Blurred Boundaries

Business or personal? Teacher or individual? Work or play?

Two years after deciding to change the direction of A Learner Yogi I find myself still struggling to find content.

Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me!

Dishwashing liquid and vinegar?! What on earth can I concoct with those ingredients?

Yearning for Yin

As the school holidays approached and two of my classes wound down for the term, I was looking forward to a break and time to prepare for new workshops I had planned for the following term. However, as with most things in life, plans change.

Enduring Winter

Is it just me or does the Sydney Winter seem colder than previous years and bitterly so? It probably doesn't help that we live in a Federation double-brick house without any air conditioning, working fireplaces or insulation. During the day it can be warmer outside than inside. The trouble is, all I want to do is hibernate, curl up in front of a fire, enjoy comforting foods, and do nothing.
So how do I fire myself up and get things done?

Lessons and Photos from April Love 2015

I enjoy the challenge of trying to take a photo a day as an exercise in awareness but, before April, had never participated in a formal photo challenge with other photographers.

Signing up for Susannah Conway's April Love 2015 was an exercise in self discovery and learning to love yourself. And I think it was the impetus I needed to rehaul this blog.

Time for a Change

I've always struggled with the content for this blog. There were so many other yogis producing uplifting and inspirational content that I was unsure what I could contribute to the world of yoga blogs.

I was in the second year of my yoga teacher training and struggling to live a yogic lifestyle while working in a corporate environment. Hence, I started A Learner Yogi in a Corporate World to document my journey of yoga and corporate life.

Family Fun

What is that saying in the film and television industry about children and animals? Never work with children or animals?

So, imagine what it would be like to teach a yoga class with children and animals.

Quest for a Quiet Mind

“That's not a challenge for you ...”

“I do that when I exercise - I don't watch the TV or listen to music or anything ...”

“I do this everyday. I live alone so there is no-one to talk to ...”

These were some of the responses when I initially announced I was doing the Quiet Quest, a fund-raising activity for The Yoga Foundation that required me to be silent and unplugged for the equivalent of 30 minutes of 30 days in October.

Shavasana in September

Photo: Savasana by lululemon athletica.
Source: Flickr. Licensed under a CC BY 2.0 licence.

Shavasana^[1]—the pose that most people know as the ‘laying down’ pose at the end of a yoga class— seems so simple but is probably one of the most difficult poses to do.

On the Brink of the Unknown

Photo: Over the Edge in Turkey by Alex Berger. Source: flickr.com. Licensed under a CC BY-NC 2.0 licence.

“We all have a fear of the unknown. What one does with that fear will make all the difference in the world.”
Lillian Russell

Yoga for Snoring?!

Photo: Tiny Snores by pheezy.
Available under a CC BY-2.0 licence.

I've been trying out a new smartphone alarm application that monitors your sleep patterns and calculates the best time to wake you. This version also records noises in the night that might disturb your sleep. I knew that I snored but I didn't realise how loud I was!

The "Staring At The Screen All Day" Sequence

Are your eyes dry or itchy or both? Are they tired? Can you feel a muscle just above your eye twitching?

A Life After Death?

I started to write this post to reflect on the importance of rituals but realised that I was actually pondering on the profound question of whether there is life after death.

Trying to Be Green

As I passed through the checkout, I wondered if people would think the large amounts of vinegar and yoghurt in my shopping trolley a little odd. Actually, forget what other people think, I'm sure Hubby thinks I'm mad. 😂

Beginnings of a Love Affair with Yoga

When people ask me how long I have been practising yoga, I usually say, “Ten years. The first five years on and off but I have been attending a class once or twice a week for the last five.”

However, I actually first tried yoga when I was 15. Yoga was offered as an option for sport, and not being very athletic, it seemed a perfect choice for me. Unfortunately we had to choose a different sport for the next term and then it was never offered again for my year. I didn't realise how enamoured I was with yoga until I came across these notes.

Going to Extremes

“I don't know why I go to extremes
 Too high or too low there ain't no in-betweens ...”

Billy Joel, I Go to Extremes

Your Body Knows Best

Raw sinuses. Chills. Headache. Lethargic. Do you think my body was trying to tell me something?

Learning to Relax

So, why did I feel the need to create a “I Really Need to Relax” sequence?

Hubby and I had been in Melbourne a week. The days were spent reacquainting ourselves with the city, visiting the newer areas of Docklands and South Wharf, discovering the changes in the suburb where we used to live, and attending the shows we had booked as part of the International Comedy Festival.

We arrived on a Sunday night. By Tuesday I was feeling lost—I didn't know what to do with myself. A week later, we're walking down the street and Hubby asks “Are you relaxing yet? Or have you forgotten how?”. And you know what? He was right-I had forgotten how to relax.

The “I Really Need to Relax” Sequence

This sequence is designed to remove physical tensions (particularly in the back and shoulders) and focus and relax the mind by coordinating the movements with the breath. If you have time, end with one or both of the following: alternate nostril breathing to calm and balance the body and mind, or yoga nidra to invoke deep relaxation.

There's No Place Like Home

There's no place like home, but sometimes, for business or for pleasure, there are times when you cannot be at home.

I'm currently working on a project where all my team is in Melbourne and I'm the only one in Sydney. Luckily, a lot of the work can be done from Sydney but, there are some tasks that can only be done in Melbourne.

As much as I love travelling, it is always unsettling, especially when Hubby cannot accompany me. Yet, it was only last week while I was in Melbourne that I became aware of the number of yogic and other complementary practices I use to help me unwind and centre.