Book: Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind over Body – Jo Marchant
The author is a science journalist, and coming from a scientific background presents a scepticism about non conventional approaches to healing and wellbeing – there’s almost a paradox in the books title, can there be “Science” in mind/body...Don’t Get Stressed About It! Stress And How Yoga Can Help
This is an article I wrote for Island Magazines, but it bears distributing wider as Stress and the Nervous System seems to come up a lot in class and, let’s face it, which of us haven’t been stressed at some time? Don’t Get Stressed About It! How often do...Book: Big Fit Girl – Louise Green
So, anyone who has practised with me will know I’m not blessed with a stereotypical yoga teachers body. Basically, although I’m not happy about it, I’m at the top end of overweight and one protein shake away from obese, despite being a regular...Book: A Day in the Life of the Brain: The Neuroscience of Consciousness – Susan Greenfield
I know – another book on neuroscience and the brain. Anyone would think I was obsessed! I do read other things as well, but its the highlights that make it here. Anything by by Baroness Greenfield is likely to be a highlight, as she is arguably one...Book: Molecules of Emotion – Candace Pert
“Why do we feel the way we feel?” is the question posed on the back cover. Candace Pert was one of the first scientists to properly explore some of these questions – literally as the title suggests what are the molecules that cause emotion? ...Book: The Plastic Mind – Sharon Begley
Over the past couple of decades there has been a remarkable change in our understanding of the human brain. In 1913 Nobel prize winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal wrote “In the adult centres the nerve paths are something fixed, ended and immutable”...Book: Sleep Better – The Science and The Myths – Graham Law and Shane Pascoe
Sleep is increasingly recognised as the third pillar of good health, alongside exercise/movement and diet/nutrition. But, lets be honest, for most of us, we probably think very little about sleep and sleep hygiene unless it comes to the fore through insomnia,...Book: When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi (Dcd)
Paul Kalanithi died in March 2015, towards the end of writing this book. He was a neurosurgeon, a father, a son, a husband. He was in his late 30s. The book is his account of a terminal lung cancer, and facing up to it. Its a reflection on his life,...Book: Freedom in Exile – Autobiography of the Dalai Lama
So, the first thing to say is this is not a new book – first published 1990, and revised edition 1998 – but some things don’t age. Over the past few years my life has drawn me towards Buddhist practices, particularly ethical and meditative, and I...Book: the Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down – Haemin Sunim
Subtitled “How to be calm in a busy world”, this little book is by a Korean Buddhist Monk. First published in 2012, it has been translated into English this year, 2017, accompanied by delightful illustrations by Youngcheol Lee. This is not a text...Book: Waking Up – Searching for Spirituality Without Religion – Sam Harris
Its easy to fall into seeing science and belief as two mutually exclusive concepts, and from there to see any concept of spirituality as a religious matter and at odds with a scientific and rational approach to life. In this short book – 200 pages – the...Book: The Brain – Michael O’Shea
Part of the Oxford Very Short Introduction Series – a treasure trove for the curious – this is a comparatively short book – 120 pages – exploring the working and structure of our brains. On a couple of occasions in my practical anatomy work...Book: The Sleep Revolution – Arianna Huffington
I’m not sure if its really revolutionary, but the importance of sleep in the human existence can never be overstated – this book is a exposition of that importance. We start with a review of some trends and the current status quo around sleep and sleep...Book: Yoga FAQ – Richard Rosen
The subtitle is “Almost Everything You Need to Know about Yoga – from Asanas to Yamas” – quite an ambitious project. The author pulls it off well, he clearly has the experience and knowledge to tackle the topic, and for the most part he does...Metta
Its been a crazy week. The terrorist attack in London. The last minute posturings in the election. The sobering reality that election day doesn’t bring any closure as the bickering and manoeuvring goes on. This week I’ve been drawn in my...Book: The Telomere Effect – Blackburn & Epel
One of the things – just one – that inspires me around study in human sciences is just how much we don’t really know, and how much there is to still understand and still come to know. A bit like Donald Rumsfelds “known knowns and known...Book: The Modern Yoga Bible – Christina Brown
The Godsfield Bible series is well known, and indeed “The Yoga Bible”, by the same author, has been a popular yoga guide for over a decade. This latest publication came out earlier this year, and takes a more modern approach to yoga, as the name implies....Awareness of Non Awareness
This evening I taught a workshop on Mindfulness and Meditation, two subjects which are linked and overlap but which have different connotations and characteristics. Having had this workshop open for booking for many weeks, maybe 8 or more, and having a rough...Book: The Stress Test – Ian Robertson
The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper Until comparatively recently it was thought that the brain was a static organ in the body, and didn’t change once adulthood had been reached. Research over recent years has proved this wrong,...Socials and Feeds
