“To my understanding, the ethics and observances known as the Yamas and Niyamas are just as much a practical guide to physical practice as they are to life.

In my personal yoga journey, I have discovered, through practice, that as much as I might have an idea of what certain concepts mean – non-violence (ahimsa), appropriate effort (bramacharya), whole-hearted engagement (tapas) etc. etc. – unless the idea I am working with is accurate, applying it to practice yields nothing particular apart from perhaps a relaxed state of mind.  However, the quantum leaps that I have experienced over the years, have been moments when I can shift into a direct exploration of what principles could actually mean, and measure the accuracy of my inquiry by how the body responds to what I am doing.

This way of approaching posture work has had the effect of changing the way I think about things, together with what feels like a far clearer…