Order The No-More-Excuses Guide to Yoga ................ The No-More-Excuses Guide to Yoga is getting Rave Reviews from Across the Globe "Kara-Leah has a rare ability to write about yoga in a way that is accessible, relevant and entertaining, without oversimplifying or sensationalising her subject. Her passion for yoga, and for setting straight the many myths that surround and obscure the practice, gives vitality to her writing and her ability to cut through our excuses to the real … [Read more...]
Search Results for: Mark Whitwell
Donna Farhi on Why Your Yoga Teacher is Not Your Friend
Editor's Note: Since this article was published, several accounts of sexual harassment and assault have been made public by Mark Whitwell's female students. We do not in any way condone Mark's behaviour. You can read more about the accounts here. Donna Farhi, author and yoga teacher, as interviewed by Kara-Leah Grant Donna Farhi is a world renowned yoga teacher who has been practicing yoga for thirty nine years, and teaching it since 1982. She lives here in New Zealand but teaches intensives … [Read more...]
When the Price of Beauty and Presence is Sadness
By Kara-Leah Grant, Musings from the Mat Yesterday we got home from six days away - my son with his father, and me in Napier teaching yoga classes and workshops. I love being on the road, catching up with the many friends I have around the country, teaching at a variety of studios, sharing my passion for yoga in workshops. I love home too but when I'm at home, I'm reminded of the home I don't have, the life I'm not leading. In that life I'm coming home to a man I love, who loves me. … [Read more...]
The Definition of a Yoga Teacher: Nothing More than a Friend, Nothing Less than a Friend
Editor's Note: Since this article was published, several accounts of sexual harassment and assault have been made public by Mark Whitwell's female students. We do not in any way condone Mark's behaviour. You can read more about the accounts here. by Kara-Leah Grant I was fortunate enough to attend one of Mark Whitwell’s classes at Wanderlust Great Lake Taupo 2015. Mark is teacher of considerable standing who spent many years with Desikachar and studied directly with Krishnamacharya, the teacher … [Read more...]
Forty Days of Yoga by Kara-Leah Grant
J. Brown on the Three Sensibilities that Shape Our Yoga Practice {video interview}
by Kara-Leah Grant I've been following J. Brown for a few years now, inspired and impressed by the consistent and constant magnifying glass he applies to the yoga world. J. has no qualms about challenging the accepted flow with his articles, calling into question elements of yoga teaching and practice that he finds problematic. But then, J. Brown is an upstart who has always gone against the grain right from the beginning of his career, deliberately taking a different approach from the … [Read more...]
Launching a Foundational Guide to Yoga for Beginners and Beyond
Pre-orders now open. Shipping September 24. See below. by Kara-Leah Grant Cast your mind back to your very first yoga class. What did it take to get there? Did you have to overcome any fears or hesitancy? Were you nervous? Did a friend take you? Was it a great class - or a bad experience? Did you keep going to yoga, or did you walk away for a few weeks, or months, or years before finally going back? Did it take you a while to find the class and the teacher that was right for you? Most … [Read more...]
Because Yoga is for Every Body – Right? Not just the Young, Slim, Bendy and Gorgeous
by Kara-Leah Grant I'm casting my mind back to Auckland, New Zealand in 1995 and it seems a long, long time ago. I had just dropped out of my second year at Uni - ostensibly because back issues and serious sciatic pain made it impossible for me to sit for lectures, but there were other, deeper reasons too. (i.e. my habitual response when facing serious challenge - run!) Regardless, I was in chronic back pain. A good friend suggested we go and do a ten week beginners Iyengar yoga course that … [Read more...]
How to anchor your home yoga practice
By Kara-Leah Grant, author of Forty Days of Yoga If you prefer to video to reading, check out the ten minute video at the end of this article. The whole premise of Forty Days of Yoga is built on the idea that by letting go of our fixed ideas of what a yoga practice is we can find a practice that works for our life and our lifestyle. It's about being kind and compassionate to yourself and working with what you needs. However, the flip side of this approach is that it can be easy to … [Read more...]
Testimonials: Forty Days of Yoga
My book arrived yesterday! I dove straight in to it and have to say that it is the best yoga book I have found. I have been searching for a yoga book to help with my home practise and have found the other books on the market miss the spot- too focused on the poses and not the integration of yoga into daily life. I am really looking forward to starting my 40 days of yoga. Very happy with my purchase :-) - Bonnie Struthers, Australia "Forty Days of Yoga is a powerful resource for anyone … [Read more...]