The Yoga Bohemian

Hi! 🌙 So, lots of people have been asking me about the mantra I often chant at the end of practice.  It's very rare for me to end a practice without some kind of mantra these days and I often choose mantras that have some kind of bearing upon the specific practice we are doing or even the time of year. For me, the closing mantra rounds off the practice and indicates a kind of "seal" for the energy created during the session. As my practice has deepened and my teaching has developed, the use of mantra has become an integral part of the process and is as important to me as the postures themselves.   I love using Sanskrit mantras for many reasons. Firstly, because I love the sound of this language and it really makes me feel connected to the heritage of this wonderful practice of yoga. I think it is important to keep the roots and the reasons for practising yoga at the forefront of this practice otherwise it just becomes the performance of a series of complicated movements

Hi! 🌙 So, the wheel of the year keeps turning...  I heard that if it's a bright, sunny day, that means the Cailleach can go out and fetch more firewood to keep her warm so she can keep winter going for a bit longer, but if she forgets and oversleeps, the day will be gray and stormy, therefore signalling an end to the cold days - well, today was a beautiful sunny day here (though cold) so I am assuming we need to snuggle up and keep hibernating a little longer! The Cailleach - she's known as The Veiled One and The Queen of Winter. She's a hag and, in some legends, a shapeshifter. She's a powerful old woman, filled with the wisdom of the ages, the ancients and the ancestors. Her skin is deathly pale and her teeth are red. She can leap across mountains and ride the storms. She's a true force of nature, wild and destructive but not evil. She cares for animals both wild and domestic during the winter and is the patron of wolves.  The Cailleach is ageless and immortal a

Hi! 🌙 So this year's Lunar splendour kicks off with the Wolf Moon, also known as The Cold Moon for obvious reasons! In times gone by, the full moons have been named according to the seasons, the weather or even the behaviour of nature or humankind around that time. The Wolf Moon , it is said, is so called because in the Northern Hemisphere, this is a time when wolves can often be heard howling more than usual. The old-timers thought it was maybe because of hunger but we now know that wolves howl for many other reasons: defining territory, to locate pack members and even to reinforce social bonds!  The Hopi Native American tribe are said to have named this moon PAAMUYA which means "Moon of Life at its Height" as a comparison to the summer sun which is exactly 6 months away at the opposite high point of the year. The moon rides high in the sky at this time of year (in the Northern Hemisphere) just like the sun in the height of Summer. Because of the various astrological h

Hi! I'm Cheryl, The Yoga Bohemian.  I welcome you to my brand new blog where I intend to share with you some of the discoveries I make along my path and the knowledge and experiences I find and create along the way. I invite you to walk along with me and I welcome your experiences and questions too. If ever there's anything you'd like to see mentioned here in these pages, please feel free to reach out and ask - I would like you to be a part of the process... About me? I'm a lot of things!  I have 2 children a beautiful back cat and a wonderful husband and home in Shropshire UK. This loving foundation and the support of my family throughout all my crazy schemes has enabled me to follow my dreams... So what do those dreams look like...? I am a teacher and practitioner of yoga and I find that here is where I really find my peace. I love to teach and the spirit of a good personal yoga practice has guided me through many a dark time in my life.  I also practice crystal heali