Maha Shivaratri 2023
Today, this evening is Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, like all such days of note, at this time the qualities and characteristics of Shiva are at their most prominent and accessible. Shiva, is the eternal Yogi, forever immersed in the state of meditation, in and as divine consciousness, the eternal essence of everything, […]
Abhyasa, consistent practice.
Abhyasa In his yoga sutras, Patanjali extols Abhyasa, stating that for yoga to be present, successful, continual, consistent practice is required. This is easy to appreciate, we all comprehend the idea of training, or repetition leading to development of a skill or an ability. ln more recent times, neuroscience has became very […]
Solstice and Christmas connections.
Solstice and Christmas connections. We all know that beyond the more recent commercialisation of Christmas that the opportunity to spend time with others, the space in which you can rest, withdraw and enjoy the atmosphere of the season are the essence of this period and the festivities. Ultimately, human connection, connecting with the world around […]
Intuitive rituals and midwinter.
Intuitive rituals. We all know that there are multiple traditions attached to points during the year such as Christmas, these can be diverse and have lots of interesting origins. I had an interesting conversation a few days ago with a friend from Lithuania, who mentioned just how many of their Christmas celebrations are very pagan, […]
Celebrating light.
This week marks Diwali, the festival of light. The most obvious display of Diwali is the lighting of lamps, in people’s windows, doorways to illuminate their homes and communal areas. One of primary origins of Diwali is the celebration of the return to Ayodhya, of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana after their fourteen years of exile, […]
Navaratri
Navaratri and the Goddess. We are now in Navaratri, the nine nights of the Goddess, the divine mother. This mainly celebrates the divine feminine as Durga, especially as related in the Devi Mahatmya, of her victory over Mahishasura, the buffalo demon, therefore restoring harmony and balance in life. In Yoga, Tantra and Indic […]
Ganesha Chaturti
Ganesha Chaturthi. Today, the 31st of August is Ganesha Chaturthi, the beginning of a set of festivities which celebrate the birth of Ganesha. Ganesh is one of the best known and recognisable of the Indic deities due to his widespread veneration and his appearance, the body of a yourh with the head of […]
Ganesha Chaturti
Ganesha Chaturthi. Today, the 31stvof August is Ganesha Chaturthi, the beginning of a set of festivities which celebrate the birth of Ganesha. Ganesh is one of the best known and recognisable of the Indic deities due to his widespread veneration and his appearance, the body of a yourh with the head of an elephant. Multiple […]
Guru Purnima 2022
Guru Purnima 2022 Today, the 13th of July, is Guru Purnima, the full moon of the Guru, when this quality is at it’s fullest, just like the moon itself. The term Guru is a bit loaded for us in the west, it’s often appropriated to someone who is an expert in their field, alternatively we […]
Simple solutions
One of the revelations that someone may have about the practice of Yoga is it’s simplicity, both in practice and philosophy. We have grown up in a paradigm where things have to be complex, the reasons behind phenomena have to be complex, when they may actually be obvious and uncomplicated. Often this complexity is extolled […]