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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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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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…)

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…)