Have you ever heard that saying that life is what happens when you’re busy making plans? In fact, doesn’t it seem that nothing ever goes according to plan? We try to organise our work life, our social life, our relationships and our personal life. We try to take everything into account to stay on top of things and keep everybody happy.

Given all the conditioning we are subjected to, telling us of all the duties we must perform and all the reasons why we cannot take time out for ourselves, perhaps it is time we actually look at the reasons why we should take time out to go on a yoga retreat.

Life is full of ups and downs, no matter how rich or popular you are. Practical issues may range from having to vacate your apartment within a week and having nowhere to live, to having the tax man poke your ribs about your undeclared income. Emotional issues may range from feeling abandoned and rejected by those you care about to feelings of uncertainty as to the true motives of the people flocking around you. The dramas of life are plenty and the stories in which they unfold can come in endless variations.

Life offers many teachers in many different forms. We can recognise and honour all our teachers during the full moon of Guru Purnima.

Guru Purnima occurs on a full moon in the middle of summer, around July. On this full moon, we remember all those who brought into our consciousness the light of knowledge that dispels the darkness of ignorance. It is an auspicious day dedicated to all our gurus and teachers.

The timeless equation and an ideal we’re all consciously or unconsciously pursuing – a good work/life balance. Some seem to have nailed it effortlessly, aligning their work with their passion so that the demands on mind and body remain pleasantly manageable.

When you see your thoughts like a conscious sky sees clouds coming and going, they are no longer unwelcome. They simply are, existing in the boundless Now. They can be embraced as mere experience, another image on the flickering TV of the mind. You, as Awareness, remain untouched and the true ‘Present Moment’ is allowed to unfold at its own will.

Stress is often regarded negatively but every situation has a positive side. Discover yoga for stress management to take only the positive from stress

Awareness is the continuous thread underlying all experience. All experiences – whether we might define them as good or bad – lie within awareness. Awareness is what sees and holds all experiences as well as the experiencer, both as enjoyer and sufferer.

An A5 Journal with 100 blank pages, made from recycled paper, for you to fill with your visions and dreams, and all the ways in which you align with the deepest part of your soul.

When we talk about love and fear existing on opposite sides of the vibrational spectrum of consciousness, we can say that these opposite states of being manifest themselves in many different ways in our society. One of the more evident ways love and fear have been expressed in our world, especially in the past two years, is through freedom and control.