In some corners of modern spirituality, the ego has become a kind of villain. Something to overcome, dissolve, silence, or eradicate. If you’ve ever heard phrases like “ego death” or “living beyond the ego”, you’ll know the tone - as if the ego were a flaw in our design rather than a part of it. Yoga tells a quieter, more compassionate story. In yogic philosophy, the ego is not a monster to be slain. It is a function of the mind - necessary, human, and profoundly shaped by ex

Each year, I take time to reflect on my work - not as an exercise in productivity or performance, but as a practice of honest listening. I look back at what worked well, what didn’t, and the growth I may not have fully recognised in the moment. This part of my reflection isn’t about failure. It’s about noticing friction - the moments where something felt slightly out of alignment, or where my body quietly asked for a boundary sooner.

Each year, I take time to reflect on my work - not as an exercise in productivity or performance, but as a practice of honest listening. I look back at what worked well, what didn’t, and the growth I may not have fully recognised in the moment. These reflections help me discern what wants to be carried forward, and what is ready to be released. They shape how I plan for the year ahead - not through rigid goals, but through intention, attention, and care. This year I truly beg

Theme: The Practice of Tapas: The Sacred Fire of Commitment This week in our Sangha, we introduced Tapas — one of the niyamas, and a teaching that speaks to inner fire, steady devotion, and the courage to stay present with what truly matters. Tapas is often translated as discipline or effort, but it’s not the harsh, punishing kind we might associate with pushing or forcing. As Deborah Adele writes in The Yamas and Niyamas, Tapas is the heat that refines — the steady warmth t

Chakras are often mentioned in yoga spaces, but rarely explained in a way that feels simple, grounded, or relevant to real life. This short introduction is for complete beginners — whether you practise yoga or not. We’ll explore what chakras are, why they matter, and how they offer a compassionate way of understanding our bodies, emotions and inner lives, without anything being “blocked” or broken.

Santosha invites us to rest in the enoughness of this moment. We don’t need to wait for life to be perfect before we soften. Like a still lake, we can meet both ease and difficulty with steadiness and presence. Contentment isn’t something to chase — it’s something we return to, breath by breath.

Saucha is often translated as purity or cleanliness, but as Deborah Adele reminds us in The Yamas and Niyamas, this isn’t about striving for perfection or rigid order. It’s about cultivating the kind of inner and outer environment that allows energy, breath, and inspiration to move freely through us.

As autumn deepens and the veil between worlds thins, the energy of Samhain drifts through the air — quiet, reflective, and edged with mystery. The harvest has been gathered; the fields lie bare. Nature herself exhales, releasing what has completed its cycle. The trees surrender their leaves without resistance, trusting that this falling away is part of a larger rhythm.

Theme: Brahmacharya: Walking in Sacred Balance There’s a beautiful stillness hidden in the word Brahmacharya . It’s often translated as *celibacy*, but that narrow definition misses its heart. In its truest sense, Brahmacharya invites us to walk through the world in sacred balance — to honour our energy, our attention, and our desire as something precious, not to be spilt carelessly into every passing distraction. In Sanskrit, Brahma means “the divine,” and *charya* means “t

In yoga philosophy, there’s a quietly powerful teaching that names four stages of being: Bogi, Rogi, Yogi, and Tyagi. It’s not so much a ladder to climb as it is a mirror — an invitation to notice how we’re living and where our energy is flowing.

What lies beneath the stories we tell ourselves? This week, we explore the art of being honest with ourselves — through yoga philosophy, core values, and the still lake of truth.

Theme: Satya - Truthfulness and the difference between 'nice' and 'real'. In yoga, Satya is often translated simply as “truthfulness.”...

Theme: Worrying is a form of violence - discuss! I have been looking forward to discussing this part of the book, because it is a little...

This evening, our circle began by checking in with how we were each arriving. The unsettled weather — and the pull of the approaching September full moon — seemed to be stirring something in many of us.

Theme: Moving from fear towards balance After quite a 'heavy' session the week before, I offered a grounding 'safe space' meditation to...

Rooted in ancient agricultural traditions, Lammas, also known as Lughnasadh, is a festival of gratitude and abundance.

In our first session, we gently arrived in circle together — some of us meeting for the first time — and explored the question: “What brought you to this circle?” We took time to land, to listen, and to share the many reasons we each felt drawn to a dedicated yoga philosophy group.

Svadhyaya is one of those quietly powerful practices that lives at the heart of yoga. It sits among the Niyamas, the internal disciplines outlined in the Eight Limbs of Yoga, and it is often translated as "self-study."

Yoga is always spiritual at its core — a practice of connection, not just exercise. While modern trends may strip it back to fitness, authentic yoga includes breath, reflection, and awareness. You don’t need to label it spiritual to benefit from it. Ask your teacher how they incorporate yoga’s deeper roots. My classes honour this wholeness, blending movement and mindfulness, and I’m happy to recommend other like-minded teachers too.

There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when we step outside the walls of the studio and onto the earth. A softening. A...