It's been a while.....

.... since I last wrote a blog post! A lot has happened in the past two months - holidays, birthdays, exam results days, lazy days and many, many lovely warm sunny days.

Whilst holidaying at Lake Garda in Northern Italy, I learned to windsurf (sort of!). This was an enlightening experience! It's been a long time since I was a complete and utter beginner at something, and it was very humbling. There were times during the course when I wanted to give up because it was just too hard and I wasn't making progress, but the discipline I've learned from my yoga practice came in very useful and I was able to breathe, dig deep and see it through.

It gave me an insight into how it might feel for someone coming to their first yoga class, unsure about all the unfamiliar postures, transitions, Sanskrit words etc., and it was a reminder how important it is for a teacher - yoga, windsurf or any other type of teacher - to be patient and reassuring with their students and to give clear instructions.

It was a reminder too about the value of practice. Practice helps you build your skills, and to improve rather than stay the same. Practice helps you to travel along your chosen path. I struggled to stand up on my own two feet on a windsurf board just as I used to struggle to stay balanced upside-down in headstand. I practiced my headstands consistently and now I'm completely comfortable with them - steady and strong, and if I practiced windsurfing often I'm sure I would become comfortable with it too. As yoga master Sri K Patthabi Jois is famous for saying, "Do your practice and all is coming".

Holiday Headstand at Lago di Ledro

This Week I'm Making...No-Bake Energy Bites

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried these yummy snacks this weekend. They have healthy ingredients, are really easy to make and they taste soooo good. They got the thumbs up from my friends too.

This week I'm Visiting...Triyoga Soho's new cafe

Triyoga Soho has had a refit. A new studio has been added complete with infra-red heating for hot yoga classes, the changing rooms are more spacious and there is now a lovely little cafe with a super-healthy menu. I tried a delicious chickpea salad and a beetroot and carrot salad and went for a Green Inversion juice (cucumber, celery, spinach, apple, lemon and ginger).

Triyoga Soho - in Kingly Court off Carnaby Street

What to choose??....

Green Inversion juice

This Week I'm Picking...

Verbena bonariensis, cosmos, fuschia, black elder and dahlias. There is so much late summer colour in the garden, with the dahlias still producing masses of flowers - keep picking and they'll keep flowering. 

This Week I'm Loving...your photos

Have you got a photo of yourself doing yoga in a stunning location that you'd be willing to share? Or a photo of a stunning location without the yoga that simply took your breath away? Send me your photos (email hi@thriveyoga.co.uk) and I'll share them with our yoga community over the next couple of weeks.

Claire T saluting the sun as it rises at Stackpole Quay, Pembrokeshire

Claire T doing a mighty fine Revolved Triangle pose

Two beautiful pictures from Jacqui P's summer holiday

Kath rocking her Warrior II pose by a lake in Ireland

I've just noticed that all the above photos show earth, sea (or lake) and sky and it reminded me of this lovely quote:

And finally... A Tribute to BKS Iyengar

You may have heard that BKS Iyengar, the guru who brought yoga to the West, died a couple of weeks ago at the age of 95. He was a very well respected teacher and author and I, amongst many, owe him a debt of gratitude for his teaching.

His method of yoga focused on the correct alignment of the body and introduced the use of props such as blocks and straps to enable people of all abilities to practice the postures. I was trained by Ruth White who was one of Mr Iyengar's first western students in the 1960's, so my own classes have an Iyengar influence.

He was, apparently, a demanding and fierce teacher who expected a lot from his students. He was known for his eagle-eye and attention to every minute detail of the body's placement, and would correct a person's pose if even one finger was out of place. However, this level of discipline yielded so many transformations of health and mental attitude that his teaching spread far and wide, and is now practiced by thousands of people around the world. To this day, Iyengar yoga is synonymous with a strong asana-based practice, with correct alignment of the body being paramount.

He published one of the most important yoga books, Light on Yoga, which is found on the bookshelves of most yoga teachers as it is such a clear and succinct reference to so many postures. He has a teaching centre in Pune, India and his work will be carried on by his daughter Geeta and his son Prashant.

BKS Iyengar 1918-2014

One of Iyengar's most famous quotes

Picture Quote of the Week