Don't be afraid of the length of this newsletter, ok?

How was your summer? Did you stay local or did you venture further? Did you go ABROAD?!

We stayed in the UK, but left the city and visited the beautiful English countryside. The landscape and scenery was consistently breath-taking, but at times, the reception from the locals was as up and down as the Malvern Hills.

There was warmth from many people, to the point where my 7-year old asked, “why is everyone saying hi to you?” But we also experienced frosty silence and averted eyes during a Sunday pub lunch in a sunny garden - with the exception of one lovely woman who chased after us to return my scarf, dropped during our rather rushed departure.

The very awkward vibe at the pub (and from some of the people we encountered on our walks) went beyond “city vs country” tension. It was the energy of “us vs them” and it definitely felt like we were “them”.

(Disclaimer: I discussed it with my (white) partner that evening and he felt the same borderline hostility too...sorry babe, my fault!)

Yoga and Politics?

As someone who teaches yoga asana I wonder, who am I to share my political views? And while I grapple with the articulation of my thoughts, the correct language to use, and confront the fear that I may offend someone, I’d like to direct you to Bo Forbes’s article Why yoga + the body are social and political. She’s a Boston-based yoga teacher and psychologist who I’ve been following for over a decade. It’s a 10-minute read and a bit heady, but it's worth it. If you read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts.