Growing up in England, the series “Dr Who” was frequently on TV and I was fascinated by the Tardis. I loved how what appeared to be a simple phone box on the outside contained endless possibilities for adventure on the inside. It dawned on me recently that our yoga poses are much like the Tardis - deceptively simple to look at, but once you step inside, you can tap into a whole world of potential.

Today I hung the curtains. It felt like an accomplishment. 

When the fires broke out in LA, just over a month ago, we woke up at 4am to a bedroom full of smoke and the nauseating sound of houses exploding in the distance. It took us a moment to realize what it was… a haunting rhythm of thudding pops that I will never forget. 

The beginning of the year is often a time when we heap pressure on ourselves to make changes—get healthy, lose weight, do whatever it is that we have been meaning to do to improve our daily lives. Saddled with the drag of overindulgence and a little panic in our eyes, we set unrealistic goals in the hope that the sheer urgency of it all will propel us into a new way of being in the world… Ok, ok, we know how this ends. So how about, this year, we focus on just one simple goal - to be kind to ourselves? 

You made it through class, and the time has finally come to lie down and relax. “Find your way into a comfortable position,” your yoga teacher coos at you with misty eyes. “Lovely idea,” you mutter, as you roll up your yoga mat with slightly pursed lips. “Too many things to do, I’m afraid!” In our busy lives, lying down at the end of class can seem like a frivolous waste of time. So why is it so important to stay for the relaxation?

Does getting to your yoga mat feel like the meeting of two magnets? If so, you are not alone! Life gets in the way of yoga and one of our biggest challenges is to get our bums on the mat. But just remember, once you’re there, I will take care of the rest!

Let’s talk about legs! Do you ever find yourself staring at a flight of stairs and contemplating your choices? Fear not, yoga lovelies, for the answer lies in the magic of a thigh-smoking class at the YLC! That’s right, those classes where your leg muscles are burning and you are quietly wishing ill on your beloved yoga teacher because she has kept you there for SO long!