Join me for two events in London (on April 9 and 10) exploring “Pole Yoga”. Better known as mallakhamb, this Indian discipline was used by wrestlers to cultivate strength and flexibility. To what extent do yoga and wrestling overlap? As we’ll discuss, techniques such as sun salutations probably came from a similar place. Both events explore a new film called The Wrestler’s Cane by Philippa Frisby, which highlights the work of Uday Deshpande, who’ll also be attending – and if you want to try “pole yoga” yourself, he’s offering workshops while he’s in London…

Join me online (Apr 29 – May 26) to get immersed in the Upanishads, exploring foundations of yoga philosophy as well as the earliest frameworks for practice. This engaging course relates timeless wisdom to modern priorities. Over four modules, we'll cover a selection of early Upanishads, tracing key themes in a series of videos. We’ll also look at links between the Vedas and Upanishads, as well as their influence on later traditions. Each module combines live discussion with pre-recorded lectures. You can also ask questions at any time via the course website.

Join me in the pre-Alpine hills for a four-day immersion in philosophy and practice (July 3-7, 2024). I’m excited to be teaching with Michela Montelbatti, who runs a beautiful retreat centre called Casa Corvo, near the border with Italy. We’re going to be exploring how to integrate traditional wisdom with modern priorities. Our practice will go beyond postures, including seated meditation and pranayama, and we'll investigate how yoga philosophy relates to our lives. Spaces are limited, so early booking is advised – contact me here for a discount code before October 31.

I recently launched a new site to share writing and interviews. It’s called Ancient Futures and it’s hosted on Substack, where you can subscribe to get updates by email, as well as share comments. I’ll be adding new material regularly, and my aim is to spark conversations inspiring new writing… For now, read on for an introductory post that describes some ideas I intend to explore. Explaining the title, it starts: “My aim is to explore how ancient wisdom – particularly from yoga and similar traditions – might offer us guidance for facing the future…”

The Truth of Yoga provides a clear and accessible overview of yoga’s evolution. The book’s concise and engaging chapters describe key themes that have influenced practices over the centuries. Accompanying online courses go a step further, diving deeply into yogic texts – such as the Yoga Sūtra and Bhagavad Gītā – to present what they teach in an interactive format. They‘re light-hearted and fun, and they offer a mixture of scholarly knowledge and traditional wisdom. You can find out more – and enrol today – at: http://truthofyoga.com

Why study yoga philosophy? What about history? As I argue in an article for Yoga Magazine (January 2024 edition), it's important to see how things change – and to acknowledge our own adaptations. To quote the article: "no ancient text teaches sequences of postures. Instead, they offer many different options, and few apply to modern life without a bit of reinterpreting. Teachers often do that without even realising, then source their new ideas to Patañjali – the influential author of the Yoga Sūtra – creating confusion..." Read on for tips on how to do things differently!