I call my husband The Running Man because that's what he does (among other sports). He's a fit kinda guy. Sometimes a bit too fit for my liking actually. Like sometimes he will hover around me while I'm cooking to see how much oil I'm using or to check if I have added any butter to the meal (I have a Mediterranean background; my ancestors added a meal to the oil and butter!). His milk must be lite, his beer low-carb and his meat fat-free. To him, donuts are dangerous and smoking a sin. He follows his training programs with fervour and looks like a delirious lunatic when he gets back from a 5.30am run before work. And I am jealous.

What am I jealous of? Well, I am a professional procrastinator when it comes to practicing yoga at home. The mat may as well be in Europe some days, especially in winter. I go through a little dialogue in my head most nights that goes something like this: "Tomorrow morning I will wake up early and practice. While The Running Man and The Parrot are still asleep. It'll be a great start to the day!" And then I wake up and realise I need to have a shower to wake up and get warm. Then I make a pot of dandelion tea because it awakens me internally. Then I walk past the computer and remember I sent some emails to people overseas last night and may have replies. The Facebook tab opens…and before I know it, the family is up, the radio is on, the cat is knocking on the door and the newspaper is unwrapped and looking too inky and newsworthy to ignore.

So asanas get delayed and the dialogue changes to: "I'll practice tonight once The Parrot is tucked away in bed and The Running Man is doing his crunches or push-ups or whatever it is he does to try and burn off the calories from the creamy pasta sauce I fed him." Night falls, Parrot asleep, Running Man crunching. Must shower before practice (saucha is my forte!). On the way to the mat I hear something in the distance…is that what I think it is? Yes, it's the So You Think You Can Dance? theme song and because I don’t think I can, I lovelovelove to watch. Asanas can wait till tomorrow (see above for the night-before dialogue). My husband does not seem to encounter this problem with his training, not even in winter (I can't even use the cold as an excuse because he is doing laps in an outdoor pool at 7am).

How disciplined are you with your home practice and how long did it take until you made it a non-negotiable part of your day? Is it a gender issue? Is it easier for men to juggle their children and careers with fitness and spiritual pursuits? What do you think? Does my husband have more tapas than me or am I just plain lazy?

Labels: home practice, yoga

A community is usually a group of people who live close together or a group of people who are unified by the same beliefs, language or culture. The impact of technology has broadened our definition of community; we no longer have to live in close proximity to be members of a community. We become members of communities by simply adding our email addresses to a newsletter list and then leave the community when our inboxes become cluttered, by clicking unsubscribe.

When I was a child the fences between houses were made of narrow planks of wood, low enough for adults to see over. It was easy to talk to our friends through the fence and sometimes a plank broke down the bottom or near the top and we could see each other too. Now I am an adult and the fences between houses are high, strong, secure and steel. I barely see my neighbours because of different work hours and any 'free time' is spent trying to create 'quality time' with our family and close friends. What effect does our modern lifestyle have on our community spirit? And can yoga help improve our sense of belonging to a community?

Yoga gives us a chance to bond with others who share the same values and beliefs as we do. In 2007 I participated in the YogaAid Challenge to raise money for children's charity Barnados (that's me on the left). The sun was well and truly up on a glorious spring morning in Sydney and as we prepared for the final set of sun salutes we were asked to focus on the reason we chose to participate in YogaAid. Was it for love? Peace? Spiritual development? Personal achievement? I chose the word community because I crave that feeling of being a part of something, sharing a goal with like-minded people, celebrating accomplishments and then reflecting on the experience.

Solitude and inwardness are emphasised on the path to enlightenment, but community is our core. Do you feel like you are part of a yoga community?

Labels: community, yoga, yoga aid challenge