Book: 10% Happier – Dan Harris
10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works – A True Story From all the reading I have done recently, this book made a pleasant change as its very “first person”. Dan...Book: Buddhism – A Concise Introduction – Huston Smith and Philip Novak
Growing up in rural 1970s Britain religion was Christianity, state sponsored, slightly threatening, slightly controlling. At school you became aware of “others” in the religious would, and tended to regard them with suspicion. For me that...Book: The Relaxation Response – Herbert Benson
This isn’t a new book – first published 1975 – but when you read it the overwhelming thought is “why didn’t they tell us about it” – they maybe being school – where I was in 1975 – doctors, society. The reason, of...Book: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers – Robert M. Sapolsky
Stress – arguably the curse – or price – of modern life. But what if we don’t accept that bargain? How do we counter stress? Well, first we understand the problem, then we learn how to make changes. This book is a very comprehensive – yet...Book: The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma – Bessel van der Kolk
The concept of our body reflecting tension in the mind is nothing new – just think how you can experience stiffness, back pain, IBS or headache in response to tension. However what of the unconscious tensions we hold, and how they are reflected in the body? This...Book: Chinese Medicine – The Web That Has No Weaver – Ted Kaptchuk
A large part of Yin Yoga is based, not unsurprisingly, on Yin Yang theory. In turn Yin Yang theory is a small part of the much larger art of Chinese Medicine, which encompasses, of course, acupuncture, herbal treatments and five element theory (translated by the...Book: Adrenal Fatigue – James Wilson
Its fair to say Adrenal Fatigue is a controversial condition, with opinion being split about whether its a true or bogus diagnosis. The theory goes that stresses and strains of life cause the Adrenal Glands to work sub optimally, but not so sub optimally as to justify...Book: Yoga: Fascia, Anatomy and Movement – Joanne Avison
Fascia, it seems, is the new buzz word. Anatomy of the millennial generation. But thats not without reason, as through scientific, anatomical and ultimately practical enquiry, we learn more about this neglected aspect of our make up. There is,...New Year Thoughts – Setting a Sankalpa
First, a happy New Year to all my students, Facebook followers, and the Island Yoga Community. It feels like I have eaten far more rich food than I should over the festive season, and a January de-tox is called for! And so, on January 1st, we turn to...Solstice thoughts
This morning was the Winter Solstice – officially the start of the winter, although it feels its been with us a while doesn’t it? I’ve been delving into some Celtic traditions, well scratching the surface of them, of late, and its drawn me to looking...Book: The Magical year – Danu Forest
Its fair to say until I met yoga my spirituality was best described as “low key Christian”. One of the great gifts yoga has given me is the curiosity, and tools, to explore a wider spiritual map, drawing into my still firm Christian faith elements of...Book: Insight Yoga – Sarah Powers
This is one of the very first books on Yin Yoga, written in 2008, and Sarah herself was one of the very early Yin Yoga teachers in the US. Confession time – I re-read this book for the third of fourth time recently, thats in a time period of about four...Book: After Buddhism – Stephen Batchelor
The subtitle to this book is “rethinking the dharma for a secular age”, and the author, a former Buddhist Monk, sets out on a task of trying to get back to Buddhism’s roots, and filter out the additions of dogma and tradition over the years, aiming...Book: The Universe in Your Hand – Christophe Galfard
Astro Physics and Yoga? Tenuous links? I suppose I’ve always had a curious mind, and during a week of travelling to London for a course this summer I picked up this book on Waterloo Station – promising a journey through “Quantum Mechanics,...We are all Donald
OK, so that was a bit of a surprise. I mean we really hoped he wouldn’t win? That common sense would prevail? Although I personally would have voted for Hillary, I can see the attraction of The Donald to some people, particularly his call to change...Book: Mindful Moments – Louise Adams
This little book has been on my reading pile for a while, it was some thing I bought in January on the magazine rack of Tesco of all places! It was worth the wait. The author is a Clinical Psychologist with an interest in evidence based techniques which has drawn her...Book: Yoga Reminder – A G Monaghan
The subtitle to this book is “Lightened Reflections”, and that sets the tone for this short, and light hearted, exposition of the basics of yoga. Not the basics of yoga as in getting your foot behind your neck, but the basics of the system of personal...Book: An Empath: The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Energy, Emotions & Relationships – Alex Myles
The phenomenon of the Highly Sensitive Person, also known as an Empath, is something that only came up for me recently, but which I immediately related to. Theres a distinction to be made here between someone who is Empathetic and the Empath. Most of us can be...Book: Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit – Ana Forrest
Part autobiographical, part practice manual, this is a book about radical self healing. It’s not an easy read, arguably in some places controversial, and maybe for some triggery, very raw in places, the author weaves the story of her life through the practices...Socials and Feeds
