Inside Out - Dru Yoga Classes & Tuition

15/10/2025

If you are of a squeamish disposition you may not want to read on as I discuss an unexpected benefit regarding my cold at this morning's meditation ;) !

It was my turn for the 8am meditation on Daily Dru Meditations and I was talking about my cold and the connection with a busy mind. We did the earth meditation for grounding and settling, and I started the quiet time with just a few rounds of gentle humming bee breath. It was light, short and we didn't cover the ears, just gently hummed on the out breath. I love this breath because after the noise and vibration of the humming there is then beautiful, palpable stillness.

After finishing the meditation I felt a great need to do my jala neti (salt water nasal washing) practice again. I'd already done it first thing when I got up and was surprised that very little mucus came out. Unlike the second round which yielded about a kilo of mucus ha ha (this might be a little exaggeration but it was a lot!!). I can only assume that the vibrations loosened it in the sinus passages :) What a result, my head felt so much clearer!

Any one else had an unexpected win today !?

14/10/2025

TUESDAY TRIVIA
I think the rotated triangle is one of the most challenging standing balances. Not only do you have to balance, but you have to fold forwards and then twist! All this movement though is part of the gift of this posture :)

The act of balancing while twisting not only strengthens our physical body, but also supports our sense of equilibrium, training the mind for one-pointed focus, known as ekagrata in yoga.

14/10/2025

If you were at classes last week you'll know I've been full of cold :( and honestly, every time I get a cold I could kick myself for not noticing the signs that I was out of balance and taking action!!

Here are some of the things I noticed about a fortnight ago...

* Signs that my vata dosha were out of kilter - digestion a bit erratic, static electric shocks from seemingly everything I touched, feeling cold, not sleeping well and feeling overly anxious and overwhelmed. All par for the course for autumn and I have been doing some things to counter this but obviously not enough!!
* I was filling up on sweeties and stodge. Not sure what this is about, but it happens every time I get a cold.
* I've had an extra busy couple of weeks, which realistically I knew I could handle no problem, but I tipped into overwhelm, my go to anxiety emotion. For me, overwhelm and a too busy mind, always proceeds a cold.

I'm writing this list out to stick on my mirror, to remind me over winter to take note of the messages my body is sending me!!

Listening to my body now though and spending some time in supported fish today.

Does this ring any bells for anyone else? Or do you have another tell that there's a cold on the way?

13/10/2025

Pigeon is going to be featuring a bit more in class, as we move through autumn and into winter, and I know it's not a posture that every finds easy, so I thought this would be the focus of our "technical" VIP session (maybe even 2!).

We'll look at body preps, modifications and the posture itself, so you can practice at home :)

Join me on Thursday, October 16th, at 6.15pm for your next FREE session.

13/10/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined me on Saturday morning for our early morning autumn Rise and Shine session :)

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and despite being full of cold, I found I had plenty of energy to see my through a busy day.

I love the slowness, deliberate movements of autumn yoga, they feel so nourishing. A steady firm bridge between summer and winter, just what we need.

If you joined me let me know what you thought as the yoga and my teaching style is a bit different in these sessions, and do you want more?!

10/10/2025

It's Rise and Shine yoga in the morning (online, Saturday October 11th, 7 - 8am).

Join me for an hour of yoga to ease you into the day, with pranayama and relaxation. It's a relaxed and chilled session, with a bit less chatting so that you can wake up gently 🙂

The class is usual class price £5, and I've put the Zoom link in our Facebook VIP group, or you can message me for the link if you're not in the group.

I can promise you that it will be a beautiful, calm way to start your day.

10/10/2025

Wow! Retirement looking a long way off...;)

At 102, French yoga teacher Charlotte Chopin proves that modest, consistent habits can trump flashy workouts.

Her four-decade-steady routine of simple postures, taught in a humble village studio, highlights joy in movement over optimization.

Beyond yoga, Chopin’s secret lies in strong social bonds, purposeful gatherings, and a grateful mindset—pillars that research links to longevity.

Journalist Danielle Friedman’s visit reveals why showing up matters more than perfection.

Her story challenges how we view aging and fitness.

Discover how small daily rituals can reshape fitness and aging.

10/10/2025

I'm taking time out this afternoon to run through my plan for our next 'Shine your light' support group for Dru Yoga teachers, and already looking forward to our session, Monday October 13th, 6.30 - 8pm.

This time I've been asked to share a variation of cobra that doesn't get seen too often, so it will be nice to practice together, as well as share our wins and challenges over the last month.

As always there has been plenty to discuss between our meetings, and I love that the group is so supportive, collaborative and open. Any query that any seems to have is sorted by the group, and any advice given is done so in an honest, non judgemental way. Just perfect!

Want to join us? Feeling alone and rudderless as a Dru Yoga teacher? Then get in touch!

09/10/2025

A few people have asked me about the Freedom From Fear breath, mentioned in this morning's post.

You can find it in Dru Yoga's "The dance between joy and pain" (fabulous book!) or in my "Wellness Almanac" on November 26th :)

09/10/2025

Yesterday when I touched on the subject of grief and the connection with autumn, I mentioned how beneficial it is to start your autumn yoga practice with some pranayama. Hopefully you'll have noticed we've been doing this a bit more in class, and if not at the start definitely at the end!

These are my autumn favourites to help balance vata, support my lungs and immune system, and aid the flow of prana...

1. Pigeon Breath
2. Abdominal breathing
3. Freedom from fear breath.
4. Equal ratio breathing, use the pranayamic square if you know it.
5. Alternate nostril breathing.

What's your go to breathing practice at the moment, or which are you enjoying in class?

08/10/2025

Yoga philosophy teaches that grief lodges in the lungs. This has certainly been my personal experience, and in my case unresolved grief eventually morphed into a troublesome lung condition in 2016 and it's been quite the learning curve to let go, move forwards and heal.

More latterly my Dru Yoga Therapy training has given a much deeper understanding of this process and I have been able to use this wisdom with my clients. It's such a privilege to be able to help others in such a practical way.

Interestingly, autumn can also bring up feelings of grief. This always happens to me, as I get quite melancholic mourning the end of summer, and ultimately the passing of another year - I'll not go on here, as I really do get maudlin! It's one of the reasons I ensure that we are do focused pranayama in every autumn class.

Does any of this resonate with you? Would you be interested in more posts on how Dru Yoga can help us with grief?