Hi Reader,
How has your week been?
This week, something that had been somewhere in the future suddenly became very real. After the wait for A-level results, my daughter found out that she has a place at university.
Until then, university had still felt slightly abstract. Something that would happen in the autumn.
Now there is a university. There is a place. There will be a move. And with that came a rather interesting mixture of emotions.
There was relief after all the anticipation around the results. Pride. Excitement for her and everything that lies ahead. And somewhere amongst all of that, the growing awareness that our everyday family life is about to change too.
What struck me was how easily all of these feelings could sit alongside each other. We often try to sum up how we feel in one word.
Happy. Sad. Excited. Worried. Tired.
Yet our experience is rarely quite that simple. We can be excited about something and still feel apprehensive. We can feel physically rested while our mind is exhausted. We can have plenty of energy and still feel emotionally depleted. There can be several things happening at once.
Which rather neatly brings me to what I’ve been writing about this week.
This Week's Blog Post/Podcast
Have you ever reached the end of the day feeling exhausted, finally sat or lain down — and found that your mind simply carries on?
We tend to call all of it tired. Yet physical tiredness, depleted energy, an overloaded mind and emotional exhaustion can feel very different. They can also need very different things from us.
Yoga philosophy gives us a surprisingly detailed map for understanding these different layers of ourselves.
This week, I’m taking you into the subtle body and exploring prana, the vayus, nadis, koshas, chakras and kundalini — and, more importantly, how they all fit together.
There are a few Sanskrit words along the way, so I’ve built us a map as we go:
One prana. Five jobs. A humongous road network. Five layers of experience. Seven energy hubs. And one high-voltage current.
Come and explore Understand Yourself Better: A Yogic Map of Body, Energy and Mind.
Read & Listen Here
From my Kitchen this Week...
Herby summer hummus
Chickpeas are tricky, but in the form of hummus, they are a wonderful summer food. You can add whatever soft herbs are growing in the garden — coriander, parsley, basil or dill all work beautifully.
Soak 2 cups of dried chickpeas overnight, then cook them in 8 cups of water until really soft. This takes around 30 minutes in a pressure cooker or about 1½ hours in a normal pan.
Keep some of the cooking water when you drain them.
Blend the chickpeas with:
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½–1 cup fresh herbs
- salt and black pepper to taste
Add some of the cooking water until the hummus is lovely and creamy. I often add a little more lemon juice in summer.
Chickpeas are one of the driest legumes. They bring strength and nourishment. The tahini helps balance some of that dryness and makes the hummus much more satisfying.
If that amount of tahini or oil feels too heavy for your digestion, use less and add more of the chickpea cooking water instead. Hummus needs to have a creamy texture.
A little black pepper helps support digestion. In hot weather, use it sparingly as it also adds heat.
You can also keep a few chickpeas aside and stir them through at the end if you prefer a little texture.
We eat this with bread, wraps or steamed vegetables, or simply use it as a spread on a good piece of sourdough.
From my Practice this Week...
Long car journeys and long hours sitting at a desk have left my shoulders feeling rather tight recently, so I’ve been giving them a little more attention.
Here’s a short sequence you can try at home. You’ll need a yoga strap, a long belt or a scarf. You can practise standing or sitting upright on a chair.
Lift and lower
Hold the strap a little wider than shoulder width. Keep some tension in it.
As you breathe in, lift your arms overhead. As you breathe out, lower them again.
Repeat 3–5 times.
Add a side stretch
Breathe in and lift the strap overhead.
Breathe out and bend to the right. Breathe in back to centre. Breathe out and bend to the left. Breathe in back to centre, then lower the arms.
Repeat 3 times.
Open across the shoulder and side of the chest
Take the strap behind you, with one hand holding it from above and the other from below. Keep plenty of space between your hands so that the position feels easy.
Let the lower hand draw gradually downwards, creating a stretch through the upper arm, underarm and side of the chest.
Stay for 3–5 breaths, then change sides. Repeat 2–3 times on each side.
Explore a larger shoulder movement
Hold the strap wider for this one.
Breathe in and lift your arms overhead. If your shoulders are comfortable, gradually take the strap behind you and down towards your back. Reverse the movement to return to the front.
Keep the strap wide enough for the movement to feel spacious. You can also work only through part of the movement, taking the arms as far back as feels comfortable and returning from there.
Our arms spend a lot of the day in front of us — typing, driving, cooking and using our phones. Over time, this can encourage the shoulders and upper back to round forward.
These simple movements take the shoulders in a different direction and create some welcome space across the chest and upper body.
The shoulder joint has a great deal of mobility, so let comfort guide the range of movement throughout.
This Week in Back to Rhythm
I thought I’d take you behind the scenes this week and show you how the twelve weeks of Back to Rhythm are actually structured.
Weeks 1–2: Orient and take stock
We begin by noticing what is already happening. We take stock, keep a food journal, start drinking hot water and pay attention to the rhythm of the day.
Where does everything flow quite naturally? Where do you regularly feel rushed? Where are the points of tension? And what already works well and can simply stay as it is?
These first two weeks give us a starting point before we begin changing anything.
Weeks 3–5: Understand the foundations
We move into the foundations of Ayurveda.
We explore the five elements and their qualities, the doshas and how they show up throughout the day and seasons, agni and ama, the dhatus and malas.
There is more learning during these weeks, with videos to watch alongside the practical work. By the end, you have a good basic understanding of the Ayurvedic principles we’ll use throughout the rest of the programme.
Week 6: Pause
Nothing new happens.
This is a week to catch up, consolidate and allow what you’ve learned so far to settle.
Weeks 7–12: Apply it to your life
Now we bring everything together.
We look more closely at seasonal rhythm, food and lifestyle, organising your kitchen, meal planning and the practical choices that support you throughout the day.
We’ll also cook together twice during the programme. Ideally, you can join me live in your own kitchen as we explore different spices, how to use them and how Ayurvedic principles translate into everyday cooking. If you can’t join live, you can cook along with the recording another time.
Gradually, you begin creating a daily and seasonal rhythm that works within your own life.
Throughout all twelve weeks, we meet for a weekly group call. This is where you can bring questions from the material and from your own experience.
From running Back to Rhythm before, I know that these conversations are often where everything begins to fall into place. The different pieces start connecting, and Ayurveda becomes something you can recognise and use in your own life.
Learn more about Back to Rhythm
Glimpse into Sacred Pause
Helen and I have recorded the first of our Sacred Pause conversations.
Over the coming months, we’ll be meeting regularly to explore some of the ideas behind the retreat — pausing, natural rhythms, the seasons and what creates enough space for us to hear ourselves again.
In our first conversation, we talk about why pauses matter, the significance of the summer solstice, the effect of constant input on us, and some of the small ways we can create pauses within ordinary life.
You can listen to our first Sacred Pause conversation here.
Listen to the Podcast
Sacred Pause — 17–20 June 2027, Lake District
Explore Sacred Pause Retreat
Back on the Mat in September
My regular yoga classes return from Monday, Sept 7th.
If the end of summer has you thinking about getting back onto your mat and finding a little more regularity again, the new term is now available to book.
View the Autumn Classes
🌿 Pause & Reflect
Can you notice more than one thing being true in how you feel today?
You might feel tired and content. Excited and apprehensive. Ready for change and attached to what is familiar.
Take a moment to notice what is there. Perhaps there is room for all of it.
If this Sunday Read might be helpful for someone, you’re very welcome to share it with someone who might enjoy it.
💭 If you have a question, or there’s something you’d love me to explore in a future Sunday Read, you’re always welcome to let me know.
Here’s to carrying a little more calm and ease into your days,