Yoga

MoreStillness: Journey to Meditation

Why meditate?

Meditation is a powerful tool that helps us to feel more comfortable in ourselves, more calm, more in control and at peace. And yet many of us struggle to build a regular practice or find a technique that enables us to sit in stillness. As we rush around our busy days, constantly bombarded, it’s sometimes hard to think we have time to just sit and do nothing. Yet this always on, high intensity culture is causing tens of thousands of us each year to report increased levels of stress, fatigue, burnout, and an inability to slow down.

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By Robyn McLaren, ago

Practice and all is coming…. What does this really mean?

Practice and all is coming – This is a sentence we hear teachers say in class all the time. I always knew what it meant and accepted it, but I never really let it sink and resonate with me. Until today.practice and all is coming, Yoga Hive, Robyn McLaren

I went to an upside down handstand focused workshop with one of my fav’ London based teachers Marcus Veda. Anyone who knows me, knows I love of being upside down and handstands in particular. Marcus started the class with a talk about expectations and how long (years) it has taken him to work up to where he is – an anti-gravity ninja for anyone who hasn’t been to his classes. I agreed with it all. I say it to my students all the time – We are not meant to master all of the poses, there is always somewhere else to take your practice, there is no end result or destination, it’s all in the practice, Abhyasa – slow and steady effort in the direction you want to go, you won’t be any happier when you can handstand the whole shebang. I say it AND MEAN IT in class all the time.

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By Robyn McLaren, ago

What is Yin Yoga and Why Should You Try it?

Yin Yoga - Reclined Butterfly

Having completed my Yin yoga teacher training, I quickly realised how many of my students, or friends don’t know what Yin yoga is or anything about it. Vinyasa Yoga has long been the mainstream in the west, with energising flows, creative sequencing and that satisfaction that comes with the challenge and diversity of the practice. But with so many different styles of yoga out there how is it that so many of us don’t know, don’t more regularly practice, or aren’t even familiar with some of the most ancient yoga practices and their benefits?

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By Robyn McLaren, ago

Why You Don’t Need to be Flexible to do Yoga

At least once a week I will hear someone say – “I would love to do yoga but I am so in flexible, I can’t even touch my toes”….

Yoga seems to have (yet another) pre-conception, that it is only for flexible people to strut their stuff and show off on the mat. There’s an illusion that to do yoga you need to be a zenned out ballerina on a mountain with her leg behind her head omming away in bliss…. This is not yoga, well at least not for 99.99% of the yogi’s I know! So this blog is for all you stiff people out there, to strip away the excuse of not being flexible enough to give Yoga a go and give you a reason to try it!

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By Robyn McLaren, ago

The Art of the Yoga Practice…

Art is defined as “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”

Yoga is an Art Form

So as such Yoga is in its self an art form, an expression where through our flows and postures or asanas, we produce shapes to be appreciated for their beauty, as well as to cultivate emotional power. For me as a student and teacher my practice varies hugely dependant on my emotional state and what my body needs. (more…)

By Robyn McLaren, ago

Top 5 Yoga Poses to Give You a Spring Zing!

Spring is here, the suns shining, there’s bees back buzzing in the air and blossom in the trees! During this time of transition between the seasons it can be easy to feel a bit out of shape and heavy as our energy levels adjust from winter slump. But today the clocks have changed so it’s time to get moving and get prepping for summer with a boost! Here are my top 5 energy boosting yoga poses to slip into your morning routine to leave you feeling great and ready to move! (more…)

By Robyn McLaren, ago

Top Yoga Teacher Remedies to Fight Winter Cold’s

February is nearly over, there’s a peak of Spring sunshine through the clouds and with the shift in season and change in weather… also comes the cold and flu season! People sniffing and coughing on the tubes and trains as cold and flu are spreading and catching everyone including myself!! So here’s my top 5 remedies I use to help beat the sickness and stay healthy this Spring – all 100% Yogi tested!

  1. Echinacea – Treatment & prevention for sinus / respiratory issues, common colds and flu. You can get it in various forms from your health food shops such as tea and tablets, my favourite way to take it is in essence form which you dilute (more…)
By Robyn McLaren, ago

Body Image – The Battle for Self-Acceptance

Warming Up…

I have always been someone who battles with their self-image. As a child I was really tall, lanky, uncontrollably clumsy as I tried to navigate the use of my long limbs with difficulty! This is why my parents first took me to Gymnastics to try to help me gain strength and coordination. As I hit my teens I was an elite gymnast, which as a teenage girl can put you in rather a conflicting position with body image. When I was competing I longed to be smaller, thinner more toned like some of my competitors. Never viewing my own body even after 25+hrs a week in the gym asBody image lean or strong as theirs. Outside of the gymnastics world I longed to be one of the popular kids, curvy, grown up, womanly and proud. I never felt comfortable in my body. I always felt stuck between two conflicted worlds of opposites to which I belonged to neither. As an adult especially since becoming a yoga teacher I found myself still constantly living in this battle of reviewing my physical state as a sign of general success. When I gained weight it was a failure a loss of control on my life and emotions, weight loss a win. (more…)

By Robyn McLaren, ago

Diary of a Yogi

8 months in, 8 months to go…

8 months ago I moved back to the UK after living the dream in Sydney Australia for 3 years. Sydney had an amazing impact on me helping me to find my passion for the Yoga practice and living as I never had more freely than before. Being back in London these last 8 months has flown by and been quite an adjustment getting used to the busy city after living at the beach in the sunshine! I’m not going to lie… winter in particular has been tough! As a yoga teacher and student we try to become more connected with everything around us and more conscious of everything the good and bad! It’s all part of the practice to create your own environment, take ownership and shape yourself into the best version of yourself using the 5,000yr old teachings and the practice.Yoga Blog
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By Robyn McLaren, ago