We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. Experiencing the innermost core of our existence is very embarrassing to a lot of people. A lot of people turn to something that they hope will liberate them without their having to face themselves. That is impossible. We can't do that. We have to be honest with ourselves. We have to see our gut, our excrement, our most undesirable parts. We have to see them. That is the foundation of warriorship, basically speaking. Whatever is there, we have to face it, we have to look at it, study it, work with it and practice meditation with it. Chogyam Trungpa

Here is a video demonstrating Third Series Ashtanga by Santina. Personally, I have never even seen some of the poses in this video. Enjoy!

Asha = Eight, Anga = Limb, Yoga = Union The Eight Limbs of yoga are: Yama - Ethical disciplines, morals Niyama – Self observation, purification. Asana - Poses, postures Pranayama - breath control, rythmic. Pratayahara - sense withdrawel Dharana - Concentration. Dhyana - meditation Samadhi - A state of joy and peace

Training is needed in order to love properly; and to be able to give happiness and joy, you must practice deep looking directed toward the other person you love. Because if you do not understand this person, you cannot love properly. Understanding is the essence of love. If you cannot understand, you cannot love. That is the message of the Buddha. Thich Nhat Hanh - True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart

Here is a video of Kino practising in the Shala in Purple Valley, Goa India. This video demonstrates just how strong and focused Kino is… It is fantastic to watch a woman practice Ashtanga yoga at this level. I also love the bird song you can hear in the background. I myself have practiced many times in this lovely shala and always found the bird song very soothing and meditative .

At a charity auction event I attended recently, one of the prizes was a champagne evening in a Jimmy Choo store. The auction made a lot of money for the charity, but - even with the huge discount - I would not have been able to buy a pair of shoes from the shop. I do, however, own a pair of Jimmy Choo’s. One of my friends went to the sample sale and purchased shoes for all the women she knew at ridiculously low prices. Such was her excitement that she was hyperventilating when she called and asked me my shoe size. I love the shoes, but, with the five-inch heels, they are not very practical. I can’t really wear them that often, unless my husband carries me (which he won’t), walking a few paces is about my limit. The evening also reminded me of a funny Jimmy Choo anecdote. Many years ago my husband and I were at a party in London. We were both talking to different people. After we had left the party, he told me that he had been chatting to a really nice guy who worked in a shoe shop. Of

God is definitely out of the closet. Marianne Williamson

When I was training to be a yoga teacher, one of the 6 purification techniques taught to us was Jala Neti ( also called Neti or Jaaneti). Purification techniques are sometimes performed as a way of preparing the body for a yoga practice. Whenever the neti pots came out, I disappeared, always needing to be somewhere else at that moment in time… I had many techniques to avoid it: the bathroom, the water fountain, the shop, anything but the Net. Pouring a saline solution up my hooter was really not for me and I have avoided it right up to today. I have got a steaming cold and, as a result, I now have sinus pain, so I have decided to give it another go. Talk about waiting until your back is against the wall! I rushed to the Sivanada yoga studio nearby and bought myself a ceramic neti pot and salt. I had to follow the one photographic image as the instructions were in German!!! Although I did not find it as unpleasant as some people describe, it was not as bad as I remembered. So I will us

On Friday night I was invited to the Barnes Ball. It was an Indian themed night, which was a perfect excuse for dressing up, hence the sari photograph. The ball raised money for a number charities, both local and further afield. One of the charities is “The under tree schools” in southern Sudan. This project is building a future for girls who would otherwise not get an education. They are providing a good future for a town that was ravaged by the civil war in Sudan for the best part of fifty years. Education for the girls will help lift their community out of subexistence and bring them a better life. It was a really fun, well-organised event and thousands of pounds were raised. There were Indian Bhangra drummers, Bollywood-style dancers and fabulous food. The highlight of the evening, for me, was watching us westerners dancing in Indian attire; no mean feat I must say. Those saris were unravelling as much as the party-goers were.

Man's main task in life is to give birth to himself. Erich Fromm