And so to blog ..
posting, talking, recommending; people, places, products and more: a copy of Deadly Diplomacy and a glass of Bolly; all good things Made by the Forge; Green People make-up; homemade jam; shopping, sharing, living & loving!
posting, talking, recommending; people, places, products and more: a copy of Deadly Diplomacy and a glass of Bolly; all good things Made by the Forge; Green People make-up; homemade jam; shopping, sharing, living & loving!
October is menopause awareness month and in yoga circles there is a great deal of talk about how the practice can help to ease this natural transition. The menopause, and the period that precedes it, known as the perimenopause, can last for several years. It’s not something that most women can
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If we are to talk about combatting stress with yoga it’s useful to have an idea of what we mean by stress. These days mental health is a high priority agenda item for many organisations and health providers, and stress is a word in everyday use. Most people would undoubtedly share common
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Mmmm, everyone is talking about this these days; to the degree that it seems to be politically incorrect not to either know what it is, or be aspiring to master it. The development of Mindfulness as a contemporary practice can be attributed to Jon Kabat-Zinn who as well as being
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At some point or other during the covid crisis almost everyone will have considered the idea of the “new normal”. But that implies there was a previously standardised norm against which this new mode of operating can be compared. It has been generally accepted that this was a work culture
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Dogs. Never have they been more popular. Famously billed as man’s best friend they are now the solace of lockdowners everywhere. There must be some interesting psychology behind the reasons why but, not having access to that information, I have my own thoughts on the cause of this massive uptake
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Mostly I am reluctant to voice a position on political issues; but “Black Lives Matter” is not political it is humanitarian and I am often vocal on matters of humanity. Benjamin Crump spoke about a “Pandemic of Racism and discrimination” and he’s not wrong, because the heartbreaking truth is that
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We are in a global crisis, but the crisis is not coronavirus; this is a symptom, not the cause. We now have covid-19. We have had SARS, we have had the horse meat scare, we have had foot and mouth. There is global and pandemic suffering to the earth and
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My elder son is at the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. He tells me it’s the most incredible and amazing thing he’s ever seen. Considering he’s just been to Machu Picchu, on his enviable sojourn around the breathtaking beauty of South America, I am inclined to believe it’s pretty special. I
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My younger son has developed an extraordinary and consistent interest in reptiles and arachnids. I have no idea how this came to pass. My elder son used to read nature books cover to cover, but kept to more conventional interests in pets. Not so the younger. I have always believed
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A Prayer: Refuse to fall down If you cannot refuse to fall down, refuse to stay down. If you cannot refuse to stay down, lift your heart toward heaven, and like a hungry beggar, ask that it be filled, and it will be filled. You may be pushed down. You may be kept from rising. But no one can keep you from
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It's the international day of yoga and I am spending it with Donna Farhi. How cool is that?! Of all the teachers from whom I have learned and been inspired, in all of my decades of yoga practice, Donna is my absolute hands down favourite and my “go to” authority. Her
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Serendipity is a wonderful thing and I have trained myself invariably to surrender to it. So when I chanced to read a report on The Great Yorkshire Show, with rave reviews on Alison O’Neil’s “Wool is my Bread” collection, I thought it was high time we met because this was
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At the time of writing I am preparing to go into my second year of a masters degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (SOAS). I’m studying “Traditions of Yoga and Meditation” in the department of religions and philosophies. Who would have thought? Not only
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“Ok right, so what is sustainable about going to New York?” I hear you say. “How does that fit into the home grown “buy local” ethos?” And the answer from me is “more than you think”. Surprisingly. Notwithstanding that carbon neutral is the way to go, this year I made a
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What is Valentines about.... really? I don’t think it’s chocolates, champagne and roses, trips to Venice or expensive jewellery. Those gifts are more about demonstrating that one cares, with a bit (or a lot) of indulgence, depending on one’s pocket. Isn’t valentines really about opening the heart and giving of
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I really enjoy writing, (no surprise there) but I might never have come across these wonderful workshops had it not been for the fact that Laura, who leads them, is a personal friend. The phenomenally qualified Dr Laura Napran is an experienced teacher, writer and storyteller, a member of Lapidus (Literary
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Meditating is no longer the self indulgent province of those with time and inclination, it has become something of a necessity for many and is viewed as an increasingly valuable means of gaining and maintaining equilibrium both by professionals and lay people alike. Perhaps not surprisingly then, I recently became
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It would be stretching the truth to say that York Minster is on my doorstep, but it is nevertheless very doable, and I have been thinking of going to the Sankta Lucia festival for a few years. This year I had a firm intention and bagged my seat. What a treat! Sankta Lucia
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Ayurveda is the science of life, the knowledge of how to achieve and maintain perfect health. Originating from the ancient vedic knowledge of India, it is the most comprehensive system of health care in the world today. To call it holistic would be selling it too short because ayurveda is so much
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My Christmas is not complete without carols and I have yet to find anything to top the choir of King's College, Cambridge. One of the great representatives of the British choral tradition, their rendition of "All Bells in Paradise" is just sublime. They have been delighting swith their voices since
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It's not wacky, it's not weird and millions of people are at it every day. As a VERY long term meditator, I speak from considerable experience and the transcendental meditation technique is simple to learn, quick to do, and best of all it really does work. Extensive studies have concluded that TM is profoundly effective
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