I’ve just returned from this year’s yoga retreat at Olio Bello Lakeside Glamping, and the experience felt almost like stepping into the Mediterranean for a weekend. Connecting with nature and other people through yoga is a profoundly grounding experience, allowing the mind, body, and spirit to align in harmony with the world around you. Practising alongside others fosters a silent yet powerful sense of unity, where shared breath and movement create an unspoken bond.

Immersing yourself in natural surroundings deepens this connection, as the rhythm of the wind, the warmth of the sun, and the earth beneath your feet remind you that you are part of a greater whole. In these moments, yoga becomes more than a physical practice—it transforms into a bridge between your inner self, the community, and the living world.

The retreat offered a welcome return to simplicity. With no television, limited Wi-Fi and minimal artificial lighting, it became easy to fall back into the natural rhythm of day and night. Falling asleep to the sounds of nature and waking with the sunrise allowed the body to reset and reconnect with its natural cycles.

Exposure to sunlight at dawn and dusk plays an important role in regulating our circadian rhythm. Morning light signals the brain to suppress melatonin, boosting alertness and preparing the body for the day ahead. As daylight fades in the evening, melatonin naturally begins to rise again, helping us wind down and sleep more deeply. Aligning with this rhythm supports more restorative rest and overall wellbeing.

Our retreat also took place close to the autumn equinox in the Southern Hemisphere—a seasonal turning point when day and night are almost equal in length. The equinox symbolises balance and transition, marking the shift from summer’s long days to the cooler, quieter months ahead. It’s a beautiful time to reflect with gratitude and prepare for a slower, more introspective season.

The Benefits of a Nature-Based Yoga Retreat

Spending a few days at a yoga and meditation retreat in nature can be profoundly restorative for both body and mind. Away from the noise and pace of everyday life, natural surroundings encourage you to slow down and reconnect.

Fresh air, open landscapes and natural light deepen relaxation and make meditation easier. Birdsong, rustling leaves and the rhythm of water gently guide attention back to the present moment.

Retreats often include nourishing meals, a simple daily structure and time for rest. This combination of movement, stillness and immersion in nature helps reset the nervous system, improve mental clarity and restore energy. Many people leave feeling lighter, calmer and more connected to themselves.

Why Dru Yoga Feels So Natural Outdoors

Dru Yoga, with its flowing sequences and mindful movement, harmonises beautifully with the natural world. Its gentle yet powerful postures are designed to release tension, open the body and calm the mind. Practising outdoors deepens this experience, with the grounding support of the earth beneath you and the expansive sky above.

In nature, movement often begins to mirror the environment—breathing with the breeze, pausing in stillness and moving with warmth from the sun. This connection enhances the meditative quality of each sequence and deepens both relaxation and vitality.

The flowing transitions of Dru Yoga feel like reflections of nature itself: the curve of a river, the sway of branches or the rhythm of ocean waves. Practising in this setting can amplify the benefits of the practice, helping release stress and cultivate a lasting sense of inner peace.

The Calming Power of Practising Near Water

Yoga near water engages the senses in ways that naturally promote calm and presence. The steady rhythm of water lapping at the shore acts like a meditation mantra, quieting mental chatter and guiding the breath into a slower flow. Ocean air is also rich in negative ions, which many people find refreshing and uplifting.

Visually, the horizon and gentle movement of water create a sense of openness, while the earth or grass beneath your feet provides grounding. Together, these elements make it easier to slip into a meditative state and fully absorb the benefits of the practice.

The Grounding Effect of Barefoot Practice

Practising yoga barefoot outdoors strengthens the body’s connection with the earth. The soles of the feet contain thousands of nerve endings, and feeling natural textures like grass, sand or soil enhances balance, stability and body awareness. This sensory feedback supports better posture and helps the mind settle.

From an energetic perspective, direct contact with the earth is often described as “grounding” or “earthing”. Many people find that it helps release tension and restore a sense of calm equilibrium.

Book a Date with Nature

A nature-based yoga and meditation retreat is more than a short escape—it’s an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and the natural rhythms that support wellbeing. If this resonates with you, consider planning your own retreat into nature soon.

My annual retreat in 2027 at the Safety Bay Retreat Centre will offer a peaceful nature yoga retreat in Western Australia, just a short distance from Perth or Bunbury. This beautiful venue, first visited during my 2024 retreat, offers the perfect setting with nearby ocean views, gardens shaded by peppermint trees and a labyrinth for grounding and meditative walks.

Visit my Retreat page for more details or contact me to express your interest, places tend to fill quickly.

If reading this has sparked a desire to slow down and reconnect, you may enjoy joining one of my yoga classes. These classes offer a supportive space to practise gentle movement, meditation and relaxation while reconnecting with the rhythms of nature. You can find details on my Classes page.

As I contemplate another 365 day journey around the sun next week, I was reflecting on the privilege of the last 7 years of sharing Dru Yoga with others. Dru Yoga is a gentle, accessible style of yoga suitable for older adults and most of my class participants are women aged 50+ like myself. I was so grateful over the last couple of days to share yoga with a range of different carers and have some people say it was their first time trying yoga and others saying they had not practiced yoga for many years. Often it seems age and/or injury mean people might stop their practice or it maybe that busy time of life with work and family gets in the way. Some commented on the Dru practice and asked is this still yoga? Which of course it is but I understand why they ask as yoga has been marketed to ‘look’ a certain way. There is a phrase attributed to yoga master T. Krishnamacharya that states “if you can breathe, you can do yoga.” Yoga is more than just the poses (asana), it is mind-body practice with breath as its foundation.

In the yogic tradition there are four life stages or paths of yoga, including student (Brahmacharya), householder (Grihastha), forest dweller (Vanaprastha) and renunciate (Sannyasa). Our practice can evolve over time, for example as I commenced practicing Dru Yoga I was in my midlife so wanting reduce my stress as I still navigated work, caring for a child and parent. I was more interested in stretching and increasing my flexibility and taking time to relax as working and caring full-time I was exhausted. As I start to move towards being an older adult, with a grown up child, both parents deceased and working part-time I resonate more to the forest dweller and renunciate path. I am deepening my interest in yoga philosophy with a shift towards a focus on breath and meditation. It is a more spiritual path which aims for a greater understanding of self.

When I started practicing Dru Yoga in my 40’s I thought that if I practiced regularly and consistently I had all the answers on how to stay healthy as I got older. Then I actually got older! At some point I woke up and realised I had aches and pains and less energy. Apparently according to all health professionals it was peri-menopause and menopause that was to blame. The yoga industry is by and large focused on the youthful practitioner, it is marketed online to and by young, slim women in neutral yoga leggings and crop tops. It is marketed as fitness yoga to lose weight, sculpt the body or build strength. If you don’t see people like yourself practicing yoga you might think it is not for you. Older yogis have different needs and might need different types of yoga practice for their bodies but also their minds and most importantly their spirits. As we age we still need to continue to strengthen our muscles and hone our balance so we feel steady on our feet, but more importantly it is a time of increased wisdom, insight and reflection.

As we get older, our bodies and minds go through natural changes, and maintaining physical and mental well being becomes more important than ever. Yoga offers a gentle yet powerful way to support healthy ageing, and returning to the mat can bring profound benefits for older adults.

1. Improves Flexibility and Balance
   Ageing often leads to stiffness and reduced mobility, increasing the risk of falls. Yoga’s stretches and balance exercises help keep joints supple, improve posture, and strengthen stabilising muscles.
2. Supports Strength and Bone Health
   Gentle weight-bearing poses in yoga enhance muscle tone and can support bone density, which is vital for reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
3. Reduces Stress and Enhances Mental Clarity
   Breathing exercises and mindfulness practices in yoga calm the nervous system, helping manage anxiety, improve sleep, and sharpen focus.
4. Encourages Social Connection
   Joining a local yoga class provides a sense of community, which supports emotional well being and combats feelings of isolation.
5. Adaptable for Every Body
   Modern yoga offers modifications and props that make it accessible for all levels of mobility, so you can safely enjoy the practice at your own pace.

Returning to yoga is not about achieving perfect poses—it’s about nurturing your body, mind, and spirit. Even a few minutes a day can make a world of difference to your vitality and quality of life. So for those of you wanting to begin a yoga practice as an older adult or return to a yoga practice that has been on hold due to ageing or injury Dru Yoga is for you. Yoga is a lifelong practice that can adapt to suit your body’s changing needs and will support you to age better, wiser, stronger and braver. Lets stay on the path of yoga and grow old together as yogis!

Your breath is powerful, there is nothing more essential to our health than breathing, taking in air. Breathing is an autonomic process and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS has two parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic system increases your breathing rate, while the parasympathetic system slows it down. Breathing changes based on your activity level and the air quality. For example, you breathe faster during physical activity. You can sometimes control your breathing pattern, like when you hold your breath or sing. I have just gifted myself a Native American Flute and I am learning more about the importance of patience, practice and my breath. But we also need to learn to respect our breath and be aware that while there is potential for transformation and healing in breath work, there is also potential for harm, physically, mentally and emotionally. I suggest always learning breath work from a qualified practitioner and not just from online videos. Also be mindful that your breath is personal and different people may benefit from different practices, my aim as a Dru Breath Coach is to share with you a range of practices so that you can add to your ‘toolbox’ the ones that work for you.

In the yogic tradition breath practices are known as pranayama and in the ancient scriptures it is discussed in relation to achieving higher states of consciousness and transcendence. Whereas breathing is movement of energy towards matter, prana is the movement of energy towards consciousness. Prana is life force or universal energy, called Qi in Japan and Chi in China. In the ancient text by Patanjali known as the Yoga Sutras sutra 2.49 and 2.50 can be translated to:

“The universal life force (prana) is enhanced and guided through harmonious rhythm of breath (pranayama).”
“The movement of the life force is influenced through inhalation, exhalation and sustained breath.”
_{(Source: The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras by Nischala Joy Devi)}

In the Yoga Sutras there is actually no mention of yoga involving moving between or repeating poses or creating sequences as is the main focus of most yoga classes! The Sanskrit word asana can be translated to mean ‘seat’ and it referred to the act of sitting. Yoga is the science of holding still and building prana through breathing. The breath is like the ocean waves, a wave arrives, washes over the beach and then recedes going back to the ocean. The breath is similar with exhales, transitions, inhales, transitions and then the process continues.

Pranayama’s physical and mental effects have the higher purpose of leading us into stillness necessary for meditation. The aim is for the breath, mind and emotions to be in harmony or coherence. There is a measure known as heart rate variability which is the variation in time between your heart beats. How you breathe can effect heart rate variability as when you inhale your heart rate increases and when you exhale it decreases. As a Dru Breath Coach one of the foundation breath practices is called ‘pure breathing’ which is smooth, even, equal inhale/exhale, no pauses, no sounds. Often in breath work people are cued to ‘hold’ their breath, for example in square or equal ratio breath, but a better cue would be to ‘pause’ the breath. I often cue at the beginning of relaxation and/or meditation to just observe the breath, let the breath be, let it find its own easeful path.

The breath work I share focuses predominantly on influencing the nervous system through the rate and ratio of breathing using three key principles:

Energising Breaths
These breath practices see the rate of breathing increased to 30+ breaths per minute and common practices include ‘breath of fire’ and ‘bellows breath’.

Balancing Breaths
With balancing breath practices such as diaphragmatic breathing and equal ratio breath the rate of breathing is about 4-6 breaths per minute.

Relaxing Breaths
These breath practices reduce the rate of breath to 3 times a minute or less and could include 1:2 breath ratio or square breathing.

With all breath practices it is important to start slowly and gradually building up at a rate that suits you and being aware of any contraindications such as uncontrolled high or low blood pressure. Over breathing can lead to hyperventilation with symptoms of feeling light headed and dizzy. Similarly holding the breath may not be good for people with heart problems and issues with blood pressure. So take your time with any new breath practices, give your breath and body the respect it deserves.

As a Dru Breath Coach, Yoga and Meditation teacher the aims of sharing breath practices is to possibly provide relief from stress, improved sleep and relaxation, support for mindfulness meditation and improving your health and well being. Dru breath work practices are safe, easy to learn and practice and accessible to all regardless of age, background and experience. From the perspective of mental health and well being these practices are also safe and subtle as we learn and experience working with our breath, not pushing the breath and not holding the breath. If we push the breath the risk of triggering trauma or exacerbating existing conditions outweighs any potential benefits. Sometimes, slow and steady truly wins the race. For those embarking on a breath work journey, it’s essential to approach the practice with caution and mindfulness.

Breath work is all about getting better at life and improving quality of life. If that interests you join me on Sunday 23 February from 10.00am to 12.00pm for the The Art of Living: Breath Work & Meditation Workshop at The Yoga Collab. Cost is $40 and bookings via the class calendar on the website. I am also available on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons for one to one or small group sessions in person or online for Breath Coaching at a cost of $80 per hour. Another option is to come along to the weekly Meditation Sitting Group on Tuesdays 5.30pm for about an hour, no bookings required and pay what you can/feel/want to cover the cost of venue hire.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu

There is a wonderful little Dru Yoga book called “Dru Yoga For All Seasons” that is now out of print and I have been trying to obtain it for a while now. A secondhand copy popped up on a website so I purchased it a while back and it finally arrived from the UK in this time between Christmas and New Year. Perfect timing as I contemplate and plan a theme for yoga classes in 2025. So I had a thought, why not make the whole year a theme of moving with the seasons! Of course our seasons don’t reflect that of that northern hemisphere so much but there are still cycles of nature and life all around us. Working with the six Noongar seasons makes more sense for us here in the South West region of Western Australia.

Particularly in Dru Yoga we learn that there is an innate connection between the cycles of nature and our state of well-being and health. The practice of yoga emphasises the right time and right place as well as taking yoga off the mat and making your practice more than a weekly class. Each season brings with it a sense of energy and different people resonate with different seasons. I am not a fan of summer here in Australia and find it a time that drains my energy as I don’t thrive in the heat and sunburn easily. I find I am more active in winter when it is cooler, particularly when winters in this part of the world don’t get that cold. I love sitting in the sun on a cool day feeling a light breeze on my skin. My favourite season is probably autumn or maybe spring, it is why if I offer a retreat it will generally be held around the equinoxes as there is a sense of balance of the seasons (I am a Libra so balance is very important for me!).

The seasons can also support us to understand and cope with change, growth and life cycles. Change occurs all the time in the natural world and we are part of that cycle. If we aim to live in harmony with nature and the seasons our life may flow with more ease and grace. By embracing the seasons we can also learn to listen and honour our changing needs as well. Today we are much less aware of the seasons as we live, work and play more often than not indoors in climate controlled environments. We also have electricity and lighting so we can stay active after after the sun sets. Yoga and a focus on moving with the seasons can support us to feel that connection back to nature and wholeness.

Dru Yoga is very inspired by nature and focuses on a soft, gentle approach to the physical movements or asanas. The movements are done slowly, with full awareness, with repetitions and synchronised to the breath. Dru Yoga is based on Hatha Yoga but sequences them in stages and offers options so they are a more accessible and inclusive than other traditions of yoga. I recently took a couple of Vinyasa classes and while I enjoyed the dynamism and can see the cardiovascular benefits it is not my preferred approach to yoga. There are many people who may experience less resistance to gentle, flowing sequences than stronger, more demanding postures. In yoga the heart centre is known as the centre of transformation and Dru Yoga is often called the ‘yoga of the heart’ as the sequences are designed to stimulate the nadis or energy pathways around the heart centre. So while it is a gentle or subtle style of yoga don’t underestimate its power of transformation for mind, body and spirit!

Dru Yoga is a style of yoga that leads us to stillness through mindful movement, calming the mind. The word Dru comes from the Sanskrit word dhruva, meaning still and unchanging. Awareness is directed to that place inside ourselves called the dhruvakasha which is still and spacious. A bit like a mountain that stands strong and stable as the seasons come and go. Or the eye of a hurricane, while the winds of life blow all around us. Or a tree deeply rooted into the earth yet flexible to bend with the wind or knowing when to let go of its leaves. Historically, Dhruva is the name given to the North (or Pole) Star, which remains fixed while all other stars appear to move around it. This is equanimity, the mind coming into harmony with the laws of nature and of impermanence.

So come along and give a Dru Yoga class a try in the new year and give it some time to see if it resonates with you. You may feel at first that you are not working your body deeply or strongly enough to impact your physical health. Do remember the aim is ‘innercise’ not exercise (I get my exercise walking in nature, bringing some hand weights into my practice and a weekly floor Pilates class). With more experience of Dru Yoga (and meditation!) you will come to realise you are actually working the body at deeper levels impacting all layers of your being or the koshas. You can find all my offerings on the class calendar as well as ability to register as a participant, book and pay for sessions. Please reach out for a chat or to ask any questions about whether Dru Yoga might be good for you.

Stand tall and proud
Sink your roots deeply into the Earth
Reflect the light of a greater source
Think long term
Go out on a limb
Remember your place among all living beings
Embrace with joy the changing seasons
For each yields its own abundance
The energy and birth of spring
The growth and contentment of summer
The wisdom to let go of leaves in the fall
The rest and quiet renewal of winter
Enjoy the view!

Ilan Shamir, Advice From a Tree

At the beginning of 2024 I chose ‘grace’ to be my word of the year. It is a word I had not really considered before as for me it has associations with religion and I am not a religious person. However after reading Julia Baird’s book ‘Bright Shining. How Grace Changes Everything’ I realised there is much more to the word. I recently listened to Julia on her recent podcast episode as she travels in the US on a tour to promote the book at a time when not much grace had been on display in that country. I certainly mourn the absence of grace but it is still there in the small acts of compassion and kindness that I witness and hear about regularly. So this morning as I sat with my coffee I revisited the book and my word of 2024.

In Julia’s book one definition of grace given is ‘Grace is honouring another person’s humanity even when they don’t honour yours.’ It is about finding the good in others, recognising humanity and see the world through the lens of grace, holding onto the belief that people can change. I will continue to fight for joy, beauty and equality. Julia writes ‘Karma is getting what you deserve. Grace is the opposite: forgiving the unforgivable, favouring the undeserving, loving the unlovable.’

I feel the ‘grace’ might continue to be my word for 2025 as I am not sure I wholly committed to it this year. I was dragged down by division, hate and intolerance. Grace is a bit like happiness, it does not just arrive, you cannot strive for it, but it will arrive quietly, a glimpse, a glimmer or as the Scots say a glisk. I find nature immensely helpful to connect with a sense of grace, as the suns bursts out from behind the clouds or the full moon rises over the horizon.

In my 2024 sankalpa or heartfelt intention I stated:

I am grace.
I live gently with kindness and love.
I accept things that I cannot control.
Grace dissolves the resistance and obstacles in my life.
When I don’t resist, I am grace.

In Sanskrit the word Pranidhana means to surrender or by supported by. In Buddhism Pranidhana is a vow typically made by a bodhisattva that they will strive to help all beings. This letting go, acceptance and connection with something higher or bigger than us sounds a lot like grace. Grace in the context of yoga might bring to mind the elegance and beauty of the movements but it is more about the philosophy of the practice. In the yoga tradition, grace implies surrender and devotion: devotion to the practice and surrender to the Divine. Without this type of grace, the yoga practitioner remains tethered to the material world and its negative influences.

If you are interested in reading more about setting a sankalpa or heartfelt intention check out my previous blog post here. I will be offering two Sankalpa Workshops in January 2025 as part of the Stirling Street Arts Centre Summer School program. The sessions, one offered in the morning and one after work, will be 1.5 hours long with an hour or so of yoga and meditation followed by time to get creative as you set your intentions for 2025 maybe with a word, affirmation, mantra or visual representation. To book visit the the Stirling Street Arts Centre website here.

This holiday season which can be a tough time for many, give yourself and others the gift of grace. May you carry yourself with grace and may you uplift others simply by the grace with which you carry yourself. Please comment below on what grace means to you or maybe reflect on what was your word for 2024.

“We are all inside this dangerous new chapter, connected to one another. There is fear in that, but there is strength too.” – Naomi Klein

What a contrast a few days makes! I have just returned home after the Coldplay concert in Melbourne that reaffirmed my faith in humanity and the qualities of love, peace, acceptance and diversity. The concert opened with a ‘Welcome to Country’ from the Traditional Custodians and while the UK media has reported fans being ‘outraged’ that is not what I experienced. The concert was a vibrant celebration of life, love and the human spirit. The audience had no boundaries in age or demographics, so many diverse people connected by music. Chris Martin as lead singer must be one of the most honest, authentic and humble lead singers I have seen. So many feel good moments and not just good intentions, calls to action for the environment and many other causes. It was like attending a yoga class with thousands of others as we raised our hands and sent out a sense of unity, kindness and compassion while our wristbands illuminated the stadium with light. I went home buzzing with energy and positivity!

Then to arrive home, a little jet lagged, over indulged from all the good Melbourne food, but still elated, to the reality of the US election results was deflating. Whichever side of politics you are on, if any, I don’t think we can deny that the world is increasingly becoming a more divisive place. It often feels all the work done in my younger years of activism is being unravelled. I had real hope with the National Apology in 2008 and then Australians voting in favour of marriage equality in 2017. But enter the increasing divisiveness of populism across the globe and brought from the margins to the centre by Trump, and my optimism is fading. The divisiveness around the the pandemic sure did not help, the increasing cost of living, the climate crisis and then last year the defeat of The Voice referendum. So to say these last few years have been fuelled by uncertainty around pandemics, global conflict, political division, inflation and climate change is stating the obvious.

It has been 5 years since my Mum died and I have felt the sense of loss even more keenly in the last year or so. Maybe she had some insight into all that was coming our way and decided her time on Earth at least, was done. I have literally felt the weight of the world over the last couple of years, it has weighed on me physically, mentally and emotionally. I feel disheartened, deeply exhausted and more recently began feeling depressive symptoms. I would be standing in the kitchen getting my breakfast and the tears just rise up for no particular reason. Now this is new to me as I generally in my life to date I have leaned towards states and traits of anxiety. This why I started practicing yoga and meditation to support me to relax and down regulate. I have the yogic tools and practices to support these feelings of depression and I get out to walk and spend time in nature. So through supervision sessions and self reflection I have come to the conclusion that this depression is from what is currently going on in the world. To be honest my personal circumstances are pretty good right now and I love my job so it must be more than this. I try to limit my time consuming the news and social media (more on that later) but still want to be informed and involved. Empaths are the energetic change-makers of the world. We are needed to share compassion, kindness and empathy to those who most need it.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

You might ask what has all this to do with yoga? Yoga is about being engaged in life, it is not about escaping to bliss, so yoga IS politics. Yoga also offers some good practices to support us get through the highs and lows of life. To think we can cope with all of this uncertainty without making internal adjustments is like continuing to spend on an already diminished budget. Equanimity is a common practice in yogic traditions and involves an evenness of mind when under stress. It is calmness and compassion in the chaos, not being cool or indifferent but being present without getting caught up in the drama. So we can stand in the face of conflicting and turbulent events from a stable and grounded place within ourselves.

Another yogic philosophy practice is ahimsa which translates to not injure or harm, non-violence, and not using harsh words, dishonest or lying. The opposite is himsa or violence which is said to hurt the vitalities (pranas) through vibration due to passions, which agitate mind, body or speech. To me ahimsa also means justice, compassion, human rights and a celebration of diversity. Building peace with the self first, before the community and world we all live in. Peace begins with us. I hope for a world where we can co-exist and co-operatively thrive, cultivating connections and compassion. A world we can thrive in, not just survive. A world that does not leave people feeling disenchanted and disfranchised. Less a surviving alone or survival if the fittest, rather a thriving together. We are all connected, we are connected to everything in this amazing planet we call home and human consciousness is more connected than separated. We think we are apart from nature, but we are not, we are part of nature.

I often say in yoga class the phrase, where attention goes, energy flows. What sort of change do you want to see in the world? We need a roadmap to reclaim the populist ground from those who would divide us, we need a new way to create the fair and caring world we want and need. How did we get here? How can we, collectively, come together and heal. I hope the way I move through the world and interact with others is guided by the principles I have learned through yoga; union, kindness, connectivity and empathy. Today I am imagining a world in which our connections serve to unite us, as a global community, rather than fracture us into tribal groups, warring with one another through social media spaces.

What if we used the social media and connectivity of technology to support us to build a global sangha or community, where we could share joy, kindness and compassion. I believe this future is possible, but only if we, as a species, make a conscious decision to improve the quality of our engagements on social media rather than the quantity. Before you speak consider Rumi’s “Three Gates of Speech” – is it true, is it necessary and is it kind?

People may think I am an extrovert with the various roles I have that involve being up front leading, teaching and facilitating. However I am really an extroverted introvert and value my time alone to recharge the mind, body and spirit. So it is finally time to limit my use of social media for my own mental health and wellbeing. You won’t see me much on Facebook or Instagram for the time being other than posting the Quote of the Week from class – which you can also view on the classes page of my website if prefer. I would prefer to delete my social media accounts completely but there are some realities of staying connected for my business, work and volunteering or maybe I will find my lack of presence on social media makes no difference at all. In the meantime I can be contacted by phone, text, email or filling out the Contact Me form on my website. Check the True Equanimity Yoga website for any upcoming classes, events and information and I will keep connected by sending out regular newsletters and blog posts.

“If we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.” – Martin Luther King

“Let the wave of memory, the storm of desire, the fire of emotion pass through without affecting your equanimity.”

Sathya Tai Baba

It is spring season here in the Southern hemisphere and also the season of the star sign Libra which is all about balance. I am a Libra and balance is a quality and trait I need and aspire to in my life. When deciding on a name for my business I wanted to use the word equanimity, hard to say and spell, but encapsulates the aim of sharing my yoga and meditation practice with the world.

So what is equanimity? The dictionary defines equanimity as mental calmness, composure, and evenness of mind, especially under stress. The word comes from the combination of two Latin terms: aequus meaning “even, level” and animus meaning “mind” or “spirit”. Equanimity invites us to embrace balance and inner calm, transforming our mood. Equanimity arises when we renounce control, or more accurately we let go of the illusion of control. Letting go brings equanimity, the greater the letting go, the deeper the equanimity. By letting go of the need to constantly control or change what’s happening, equanimity brings us closer to a state of inner peace. Equanimity is like standing as a tree in the wind, bending with life’s forces rather than resisting. Just as a tree finds balance in its flexibility, so do we find equanimity by flowing with life’s storms.

Dru Yoga brings a great sense of equanimity as we come to an inner stillness like a calm lake or a grounded feeling centered as we ebb and flow through life’s experiences. This equanimity nurtures a deep sense of wholeness and well-being that it untouched by external circumstances. Equanimity helps us to accept things as they are, without judgement or attachment. I find that this acceptance helps me feel more contented, to a point where I no longer feel that happiness depends on external circumstances.

Equanimity in the Buddhist tradition comes from the word upekkha which colloquially was sometimes used to mean “to see with patience” or can mean “to look over” or “see with understanding”. Equanimity is said to protect us from the “eight worldly winds”: praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, fame and disrepute. Yoga, mindfulness and meditation can strengthen our equanimity, coming to a state of inner strength that keeps us balanced in the middle of all that is.

In modern times psychologists are also interested to explore equanimity as it can help us to remain composed and centered when face with life challenges. Equanimity is a state of psychological balance and stability, an evenness of mind that allows us to navigate the many curve balls life may throw at us with grace. Luckily, equanimity is not just a psychological trait with which we are born, but also a state of mind that we can actively cultivate. We can seek to enhance our inner sense of peace, our reactivity to external stimuli, and our non-attachment to specific outcomes. And it is well worth our effort, for when we are in a state of equanimity, we can respond to life’s ups and downs with more clarity and wisdom.

How do we cultivate equanimity? Engaging in a regular mindfulness practices can help to develop present moment awareness, acceptance and non-reactivity. Breath practices, progressive muscle relaxation and gratitude journalling can help regulate intense emotions and prevent impulsive reactions. Developing equanimity, like any other skill, takes practice. Being patient with yourself not only makes the journey more pleasant, it also helps develop equanimity.

So next time you come to stand in mountain pose or tadasana, visualise an image of the mountain, and see it as a metaphor for equanimity. All manner of weather conditions are cast upon on the mountain, rain, wind, snow, sun, yet it remains unchanged, still and stable. The mountain absorbs all that comes to it, in the same way equanimity allows us to accept all that happens in our lives and learn to understand our loves more deeply. Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield calls equanimity a “radical acceptance of life” and believes it comes from learning to be comfortable with not knowing.

If you are interested in exploring and cultivating equanimity join my Insight Timer group to share in practices and connect with a sense of community of like minded people.

It is already the season of spring and the Noongar season of Djilba represented by the colour pink and growth of wildflowers and plants. One year after planting my native garden outside my yoga studio window continues to bring me joy on a daily basis with new flowers blooming, birds visiting and dragonflies hovering. It is my favourite time of the year with still cool nights for sleeping and clear blue skies and sunny days.

This weekend also marks the Spring Equinox and the start of Libra season ushering in four weeks of balance. Libra is my star sign and the season invites us to create harmony, balance and equanimity in our lives, within ourselves, in our relationships and how we use our energy. The Spring Equinox marks the time of the year with equal day and night, a perfect balance of dark and light in nature.

You could support this sense of balance by tuning into your current state through some embodied movement, breath work, meditation or nature connection. Remember Libra energy isn’t about avoiding life’s storms, but learning to dance gracefully through them. If you can build a solid foundation, feel grounded and peaceful then you have a balance to return to when life becomes unbalanced.

A good place to start to feel more balanced is working with your breath as it is a perfect practice to balance mind and body. You could begin by just sitting comfortably with energy, spine tall and belly soft, while you just observe the breath and notice how it is right now in this moment. Is it slow or fast, smooth or uneven, quiet or loud and then notice if the inhale and exhale are even. If not maybe practicing a Balancing Breath with a count of 4 on the inhale and count of 4 on the exhale for a few rounds. If you feel that you are a stressed you might like to practice a Relaxing Breath or if feeling a tired an Energising Breath.

If you feel some movement might help with balance maybe heading outdoors to practice the Tree Pose or Earth Sequence. Another practice that can connect you to nature and leave you feeling both grounded and expansive is the Salutation to Four Directions Sequence which you might like to do facing the different directions and tuning in with a season for each point in the compass.

If you are feeling a bit sluggish after winter then some movements that bring in twisting could be beneficial, maybe just starting with a standing twist allowing the twist to start at the base of the spine and working its way up. Or maybe a seated twisted which can be done on the floor or a chair. Twists are a good way to give the digestive organs a squeeze and release and get your digestive fire going.

From a yogic perspective one of the main aims of yoga is to increase balance and it is said that the material world is made up of three Gunas: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. Gunas can be both states and traits meaning they can be a constant attribute and also fluctuate throughout the day. Tamas is related to inertia/depression, Rajas is related to action/anxiety and Sattva is balance/equanimity. I invited you to try out this of typical Dru Yoga class to reduce Rajas (anxiety) and work towards cultivating Sattva (calm). If you are wanting to reduce Tamas (depression) then this class can also be done with the intention of a more energising effect by moving more dynamically.

Enjoy this time of spring renewal and season of balance. It is a time to get out in nature with a sense of gratitude for the earth.

In a culture that celebrates being busy taking time out for deep relaxation may feel indulgent or at least maybe not a priority. I have a regular personal practice that involves asana, pranayama and meditation but the one practice I often skip is relaxation. I do my practice first thing in the morning so part of the issue is it feels a little odd to relax when just woke up from 7-8 hours sleep. Once the day begins it is busy so making time to relax is more difficult. Often by the time I stop in the evening as soon as I sit on the couch I fall asleep watching TV. I will do some relaxation practices before going to sleep, usually some progressive muscle relaxation and deep yogic breath.

So my aim for the rest of 2024 is to schedule some ‘rest and digest’ time and to not feel guilty about it. I know it will help manage my stress and just like rebooting a computer will help me be more efficient and effective. Do you know how it feels to be awake and relaxed? Often in class some of my participants fall asleep quite quickly and there is no problem with this as many of us are sleep deprived. However practicing relaxation allows a chance for the body and mind to be aware of feeling awake, alert and deeply relaxed. The difference between relaxation and sleep is consciousness.

In Dru Yoga the foundation relaxation consists of four parts, the first focuses on the physical layer and encourages a process of progressive muscle relaxation as we work up through the body from the feet to the top of the head. You might firm a part of the body on the inhale and let any tension in that area release on the exhale. So why do this if you are already feeling relaxed? Often you might not even be aware of how much tension you are holding until you check in and use the breath to soften and release. The process of relaxation is done from the outside in, so after relaxing the outermost body, the second stage of the relaxation focuses on the energy or breath body. Working back from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head bringing in the breath as if could breath into any areas of remaining tension or as if the whole body itself is breathing. Possibly we can have a sense of freedom from the physical form and feel connected to our energy body. The third stage involves resting in stillness and silence resting in our bliss body and reflecting on our own true self, resting at our heart. The fourth and final stage involves coming out the way we went in, beginning to observe the body, deepening the breath and slowly bringing movement back into the body as you transition back into the physical world. Not disturbing this deep sense of peace so you can take this peace out into the rest of your life. You can also add in a healing imagery practice were you visualise a light or energy above the crown of the head and imagine drawing it down the head, spine and whole body. Sense that this light or energy is filling every cell with radiant health.

This process of relaxation when practiced regularly allows us to begin to shine from the inside out. We find that we have more energy, moving through the day with grace and kindness. The things that used to bother us don’t seem to, our tolerance grows, our fuse gets longer and we are more likely to respond to stressful situations with a sense of ease and equanimity. So try and set aside some time each day preferably, choose a time that won’t be disturbed and have a regular place that come to practice relaxation with a pillow under header, bolster under knees and blanket to keep warm. It can help to mentally set aside worries and concerns, maybe write them down or imagine leaving them outside the room, knowing can pick them up later. Try and stay awake during the practice, but if you fall asleep be kind to yourself and know that sleep is what you need.

Relaxation practices can have a deep and profound effect on the body, nervous system, mind and heart. With time and practice you will begin to see the effects of these practices expanding into the whole of your life. A feeling of spaciousness, prioritising slowing down, a calm awareness, a sense of connection and kindness. So I invite you to join me and delve deeper into the art of relaxation, cultivating peace from within and a chance to find your centred heart.

If you prefer a guided practice you can listen to the Dru Foundation Relaxation on Insight Timer or come along to one of my regular weekly classes that always include deep relaxation. Watch the website for one off weekend events focused on relaxation, yoga nidra and sound baths.

Prana burns as fire,
It shines as the sun,
It rains as the cloud,
It blows as the wind,
It crashes as the thunder in the sky,
It is the earth,
It has form,
It has no form,
Prana is immortality.
(source unknown)

If you came along to my yoga classes this week you would have experienced Energy Block Release 3 (Awaken the Heart) in a whole new way! Adding in an awareness of the Prana Vayus. Prana fills the body, it brings life to the body and is the life course flowing through our bodies. Pra = first or innate and Ana = tiniest or indivisible. Vayu = that which flows. The five Prana Vayus are sub doshas of Vata (air/space) dosha and influence not only physical health but also mental health and emotional well-being. In the yogic tradition the five Prana Vayus are:

Apana: downward movement of prana within the lower abdomen / letting go of unwanted energy / elimination.
Prana: upward movement of prana into the chest / filling up with energy / absorption.
Samana: horizontal movement across the abdomen / assimilating energy / balancing.
Udana: circular movement around the limbs and upward to throat and head / expression.
Vyana: movement throughout the entire body / connecting energy.

It is beneficial to have all the Vayus working well and smoothly for energy to be able to move and integrate throughout the body. The Vayus are potential movements of energy and don’t exist without us consciously using them. You can be aware of which Vayu might be more active by lying down and noticing the breath and where it is flowing freely and where it might feel constricted. You can bring your conscious attention to a Vayu, for example to activate apana bring your awareness to the base of the spine and be aware of the downward flow of energy. You can visualise the energy flowing downwards, as your energy is directable by thought. Taking the breath to specific location in the body can help the focus on the energy on the inhale and then you can direct the energy on an exhale. It can help to visualise the energy as a tangible form, notice what can see, sense, hear or feel, using the senses to bring awareness to this inner energy.

With each breath in we draw in prana, the life force or consciousness that rides the breath. With each exhale we release prana and apana. Dru Yoga with its practice of yoga asana’s (postures/sequences) coordinated with pranayama (breath) supports us to access and increase our awareness of the Prana Vayus. These five vital air currents within the body are intricately linked to our feelings, thoughts and bodily functions. Regular meditation and mindful breathing can build pranic sensitivity and support us to tune into the subtle energetics of yoga. Another way to tap into and deepen awareness of energy flow and increase prana in the physical body is to develop breath and movement coordination.

We can also add muscle awareness and/or engagement as we practice our postures and sequences. Isometric muscle engagement involves maintaining same length of muscles by adding a little firmness or tone. For example coming into a squat and holding a static contraction of the leg muscles. Isotonic muscle engagement means moving muscles with same tone or force. For example pushing the arms/hands forward as if pushing through water. In our activations when we shake or tap I often mention the fascia or connective tissue which scientists are learning more about all the time. It is thought that the fascia could be the largest ‘organ’ in our body and might even be a conductor of light around the body in structures known as tubules. Your body is literally full of light or prana! Fascia becomes supple when moved, but stiffens when sedentary—think about how your body feels upon waking as opposed to the busiest time of your day. This is why it’s important to remain active and mobile throughout our lives—to keep our connective tissue fluid and healthy.

So join me to experience the Dru difference bringing a focus on the subtle energetics of yoga – whether it be in postures, sequences, breath-work, relaxation or meditation.

“When prana flows freely, the body also becomes supple.”
Swami Muktibodhananda

Sources:
Dru Yoga Breath Coach Course Manual (2024)
Dru Yoga Subtle Energetics Course Notes (2024)
Lauren Walker, Energy Medicine Yoga (2014)
Indu Arora, Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision (2019)