunteers, to get their hands dirty, help pick up litter, to keep Goa clean and give that little something back to the local environment.
The first ‘Karma Yoga’ day itself proved to be a huge success. With over 100 volunteers taking part (from all ages and backgrounds), spending under 2 hours on Anjuna beach in North Goa, an entire rubbish truck was filled with bags full of plastic, glass, cans and general waste. Passers by joined in too and lent a hand to help fill up a few bags.

Julie Martin says: “Hopefully we can use these days to not only highlight the rubbish problem in Goa, but also to offer service and to give up a small amount of our time and do something for the community that has supported Brahmani for years. Karma Yoga is a large part of the yoga process and I think it is time we all got involved and set an example.”

Yoga is about union and integration – not just on the mat, when breath, movement and body are one, but also off the mat. Our practice on the mat should hopefully guide us towards actions in the outside world: if we observe our actions on the mat, perhaps we can all try to apply them to the outside world, and together, in a united way, we can make a difference.

Florence Mendes, Principal/Counsellor of the local ‘Kids.com playgroup and volunteer on the day, said: “I have never been so happy in my life as I did that morning. Being the only Goan amongst a group of westerners, I was really overjoyed that my little students from Kids . Com had the opportunity to learn something about keeping our environment clean.”

Although it remains clear that a few mornings a season won’t do much to sort out the real garbage and waste problem in Goa, all the volunteers are committed to the issue and are there because they want to make a positive change in the world outside the yoga shala.

So what does the future hold for this project? “It’s both about environmental awareness and living in connection and union with the world around us”, says Julie Martin. “The ultimate aim of course is to make the local environment a better, healthier place for everyone to enjoy, and set an example for other places. We have to start in our own backyards, Goa being mine.”

“If we can raise enough awareness this season, then the next step would be to set up a charity – starting with educating kids at local schools, organizing workshops and events, to then put pressure on the authorities to take real action to tackle the waste issue.

No matter how small a drop in the ocean this may be, Karma Yoga in truth isn’t about being attached to the results. We can’t expect to change the world by collecting trash one day a month. But as yogis, we need to do what we can for those that need help, for our communities, for our environment. We need to give our time, money or energy back in order to honour what our practice is truly about, and if we end up with a clean beach, having saved a few cows, then it’s a great gift to give.”

This is a great lesson to learn – as yoga teaches us to take action and do service for the sake of service.

See video of the event here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_Gu7vCvHIQ

Taiwan's yoga scene

2009-11-10T13:20:00.001Z

Taiwan’s yoga scene

Yoga is ‘big’ in the east – so popular in fact, that I’ve decided to investigate and find out what the fuss is all about…

Perhaps you are wondering why Taiwan? Surely it’s not one of the biggest tourist destinations of East Asia? Squeezed between Mainland China and Japan, the island’s cultural influences reflect this geographic position and a mix of both the modern and more traditional worlds. Taiwan is a rather small island but nevertheless attracts a notable amount of foreigners, expatriates, businessmen, tourists from all over the world, and as a result the cultural scene is diverse and vibrant. The capital, Taipei, is an exciting, colourful and incredibly lively place to be, and the fact that yoga has experienced a huge boom over the last few years reflects a general trend in modern East Asian cities – following suit from Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. In terms of the ‘yoga scene’, these cities all seem to be on a similar level: sleek, modern and somewhat corporate looking studios, make up the core of what yoga has to offer.

Taipei’s yoga village…

So Yoga’s big in the Far East. So big that plush, modern studios have been popping up all over cities like Taipei. Shanghai has Y+ (amongst others of course), Singapore and Hong Kong have Pure and Taiwan has just as many. Yoga is only just a fairly recent trend in the oriental world but has really kicked off in big modern cities, in the same way as gyms, fitness studios and health spas became trendy in the West throughout the 80s and 90s. Most people in Taiwan are very aware of yoga, and the health benefits it offers. Perhaps it is part of the Chinese mentality to be so conscious about health and they enthusiastically follow new trends in a very efficient manner: as soon as yoga began to kick off in Taiwan, TV channels suddenly offered an array of (poorly presented) yoga fitness programmes, sport shops started stocking up on the latest Prana yoga wear, mats, props and everything a ‘serious’ yogi would need to practice.

Yoga has been in Taiwan for a number of years, but it is only after Space launched a few years ago that things took a whole new dimension. Pure, a more fitness oriented studio – owned by an American Chinese pop singer, Coco Lee- followed suit around the same time.

Space and Pure Yoga are two of the leading modern yoga studios in Taipei and also have branches in other Eastern metropoles. Following the latest American fashion, they offer a huge range of classes from Vinyasa Flow to Hatha, ‘Hot’, Mysore style and meditation. It is mostly about Yoga Lifestyle – luxury, top end yoga for high earners and trendy health aware Metropolitans.

However, Space also hosts regular workshops from some of the world’s leading teachers – Richard Freeman is a regular and Sarah Powers will be leading an intensive workshop at the end of November 2009. Space Yoga definitely has the space, the view (panoramic mountain landscape, yet set in the midst of the cool East district), the upmarket, clean studios, shiny bathrooms. It offers the whole ‘package’ – a beautifully peaceful zen lifestyle that anyone who practices yoga should dream of – in theory at least. It’s undeniable that the centre is incredibly designed, stylish, calm and comfortable: two changing rooms, 26 luxurious spa showers, fresh high tech towels, 10 fully equipped practice rooms, which are cleaned after each session (an army of cleaners awaits at the end of each session, ready to dust off each speck of sweat and dirt, ensuring the studio is impeccably clean for a fresh batch of students), a shop offering the latest lulu lemon gear, yoga mats and books, plus an array of staff to inform you, direct you, book you in for the next class and of course charge you for the privilege of being there. As their website interestingly states – “SPACE offers the convenience of a gym, and the comfort of a spa, but focuses on being singularly devoted to the practice and enjoyment of yoga.” Personally, I find this a little confusing.

Of course, access to all this beauty and well being doesn’t come cheap. As I was taken through a detailed tour of the centre by a lovely English speaking sales lady (and of course also a yoga devotee), I soon found out the real cost of being part of this lifestyle. Drop in classes are a whopping 900 Taiwan Dollars (about 20 GBP), but most students here are on more affordable yearly membership packages – proper gym style.

I find these types of studios a little daunting, and although the experience is pleasurable, visually appealing, this is not what yoga means to me. So I took a short walk down the road to explore some other options.
Less than 5 minutes away, in the still stylish and expensive Dongxia Fuxing district, is John’s Yoga Living’, an independent yoga centre, which offers perhaps a fraction of the classes from other upmarket studios, but in a much warmer, relaxed and friendlier space. It’s nevertheless very clean, smart and stylish, but the size (2 medium yoga rooms) makes it far less daunting and far more homely.
They also run nutrition and Ayurvedic cooking workshops and have a homely kitchen offering simple and yet delicious breakfasts and lunches. The owner, John, has studied Ayurveda and Yoga in India, and his friendly, down to earth manner, gives the place a good vibe – not often are owners that approachable.
The other great thing in comparison with the other main studios in Taipei is that Yoga Living does not go with the whole gym membership style passes. Classes are reasonably priced at about 10 pounds and become cheaper if you buy tickets by bulk (which can also be shared with friends – a great way to share the yogic love).
They teach far fewer classes than their larger ‘rivals’, but focus on simple, straight forward yoga styles – Astanga, Hatha, Meditation, Flow and Yin. The approach is uncomplicated and honest- or at least less image oriented. www.johnsyogaliving.com

Other Schools

But although all these studios follow a similar pattern of being a ‘western’ import of some kind (all the owners for instance, are not Taiwanese ‘natives’), there is nevertheless another side of yoga in Taiwan, which is far more home-grown. One of the largest studios of this kind is CSJ Yoga, founded in 1976. It’s so local in fact that they haven’t even bothered to translate their website in English! They offer Yoga Alliance registered teacher training courses as well as a wide variety of classes in studios all over the island. http://www.csjyoga.com.tw/index.php

Chun Lee, a Taiwanese yoga practitioner, notes: “ Taiwan also has a number of esoteric, self taught yogis too. One older teacher for instance, has followed his own path for years and practices his own style of fairly ‘hardcore’ looking yoga in a remote temple. Here’s him in action: http://ishare.rediff.com/video/Health-&-Fitness/Taiwan-Yoga/108063”
“This just shows that it’s only the recent import of yoga in Taiwan that is modelled according to Western styles. Like everywhere else, trends are inevitable, but the seed has always been here.”

Future of yoga in Taiwan – just another fad or there to stay?

Yoga as a fashion is by no means a bad thing – trends often settle down and seep into cultures and psyches in the most unexpected ways, creating foundations for other developments- but it does show to what extent the Chinese world just loves anything fashionable, ‘western’ and healthy. It’s all about the experience, style and external appearance – in most places anyway. Chinese friends have often warned me of an innate mentality of fast-track health and fitness – it’s something they are proud of – do little and get great results. So if yoga doesn’t achieve those results efficiently enough, then what next?

Exercising, the Chinese way….

2009-11-07T12:55:00.000Z

Chinese culture seems to be obsessed with food, consumption and over-snacking, so how do they keep themselves on the whole (fairly) healthy? A recent visit led me to observe how they integrate activity and movement into their daily routines, but in some very curious ways indeed...

The Chinese have always been passionate about healthy living, natural remedies (as well as pseudo natural ones), and many superfoods such as goji berries, shitake mushrooms, soya beans, seaweed and so on, have long been used in the far east before becoming fashionable in the West. It’s no wonder then that they are so conscious about maintaining their bodies healthy, and yet they are proud of their overwhelming culinary heritage – obsessively so too. Everything evolves around food – from social gatherings (the greeting here is ‘hello, have you eaten’) to cultural visits -no temple, shrine, ancient town or historical area comes without an array of places to eat, and each town has its own local ‘speciality’ – usually just another version of a small flaky pastry made with a different filling (red bean, sesame, lotus seeds, pineapple) or something similar. Again, any festivity is often just another occasion to buy, make, give and be given beautifully packaged boxes of cakes, fruits, sweets and the like.

This just highlights the fact that the Chinese – and here, the Taiwanese- are simply food lovers, perfecting themselves in the art of buying, giving and eating. Over and over again, throughout the day, weeks, months and years. So how do they still stay so seemingly healthy? And why is their way of exercising so amusing to western eyes like mine?

The most noticeable feature is the unashamed use of public spaces to stretch and move. From outdoor movement and dance groups, to simple routine exercises, most of my observations point to a lack of shyness in doing silly things in public – or at least things which we in the West would deem as silly. How often would you see groups of people walking around a 100 sq ft public square 20 times, just to keep fit? Or shaking their arms out while power walking with slippers on? The funny thing is that all this is taken very seriously. Speed walking, limb shaking and tension releasing is definitely not a laughing matter out there. It’s just normal. So normal in fact that I would be nearly tempted to join in - given another few weeks, I may just blend in and give it a go.

There is also some irony to all this – as much as many people in Taiwan do make the effort to go out, take their bikes, put on their shiny running shoes and spend time outdoors, it seems a lot do so only half heartedly. 9 out of 10 cyclists just ‘cruise’ along at a ridiculously slow pace (see picture above), and most ‘joggers’ really only just power walk. I’m not an athlete, but I can certainly make a judgement on exercising efficiently.

Trend following is another example of interesting sporting habits: for instance, new cyclists feel the urge to buy all the ‘right’ gear and apparel from top to toe – lycra, gloves, glasses and speed counter included! They may certainly look the part, but yet they only use their bike on weekends, and most likely for a short and easy ride to the next noodle stall. Mind you, it’s still better than ordering a takeaway from the comfort of one’s sofa!

On the whole, there is one good lesson to be learnt - swapping evening television and customary drinking/socialising for evening walks and early nights is only beneficial.

But these days, mind/body activities such as Taichi and Qigong, are still mostly practiced by the older generation. At dawn and dusk, public parks and spaces fill up with –mostly retired- men and women doing their daily breathing, walking, or taichi, in the view of maintaining a healthy mind and body balance.

All in all, there is something quite appealing about the concept of trying to at least keep some kind of healthy balance between a passion for consumption and an aim for a long life. The Chinese are indeed efficient in all matters in life: from making money, and delighting their senses to making up for any superfluous indulgences.

Lost in translation?

2009-10-21T07:36:00.002+01:00

London, Taipei, Goa....
3 cities, 3 cultures, 3 languages and alphabets. That's quite a radical change in just one month.

So I have moved on yet again, clocked up the air miles (or rather my carbon debt - that makes a lot of trees to plant) and caught up with a lot of friends on the way. It's good to move but I like to be settled too - something which I will be now for the next 4 months. My Indian visa runs out early March, hence the need the move yet again... By that time I think I may just be craving for clean feet, cooler weather, sweat free living and quiet nights.
Or maybe not - I might just end up lost in the masses, rather than lost in translation... we'll see how it goes! :-)

Swiftly Moving on...

2009-09-30T08:26:00.003+01:00

So there's been a gap here. One long blank space in the posts, which simply means that everyone close enough knows pretty much what I have been up to by now. Winter in the sun, from Goa to Taipei, learning, working, stretching, teaching and sweating... Summer in an ironically cooler climate, but which I nevertheless call 'home'. I've been busy working again, tree planting, press releasing, teaching, socialising a little and practicing Astanga. I've also learnt more about the joys of inner city cycling, road rage, weird encounters and some really pleasant rides. I've rediscovered urban green spaces, moved into a greener south London and picked blackberries and cabbage leaves at my friend Sue's allotment.
I have also become even more aware about things I really care for and which matter to me the most - as well as all the little things in life that we so easily take for granted. Luck has been on my side recently, and I am grateful, but now it is time to move on once again. I like to keep some movement and fluidity - and perhaps later move into stillness and be settled once more.
So now it's Taiwan for starters and Goa as a main course. One month here and four there. I'm saving dessert for spring - the highlight of this winter's menu- a sweet Taiwan finale with sprinkles of green tea and candy love.

yoga for runners

2009-09-09T20:29:00.001+01:00

Here's an article I just wrote about yoga and running for Yoga Abode...

Yoga and running

Yoga and running can be hugely beneficial as combined activities. Yoga, if practised safely, may help alleviate some strains caused by high impact sports such as running and possibly also enhance performance.

Practised side-by-side, yoga and running have a double effect. Whether one chooses one discipline over the other as their main focus, both practices feed off each other – mentally and physically.

On a physical level, yoga opens the body, releasing muscle tensions and stresses, whereas on a more subtle level, it helps relax the mind and attain a deeper level of consciousness, thus enabling you to go further.

Running on the other hand, is a great way of warming up the body but also ‘switching off’ – through physical exercise, tensions can be released and the mind eventually quietens.

Laura Denham-Jones, marathon runner and yoga teacher, highlights the fact that "like most aerobic activities, running involves sustained, repetitive motion using the large mobiliser muscles in a limited range of motion.

Yoga can help strengthen deep postural muscles in the core and back for better running form. At the same time the postures release tension and lactic acid from overworked areas by moving in all dimensions through twists, forwards bends and side bends."

Here are some key benefits brought by combining running and yoga:

- Combining strength and flexibility - although running can add extra pressure on the joints, those who do enjoy it will find that stretching properly helps them go further whilst helping prevent injuries. Through yoga one may enjoy an increased flexibility in all leg muscles and those attached to pelvis.
- Breathing - yoga teaches breath awareness, and breathing properly is a key part of an efficient, pleasurable and healthy run
- Balance - both help develop core strength and postural awareness, hence helping with posture.
- Resistance - the cardiovascular aspect of a run may help build stamina and endurance within a yoga practice.
- Mental focus - yoga helps to be centred, and long distance running requires mental (as well as physical) focus and discipline.
- Stress relief: both have been proven to relieve stress and tensions.

The importance of stretching to runners
The purpose of stretching primarily reflects the most physical side of yoga – the asanas, which are the most obvious and visual aspects of yoga. Stretching affects different muscles in the body and the purpose of yoga is to create strength where you need it and release tension where you don’t.

This physical side of yoga can be applied across disciplines, whether it is running, cycling or even gardening! The difference with yoga however, is that it also works on deeper, subtler levels, and when practised over a sustained amount of time, it may affect the students’ capacity to be still and mentally peaceful.

If yoga is used solely for the purpose of enhancing running performance and stretching out muscles, then stretch before and after exercise, but always when the muscles are warmed up, otherwise this could potentially be counter-productive. There is a risk of injuring unprepared muscles: 'cold' muscular tissues are more prone to being strained.

If however, you are looking at practising yoga as an added discipline (and more as a long term commitment, combined with other aerobic activities for instance) then the sequence proposed here can be practiced anytime, and modified according to how your body feels.

Sequence

This sequence focuses on areas most frequently put under pressure, especially for those fairly new to running. The focus is to simultaneously strengthen and lengthen.

Areas to focus on are the hamstrings, ankles, calves and thighs and to combine lower body strength and flexibility.

This is a general sequence, which can be practiced anytime – if done on its own, then it may be best to begin with a few rounds of sun salutations (of your choice) to warm up the body and avoid any kind of strain. Alternatively, these poses may be held for a longer period of time after running, for deeper stretching.

Try holding warrior 1 for longer, with the variation of having the back foot off the floor, heel pressing out, stretching the quadriceps muscle and breathing into areas of tightness.

This short, 20 minute sequence can easily be extended to 30 minutes or more if the postures are held for a longer period of time.

Warm ups: 5 to 10 rounds of sun salutes. Focus on your breath n the sun salutes – they act as a warm up and will set your breathing pattern throughout the practice.

Standing postures:
Trikonasana/ triangle – opens the hips, hamstrings and chest. Make sure the kneecap is slightly lifted and thigh stays engaged as this protects the knee – by ensuring you’re not just ‘hanging’ out of the knee joint)
Warrior 1 +2 – for lower body strength. Focus on alignment: the heels in line and the knee should stay at a 90 degree angle.
Tree pose – balance, focus and core strength.

Sitting postures:
- Janu Sirsana A – hips and hamstrings opener.
- Pashimottanasana/ Forward Bend – back of legs and back. Try to internally rotate the thighs – this will naturally encourage/remind you to engage the quadriceps and keep the hip, knee and ankle in line.
- Baddha Konasana/ Cobblers pose - hip joints, ankles and inner thighs
- Danurasana / Bridge – back, chest and psoas muscle are opened. Keep the feet parallel, thigh muscles engaged as if you were squeezing a ball. It can be useful to try with a block or blanket to get that feeling of squeezing in. By engaging the quadriceps, this ensures you are not overworking the lower back.

Finish with a shavasana – final relaxation. This pose is equally important as others, for it provides your body with some much needed rest and prepares you mentally for what you have planned next. Making sure your body is rested and calm.

Cautions: Be mindful of knees – running can put strain on the knees, and yoga, when not practiced with safe alignment and care, could potentially increase pressure on the knee joints, rather than alleviate tensions.
Focus on strengthening muscles around knee joint as well as lengthening the back of the legs. So for instance, in trikonasana, instead of ‘hanging out’ in the stretch, make it an active stretch by engaging the thigh muscles and lifting the kneecap up (so no ‘wobbly thighs’) – this ensures the knee remains ‘protected’ and the muscles around that joint are being strengthened rather than overstretched. The same goes in seemingly ‘easy’ or passive postures like Dandasana (staff) pose – always try to remember to slightly lift the kneecaps up and engage the quadriceps.

So why not swap your tree pose for a spot of jogging amongst a tree lined park? You could sign up for a charity run this year or simply dust off your running shoes, jog round your local park and enjoy the sight of some lovely green trees.

Inna Costantini is a yoga teacher based in London and Goa, and also spends some time working for the environmental charity Trees for Cities. Join her for a 5k run around Battersea Park this September and help raise funds for Trees for Cities. Visit www.tree-athlon.org for further information.

Laura Denham Jones is a yoga and running expert. She teaches in London and created the website www.yogaforrunners.co.uk

Ashtanga's 8 Limbs

2009-09-08T20:47:00.004+01:00

The 8 limbs of Asthanga and how they work together

The term ‘Asthanga’ literally means ‘8 limbs’ and was devised by the great sage Patanjali: he was the first to coin a systematized approach to yoga through the Yoga Sutras, one of the foundational texts of yoga. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, yoga is made up of 8 ‘limbs’, or an ordered set of steps, which support each other and work together to guide practioners towards the pathway of Yoga – the divine union of mind, body and soul, leading towards a state of self realization and liberation.

Patanjali describes the 8 limbs as: Yama (abstinences), Niyama (observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (contemplation). Each of these branches supports each other in a sequential order. For instance, a dedicated Asana practice must be established for proper practice of Pranayama, and is also a key to the development of the Yamas and Niyamas. It is only once the four more superficial limbs are firmly established, that the last four internal limbs may develop – and this will only happen through time and practice.

The graph above can help as a simple aid to remembering the eight limbs of yoga.

Please note that the 8 Limbs of Yoga devised by Patanjali do not equate to Astanga Vinyasa, a practice founded by Sri K Patthabi Jois. Practiced in its correct sequential order, gradually leads the practitioner to rediscover his or her fullest potential on all levels of human consciousness - physical, psychological and spiritual. Through this practice of correct breathing (Ujjayi Pranayama), postures (asanas), and gazing point (dristi), we gain control of the senses and a deep awareness of ourselves. By maintaining this discipline with regularity and devotion, one acquires steadiness of body and mind.

Snake issue...

2009-03-03T10:16:00.005Z

Close encounter(s) with the slimy kind…

So today (Tuesday), I had a rather unpleasant and slimy encounter with a local resident possibly a black cobra or a Krait (I never saw the head but it was black, small and slimy). Anyhow, I’ve never been alone and so close to a wild snake in my life. Not in India anyway. I am most definitely not a big fan of snakes, especially when they turn up, un-expected, on my feet. I was merely dropping off some errands and shop provisions at Brahmani, and before I know it, a black, thin, slimy creature caresses my right foot! I like caresses, but not un-invited ones. This snake did give me a bit of a fright – so much that I threw the shopping in, slammed the door closed again and stood there for a few moments thanking god (or whoever) to still be alive. I usually give thanks before and after each yoga practice, but this time I was thankful to still be ok and alive – so much so that I checked my foot a few times for bites.
End of the story… the local snake catcher was called in, but being in a very efficient country like India, he was sick, so ‘what to do’…
The snake has probably left the shop by now and the landlords have assured us that if we see the offensive creature again, they will send in their ‘boys’ and beat it to death. Lovely.
Welcome to India ;-)

Here's more info on what I saw: http://wildlifesos.com/rprotect/Big4.htm

Oh and I think it's a Krait - they're deadly but only strike at night! That's reassuring! ;-)

More Goa...

2009-02-16T06:16:00.005Z

Time issues.....

After a swift, fresh break in the Far East, a shot of cool winter weather, cosy-ing up in newly acquired jeans and jackets, stocking up on modern goods and exotic snacks, enjoying some light healthy food –as opposed to spice infused and heavily fried meals- and throwing in a bit of love, I left the Chinese hotpot behind to warm up, while I made my way back to Goa, reluctantly at first.
As much as I love the freedom India gives you, being a speck of dust amongst a crowd of unknown faces, the relaxing beauty of living near the sea and the indulgence of daily yoga sessions, I also knew the holiday was truly over I was heading back into work mode. Real work. As in less beachtime, less me-time and more 'e-time'. But I do think I have a fairly healthy balance right now. Just enough work, just enough yoga and just enough free time to be, do, see, live. The funny thing about Goa – and most of India- is that no matter how efficient you try to be, you know that its never going to be the same as back home.

Things take time – everything does, from shopping to fixing a dodgy internet connection, to getting the plumber to mend the water pump, to eating, moving around – just every minute aspect of life here is at least 30% slower than in the west. As a matter of fact, visiting Hong Kong straight after India was quite a shock – from constant waiting and slowness to utter stress, speed and impatience: pressing the elevator button ten times in the hope it might come faster is something I found a worryingly usual practice. Surely the elevator doesn’t register the number of clicks of the button, and even if it did, how many seconds would one really have saved? A couple, or perhaps even enough time to check the phone for any missed calls? Glimpses of a hurried lifestyle.

So ‘what to do?’ as the Indians say so well…. Just adapt and work with them– or rather work around them: understanding how Indians think and operate does help.
For instance, I had to help Joanne (the boss) sort out a big cock up at the local printers last week; they had to print out twenty 400 page-long manuals for an upcoming teacher training course. On the very first day of the course, we hear that the last few chapters are missing – and these were key parts of the manual. So there we are at the printers, with over 20kg worth of paper, looking overly angry (you have to sometimes) and requesting that they print out the extra 80 pages and rebind the books by the end of the day –and in time for the next class. Of course, that’s an impossible task says the boss, too much work, not enough staff today, the books can be ready by tomorrow evening….
‘Nononono’
‘They have to be ready tonight so the students can have them in class by the morning’.
‘But I tell you we don’t have enough staff, they won’t be able to do it by then’.
‘But you messed up, we’ve paid you for an unfinished job, it’s your responsibility to sort it. Find extra staff if you have to.’
And so the discussion goes on for another half hour. Joanne’s voice goes up but she never looses her cool. She’s a small lady but if front of a big bellied Indian man, she definitely stood her ground. Even more than that – she successfully haggled the timing down to the next morning; so instead of having to wait 24 hours, we waited for 12. Haggling is everything over here – even time has to be bargained for.
The downside of this is that you actually waste time having to haggle for time! Does that make any sense? Sometimes I wonder why some aspects of Indian life are so inefficient – they may be charming but not to everyone’s taste. I see many westerners getting frustrated by that, which essentially is just as ridiculous: reacting badly is yet another time and energy waster. Phew. What to do? Practicing patience would be a good option perhaps?

So now I’m off to the market town nearby – by bus. More time involved, more waiting on the side of road, not knowing when the next bus will come. It could be round the corner, it could be half an hour away. Once again it’s out of my control, but that, I simply just don’t mind.

More time consuming blog posts to come…..

Yoga in Goa

2009-01-19T17:05:00.000Z

An article I recently wrote for Yoga Abode:

http://www.yoga-abode.com/travel/yoga_in_goa

Recycling thoughts...

2009-01-12T07:32:00.000Z

So another phase of life starts again – one of slight uncertainty, both for me and the world, from smaller issues, to larger, more significant ones…. Where will I be next? What paths shall I take in 2009 and how will I affect those around me?

Does this really matter at all at a time when the media is reporting generalised economic meltdown? I hear plastic bottles recycling companies in China are closing down due to the fall in demand for packaging made out of recycled plastic – a third degree effect of the economic crash.
Now that’s more something I should be concerned about – and yet there is little I can do, even more so in Goa, where pollution from rubbish and plastic is rife. Basically, there is no organised system at all: general waste, when not burnt, is dumped at specific spots outside the main towns or on the side of the road for public services to deal with. This, I understand, means a regular gathering and burning of rubbish, to make it disappear in one way or the other, thus making space for yet new bin bags. These dumping grounds make a thoroughly scary sight.

Glass and plastic bottles usually get collected by those who so desperately need a few rupees, which they can easily obtain by going round residential areas to collect empty plastic and glass bottles – an effective way to operate indeed.
As for compostable waste, the cows are usually good takers – so far they've been showing some fondness for common kitchen leftovers: papaya skins, pineapple offcuts and the odd bit of rotten veg. Alternatively, they find a way into our gated compound to nibble on the green plants we lovingly water in an attempt to keep the garden as green and lush as it can be. Personally, I prefer feeding them papaya skins....

So I'm a little speck in the wider universe, littered by garbage and waste – if each little speck keeps producing so much of it, we will soon be one big speck wasting away.
If I can make my own personal life and actions a little lighter and shinier, this would be a wonderful achievement already. So whatever happens this year (for me, friends and others), will be nothing else but beautiful. Sheer shining little specks of dust. :-)

Christmas etc...

2009-01-05T05:39:00.004Z

Alternative night markets, fashion and style.

Since arriving in Goa’s hippy hotspot, Anjuna, I have been everyday amazed by the ever changing trends, hangout places and people. The usual crowd gathers in the ‘usual’ places (ie. Ingo’s night market, Wednesday flea market followed by sunset at Shore bar, Ashvem beach on a Sunday and Anjuna on the other days), whilst the hardcore party goers have slowly migrated up north, towards Arambol. Anjuna’s now a little haven of residential, civilised living, with English language kindergartens, classy restaurants and yoga centres. There’s a proper village feel to the place. And even though the Wednesday flea market still attracts crowds from nearby resorts, car loads of tourists and keen shoppers, the whole area has definitely mellowed down over the last few months. The recent Mumbai events haven’t helped either. Now the Saturday night market has been canceled until further notice and there’s been a worrying atmosphere lately – both for businesses and on a social level.

So Xmas in Goa has been a bit of a let down for some. No parties, few decent dancefloors, and no one really knew what was happening each day. Is Hilltop open or not? What about Curlies? Even Atit, the local social diary organiser (who runs ‘good morning goa’ – a daily text messaging service which updates subscribers with parties, events etc) didn't quite know what had been allowed or banned, what parties were on or off. On Xmas day, the seasonal crowds were anxiously waiting for text updates of what was going on, but it all seemed very vague...

There’s a lot of uncertainty – socially anyway, which has been a bit unnerving and unsettling for some. It seems so hard to plan anything these days. Things keep changing. But this, I consider to be really quite positive in the end – don’t make plans, just go with the flow and be. Happy yogic Christmas!

And following from a Christmassy ‘nothing-ness’, New Year proved to quite the opposite. Choice and more choice. Parties and more parties. Mayhem on the beach, chaos on the roads and loud music everywhere. Just like back home really!

Happy 2009!!!

Goa - episode 2

2008-11-28T09:38:00.003Z

Day 1-2
So here’s a first day of my winter in the sunshine…. Being in a place where I have the luxury of space, time and freedom. Freedom to follow whatever path I choose, time to let go and wholly absorb another culture, lifestyle and yoga, and finally the luxury of being able to do all this, in my own time. It does still feel extremely surreal – not just being here, sat in a lovely little cottage surrounded by durian trees, palms and other exotic plants, as well as a disused skate park now home to frogs, monkeys and cows, but that’s another story.

So it’s surreal to be back in Goa, Anjuna, Brahmani Yoga, rolling my mat out next to familiar faces and knowing most of the people from either London or Goa. It’s a strange little world, which keeps changing and yet stays bizarrely similar year after year. The difference for me, returning here this season, is that I’m no longer a teacher trainee, I no longer have the stress of writing essays or showing up at 7 am everyday – I still do, simply because I love early mornings and the quiet, fresh cycle into the yoga shala. The dogs have been an issue at dawn though – I’m sure they recognise new faces cause they really barked and growled this morning. They usually sleep daytime and howl at night, so by morning they get pretty hungry and aggressive. Plus they smell fresh blood. That’s my view anyway.

So I’m back in Anjuna for the season – the ‘season’ meaning 5/6 months- and my days will be divided between yoga practice, assisting in classes and doing some PA/PR work for the centre. I reckon that’s enough to keep me busy and yet not too much to stress me out. A fairly good balance for now. I hope.

The fact that I’m writing all this does show that I’m on a fairly productive, ‘London’ mode, and that I still feel the need to report back to others. Reporting is good though – especially as it’s taken me over 24 hours to switch my laptop on, and I haven’t been online for much time either! People say it takes at least a week to totally switch off, so I’m doing fairly well after a day.

So I’m on day 2 and I have my house nearly decked out, with some help from my fussy, german, ex-fashion designer neighbour, my local phone’s just about working, and I’ve already managed to borrow a bike. It’s nice being away, I’m still buzzing from the excitement and the overwhelming number of friendly faces around. But whether life really is better in Goa is something that I’ll soon find out….

moon days - again

2008-07-09T23:34:00.000+01:00

Moon days

Most yoga practitioners these days seem to be familiar with the need to avoid doing yoga on full or new moon days. This ritual habit of avoiding so called "moon days" derives from Pattabi Jois’ Ashtanga Yoga system, which states that the body may be exposed to increased risks of injury at either extremes of the lunar cycle.

On a personal level, I’ve always been somewhat sceptical on the effects of the moon cycle on people’s health and wellbeing – perhaps as a resistance to my mother’s continuing belief that our moods and feelings are deeply affected by the lunar cycle. When growing up, I was told that a dark moon would equate to low energy levels, grumpiness, whilst a full moon led to high energy levels – and frequently arguments with my father - the moon would justify any changes in my father’s attitude, and hers to some extent. So when it came to yoga, especially when I started practicing Asthanga, I was initially wary about any ‘moon day’ theory.

However, after some research – and much practice- I soon noticed some variations in my body on particular days. The theory is that because the body is made of 70% water, it is affected in the same way by the moon as oceans and tides. In fact, the lunar cycle is determined by the moon’s relative position to the sun. Full moons occur when they are in opposition and new moons when they are in conjunction, and both sun and moon exercise a gravitational pull on the earth.

Tim Miller, a long term Asthangi and the first American certified to teach by Pattabhi Jois, very accurately points out in his reserach on moon days:
“The full moon energy corresponds to the end of inhalation when the force of prana is greatest. This is an expansive, upward moving force that makes us feel energetic and emotional, but not well grounded. The Upanishads state that the main prana lives in the head. During the full moon we tend to be more headstrong. The new moon energy corresponds to the end of exhalation when the force of apana is greatest. Apana is a contracting, downward moving force that makes us feel calm and grounded, but dense and disinclined towards physical exertion.”

So ultimately, according to this theory, the best time to practice would be in the middle of the lunar cycle, when prana is more balanced.

According to the Asthanga Yoga system, one should not practice on those days, as the body is more vulnerable to injury -either through tiredness/lack of energy or too much of it and a risk of over exertion . Traditionally it was also a way to give oneself a rest – Asthanga being a strong, physically demanding practice.
In other forms of Yoga, moon days are not always respected but usually acknowledged as times of fluctuating energy, unsettled moods and hence not ideal for strong physical practices.

I have often been surprised by the lack of knowledge people have on moon days. Even though I’m hardly experienced myself, I believe that being committed to a sound practice should lead to a deeper understanding and listening of one’s body. Recently, I woke up on a morning following a dark moon feeling lethargic, slow, scattered and unmotivated. At the same time I respect that my body needs this day of rest, slowness and ease. Moon days can be seen as honouring nature, and thereby one’s relationship with the surrounding word.

And the same goes for growing vegetables or planting trees – biodynamic farmers respect the moon cycles, while most serious gardeners will acknowledge that the moon does have some effect on the ways plants grow.

So without being utterly superstitious or a new age hippy, I would recommend everyone reads up on moon days and observe the effects – and you might even surprise yourself!

Forthcoming moon days:

Friday 18th July

Friday 1st August
Saturday 16th August
Saturday 30th August

Monday 15th September
Monday 29th September

Tuesday 14th October
Tuesday 28th October

Wednesday 12th November
Thursday 27th November

Friday 12th December
Saturday 27thDecember

For further information: http://www.ashtangayogacenter.com/index.html

Moon days

2008-05-15T15:39:00.002+01:00

Moon days... They're a big thing in Asthanga Yoga and people have always asked me why are you not meant to practice on moon days? And exactly what does it mean? And I have always mumbled an answer along the lines of 'it's a time of the month when energy levels are either high or low, which could interfere with your practice and very often your body will be more sensitive, and practicing yoga at that time could hence cause injuries'. Well I know that's not an accurate answer at all, but I've found it hard to describe exactly why and what they are. Here's my easy answer- Tim Miller's website, with a nice list of the upcoming moon days for the year:
http://www.ashtangayogacenter.com/moon.html

Final days

2008-04-10T10:01:00.002+01:00

Final days, ups and downs, rain and sunshine

An auspicious combination of a full moon, the start of a week long celebration of Holi, Easter and the first storm of the season, provided a beautiful backdrop for the final days on the course. A liberating thunderstorm cleared away the tearful air and brought some much needed coolness to what had been the hottest week so far. A few more degrees and all of us would have been dropping like flies. The last few classes were already lacking energy and enthusiasm, minds had already left the classroom and drifted to other locations beyond the Shala and far away from Goa. Tears and emotions had already started pouring out as the grand finale of the course neared even closer. It's funny how intense and close knit retreats like these bring out deep seated emotions out of most people.

And I can't believe that's already it – 320 hours of intensive learning, training and practicing are over. It's been such an intense, fascinating, full-on few weeks, months, and now I'm done, I'm officially a yoga teacher –or am I? Right now, I simply own the certificate – a worthy one indeed- but these last 2 months haven't quite sunk in yet. The closing ceremony was a beautiful one – and we celebrated in a hybrid Indo-western way – a last group Pranayama practice, followed by breakfast and a philosophy class to round up our thoughts and knowledge on yoga. After handing us the certificates, we thanked our teachers with gifts and cards – in a very loosely themed Indian fashion.

So what next? Where is everyone off to? Will we all be teaching, assisting, or setting off for yet more learning? Right now, half my classmates are probably roasting on the beach (hours in the classroom doesn't exactly do much for the tan) an the other half have left or are on their way out.... It's somewhat sad to see people leave after such an intense, close time together and yet I feel many of us have made a bond, a mini network of like-minded people, who may very well become lifelong friends, who knows? Only time will tell what everyone will make of yoga in a few years' time.

As for me, I'm not baking on the beach, nor packing up to leave, but simply enjoying some time off from early morning sessions, homework and tight schedules. I've decided to spend a few weeks in the area to enjoy Goa at its quietest, work a few shifts in the shop (in exchange for free classes and some extra socialising), do a bit of admin work for the Yoga centre (not quite karma yoga, but when I can give something back, I love doing it), whilst also keeping up my practice and most importantly have a holiday!

Week 5 and 6

2008-03-12T06:08:00.001Z

Teaching Panic

Days are getting hotter, study hours longer and the classes just get harder. After a few weeks of fairly 'passive' studying, listening, reading, sitting in lectures, trying to get a grasp on different aspects of yoga anatomy, philosophy and technique, we're now shifting towards a more dynamic and challenging part -the actual teaching. Because that's what this course is all about. Learning theory is fascinating (and there's so much more I want to learn), but it wouldn't really make much sense without practice.

Most students have already set their foundations in their own daily yoga practice, style and approach, and I can see that everyone views an feels yoga in a different way and will end up teaching it (if at all) in a distinct, individual manner. But for most of us teacher trainees, standing up in front o a class, talking through postures, explaining the movement, the breath, the flow, the technique, in a concise, clear and pleasant manner is no easy feat. Just when I was starting to get comfortable with my adjustments technique, happily 'squishing' fellow students and people from the drop in centre, into paschimottanasana, down dog and most of the key postures, newer, bigger challenges are being thrown my way. Teaching is daunting for most of us -more for some than for others- and also involves being confident in one's own practice. However, being thrown to the front of a class, having all eyes looking towards you waiting for instructions, also feels somewhat empowering. For someone like me who's never taught any form of class before, it could be much worse. My fears of mumbling, being confused and unclear weren't justified, and I found myself projecting my voice to the back of the shala quite well (though with a conscious effort) and it did all make sense in the end!
Mind over matter. It can be stressful, daunting, but also so much fun when it goes well. All along, I never thought about the practical side of teaching and how stressful it might be for everyone. I was apprehensive about the 5 am wake up calls (which I turned out to quite enjoy), the daily hour long pranayama sessions, anatomy and philosophy lectures, the physical strain of the daily exercise and yoga practice, but I seem to have sailed through most of this, and the part I was the least concerned about – teaching technique- is by far the hardest. That's also where lies the success of a great teacher- make your students feel at ease, relaxed, and yet be safe when adjusting them an teaching postures.Know the meaning of yoga. Keep up a firm personal practice and keep on learning. But mot importantly, create an environment which feels unique and special for class. No 2 teachers follow the same style, energy or routine, and each teacher will offer something unique to students -whether it's great adjustments, a relaxing practice, a soft, kind, gentle approach, a soothing voice, a fun dynamic class, a strict methodical approach, here's a style out there for everyone. And hopefully I'll soon find mine....

Nearly half way through!

2008-02-22T04:41:00.003Z

Weeks 3 & 4 – keeping the energy going....

It's week 4 already and most students' energy levels are sinking. I've seen tears, sulking, snapping, some weirdnesss and near breakdowns, but all in all, most people are in pretty good form. Hard times are inevitable on an intense course like this and you have to expect some strange behaviour.

With the challenges of the first few weeks behind me, I am keeping -more or less- sane and I think I'm ready to face new ones. I am now happily bouncing out of bed for the early morning wake up calls. So far, we have three 6 am pranayama sessions and three 7 am starts each week. This means my alarm is set for either 5 or 6 am most days. It's much easier than expected and I'm even starting to enjoy getting up at the crack of dawn, when the rest of Goa is still asleep – even the dogs seem to have their moment of rest and lay off the howling for a couple of hours before sunrise. After a shot of bee pollen and my dose of spirulina and chaiwanprash (my new ayurvedic superfood), I spring out of the room, ready to face another day of yoga practice and lessons.
I'm also now the proud owner (albeit temporarily) of a vintage 1950s Raleigh bicycle, which I've been pedaling around town and to class. Its a great way to get around flat-as-a-pancake Anjuna, but the hills of Parra, the nearby village where most of my classes are now shifting, aren't an easy ride. I struggle uphill and try to hop on classmates' scooters when I can. However, early morning starts bring me to discover a brand new world: the bicycle milk wallah, sleepy roadside dogs and homeless people emerging from the gutter. It also highlights Goa from a whole different perspective and puts me in a positive mood to start the day – most days.

So I've overcome my fears of getting up at 5 and having to sleep so early (with no tv or internet to distract me, early nights aren't that hard). The food is far better than I could have hoped - we're spoilt for choice here: I now have the options of healthy salad/tofu/soup joints, indian veg (with a few Tibetan momos thrown in), market snacks, supermarket shopping or market stalls for fresh fruit and veg, which could potentially be prepared the ayurvedic way (new cookbook allowing). So far, I've only explored options 1-3 and I'm amazed by the variety. But with all the morning practices, it's been mostly a 2 meal a day affair so far – brunch an early dinner – with lots of fruits/snacks/chai thrown in between. It's a fairly healthy lifestyle I reckon.
So week 3 started in a dynamic, upbeat fashion. Physically, I'm feeling energized, my flexibility has improved and my understanding of yoga as a whole is increasing. This could be the first few steps in a long journey of learning. The anatomy classes are fascinating- there's only so much you can cover in 9 hours a week, but knowing how the body works, from organs to the bones, muscles and systems, really does make a huge difference. Getting in and out of postures, knowing how it affects structure, alignment etc is a technique in itself and is just as important as the posture itself. Anatomy is such a wide subject but even the most basic bits of knowledge I've piked up from the classes feel so valuable. I need to keep reading, learning and putting all this into practice. It may seem obvious to many, but the spine is essentially the 'brain' of the body – yet we constantly forget to look after it: hence the importance of good posture, avoiding unnecessary pressure, tension and brutal movements, especially on the lower parts of the spine (lumbar and sacrum) as they are the least mobile parts of the back. Anatomy is also a key part of the adjustments process – or 'how to give good adjustments without putting pressure on the wrong area and sending students into the A&E'!

Finding time to write and reflect on the course isn't easy either, but as the weeks fly past, keeping an online record of all this really does feel therapeutic – it's a technology filled, materialistic escape from the spiritual and mental world of yoga!

Road Rage....

2008-02-11T06:57:00.000Z

Or the incessant honking and beeping....

I've been on my Indian bike for just over a week now and I am fully feeling the road rage.
Walking around isn't easy either, you're just at the bottom end of the road chain – it goes this way: cows, trucks, buses, vans, cars, auto-rickshaws, motorbikes/scooters, push bikes, pedestrians and the gutter. I wish I could be a cow. Lie on a road all day and watch the crazy world going by me. Being worshiped, respected, occasionally fed or moved. Life's not bad in India for cow.

Being on a bike does, however lead you to see the countryside from a different angle. Yes, it does get hot and sticky during the day, you can't really go too far (and steep hills are out of bounds, especially if you're riding a vintage single speed like me) and you do get the the odd stares (and dirty beeps) from stunned locals. Cycling in India is the poor man's mode of transport. Old men, stick thin sun scorched workers and schoolchildren are the only real bike users around here. Anything else is just deemed odd – why would anyone in their right mind and with enough money consider any form of strenuous exercise when buses, cars and mopeds are easy ways around? Physical activity is certainly one of those cultural divides India and many other countries have with the western world. For me, cycling is a wonderful way to get around, no matter which country I am in. It brings you one notch closer to the surrounding world, in a similar way to walking but in a more efficient, faster manner. You wouldn't cover huge distances on Indian roads, but a bicycle is definitely a great way to get around -and it's possibly safer than a moped.
So what's crazy about Indian roads? Everything. So far I've been attacked by dogs (they're harmless but do give you a fright), beeped at constantly by car/bus/lorry/scooter drivers (that's the rule around here – make yourself heard: 'watch out I am here, beep beep'), I've been shouted at, stared at (not much difference from London then) and jeered at by silly school kids. Oh and did I mention the snotty glare from a cow or two on the way? They rule the roads so why not. They're allowed to sit on their fat bums and cause traffic chaos.

I hope I can keep the cycling up in the next few weeks – most of my classes are moving to a more remote retreat up a long hill, so time will tell whether I'll be able to face the climb each morning at 5.30 am!

Week 2 Reminders

2008-02-10T07:27:00.000Z

Key reminders for week 2:

• Look after your back: the spine is so delicate and holds the key to a healthy body.

• Learn about your body type: without necessarily having to follow Ayurvedic principles, one should try to understand how their body works. What and how we eat affects our health, and this varies according to each individuals' bodily structure, personality and age.

• Eat well: following the above, food maintains us alive, so keeping our body healthy means eating according to one's body type (constitution), regularly, lightly, and calmly.

• Breathe (again) : one reminder I'll need to include each week!

Week 2

2008-02-06T15:35:00.000Z

week2 – soaking it all in...

Second week on the course and I feel I'm only just starting to get into the swing of things and easing into a different rhythm and pace. Now I understand why we were asked to arrive at least a few days – if not a week- early. It takes the system time to adjust to the environment, food, time change, weather and local lifestyle, especially when coming from a busy city like London. I consider myself fairly flexible -or more appropriately, adaptable- and having traveled in Asia before, India didn't come across as much of a culture shock. Having said that, Goa is hardly a fair representation of India – with hoards of backpackers and package tourists, it's more of an Asian Ibiza.
Luckily tucked away a few kilometres from the beach, in a peaceful garden (peaceful for Indian standards, if you remove the background car horns, animal howls and occasional drilling), the Brahmani Yoga centre, where most of my classes are being taught during the first few weeks, is a fairly idyllic pace to study.

The one other aspect I have found truly fascinating so far, apart from each person's individual practice, is the unique path everyone has chosen. Needless to say, each of the other 12 students come from various backgrounds (from both a cultural and yoga perspective), but each person also appears to have quite different expectations of the course – why they chose to enroll, what they hope to get out of it, what they plan to do next etc. Some have very clear paths and the near future (ie. post course) all mapped out. Others (like me) are willing to let go and take things each step at a time, not quite knowing what my happen next. I haven't even started thinking about what I might do after the training – apart from keeping up my practice of course, whilst hopefully assisting and eventually teaching. I don't want to think about it too much either – the whole point for me is to take a step back from my unnecessarily busy life and focus on something completely different, and which I am passionately committed to. Where it will lead me, who knows. The outcome can only be a positive one – unless I get struck with the inevitable Delhi belly syndrome! I wouldn't go as far as saying it'll be life changing but let's hope I do take this all in and experience life in a new, eye-opening way.

Reminders of the week

2008-02-06T15:19:00.001Z

Key reminders of the week:

practice, practice, practice : '... and all will come'. Old words but full of truth.

breathe : this is what our body is made for and keeps us alive

rest: work, effort and dedication make no sense if they are not balanced out with moments of stillness and reflection.

have fun too: play around with postures, sequences, try out new things

Week 1 – first steps in goa and straight into yoga

2008-01-29T15:48:00.000Z

With a lingering jet lag, I'm still in bit of daze - Goa is really gorgeous and resembles nothing like the India I know so far. The whole trip feels surreal, and there's a dream like sensation floating in the air. The reality hasn't quite sunk in yet and I doubt it will for another few days at least. The location is amazing – fresh, luscious, tropical, welcoming and very unlike the India I've seen before. I am watching with amazement the world go by, hoards of foreigners -tourists and locals- on mopeds, clogging up the roads and making themselves seen and heard. The population here seems to consist mainly of sun burnt topless men with overgrown hair and beards, scantily clad beach babes and seasonal 'yoga-goans'....
But I'm not exactly here on on exotic holiday. I've flown all the way to Goa, India, to embark on an intensive 2 months, 300 hr, 6 days a week yoga teacher training course.

Whether I'll emerge a more committed practitioner, wanting to take things one step further is something I'll soon find out. The teacher is Rachel Hull, an Australian woman living in Bali and with a background of Asthanga, Hatha and Vinyasa yoga, she began to create her own Vinyasa flow style, which essentially consists of a flowing, creative practice – both dynamic and adapted to each person's level and experience. Many postures and sequences derive from Asthanga yoga, which I thoroughly enjoy and currently practice. Rachel, however, broke out of the Asthanga 'mould' and came up with a more freestyle, creative approach to the whole yogic practice, whilst also deriving much of her knowledge from Ayurveda, something which I'll also learn about in greater depth.

As a matter of fact, 'freestyle' was very much something I experienced for the first time this morning in our 'open self practice' class – a mixture of students, teachers and trainees, doing their own moves , their own yogic practice. Being used the the strict Asthanga sequence, this definitely brought an an interesting perspective to things. The feeling was definitely different.

Still very much tired from the traveling, long haul flight and finding my feet, I've been thrown into this course at the deep end. Luckily the first day consisted of a chilled out tea with yummy cakes, healthy snacks (and not so healthy ones too) as well as seriously spicy chai. However the timetable isn't quite as laid back as I had hoped. The first week starts at an 'easy' 7.30 am, with self practice classes; from week 2, 6 am will be the usual routine... Sunday is the only day off and we'll still be expected to study – simply reading and absorbing everything. It's the kind of mental and physical discipline one does need to become dedicated yoga practitioner and definitely one of the first steps to being able to teach is a structured, serious practice.

More yoga stuff to follow.... With the course being so intense, the few moments of freedom and quietness have so far been saved for resting and reading....

http://www.shaktispirit.com/

new year resolutions...

2008-01-08T00:22:00.000Z

New Year.... Again.. I don't usually make any resolutions and this year's no different. The only decisions - rather than resolutions- I have made are to keep up my yoga practice, keep on trying to lead a healthy lifestyle -whilst remaining fairly sociable- oh, and try to lay off the chocolate for a bit. The latter shouldn't be too hard, giving I'll be setting off to India for a few months - and India's not exactly renowned for its good chocolate. Yoga, yes, food, yes, but not chocolate. The climate just isn't appropriate. And I'm not one of these people who will just ingurgitate any kind of chocolate - because I am fussy and it just has to be dark. Over 70% if possible. One of the reasons why I've been over-indulging with the stuff lately is that I've been spoilt with a varied, delicious, supply of dark chocolate of all kinds, from pure dark, to fruity, coffee infused, vegan, single estate, spicy - you name it, I've most probably tried it.
Right,so that's one thing off my list - for a few months at least. Perhaps I'll even call it a long lent (I'm back after Easter, so all is allowed then).
Of course, and most crucially, as part of my 'plan',is my long break from work, to embark on a yoga teacher training course in India. Well, skip the teacher bit, as that part hasn't quite sinked in. I'll be immersing myself on a 2month long journey -or should I venture into saying lifelong??- to learn about yoga in more depth. Because that's one thing that I most definitely love practicing. Something which I feel has changed my life, has spread off my mat and infused into my lifestyle,my habits and those around me - but not in a narrow-minded, obsessive way.
We'll see where this all leads me. I have an exciting,positively charged year ahead. The pre-new year, post xmas stress and anguish has so far been left aside and I am resolved to spending a lovely 2008, in tip top shape (hopefully!), and keep this positive streak going....

injuries....

2007-12-30T00:21:00.000Z

Back pain, muscle injuries, a feeling of numbness, aching and intense soreness have never really been of much concern to me - until just before Xmas. A combination of bad posture, stress, carrying too much weight on one shoulder and possibly even a strain, all joined forces to give me a lovely neck inflammation - or rather a tendinitis. A frozen muscle in my neck - possibly the levator scapulae. Doctors seem to have many words to describe this kind of injury and yet have very few ways to cure it. The straightforward, common answer is to prescribe a full blown course of anti-inflammatory drugs, which only really just calm the problem but don't address the cause.
I found that a mild anti-inflammatory drug like aspirin (mild in comparison to what they offered me), combined with heat patches, massages and hot baths did soothe the pain,perhaps only temporarily, but nevertheless in a gentler manner. I have never taken strong drugs and will carry on down that path unless my pain threshold can simply no longer cope. A few sleepless nights with a thumping head nearly led me to my limits, but it never quite got bad enough for me to reach for the hard stuff. A visit to a great osteopath settled a minor imbalance in my verterbras and provided a much needed relief to my strained muscle.

Most importantly, this painful episode reminded me how our bodies are so important, they are the most fundamental elements of our lives and yet we often take them for granted. Health is key to all of us and this has made me evermore aware that we need to take great care of it. I also felt suddenly quite old, powerless and weak. As a matter of fact, we often associate back and muscle pain with older people (after all, that's what my mother would always complain about), but actually this affects people of all ages and in good physical shape. Worryingly, it affects more and more younger people, which I would guess, is mainly down to unhealthy lifestyles and an increased time spent sitting in front of computers.A few decades ago this wasn't so widespread, so normal. Hence, with this new normality, back and muscle pain have become other normalities.

doing nothing

2007-11-22T12:19:00.000Z

A fascinating concept, to state the least. What is nothing and how on earth do we 'do nothing'? Without delving into philosophical, psychological or in depth discussions of nothingness, I simply want to highlight what this term evokes for me.

- doing nothing as a -not so- innocent child's immediate answer to his parents, authority or to someone's intrusive question.
- doing nothing as anyone's answer to boredom, being idle, not actually 'doing something' - by this I mean, working, walking, cooking, any form of physical, sensual or mental activity.
- doing nothing as a meditative state, a conscious decision to switch off from the outside world and attempt to reach another mental state.
- doing nothing at an intermediate level - being aware of one's scattered state of mind and purposely choosing to quieten down, take a step back from active life.

As a matter of fact, none of these are really 'doing nothing'. They all form active, conscious decisions to be in a certain way, both physically and mentally. A pure form of nothingness would be death, or perhaps enlightenment, when body and mind become yolked, or when outside happenings no longer matter. Floating on a yogic cloud or living in a little bubble detached from the outside world. Bliss.

But going back to Lottie's concept of 'doing nothing', the beauty of the idea is to step back from the buzz, the confusion and speed of urban life and actively seek to switch off for a few minutes or more. Purposely sit, lie, stand in public places, with no reason but to do nothing. Passively engage with people, street-goers, shoppers and stressed out workers, to trigger some kind of thought, reflection on their overly busy lives. Why rush and stress out unnecessarily when life can be so calm, simple and pure? Living in a city makes this evermore important and we too often forget this. It's a skill. I want to see more mass gatherings of 'doing nothing' - not for any obvious (political, campaigning or artistic) purpose, just as it is. Perhaps a regular flash mobbing of nothingness?

mememe

2007-11-14T11:53:00.000Z

A shameless piece of self promotion...
http://ethicaljobs.blogspot.com/2007/11/inna-costantini-press-co-ordinator.html

is ldn a cool city?

2007-11-12T12:21:00.000Z

By 'cool' I don't just mean fashionable, trendy. How eco-friendly is this city? Is London a cool shade of green? Our lovely mayor would have us believe it's an incredibly, positively, clearly green place to live in, with tons of cycle lanes (er, really? where?), tons of buses (and they don't pollute, do they?), a congestion charge to deter polluting vehicles from accessing the city (20% less traffic just makes the streets bearable as opposed to overly congested) and we Londoners are just a bunch of eco bunnies. Right. So a trip to manic India may have him pledging one million new trees to be planted in London after the Olympics, along with a whole bunch of green initiatives. I'm in no way contesting anything he says, but really, in reality, London is a huge city, spread out, congested, with only recently implemented recycling facilities, a fairly new surge in cycling and with climate change only recently been on the political agenda. These are all positive developments, but we're hardly Denmark are we? And let's be honest, most people only vaguely care about the environment. Unless recycling bags are collected from people's doorsteps, 90% of people just won't bother. If Ryanair offers free seats to Europe, most people will say why not? A recent poll in the Ecologist - the eco bible for many greenies- stated that over 50% of its readers would actually consider flying with Ryanair if the flights were free. So really, we're all a bunch of hypocritical, selfish bastards. We care as long as the change doesn't affect our pockets or comfort. ken Livingstone wants to ban flights to france. Perhaps not the answer to ecological issues, but it's one drastic way of actively engaging with green issues. That might make London a little cooler. We'd need to build another channel tunnel though - and perhaps also an escape route for Ken once his days are over.

some ideas

2007-11-03T15:12:00.000Z

I've been thinking about putting together a collection of photographs for an upcoming art show with ELP, showing a greener east london.
My idea was to display buildings, streets, urban landscapes featuring greenery, plants growing on the side of buildings, street trees, urban oases in unexpected places, vegetation sprouting out of dusty corners of concrete - an urban jungle, literally.
I want to produce a montage or collage of different views of east ldn, all featuring urban greenery of some kind. How does nature fit into urban space, how does it find ways to sprout up out of nothing - from clumps of earth to tiny pockets of dust withing built up spaces. What makes nature take over man made constructions, streets or unkempt places? Why do we even try to fight this?
As much as 'green roofs' and permaculture are a beautiful and welcome advancement in dense urban design, it does remain an irony that we want to contain, control and re-green spaces and add them onto closely determined areas. Urban nature is there to stay and flourish, whether we like it or not.

what is ugly?

2007-10-31T11:10:00.000Z

Not a new topic - but something I read in this month's Ecologist, sparked a few thoughts from my end...
So what is ugly? Many things - too many from my point of view. But then again, they always point towards the very opposite, which is beautiful - without ugliness, nothing would appear to us as beautiful and we desperately need a bit of both to fully appreciate life.
First ugly things which spring to my mind would be:
Dead public spaces - gardens, parks and streets where all sense of life, nature or humanity has been removed, or perhaps never existed. Tree-less streets, concrete blocks, paved up front drives, yards and gardens left for abandon - all these pockets of valuable space, which could be used to enhance life and urban nature, all forgotten in the midst of urban living.
Rubbish laden streets. A disrespect for public space, for others and ultimately, for oneself.
The commercial takeover of shops, old boutiques, old fashioned areas etc by corporates, branded coffee shops and other standardized outlets. New 'urban villages' spring up all over our cities, pretending to be authentic community living; they are merely imposters in a virtual, globalised environment.
Overpriced gourmet food - another commercial take on what should be simply local, fresh, seasonal produce. The system is so warped that we now have to pay more for what essentially costs less. Carrots flown in from israel are cheaper than those from a farm in Kent.
Production and consumption as lifelong aims. Surely there is more to life than being a simple bee in a hive,which never gets to taste the honey - the very nectar it helps to produce. In a simpler way, the obsession with work and success and the limited enjoyment of anything outside it.

And there are many more 'uglies'. Time to focus on the beauties in life....

bikes

2007-10-05T17:28:00.001+01:00

I loved reading this
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/our_experts/article2581828.ece

According to Dr Stuttaford, the Times' expert doctor, cyclists in London give people a bad impression of cycling:
"Cycling in London and other large British cities, but not in mainland European towns, has been cornered by the nerdy cyclists who, wearing their distinctive uniform, weave in and out of traffic, ignore the lights, trespass on pavements and shout abuse at cars that impede their progress."

So according to him, we're all nerdy cyclists who shout abuse to cars and pedestrians! Oh and the typical Times reader would "cycle in his everyday clothes, doesn’t squeeze himself into Lycra and has impeccable road manners. The public road is not a private gym."
haha, typical....

yoga'd up

2007-10-04T13:13:00.000+01:00

A friend of mine has just set off for a yoga teacher training intensive this week - a big step and a hugely exciting one, but it has also led me to reflect on my own decision. I'll be following her steps in a few months' time and I'm quite apprehensive to see how she gets on. My own experience will be somewhat different (my course is in Goa, India, over 2 months, the schedule's slightly less harsh with 7 am starts rather than 5.30 am, a smaller teaching group with foreign teachers) and my circumstances aren't quite the same. I'll be apart from long term boyfriend - leaving Europe for Taiwan to do his army for 2 years, which will set my back both emotionally and physically - and I hate to admit it, also financially (no more sharing bills, cosy flat, food, and being treated out for dinner is something I'll have to do without for a while). To top that up, I'm planning on a few months' break from work, London and possible all the other things I have been used to so far. Scary.
I'm both excited and extremely daunted by the prospect of trading my comfortable routine for a new, unknown environment. Change can only be good but god knows what will happen to me in a few months' time....

This is what I'll be doing next year: http://shaktispirit.com/training.htm

Is London a healthy city?

2007-09-16T12:51:00.000+01:00

Following my previous questions on positive effects and benefits of exercise - or even just physical activity of some kind- I came to wonder whether London was actually a fairly healthy city. In comparison with other British cities it may seem congested, dense, polluted and constantly busy, but London organises an array of sporting events - not to mention the upcoming Olympic Games. The city is host to hundreds of charity runs, sports groups, clubs, and probably the widest choice of activities from rock climbing to taichi and yoga. London also seems to have picked up the cycling bug, with a 400% increase in cyclist in the past 4 years. I see joggers out at any time of day or night, all over town - from early risers on a chilly Saturday morning to night runners in Hyde park- and I believe London may just have the highest concentration of fit, healthy people in the country. Is this a fact? What about other cities? I hear that in Birmingham health levels are deteriorating, with obesity being a serious issue. So serious in fact that stairs in one of the inner city shopping malls are branded with signs stating how many calories can be burned by using them instead of lifts! They've reached the point where any form of activity -even walking up a few stairs- is crucially needed. In this case, London rates much higher. I see escalators often being ignored in favour of old fashioned stairs, which many magazines advocate as an excellent 'mini step' class - no better way to tone and lift those buttocks. Hmm, not quite I had in mind, but the thought is there. I can just picture those lovely ladies, determinedly going for stairs in hope of a better bottom. No matter what, the activity bug is there, firmly rooted in our psyches - and today this can only be a good thing. When one lives in a built up, busy city, what better way to move your limbs, clear your head and relieve stress, than a daily dose of exercise. And I believe London isn't too bad at encouraging this.

Running shoes on

2007-09-15T11:00:00.000+01:00

What a wonderful way to start the weekend - so I heard many people say. Out of dozens other events happening in London that very weekend, two thousand tree lovers, enthusiasts, gym bunnies and yummy grannies chose to take part in a very unique event - an annual 5k run for trees round Battersea Park. And what a beautiful morning it was -perhaps even too warm for a mid September day, but who really cared? Most seemed delighted to start their day - their weekend- with an early run round Battersea park. But why? As a friend rightfully told me, 'because it feels great'. Right, so the actual running might be ever so slightly tiring, painful, even a drag for some, but if half an hour of slightly tiresome, strenuous work makes one feel so wonderful for an entire day, then it can only be worth the effort. Seeing so many glowing, happy faces - both before hand and after- confirmed this fact. It is true that the atmosphere of an event of this kind adds to the buzz - it gives a sense of community, mutual respect, a positive feeling of all supporting the same cause - a bond even, but much of the happy faces can be plainly explained by the benefits of exercise and the release of endorphins.
I found wikipedia has a great answer to what they call a 'runner's high':
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endorphins#Runner.27s_high

So exercise demands some kind of effort and whether one enjoys the actual strain of dynamic activity, it makes one feel great - both physically (increased strength, stamina, better body tone etc) and mentally (partly a consequence of the latter, increased confidence, stress relief etc). And this seems to be a widespread, highly publicised fact - how many ads, posters or press articles have I read along the lines of 'exercise, feel great'. So why don't we all get out there, ditch the car, get walking, jogging running, and moving our limbs? I would see so many more happy, glowing and relaxed faces if everyone did.

happy bunny

2007-09-14T12:44:00.000+01:00

I'm kind of a happy bunny today. Birthday - a quiet one- lots of cards (an unusual thing nowadays), texts and emails, afternoon yoga class, bike ride through busy central London, chocolate, a sugar high and a busy weekend ahead, yeay!
Tree-Athlon on saturday and I'll be going to this on sunday (hopefully...):
http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/1125847

If not, I'll be staring at the sky for the Thames Festival celebrations, or being nosy during open house weekend! Looks like a busy one!
http://www.thamesfestival.org/
http://www.openhouse.org.uk/london/home.html

Matcha yummies

2007-09-12T23:24:00.000+01:00

ooh, yum! Some aimless internet browsing his evening brough me to this site: http://www.lovescool.com/archives/2007/05/15/best-bakery-recipe-finalist/#more-388%20
Japanese matcha cookies, just how I love them! Not only do they just look beautiful, I now just want to throw on my apron (which I am yet to own) and start baking. I am thoroughly drooling....

A blog and a bit - is this writing?

2007-08-21T23:59:00.000+01:00

Following a deep, long chat with a budding writer/friend of mine, I was thrown into a whole debate around the worthiness of blogging. She dismissed blogs as simply being light, superficial chat, unworthy of any critical acclaim.
For me however, they open up the world of writing to so many people that they deserve some kind of recognition.
I see blogs as being a simple, honest, unpretentious ways of keeping notes of events, happenings, random views, rants, debates, ideas - basically a virtual diary. Blogging doesn't have the pretense of many full-blown articles: they aren't really meant to be pompous, in-depth features with facts and figures or deep philosophical meaning, but are rather informative, personal views and accounts. My friend seemed outraged by the fact a book had been published out of a collection of blog posts. Indeed it doesn't claim to be high literature - or anything with some kind of depth- but I still believe blogging is a style in itself - a 'lite' version of writing perhaps. As a matter of fact, I really don't see anything wrong with it. Many authors have in the past published critically acclaimed diaries or short stories, and this is very similar - it just touches the realm of the virtual. I don't see how a notebook or a word document is superior to a virtual, online account of one's life experiences. Blogging is writing after all. It is open to anyone, it's free and has no class or intellectual barrier. There lies its appeal and worth.

Detox

2007-08-10T12:59:00.000+01:00

I think I need a detox. I know I've been going on about this for a while but I think it's due very soon. No matter how healthy my diet is throughout the year, some things just need clearing. Start with the skin - sleep, water, fruits, veg and vitamins are a pre-requisite for healthy looking skin, but there's no point being so saintly if you're going to undo all that goodness with booze, caffeine, chocolate and sugar. Right so I'm no alcoholic - I hardly drink- and I don't consume much caffeine either, but I admit I have lacked discipline when it comes to chocolate. Even the dark, low sugar, organic -and supposedly satisfying- kind does seem to leave its mark. As much as the media has lauded the benefits of consuming dark chocolate, it remains a food which is high in toxins. Cocoa, to be consumed, needs to be roasted, cooked and processed. Even the darkest of chocolates are high in fat - not the best type of fat either. The toxins and saturated fats found in chocolate seem to irritate my skin, causing breakouts and rashes.

Right, so that's one thing out of the way. Caffeine, sugar and a lack of a regular sleep pattern also affect my health. So I may not exactly be acne prone, but I have noticed that some foods irritate my skin. Saturated fats for instance. A two week trip to India (full of ghee laden treats, cream and whole milk products) created an outburst in skin trauma. Even locals asked if I had been bitten by mosquitoes on my face! Quite embarrassing. Sugar is definitely another culprit, so as the lack of sleep.
It is thus time to act. I need to clear away all this crap from my system and engage on a positive cleansing routine. Inside and out. This means no sugar, no chocolate (noooo!!!!), alcohol or caffeine for, what, a week? Longer if I can resist. Summer is the best time for this - I am less hungry, thirstier, fruits and vegetables are plentiful, fresh and tasty, so it shouldn't be too hard. What about supplements? Vitamin C and spirulina should do the trick. Oh and regular exfoliation. When do I start again? Hmmm...

July Critical Mass

2007-07-28T01:08:00.001+01:00

Oh well. I've done it again. The good old friday night bike ride around central London. "Less cars, more bikes!"
Ok, so it's all becoming very similar now. Same route, escorted by a troupe of policemen on bikes. Same old hippy bikers. It's still tons of fun though and the mobile sound systems add a few lively beats to the ride. It was all very peaceful tonight - apart from a poor guy who decided to stage a sitting protest in the middle of Clerkenwell Rd, on his own. Bless him, he soon realised he was better off on his bike than off it.
Going past the Foundry, we were greeted and cheered by a mass of couriers and fixie enthusiasts, all waiting for us to clear off and start their alleycat race. Quite an impressive band of guys -and girls- they are. All a bit scary, just far too serious bikers.
Well the highlight of this fairly uneventful ride was the appearance of the wonderful filmmaker, Lucas Brunelle, whizzing past on his sexy bike, with a double camera attached to his helmet. Nice.... I bet he'll be following alleycat later and I can't wait to see his next video on youtube. If I'm lucky, there might even be a glimpse of me in the background taking pictures. I doubt it.
Second highlight of the evening: a super smooth, super quick ride back home, crossing paths with a couple of alleycat racers, going ridiculously fast. Ah, the joys of inner city cycling on a friday night....

narrow minded f****r

2007-07-24T00:42:00.000+01:00

I don't like swearing that much, but sometimes it's good to just let it all out. I know a few patronising people out there, I know some people just like to feel in power, but this is just really pathetic. Ok, so here's the story. Sunday afternoon, Clerkenwell, Roseberry avenue. The whole area is cut off to traffic for a street festival. Roads are clear of cars, cyclists are free to go down Roseberry avenue. So I reach the traffic lights at Mount Pleasant. No cars, so I don't stop at the red light. A delightful cop in a high-vis jacket, with obviously nothing else to do that day, whistles and shouts 'stop - now'! Next to him, another biker (who I later realised had just been lectured by that cop), red and puffy. So, not quite getting what he was on about, and quite naively, I stop. 'off your bike!' 'come here'. 'now!". WTF??? What's the aggressive tone for on such a beautiful day? Still not quite getting it, I laugh, thinking the guy must be off his head. Not one car in sight, it's been sunny all day after weeks of rain, the guy can't be serious. And then he gets into a long, pathetic lecture on how I -like the other poor cyclist- just went through a red light, why should he be paying his taxes to see people like me have accidents (isn't that my problem, not his?), he threatens to arrest me (laughing didn't do me any favours) and starts shouting out loud - 'what makes you so special as a cyclist??'. Twice. Pedestrians walk past, laughing and wondering what can possibly be wrong with him. The guy seriously has issues. Just get a life, get on a bike and stop harassing cyclists for going through red lights when roads are blocked off and they aren't endangering anyone. Humiliating and narrow minded bastard. I'm convinced not all cops are like him - but what an utterly annoying man.

I'll be doing my bit for all the cyclists out there and joining critical mass again this friday - any good excuse to go through a few red lights and piss off a few cops and cars.

compromising

2007-07-12T21:39:00.000+01:00

I need to make a compromise. I love cycling - it's my main mode of transport. I love yoga - it's now one of my main interests. Cycling tightens up hamstrings, knees and thighs, which in turn makes stretching harder and more challenging. So basically, the increasing time I spend practising just ends up counterbalancing the damage I inflict to my legs. However, in turn, cycling strengthens legs, which gives more power in some postures. So what do I do? Do I need to choose between two equally important activities? I choose to keep on riding and keep on stretching. I love challenges, so let's see how long I can keep this one up. Don't yogis also travel on bikes?

Recyclo-holics

2007-06-30T22:55:00.000+01:00

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the rise of people obsessed with green living, be it as a fashion frenzy or just because they're dark green? Well I know a few leafy greens (late summer kind of green) and I have to admit turning one shade greener myself. But not to the point of recycling every scrap of paper, composting all my organic waste and growing potatoes on my balcony (I said I would, but it's so much easier to just buy them, no?). Such an attitude towards a green life is highly laudable, but not an easy feat for most people- and it's sometimes a little scary too. Compulsive recyclo-maniacs who make a point of tearing every inch of paper or carton off packaging, to pop into their 'green' bag, making sure all their shopping choices are 100% recyclable and ethical. I mean, that's great for mother earth, but have some fun chaps!
There is something highly satisfying about recycling, knowing all your waste will be re-used in some way or another. It kind of justifies your actions as a consumer. The consumer re-consumes instead of consuming itself. hmmm?
Well, my green bag is getting bigger every week (how much do I consume??) and I have found myself tearing off Onken yogurts carton packaging: it started out of curiosity -and boredom, having finished a whole pot in front of friday night tv- but now I take it off religiously and conscientiously place it in my recycle bin. I also take the bottom card round off! Christ! Am I turning leafy green? Well, I can assure you that I'm not one of those people who recycles post-its.... yet....

Urban gardening

2007-06-27T09:58:00.000+01:00

http://www.hippyshopper.com/2007/06/nodig_potatoes.html

Ok, not quite... But I've just read about a cool new way of growing your own veg on your balcony... Providing you have a square metre or two, why not plant a few potatoes? Welcome to a new breed of 'urban potatoes'. I've already got a few herb pots and I've tried growing some salads and green veg last year (urban ants ate them), but now potatoes sound ideal - they come in 40litre re-useable bags and for under £15, I can have three sacks of organic pots on my balcony. Very exciting. Perhaps I can even have my own balcony allotment soon. Anyone doing 'no dig' carrots too?

Fixie mania - part 2

2007-06-17T19:11:00.000+01:00

why are they all so obsessed with fixies? The growing numbers of bicycles in London and the onset of the warm summer weather seems to have just pushed the fixie fetish one step further. Fixed wheel bikes are now the number one cool mode of transport in east london. I've also heard them being called 'hoxton fixies' - which means they're just a new breed of fetishised fashion accessories for hip young Londoners. Not only do they need to have the right, shiny fixed wheel bike, the matching bike messenger looking outfit -bag, trousers, shoes, even the hairdo !?- they tend to hangout in the same 'authentic' places as the rough lot. What a bunch of posers. Yet, they're pretty cool looking posers. A bit like posh kids going for the trashy torn jeans greasy hair look, or art students going all political and squatting (as opposed to those who have little choice but to live in derelict houses). But then, what's all the elitism all about? Shouldn't it be somewhat heartwarming to see so many people adopt your style? Maybe not the lifestyle but at least the physical outlook. It shows they look up to you. It's a mark of admiration and aspiration (and respect?) that so many bikers are copying the whole bike messenger approach to cycling. And besides, how could anyone mistake a biker copycat with a real guy who spends the whole day on the streets? It's unmistakable - the radio, road worn bike, dirty clothes sweaty look etc. So why the whole debate around 'fakengers' and 'hoxton fixies'? Stop being elitist and precious and just be pleased that people just think you look so good.

http://www.movingtargetzine.com/article/fakenger

Rising early ... again

2007-06-16T15:00:00.000+01:00

Although I'm really not an eary bird or morning person, I can only confirm the article I read a few weeks back on the great reasons to get up early. After a couple of early wake up calls - yoga self practice sessions, a 5 am train to paris - I've felt , or rather been reminded, that getting up so early is a blessing and a fantastic way to start the day. Body felt refreshed, mind clear, free of built up stresses (these came later in the day) and an empty stomach brought a feeling of lightness. Bliss. Summer and early mornings are such a good combination: the light breaks at 5am, the air feels fresh and if it wasn't for the many late nights, I would be up at the crack of dawn every day. It's definitely the best time of the day, so clear, quiet and pure - maybe I'll try to switch my routine this summer.

net-aholics anonymous

2007-06-01T11:55:00.000+01:00

stranded... with no internet.
Oh my god, I am officially addicted to internet. What do we call it - 'net-aholic'? web-aholic? God knows, but I feel completely powerless, useless, lonely and terribly frustrated. Why? An old, unpaid bill, forgotten in a pile of mail... After a few warnings, no internet, phone or tv, a lovely 're-connection' fee and a 24 hour wait to get back online! Do they not understand that I am completely reliant upon the silly
thing. What do I do for a whole morning without access to email, firefox or online news? And more importantly, what did I do before, a few years back, when I didn't have 24hrs web access? Was I Iess distracted, more focused or perhaps even smarter, wiser? Let's hope not. Come to think of it, I did read more, sleep more and go out more. However, I now read on my laptop (yes, reading articles online is just as valid as reading books or newspapers), I write more, work more (maybe not such a good thing when I find myself checking work emails on my days off) and play more with programs like photoshop, FCP and the like.Not a bad thing, but my interests and hobbies seem to have changed a lot on the past few years, or should I say evolved, or progressed with time. What worries me however, is that the lack of computer or internet suddenly creates a huge gap, lull, sense of insecurity with my abilities. What am I without my computer as an extension of my abilities? What am I able to do? What do I want to do? In this particular instance I discovered that a morning of 'unconnected' peace was very soothing in many ways. Frustrating at first, but as hours went by, I found the extra time useful - besides an extended yoga self practice, I deep cleaned the flat, gave my balcony a mini makeover, repotted and watered my plants, started a new book and even found time to play with kitty. Pleasant time to spend a morning, but perhaps not my ideal way of living either. I'm a net-aholic and shamelessly admit it.

early risers

2007-05-26T17:19:00.000+01:00

Getting up early is for me, like millions of others, a hard task. Especially if you're used to work at night, like me. I love being an early bird though, and when I do make the gruelling effort to get up early (when I mean early, it's usually 6am- anything before that is just cruel), I feel so good all day - well mostly. And here are 10 good reasons to make the switch from being a night owl to an early bird:

http://zenhabits.net/2007/05/10-benefits-of-rising-early-and-how-to-do-it/

critical mass 25/05

2007-05-26T00:20:00.000+01:00

an update...
Ok, so the police was there in force -as usual- camera crews were around, toggers all over and hundreds of cyclists - more than I've ever seen on a ctitical mass ride. hum, ok, I've only done two so far so perhaps not the best comparison. Still, rumors were that the BBC feature triggered heaps of interest, and keen bikers came out to support free cycling in London and just have a fun ride around. It was mostly harmless, free spirited and light, just as it should be. The slow journey took us from waterloo to trafalgar square, down to buckingham palace to salute the queen and stop a limo and a 4/4 on the way, and piss off quite a few black cabs. The best thing about the critical mass rides is the traffic chaos caused throughout central London. Shouldn't that just make people think, reflect on how ridiculous traffic has become? Why drive when you can cycle or walk around?
Well for me it's always a scene of visual amazement, amusement - a display of bikes of all sorts, from cool to just weird, and just a few hours of fun, laughter and freedom in central london. Oh and the ride somehow ended with an improvised game of cricket in the middle of charing cross road! Wacky and cool. Brilliant.

We are a mass

2007-05-25T13:03:00.000+01:00

wo-hooo... on my bike again later for the critical mass bike ride... This one promises to be quite memorable - and there might even be a few wrangles with the police along the way. These bike rides happen every last friday of the month, and take cyclists on an improvised journey around london. Reclaiming the streets, making way for a swarm of bikers - some cool, some with perhaps a little too much hair and leaflets, but hey, they're all sharing the same free spirit and all want to take over the streets for a few hours. How harmful can this be?
BBC News has just reported some possible activity with the police later, so should be a fun one.... Lets see what happens....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6690513.stm

Too much

2007-05-24T23:13:00.000+01:00

God I can't bear it, there's just too much going on online - I can't keep up! Between msn, skype, my 4 (main) emails, my flickr page, my blog, youtube and now facebook, it's crazy. So many sites, so little time, so much time to waste. Or is it? What exactly are they for? Entertainment? Education? Work? Friendship? I am confused. As much as I love spending time online and find the internet truly fascinating, useful and amusing, I'm finding myself more and more drawn into the whole thing and I'm a little scared. I'm spending far too much time online, updating my profile, pictures, emailing friends, chatting to family, writing, editing - and is it all worth it? Can I manage without it? Probably. And then I'd be missing out on a lot, and probably wouldn't be half as efficient. It's a love-hate relationship. Me and my macbook.... And now, my facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=581020232

What's happening to our trees???

2007-05-19T19:38:00.000+01:00

Yikes - where are me trees?
The news is out and it's not nice - and definitely not green. We're losing our street trees. Following an upcoming enquiry by the GLA (greater london authority) the media has massively picked up on the fact we're losing a huge number of our street trees. Up to 2% a year in London I hear: it may not seem like much, but if you think about how long a mature tree takes to grow, it's quite scary. And 2007 was meant to be a green year, I've read everywhere that 'green is the new black' etc. So why are they dissapearing? One of the main causes is building subsidence issues for insurers, roots damaging water pipes, CCTV operators and mobile phone companies arguing that branches obstruct vision etc.
At the same time, Ken Livingston is going on about making London greener, reducing traffic, pollution and noise, but what's the point if we have no trees? Plant a new one in the right place perhaps? Is it all about 'correct' urban planning? This is definitely a long term solution, but then it takes years, decades, to grow a sapling into a beautifully mature tree - which defeats the point of cutting it down in the first place. Can we not work around them, rather than chop them down when causing the slightest disturbance? Unbelievably, some people really dislike trees - hate them with a passion when they happen to be in front of their house, their sole presence being problematic. Arguments against trees range from shade, falling leaves, branches or unruly roots. Because trees are living and thus can't really be controlled in the way some would like it. Still, I don't see it as an excuse to cut down a tree which may be older than your own mother, or even your house. Pure selfishness and ignorance. I'll opt for a green city, not a bleak concrete mass.

A slice of eco-heaven

2007-05-15T19:16:00.000+01:00

Munch munch.... I've just been treated to a fabulously satisfying and ethically correct dinner - nowhere else than the hyped Konstam restaurant in King's Cross, made famous by the BBC series, Urban Chef. The place s modern, stylish and yet feels incredibly cosy - the jars of homemade jams and preserves stacked on the sheves give the place a homely touch. So what about the food? I'm not a restaurant critic or expert, but the dishes were delightfully presented, so seasonal, and very satisfying. A simple starter of leek, potato and dill soup was so creamy I could have easily slurped a second bowlful. Having spent ages to make my mind up, I then opted for seabass with cauliflower puree and greens. Seabass from the Thames perhaps? That's where I get confused... In theory -according to the TV series and PR blurb- all the food served in the restaurant should be sourced locally - and when you're based in Kings Cross, this means withing the M25. So I slyly interrogated our charming waiter on whether my seabass had been lingering near the Houses of Parliament for long: "well, not quite" he answered. "It comes from further east, close to the Thames estuary, and I can assure you it was caught last night". So not quite from London, but close enough. Besides, how would I know - it was delicious, melted in the mouth and was probably fresher than fish from Borough market.
The owner, Ollie Rowe's ethos is to source all (or at least a majority) of his produce locally. Sounds like a crazy idea, but it's definitely the way forward for ethical, seasonal and healthy food. Why bother eating anything out of season? Food will inevitably taste far better when it's fresh, seasonal and local (less food miles also means pollution and encourages more sustainable farming). The 'made in London' etiquette may seem to be a bit of a crazy idea -and a clever pr stunt- but it works well, fronts a real trend for good, seasonal produce, which just makes sense. Throw in some creative recipes, top chefs, cool interior design and you're got a winning combination. Yum, my stomach's rumbling again...
http://www.konstam.co.uk

A whole load of greenwash?

2007-05-07T16:02:00.000+01:00

So we've heard all about it - this year, everyone should be green, ethical and environmentally aware. Our 'eco-consciousness' seems to have hit a new height and everyone wants to be seen as being green. Green is the new black and so on... Aren't we all already bored and blase by this? Of course, it's only right that we should become ever more aware of our own environment, we should be thankful for living in what is a relativel clean, healthy, moderate climate and surrounding and need to do what we can to protect it. The fact celebrities and high profile personalities are supporting these issues seems however, to make it verge on the border of a 'fad'. Making something trendy or cool, only dooms it to one day becoming out of trend and out of the public agenda. Although most, including myself, see green issues as here to stay and become engrained in our psyche -in the same way as being organic or vegetarian have- there is always a little corner of my mind which says that maybe something better, cooler, trendier, might turn up, grabbing and diverting the public's attention to this something else. Of course, all genuine and real greenies out there aren't as fickle as trends and will carry on campaigning for all that is green. Thos mere trend folowers (who incidentally, loved the carbon offsetting, conscience clearing, buying the 'I am not a plastic bag' bag - those who simply love buying), may just latch onto a new trend and ditch their compost bin as easily as they bought it. Well, it was smelly and somewhat unpractical wasn't it?
Let's hope this doesn't happen. Although all the bad press carbon offsetts have been getting lately aren't doing the cause any favours. It makes it just too easy to dismiss green issues and switch back to our high carb diet - carbon that is. So I'm all up for ignoring any greenwash paranoia and keep doing my bit to help - and that'll hopefully go beyond my weekly recycling bag...

Fixie mania

2007-04-14T23:36:00.000+01:00

East London's become the kingdom of fixie heaven - for ones 'in the know', this means fixed wheel racing type bikes. It's always been a trend for bike enthusiasts, but in the last year it seems to have somewhat grown into a fad. Right, so sales of ordinary bikes in London have doubled, if not tripled, in the last couple of years (some say it was related to the tube terror attacks, others argue it's the rise of tube fares and the sheer convenience and freedom of riding a bike in town). No matter what, general awareness and interest in bicycles has hugely grown in London, and supposedly cool hoxtonites and east londoners haven't missed out on that one. Ok, so who am I to comment - being both an east londoner and a newly fixed wheel convert? What I have been witnessing, much to my amusement, a development of what I call 'bike porn'. Like car show offs, bike show offs like exposing, touring their newly purchased 2 wheel drive, flashy, shiny, expensive and of course, fixed. "I'm cool, I can afford to live in a cool part of town, so therefore I adhere to the coolness of owning a fixed wheel bike". Well nearly. Why have they become so popular? Is courier chic the new trend? When is biker chic going to grace the pages of Vogue or Elle? Soon perhaps; sporty is in, so why not? So couriers ooze coolness, confidence, power and freedom - they own the streets, swerve between traffic, avoiding cars, bendy buses and flirting with danger. It's the beauty of relying on nothing else but your legs - and alert mind. Then there's the coolness of being fit, though slightly scruffy - being on the streets all day doesn't help... So yes, many couriers live in east london. Many couriers ride fixies. Many artists and trend following/setting designers also live in the same part of town (it's cheap, arty and of course, cool). So inevitably, fixies have become part of the uniform. In the same way as drinking organic lager at the foundry or doing your vintage shopping down bricklane has. There's nothing wrong with that, but somehow, it seems to have lost - or at least seems to be losing- part of its unique, special charm. As Sheldon Brown's website beautifully describes: "When you ride a fixed gear, you feel a closer communion with your bike and with the road. There is a purity and simplicity to the fixed-gear bicycle that can be quite seductive." So true. wow.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/fixed.html

Un-ethical Coke

2007-04-10T23:36:00.000+01:00

Another reason to give up coke...
Not that I drink any coca cola, but here's yet another reason to really NOT buy it. Of course, it rots your teeth (or arguably damages your brain if you opt for the sugar free version) makes you hyper, bloats you and just generally doesn't have any health benefits, but it's also totally unethical. Nothing new perhaps but I picked up a leaflet the other day, explaining and condemning Coca Cola's actions in India. Coke Justice claims that Coca-Cola is destroying lives, livelihoods and communities, by highlighting a 'pattern of abuse' emerging from their factories in India - water scarcity, pollution of land and water and pesticides in drinks. Their global campaign has already put much pressure on Coca-Cola, and has led them to lose money from sales and legal fees in India. Hardly anything compared to what they earn globally, but it's a start and definitely another dent into their somewhat frail reputation. I really like this campaign and think more should be done to support it - www.cokejustice.org

East versus west

2007-04-09T13:08:00.000+01:00

I've always been a big fan of the east London, of EC1, the City and beyond. Some friends swear otherwise. 'West is best'... A half hour cycle trip to the other side of town only reinforced my sense of belonging to the east side. Although people make their niche wherever they are, the polished, clean west part of town just isn't my thing. I've been there on quite a few occasions, admired the charming, well kept, terraced houses, cool cafes and shops, but the hoards of tourists and visitors -like me!- are just a real turn off, which was perhaps made worse by two close shaves on the road with typically pretentious, disrespectful drivers.
So back to the east side... As soon as I hit Clerkenwell road, I had the strange sensation of feeling at home again - as if I'd left town for the afternoon. Whizzing past the quiet, empty Guardian offices, overpriced loft spaces and studios, a wave of peace and happiness took over. Then past down the ever busy Old street, the concrete maze which is the Barbican, the superimposition of modernity and a few old landmarks (the jellied eel van off Aldgate doesn't count). The real grey, gritty, dirty stuff. Go further east it gets worse, but that's the London I love - both transient and present, filthy and fascinating, dirty and yet arty. I hear it's one of the most 'rooted' and historic place in town. Home sweet home, east London.

Sugar Rush

2007-04-06T23:30:00.000+01:00

Easter eggs, warm weather and bank holidays - it all seems too good to be true. First day off and I already feel I've overdosed on sugar, drinks and general merriness. Three more days to go, god knows how (un) rested I'll be after a supposedly long break. A trip to Borough Market this morning - for an overpriced tea session-seems to have topped it off. A sugar laden cupcake and macaroon, washed down with mild coffee, seemed at the time like a great late morning boost, but less than two hours later - and a few cycling miles away- my artifically, sugar induced high, had worn off, leaving me even lower than at the start. This seems to be a regular pattern for me and for those who often succomb to sweet treats - and Easter is just one other excuse to unleash the sugar.
It's a widely known fact that sugar is a great boost - it's immediately absorbed into the bloodstream- which is why all the branded energy bars, are full of it. Fine when you're physically active, but it's a simple fact that most of us would rather simply sit around and scoff leftover easter eggs. And the more sugar we ingurgitate, the worse we feel in the long run.
So ditch the sugar, don't polish off all the easter eggs (in one sitting) - go for a walk in the sun or on an egg hunt instead!
On the delights of sugar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar#Sugar_and_hyperactivity

Urban ramblers

2007-03-12T00:36:00.000Z

A day of urban loitering in east london.

I've just been on the most amazing voyage of urban (self) discovery. Touching the urban space, the old paved streets, crumbling brick walls and smelly city farm animals. A beautifully sunny spring day, a feeling of absolute freedom, exploring some dark, filthy, litter strewn underpasses, paths, only to once again be reminded that beauty and art both lie in the most unexpected, ordinary places.
Encounters with the unexpected local street people, also improvised tour guides, alcohol induced ramblings, street explorations and learning more about the areas we think we know so well - but don't. How often have I walked past the old school of Weaver Street, without even stopping to think what it could hide behind its imposing brick walls. I discovered an oasis of calm, peace, art and wildlife. A mini eco-sphere with cactuses, animals, mediterranean plants and banana trees - in the midst of concrete-ville, Bricklane and the City. A home to wild animals and artists alike. A beautiful, enchanting, inspiring site.
The urban exploration walk led us to another urban oasis of the east end, spitalfields city farm, with its goats, sheep and single pig, and its genteel, genuine approach to enjoying the city. It acts as an alternative space for residents, children, families and volunteers, to escape concrete and see that deep green roots cane be laid wherever one chooses to.
We circled about 500 metres altogether and yet discovered, within such a small space, a vast world, land of diversity, knowledge, art and natural beauty.
A stone's throw away, Bricklane seems like a rather alien, bland and superficial world. A road of shopping, a fake pretense to 'alternative' consumerism and authentic east end experience....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/innac/sets/72157594582658746/

www.malinky.org

Feeling low...

2007-03-10T09:38:00.000Z

It's a sunny day, spring blossoms and bulbs are out, trees are being planted as I write this, and yet I'm feeling low. Chocolate overdose or general lack of motivation, creativity? Perhaps the daunting prospect of chun's latest thesis chapter which I keep putting back?
I think I'll blame it on the building site outside my flat - waking me every morning at 8am,with a loud drilling and background builder's banter. Not that I have anything at all against builders but loud shouts and indelicate talk isn't the most attractive way to wake up every morning - and this has been an issue for the last 8 months. Yet I can't blame them for feeling down today, but what I definitely maintain, is my utter annoyance at having a crane staring at me every day, knowing I cannot walk around freely in my flat, without worrying if some dirty old builder may be watching. I am not biased or mean, that's the truth. My truth. How much longer will it last?

last week...

2007-03-09T13:03:00.000Z

haha, nearly week 4 and where's the progress? I'm not usually a quitter but I must say this is getting really hard. As much as I loooovvvee chocolate, this stuff is sickly, rich, thick and not really kind on my overall health... Also, I admit that I've been consuming chocolate under other forms, and in perhaps slightly gentler versions - do cadburys dairy buttons count at all?

So I propose the following - I will dig into Montezumas until samurai chun returns and then the whole thing will be transformed into a big chocolate fest - brownies, fudge cake - you name it and I will make it. Any takers?

ps - the damage is much work - this was last week's photo- I am ashamed to upload this week's.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/chocolatefudge.html

choco diary - week 3

2007-03-04T16:47:00.000Z

Nearly week 3 and the damage is getting quite bad - on both the bar and my health. Spots are out with a vengeance, I'm feeling a bit sickly and drawn into a whole cycle of chocolate addiction. Why is it I can't stop? What chemical substance or ingredient creates a need for more, yet more, even though I know I've eaten more than I should? The sensual, melting feeling, bittersweet taste and intense sensation make it highly addictive, but I know it goes beyond the purely sensual pleasure. Maybe the lack of sex or attention? Probably not. Now into the serious stuff. Research has shown that there are substances in chocolate (alongside polyphenols and some magnesium, which are undoubtedly good for you) -Phenylethylamine, Theobramine and Tryptophan, which all make it pleasurable and hence, addictive. In this case, I'm not having the sugar-laden variety, so the addiction lies -partly at least- in these somewhat magical substances. The other part, I reckon, would be emotional. How many ads, mostly aimed at women, draw onto the sensual pleasure of chocolate, something personal and selfish. Very true - I don't crave chocolate when I'm with people; it only happens on my own - and what a terribly selfish habit. Is it perhaps filling a gap in my mental state, a deep insatiable well? Whatever... Just shut up and eat the bloody thing.

on the 'psychological effects of chocolate':

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate#Physiological_effects

choco diary - week 2

2007-02-24T00:34:00.000Z

week two... and I'm doing pretty well. Ok, so I've nibbled well into the second square, but I'm quite impressed at my self discipline and my regular, but modest chipping into the kilogram chocolate bar. I will admit that I have other bars of chocolate open at the same time (did I say 'bars', oops, meant singular...), which may partly explain why I've been behaving. I doubt it'll last very long - the behaving that is.

check out all the other good stuff at Montezuma's website.... yum.... http://www.montezumas.co.uk/

choco diary - week 1

2007-02-16T12:28:00.000Z

Week one

Chun's left for a month - and has done so in style- he's left me with a big fat slab of 75% cocoa, organic fairtrade chocolate - one Kilo bar to last me for a month. Will it though? Having counted all the squares, my calculations are that I would have to consume over 200 grammes a week to finish it by the time he gets back - which equates to a daily, constant munch - nearly a standard bar a day. Quite ambitious isn't it? Shall I be selfish and stuff my face, delve into utter sensual pleasure, in order to finish the damn stuff, or shall I discipline myself and religiously section off a few squares a week? Such a tough question asks for an equally tough answer.
The next few weeks may very well end up being the most unhealthy, choci-fied ones in my whole life, but who knows, this could be a wonderful, life changing experience, in which I discover the benefits (or disatrous after-effects) of eating humungous amounts of chocolate.

I must note that this may not be my only source of consumption of chocolate ....

it's hot, let's switch off

2007-01-24T00:56:00.000Z

yup, it's been a really hot month -mostly- we've had birds tweeting at night, early blooms and sprouting bulbs, so why are we still keeping heaters on, opening windows and walking around in T-shirts at home? I'm not complaining, but Christian Aid is claiming that if we all turned our thermostats down by one degree, it would help us combat drought in Africa (www.climatechanged.org ). Seems a little ambitious, but it does make my parents -whose central heating has broken down for now 2 years- seem like saints. Bless them...

biking the city

2006-12-20T00:10:00.000Z

In the last few years, the city has seen a huge rise in bikers and cyclists. Swarms of peddlers have taken to the streets, multicoloured helmets brightening the dull morning commute like party candy. The streets of London also seem to be the breeding ground for new types of cyclists. Fashionistas and couriers alike are all on wheels. Whereas cycling was until fairly recently one of those things couriers or health & eco conscious people would do, it now seems that every social strata has taken on biking. The streets of London are still rife with bicycle couriers zooming past, avoiding angry taxi drivers and double deckers, making their way through exhaust fumes and central London congestion. With their super lightweight bikes, cool attitude, they can hardly be mistaken. What is new to the streets however, is a curious breed –or rather breeds- of people on bikes. People is used rather liberally, as it really points to quite a few different groups. Fashionistas on their newly acquired bicycle are to me the most fascinating. Obviously well aware of the fitness advantages of cycling (Alice Rawsthorn from the Design Museum, once said it has helped her maintain the body of a 20 year old), these women –and they are mostly women- seem to particularly enjoy their ride, their heads up in a co-ordinated, well studied outfit. Besides, isn’t messy, ‘bed hair’ in fashion right now? From personal experience, they are well-behaved, cautious cyclists, who won’t get too sweaty and will keep to a neat speed in fear of their manolos falling off…. Their ensemble has to be well thought out – suits or tight skirts are out, shorts are definitely in along with cropped trousers and flats. Surely there should be a guideline in Vogue as to what one should/could wear. Or perhaps the fashionista’s biking manifesto? Obviously, cycling isn’t that trendy yet. Well it’s not exactly easy to wear wedges or carry the latest chloe handbag whilst cycling, not yet anyway. Nevertheless, cycling has certainly been embraced by the coolest of the lot and this has definitely helped to bring it back in trend.

Another fairly intriguing type is what I call the hybrid – a fit, health conscious person with all the right gear –the professional ‘tour de france look’- who slips into his standardized work uniform once the destination reached. The tight lycra-clad creature somehow becomes magically transformed into a smart city worker ready for yet another productive day at work. Surely the fresh air and exercise must have some impact on efficiency; has it not been proven that exercise boosts blood circulation, thus pumping fresh blood to the brain and produces endorphins? This surely has to be investigated…

All this cycling can only be good for London –fitter people, lively streets and maybe one day, less traffic and pollution. One can also hope this trend will last. The sights are certainly a delight!

Islington's recycling bags

2006-09-18T16:15:00.000+01:00

I'm really very impressed... Ever since the Islington council launched their recycling bags scheme a few months ago in my area, people really have been making an effort to sort out their rubbish. And it's amazing how much you can actually recycle. It leads you to think how much of a difference little individual efforts can make in the greater scheme of things. Every week, I see lovely green recycling bags, full of empty bottles, magazines, cans etc. left outside for collection.
Human beings are naturally lazy but they're not evil. We all care for our planet, and if we're given the opportunity to do our bit, most of us will. You can't expect old, busy, or just lazy people to seperate their rubbish and then take it to a recycle area miles away (and I haven't seen many in central London). Give them the bag and they'll do it. Put them in this green mindset and then you may very well see more changes. It takes time...

just starting...

2006-08-18T00:45:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to do this for ages - put some order in my somewhat messy rants, share my experiences, passions and dreams of wanting to be a bit of an eco warrior in the city (but not quite getting there yet), doing my bit for the environment and much more....