If you’re missing your yoga class this week, could this be an opportunity to do some at home?  Nothing fancy, a few sun salutes, or some cats and dogs will do. Often, once you get started you feel inspired to do a few minutes more, and poses will come to you that you didn’t think you remembered. 

My wish this year is that more of you will do some yoga at home, or as we say in Yoga World ‘develop your own practise’.  In some classes I’ve started asking students to do certain poses as homewor.  The idea of homework though is a funny one though isn’t it….  But for some people it is useful knowing that there is an expectation, and more usefully maybe, someone who is interested in how you get on. 

Developing a private practise has not been easy for me and I still have to maintain extremely strong committment to myself on some days.  What always inspires me is knowing that I feel much better when I take care of myself in this way.  Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. 

This week has been a hard one in that respect, and each morning I’ve felt like staying in bed (just because I can, it being school hols and all) and not bothering at all to do anything.  I allowed myself a really lazy day on Monday which was fine.  There’s a lot to be said for regularly doing nothing at all.  However, not doing yoga doesn’t feel fine and in my case feels like I’m not honouring myself.  A similar feeling in fact as when I eat junk, which feels like an indulgence at the time but quickly comes to feel as if I mistreated myself. This is a tricky idea for us to get our heads around because we want to feel entitled to have treats and not to feel deprived.  It has taken me years and years (and years and years) to work out for myself that what seems as though its a treat can often turn out to be bad news.  Like eating too much cake or not practising yoga. Do I have the brains to work out which treats are beneficial to me and which aren’t?  Here’s what the Upanishads, ancient spiritual texts, have to say on the subject. ‘Goaded by their senses’ feels familiar…

Perennial joy or passing pleasure?

This is the choice one is to make always.

The wise recognize these two, but not the ignorant.

The first welcome what leads to abiding joy, though painful at the time.

The latter run, goaded by their senses, after what seems to be immediate pleasure.

Katha Upanishad