On Sunday 17th of May, the sixth annual PinkPower Walk took place. This year's walk was slightly different from previous years as it was a 16-mile walk (setting out from Richmond Park and finishing in Barnes), whereas in previous editions it was either a marathon or half-marathon event. I am pleased to announce that an amazing £160,000 has been raised from this year's walk, with money raised going to two charities, Breakthrough and the Caron Keating Foundation, both of which raise funds for research into breast cancer. What is the PinkPower Walk? The PinkPower Walk came to exist after a I and a group of five other women applied to take part in another breast cancer fundraising event, only to be not given a place. Far from discouraging us, this disappointment actually inspired us to set about creating our own event and with the cooperation and participation of friends and family, we were able to gather together 38 participants for the first walk, raising approximately £39,000… T

Tripod down dog (Adho Mukha svanasana variation) , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . This is variation of the Tripod downward facing dog pose, also known as Adho Mukha svanasana .

Perseverance furthers. (The I-Ching or Chinese Book of Changes)

Expect nothing and the little you get will feel like millions. (Kumar Dindial)

Lotus position (Padmasana) , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . This pose is called the Lotus position (Padmasana).

If not now, when? (The Talmud)

The only devils in this world are those running around in our own hearts, and that is where all our battles ought to be fought. Mahatma Gandhi

Was going to give this post the following title: Lakshimi, or how the Royal Bank of Scotland resorts to Hindu deities to overcome the Credit Crunch ... but unfortunately it was a tad long. It would appear that the Credit Crunch is really start to hit where it hurts most... one's pockets! It becomes even more daunting when your bank starts sending you Hindu deities, Lakshimi (money goddess) to be precise, as a means of solving our financial worries. I cannot help but ask myself what they will think of next: free fortune cookies when you open a saver's account; stockbroking with Mystic Meg; telephone banking with Lady Luck; free money trees for online bankers... but my personal favourite (a surefire success) are Googlemaps or GPS systems with directions to the end of a rainbow, and a free toy leprechaun for your car thrown in for short measure!

Camel Pose variation , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . This is a variation of the Camel Pose.

Many people often ask me what the difference is between yoga and pilates and if there is point practising one if they already practice the other. What is yoga? Yoga is an ancient practice and can be traced back more than 5000 years to India. The word yoga means “to yoke”; a union of mind, body and spirit, making it a spiritual tradition. Yoga aims to purify the mind and body, and the Eight Limb Path practiced in some yoga traditions offers ethical principals to follow. By following this path, it is said one can transcend the ego and awaken the spirtual energy hidden within, revealing our highest capabilities. The physical practice of yoga poses (asanas) is what many people in the West are attracted to initially. The physical effects (toning, lengthening and strengthening of the body) and the feelings of well-being brought about by practising yoga is what can often be the start of a yogic journey… A journey within. What is Pilates? Pilates is a much newer practice in comparison to yoga.