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I don’t know about you, but I find the Great British winter a dismal time. We’ve reached that time of the year as we approach the shortest day when it is dark until after 7am, dark again at 4pm, some days it hardly gets light at all here on the fens. If it wasn’t for my Lumie Alarm clock I’m not sure I’d get out of bed at all.
I start to get the winter blues some time after Bonfire Night on 5th November and they last pretty much through until I see my first daffodil, sometime in March (if the seasons are behaving).
For the time of year it has been deceptively mild – warm even by November standards. But it’s not the temperature that gets me, readers, it’s the dark.
But December is a bit of respite because there are so many brightly coloured lights and decorations, bizarrely flavoured coffee in Starbucks, presents to buy (and receive) and a big tree in my living room waiting to be decorated. Himself and I are home alone (avec kitties) as all other family members are away and quite frankly, after the year I’ve had, I cannot wait for some peace, quiet, delicious food and alone time with the beloved.
December Intentions
1. Write and post the Christmas cards by 10th December
2. Work the Mill Road Winter Fair – I’ll be opening the clinic for free massage tasters and wearing tinsel in my hair. What more do you want?
3. Make the mincemeat by 5th December
4. Get the Christmas cards/gift vouchers for clients written and posted by 16th December (which is also the date of the annual Christmas trip to see the best band in the world).
5. Make stollen and gingerbread by 20th December (there will be updates on this as this year I try to make them wheat free).
6. Master the art of the Yule Log for New Year.
(A lot of food related stuff there eh? But it is Christmas! All the recipe links take you to last year’s Vegan Christmas Recipes – see the whole set here)
November in Review
1. Finish reading Stephen King’s “On Writing” – DONE you can read my review here
2. Clean out the pantry – I just did this. I couldn’t announce to the world I’d failed on this front again. These lists do make me accountable!
3. Order the Christmas cards and start finding out what people want for Christmas (always a long and difficult process) – DONE
4. Write at least the first 2 days of the aforementioned Foundation Course – DONE (in fact the whole thing is written, it just needs a bit(lot) of tidying up)
5. Start Playing Little Big Planet again (played this for the first time in 2 years the other night and forgot how much fun it was. I need more fun in my life – everything is always work, work, work!) – NOT DONE – work has been super busy! Which is a good thing of course but, oh my I am looking forward to those two weeks off!
It’s coming up to that time of the year again. That time of year when we all want to buy an ethical yet awesome present for our loved ones. Now I wish I could help you on the whole “what the hell to buy for Dad?” question. I can’t. My own father is the man who owns everything and is, therefore, impossible to buy for. But if you’ve got a yoga lover in your life (or if you just want to buy something for yourself this holiday season), some of these suggestions might help.
1) Yoga mat
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Well this is the million dollar question. If I had it my way none of us would have mats but that’s another story for another day. I get the need for them, especially if you practice at a studio or dusty old church and I get that a lot of yoga teachers don’t have the storage space to provide their students with mats (I’m lucky in that I do). Basically, whatever I may think, a mat is still a primary necessity when it comes to practicing yoga.
I’m not going to give the big speech on ethical and eco yoga mats. I’m not 100% convinced there is such a thing. Just make sure it’s non-PVC OK? 
The Manduka is a very popular one. I’m not a fan as I find them too thick and heavy and really £60 is a lot of money for a mat right? For a thinner cheaper option there is the Manduka Lite.
I much prefer the Prana e.c.o but this wouldn’t hold up to a really vigorous practice like Astanga (it does work really well for Pilates though especially if you put a yoga rug down. I like these from YogaMatters.co.uk.
The Prana Revolution is a great big mat, wider and stronger and much better for Astanga. If you buy this from YogaMatters.co.uk they donate £1 to Yoga for Unity.
Finally for Astanga/Hot/Power Yoga practitioners – sometimes the sweat makes you lose your grip right? Try this liquid chalk. I swore by it back in my Astanga days.
2) Bolsters
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In my mind there is nothing so liberating as lying back over a yoga bolster at the end of a busy day. They are supportive and comforting and perfect for restorative poses as well as sitting on in the more general scheme of things. They are also one of the few yoga props I am willing to spend a lot of money on.
These are my own favourites. As they have removable covers they are great for classes and also if, like me, you sit on them to eat your tea and you spill a lot…. hmmm….;)
These ones are slightly more expensive but are stuffed with buckwheat rather than cotton which moulds into the shape of your body over time (great for personal practice, not so great if you are sharing them with your students).
3) Mat Bags + Eyepillows
There is only one place to go for the best in yoga mat bags and eye pillows and that’s Devon Red. Clare handmakes all the gorgeous stock and has it ready and shipped to you within a week. Who could ask for more? And as she says, anyone who has ever tried Savasana with an eye pillow over their eyes has never gone back. Perfect stocking fillers, I’m sure you’ll agree!
4) Books
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There are thousands upon thousands of yoga books out there and a lot of them are (ahem) dodgy to say the least, but here are a few of my favourites.
At risk of sounding like a stuck record, if you or the yogi in your life hasn’t read Darren Main’s Yoga and the Path of the Urban Mystic, then this is the time to buy it. Darren has a fabulous new book out as well called The Yogi Entrepreneur which is perfect for anyone thinking about training to teach yoga or just trying to set themselves up as a teacher. I wish it had been around 6 years ago to be honest.
Then there’s The Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar – the book to read as you start to take your yoga journey forward, Writing Yoga by Bruce Black – for hints, tips and prompts on keeping a practice journal (a practice journal is a great way of taking your yoga off the mat), and for something a little bit more, well, hardgoing most serious yogis have at least attempted to read Eliade’s Yoga: Immortality and Freedom (warning: this took me a year to get through!).
For a little bit of lighthearted fun, Kimberly Wilson’s Hip Tranquil Chick is a perfect balance between life and mat, and Judith Hanson Lasater’s Relax + Renew does exactly what it says on the tin!
5) DVDs
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I’ve never been 100% convinced about yoga DVDs. It’s really hard to find that focus and clear sightedness when it’s you, your TV and an instructor pretzeling themselves on screen (yes that is a word in my world). However, yoga classes are expensive and home practice is hard to maintain without some sort of instruction so I would recommend the following DVDs only if you or the yogi in your life is a) not a beginner and b) sees a teacher or goes to class at least semi-regularly because nothing beats input from a real actual person
Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga DVDS – one for the upper body, one for the lower body;
Rodney Yee’s AM/PM yoga – two 20-minute sequences plus use of props/modifications etc for the time of day most appropriate for you.
Paul Grilley’s Yin Yoga DVD – a great way to start a home practice.
There are a lot more practice DVDs and you may all have your own individual favourites that I haven’t seen. Do let me know in the comments (and likewise for any books or props that you particularly love)
NB: Most of the links here take you to YogaMatters.co.uk, a UK yoga supplier. There are many other suppliers of all these products around the world and Google is your friend. I have no affiliation with YogaMatters at all, it is just somewhere I have always trusted for my yoga equipment. Neither do I have any affiliation with Amazon.co.uk
I do have affiliation with Devon Red and using the links to Devon Red in this post may result in commissions for SuburbanYogini.com
Every year, when I break for Christmas, I get a cold. This year is no different. I got through the festivities and now am making myself spend a few days on the sofa with books and DVDs and Lemsip so that it doesn’t drag into the New Year. The amazing, exciting, nerve wracking New Year.
Christmas was lovely, one of the best for a few years to be honest. Santa was wonderfully generous, Himself insisted on barbequeing some steak “as a snack” even though it was -3*C and I created a veritable vegan feast (with duck for the boys). There was champagne, too much chocolate and pudding and the annual Trivial Pusuit deathmatch. Perfect.
And you readers? How did you celebrate?
December 27 – Ordinary Joy
Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
Back in August I wrote this post about being extraordinarily ordinary. About finding joy in the everyday. About adding sparkle to the otherwise mundane.
I have endeavoured this year to find a moment of light in even the greyest of days, because there’s always something there, even on the days when you don’t want to get out of bed – a chink of sunlight, a snippet of birdsong, a moment of depth in yoga practice, a silly joke, a glass of wine….
Without the grey there can be no sparkle. So always try to find the sparkle underneath the grey (and if all else fails unroll your yoga mat!).
