Downward Facing Blog

Yoga mats review

Gear & accessories | Friday 11th September 2020

Whatever the discipline, when practicing regularly it is important to be equipped appropriately. Yoga has the advantage of not requiring a lot of equipment. Some purists will tell you that you don't even have to have a mat. It's true, however when you're just starting out or when you practice every day, I would tend to recommend using a mat. Both for comfort and for the idea of delimiting a personal space for this inward practice. When I started, I used mats from the studio I was practicing in. Without being aware of my luck, I practiced from the start on very good quality mats (Lululemon - 5mm). It was only when I tested other studios w...

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My training | Wednesday 10th June 2020

Continued Education: Yin yoga

This pandemic has certainly compromised a lot of plans for all of us. As far as I'm concerned, this year I had the intention to attend a Yin yoga training. Yin yoga is a type of yoga that targets both deep connective tissues and fascia throughout the body. It is a type of yoga which is static, where poses are held for a longer period of time. The goal is to try and stay still, and let time and gravity soften the joints to create space in the body. It is also a meditative practice, becaus...

Mindfulness | Monday 1st June 2020

Quarantine reads

Personally, I love to read. There are few things I enjoy more than some quality time alone with a good book. It’s a great way to expose yourself to new ideas, learn about something that interests you, or just get lost in a compelling story. And, given that most of us are self-isolating at the moment and might have more free time than usual, now is a great time to get stuck into some new titles. In the words of Frederick Douglas, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” So, wit...

Mindfulness | Friday 1st May 2020

Home practice: create your yoga space in 5 steps

Since I became a yoga teacher, I started practicing at home way more than I used to. I guess this happened for a couple of reasons: I’ve learned how to make my own sequences - which means that I won’t be randomly throwing postures without warming up my body correctly - and I’ve also realised the benefits of practicing at my own pace. I still love going to classes with my favourite teachers, but I also know that it’s important to practice on your own, as yoga teachers have to squeeze a se...

Mindfulness | Saturday 11th April 2020

Looking after your mental wellbeing on lockdown

With everything that’s going on at the moment, I’m finding myself with a lot more free time. Many of the things I used to do to distract myself are no longer options, and I’m spending a lot more time with my own thoughts. This can be really diffic...

Meditation & Pranayama | Monday 4th November 2019

Pranayama: the breathing techniques

Often when I meet people who've never tried yoga, they tell me that they don't think they could "do it" because they're not flexible enough. To which I usually answer "but you do know how to breathe, right? Then that's the hardest part sorted"....

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