World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor -- it requires only that they live together with mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement. John F. Kennedy

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. Marianne Williamson

People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom? Thich Nhat Hanh

I have learned silence from the talkative, tolerance from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strangely, I am ungrateful to these teachers. Khalil Gibran

There is a limit at which forbearance ceases to be a virtue. Edmund Burke

Car pooling , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Sharing carbon footprints. Will four on a bike catch on?

Chill out place , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Thinking of calling my yoga studio this (when I get one, that is). What do you think?

The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority. Ralph W. Sockman

Ultimately, America's answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired. Robert F. Kennedy

Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others. John F. Kennedy

We really have to understand the person we want to love. If our love is only a will to possess, it is not love. If we only think of ourselves, if we know only our own needs and ignore the needs of the other person, we cannot love. Thich Nhat Hanh

In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it. Marianne Williamson

Human diversity makes tolerance more than a virtue; it makes it a requirement for survival. René Dubos

Tolerance is only another name for indifference. W. Somerset Maugham

IMG_0398_1 , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Beach yoga. Back bending.

Here is a photograph of Ashtanga yoga master, the late SRI Pattabhi Jois. I believe it was taken in the summer of 2009 (so shortly before he died). I never got to practice yoga with the great man himself, but my own teacher shares so many of her stories about her 30 year friendship with Guruji as he is fondly known. In the photograph you can see the kindness and humour Guruji shared with many. I personally love the hoodie with "guru" on the front of it. This photograph was kindly shared with me by Nick .

It is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world. If we are to respect others' religions as we would have them respect our own, a friendly study of the world's religions is a sacred duty. Mohandas K. Gandhi

What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature. Voltaire

The only way to make sure people you agree with can speak is to support the rights of people you don't agree with. Eleanor Holmes Norton

Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd. Bertrand Russell

Let us not speak of tolerance. This negative word implies grudging concessions by smug consciences. Rather, let us speak of mutual understanding and mutual respect. Father Dominique Pire

The problem to be faced is: how to combine loyalty to one's own tradition with reverence for different traditions. Abraham Joshua Heschel

When we come into contact with the other person, our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if that person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We practice in this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. Thich Nhat Hanh

There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Marianne Williamson

Snowy Buddha , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . My garden Buddha wearing a snowy crown today.

Here is a rare yoga clip of Doug Swenson, older brother of David Swenson, the global Ashtanga yoga teacher. Doug was David's first yoga teacher and has been practising for a very long time. Enjoy!!

Here are a few photos from down town Putney in London yesterday. The British have an obsession with the weather; hot, cold or indifferent, it is always a topic of conversation. The capital has really slowed down with the snow in London and severe weather warnings have been issued for forthcoming days. My son is delighted as he does not have to go to school and has donned tights under his clothes to spend the whole day throwing snow with his friends. Apparently tights under your clothes are all the rage with his football team. He says they are Nike Pro but they still look like ladies tights to me. Six foot of male gangly legs looks hilarious in tights. Maybe I am starting to get cabin fever, as I am slightly confined to barracks. I have had to cancel yoga classes and workshops as the studio heating cant cope with the temperature. Acceptance is key! Don’t forget to feed the birds.

I am pleased to announce that the first edition of Om Magazine is now available online. This is particulary exciting for me as they have been kind enough to publish an article that I wrote about yoga during pregnancy ( pages 64-65 ); as well as another about yoga and skiing in the second edition. The second edition is on sale now at supermarkets such as Sainsbury's and Tesco; as well as being available to order online at: www.ommagazine.com .

Thought I would share this photo of my son being measured for his first suit while in India. These tailors were very sweet, and every time we visited them I thought of the book “A fine balance” by Rohinton Mistry. A beautifully moving novel set in Mumbai and features, amongst other things, tailors trying to make a living. Its a book that moved me to tears, so every time I went to the shop I welled up. In the photo my son looks like a huge basketball player; although he is pretty tall, these guys are quite petite. My daughter, an art student, designed a coat and the tailors made it for her. They were both delighted with the outcome. Cover of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

Here we are on the 6th of January 2010 and I am finally getting around to wishing you all a Happy New Year. My family and I had a fantastic trip to Goa and I will post some of my favourite bits. India is one of the noisiest, most vibrant and beautiful places I have visited. I have been to Goa before, but never with my family. When I have travelled to India in the past, I have always gone on my own and stayed on yoga retreats (more to follow in another post). Although I have loved the previous visits, this one was extra special and I felt more involved with Indian culture and spent more time with local people than ever before. We went to waterfalls, parties, markets, a spice plantation, rode on elephants, amongst other things. It was wonderful to share this experience with my teenagers and watching my son turn from an urban Londonite into a chilled out Goan was something else. We ate in beach shacks, drunk mocktails and kingfishers and all managed to avoid getting “Delhi Belly”, whic...

Sirsasana - Beach yoga , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Sirsasana beach yoga.

Natarajasana - Dancer Pose , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Natarajasana - Dancer Pose. Beach yoga.

Pigeon pose variation , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Pigeon pose variation. Anyone seen a hairbrush?