Feature Article Archives
The articles listed below are written by Claire Heywood for her SunYoga newsletters. Claire's writing is inspired by her personal life experiences and her ongoing exploration of the path of a modern yogi in everyday life.
Recently, I admired a friend's brooch; a beautiful, hand carved, wooden animal. "What kind of animal is that", I asked? "It's a sloth" she said. I'm all for a bit of sloth worshipping; the world's slowest moving animal, moving so slowly that algae grows on their fur! They spend most of their lives hanging upside-down, sleeping a lot, moving only when necessary, (at a pace of 15 – 30 centimetres per minute), and…
Winter in Australia, (in a global sense), is really rather mild. Great on a practical level, (no digging your car out of the snow), but does that mean we ignore the energetic flux of the seasons? Our year powers on right through the winter months with no public holidays, and for many of us winter is a gruelling daily slog of getting up in the dark, getting home in the dark, and making…
As of the new moon on February 8th, 2016, we said goodbye to the Chinese astrological Year of the Sheep,(quiet, peace loving, sensitive energy) and entered into the more mischievous mood of the Year of the Yang Fire Monkey. If you are born in a Monkey year, (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004), then 2016 is likely to be a significant year with lots of opportunities to grow and flourish.
Those born…
Out of the blue, the phone rang, "Hey Claire, what are you doing in January? Will you come with me to India?" The call was from my sister, Alison, asking me to accompany her to Delhi to help with her new business. And what does a yogi say to such an offer? They say yes! It had been 10 years since my first wild and wonderful trip to incredible India. And so, on…
Yesterday, a potential student enquired as to what kind of yoga I teach. Oh no, not that old curly question! My standard answer goes something along the lines of - "Oh, for want of calling it something else - I call it gentle hatha yoga". I explained that I use the term gentle to emphasise that I do not teach a fast paced, fitness focused style, and hatha, as it is a traditional…
From restless thoughts, that, like a deadly swarm
Of hornets arm'd, no sooner found alone,
But rush upon me thronging.
~John Milton
The mind is a right slippery little sucker, elusive and complex, and fiendishly difficult to grapple with! Consider the photo below; a large bird’s nest which I found at our clean up Australia day event earlier this year. This nest fascinated me. It’s made of an incredible combination of wire, lots of…
I have recently returned from a retreat on Palawan, an amazing island in the Philippines. The weather was hot and still, perfect for the adventure retreat which included lots of swimming, snorkelling and generally messing about in boats. Yes, it was quite a holiday and I loved it! Peppered through my holiday story is a selection of snaps. Let your eyes sink into the photos and be infused with the warm, calm, luscious…
Before we herald in the sheep year let's look back at the previous year of the Horse and reflect on how the year transpired. When I re-read my article about the Horse year, there was promise for it being a lucky year, with lots of opportunities and fast movement. The year of wild, unpredictable, unbridled action. Did you feel this powerful Horse energy in 2014? How did it play out in your world?…
I have been teaching yoga for many years; officially for the past 15 years and unofficially over a 30 year period. My very 1st classes were held in a dirty, dusty, pigeon club hall behind a friend’s house in South Melbourne around 1985. The classes in the beginning were called “Stretch, Strengthen and Relax” and later morphed into “Not Strictly Yoga”, paying homage to Baz Lurhman’s movie, Strictly Ballroom. The “we can make…
Do you approach yoga, (or life in general), as a quest for self-improvement? Shedding, reshaping and replacing your self-proclaimed undesirable parts along the way? 2 years ago on retreat I had a huge aha moment - it was the moment when I realised that I didn't need to change. Ridiculously simple, yet deeply profound. In a brilliant flash of clarity I understood not just intellectually, but with every cell of my being that…
Farewell Year of the Snake, slither back into hibernation, and see you in another 12 years! As of the the new moon on January 31st we have entered into the Year of the Wooden Horse. Those born in Horse years, (1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002 and 2014), are likely to have an important and significant year, with the opportunity to do well and flourish in all aspects of their life.…
I've been enjoying reading A Path with Heart - A guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life. It's written by meditation teacher, Jack Kornfield, and in layman's language the book discusses the journey of the spiritual seeker through the practice of meditation. This wonderful book, which I highly recommend, has prompted me to share some of my personal journey with meditation thus far. Perhaps by shining a little light on…
Regular readers know that I am in my year of turning 50, and that my recent outack road trip was part of marking this major milestone. I wanted to spend a decent chunk of time with my hubby exploring some wild, outback, natural locations. I had the urge to flee far away from the hectic city hustle, willingly place myself in unknown territory and bathe in the soothing waters of nature.…
I have entered what I have come to appreciate is a precious, golden period of opportunity. After 7 years of intense and all consuming focus; head down, bum up in the Sun Crescent SunYoga studio I find myself standing in a freshly plowed field. The ground is fallow, the earth is rich and sweet smelling, full of nutrients and raw potential. I am cherishing this rare place where nothing is set in…