Million Women Rise in London against Male Violence

Today London was home to thousands of women marching across London towards a rally held in Trafalgar square, in solidarity with Europe’s largest women’s march: ‘Million Women Rise’ against male violence in all its forms. The aim of Million Women Rise is to end male violence against women and children. The campaign believes that solidarity amongst women is key to achieving this objective, as – ‘Unity is strength and the voices of many are louder together, than a single voice.’ MWR describes male violence against women and children as a ‘global pandemic’ which devastates lives, communities and ‘threatens to undermine…

Istanbul Convention, Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence

Is the UK closer to ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence?

February 5, 2014November 9, 2016 Categories: Blog · Community News · Global Issues · Politics · Women & GirlsTags: CEDAW · Community News · Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence · cuts · Domestic violence · gender · girls · government · Human Rights · Istanbul Convention · Joint Committee · TUC · Turkey · UK · VAWG · violence · women · Women's Aid3 Comments

On the 4th February 2014, The Joint Committee on Human Rights launched an inquiry into violence against women and girls (VAWG) and has requested evidence from anyone with an interest in the human rights issues raised (within specified categories). This inquiry is being undertaken in consideration to the Istanbul Convention, aka The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, and the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). 2 years ago, campaigners called upon the UK Government to sign the Istanbul convention, which they did on 8/6/12, however to date,…

Asana Explored

January 31, 2014April 26, 2017 Categories: Blog · Yoga · Yoga PhilosophyTags: asana · ashtanga · body · Buddha · hatha · health · limbs · meditate · meditation · mind · mindfulness · niyamas · patanjali · raja · satchidananda · tapas · yoga · yoga sutrasLeave a comment

Raja yoga is the science of the mind and its primary text, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provides that the goal of yoga is ‘chitta vritti nirodhah’. Translated from Sanscript this means ‘restraint of the modifications of the mind stuff.’ Patanjali divides yoga practice into 8 stages or limbs, known as Ashtanga or eight –limbed yoga. Each are of equal value, are necessary and should be maintained in yoga. The 3rd limb is called ‘asana’, which Patanjali defines as ‘comfortable and steady posture’. This can be any posture, whether standing, sitting or lying down that one can maintain in comfort for…

cornflake biscuits, healthy snack, cookies, cereal, biscuits, food, baking

Crispy Cornflake Cookies – Morish delight

January 26, 2014November 25, 2014 Categories: Biscuits · Blog · FoodTags: baking · biscuits · cookies · cooking · cornflakes · food · fruit · fun · home · mindfulness · nutrition · organic · raisin · recipe · whole earth foods · yogaLeave a comment

A very good morning to you. Thought I would start the day by sharing one of my favourite biscuit recipes with you. These take about 20 minutes to prepare. So what will you need? The Ingredients are: Butter 125g, Sugar 75g, Sultanas/raisins 110g, 1 Egg (beaten), Self Raising flour 150g (sifted), Cornflakes 120g (crushed), Greased baking tray Putting it all together: Mix the butter and sugar, and cream together with an electric mixer or wooden spoon. Add a lightly beaten egg and mix until combined. Stir in the flour and sultanas/dried fruit. Place the (crushed) cornflakes in a separate bowl. …

Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves, Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

Listen to and trust in you, your instinct – The Wild Woman – La Loba

October 10, 2013November 25, 2014 Categories: Blog · IntuitionTags: Clarissa Pinkola Estes · emotion · feeling · female · gut · instinct · la loba · love · mindfulness · truth · wild woman · woman · women · Women who run with the wolves · yogaLeave a comment

‘How does Wild Woman affect women? With her as ally, as leader, model, teacher, we see not through two eyes, but through the eyes of intuition which is many-eyed. When we assert intuition, we are therefore like the stary night: we gaze at the world through a thousand eyes.’ Clarissa Pinkola Estés: Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype

Confucius on Wisdom

October 6, 2013November 25, 2014 Categories: Blog · Intuition · WisdomTags: Confucius · learning · mindfulness · quote · reflection · wisdomLeave a comment

‘By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second by imitation, which is easiest; and Third by experience, which is the bitterest.’

loving you, mindfulness, meditaiton, yoga

Give love to you. It’s elementary. It’s not about deserving, it’s not about rights. It’s life, it’s love, it’s nature & creation. It is you.

October 3, 2013November 9, 2016 Categories: Blog · Intuition · LoveTags: awareness · Buddha · Confucius · giving · love · mindfulness · peace · Tao · Thich Naht Hanh · yoga1 Comment

Read full article here – Giving Love to You

broccli, pasta, food, recipe, italy, sardinia, cook, vegetarian

Sardinian Broccoli Pasta – it’s yum

September 25, 2013November 25, 2014 Categories: Blog · FoodTags: ashtanga · broccoli · class · cook · health · italian · meal · nutrition · pasta · recipe · sardinia · sardinian · vegtables · yogaLeave a comment

One of the great things I have found about group yoga classes, is that it is a wonderful way to meet new people and share in diverse cultures. One of my fellow Ashatanga yogini’s is Sardinian and she once prepared lunch for me after class. We went to her home where she made Broccoli Pasta and explained it’s frequently made back home, in Sardinia. I had never tried Broccoli with pasta before, but what I enjoyed about this meal, was that it was full of flavour, easy to make after a yoga class, needed few ingredients and was very wholesome….

yoga postures, vinyasa, jumping, floating, flying

Ryan Spielman Video on How to Jump back and Jump through

September 24, 2013November 26, 2014 Categories: Blog · Yoga · Yoga PosesTags: ashtanga · floating · flying · jump back · jump through · jumping · pattabhi Jois · ryan · Ryan Spielman · spielman · video · vinyasa · yogaLeave a comment

Really enjoyed Ryan Spielman’s short teaching video on how to jump back and jump through, which is a frequent part of Ashtanga vinyasa yoga. Yes, this technique is certainly a journey which may often lead to a shared grin between neighbouring yogini’s in class. Some call it flying and when you first experience the feeling of this technique working it certainly feels like that – albeit to ones surprise. Ryan shares three stages suitable for beginner to advanced level with both crossed and straight legs. The stages help to help build core and upper body strength, technique and enable the…

white ally, racism, prejudice, yoga, discrimination, black, colour, white supremacy, privilege

Responding the the “Ghetto Yoga” incident: Being a White Ally

September 19, 2013November 9, 2016 Categories: Blog · Community News · Global Issues · Prejudice · Yoga NewsLeave a comment

Originally posted on susan virginia yoga:
I woke up a few weeks ago with this story filling my feed. You may have already heard about it. A yoga studio in a mostly white, affluent California neighborhood hosted a “Ghetto Fabulous” yoga class where practitioners were encouraged to arrive in “ghetto” outfits like heavy lip-liner, and corn rows to “Get down with yo’ bad self & booty shake all the way into shavasana.” Photos from the event on facebook (now removed but available at Jezebel’s article) show primarily young white women sporting do-rags and flashing gang signs. As you may imagine,…

Pregnancy Yoga, Hypnobirthing, Antenatal, Baby Massage & Baby Classes in East London

Category: Blog