Today, I wonder

This short blog offers a truthful glimmer into me, today. No hyperbole, no solutions, just a fragment of vulnerability.

Courage, InsightMelanie SkinnerMarch 16, 2017truth, insight, honesty, choice, darkness, faith, fear, heart, happiness, isolation Comments

Let go of perfect

Insight, Inspiration, HappinessMelanie SkinnerFebruary 28, 2017Mel Skinner Yogaperfection, beauty, success, life, affirmations, love Comments

Create. More. Space.

Knowing you want more space in your life is one thing, creating it is another. Read on to discover why creating space comes with its highs and its lows.

Why your body is your greatest teacher

Your body is so much more than something to be carved, chipped away at, despised and fought with. If your thought your body was your greatest teacher, able to inspire and guide you, would it be possible to find true love for the skin you are in?

Hello darkness my old friend

As we slowing start to ascend towards the light, it can be easy to try and ignore the fact that we are still in the wintery darkness. With stillness, reflection and contemplation, the darkness of winter can be a boon to our spiritual practice. Here's why it isn't always about the light.

Insight, CourageMelanie SkinnerDecember 29, 2016Mel Skinner Yogayoga nidra, yoga, meditation, cycles, winter, slowing down, reflection, welcoming, ego, shadow side, darkness, stillnessComment

Feeling the burn?

Whether we're reaching burn out through our work, our lifestyle or our relationships, there isn't a simple solution. For some people giving up work simply won't be an option, or at least not right now. So what can you do to help yourself now?

Can 9 - 5 ever work?

There's a reason why you can't finish the to-do list despite spending longer and longer hours at your desk; we're simply not designed to be productive in this way. Want to know what to do about it? Warning: it involves change!

Insight, Courage, HappinessMelanie SkinnerNovember 14, 2016Mel Skinner Yogainspiration, life changing, office life, change, choice, yoga nidtraComment

Never underestimate the power of will (Trump didn't)

What do Donald Trump and yoga nidra have in common? They both have strong intentions . . .

The curse of doing too much

I'm cutting back on the amount of classes I teach in order to find more space. Sound like a luxury? For me, it's a necessity - and one that doesn't come without a good dose of courage.

Breaking the silence

I stopped writing blogs for 2 months - and my periods stopped. Here's why I'm breaking the silence.

Do you need restorative yoga?

For those people who still feel exhausted after an 8 (or 10) hour sleep, or after a weekend of "doing nothing", have you tried restorative yoga? Learning just one or two restorative yoga practices that you can practice at home could literally transform your life. Lying with your legs up against the wall doesn't take strength, balance or flexibility, yet this simple action can rejuvenate the body, bring life back to tired legs, and lift energy in a more sustainable way than a glass of wine or chocolate bar can.

Healing, Yoga, InsightMelanie SkinnerAugust 15, 2016Mel Skinner Yogarestorative yoga, rest, rest is radical, yoga, breath, yoga nidtra, pressure, choice, consequencesComment

Are you a spiritual snob?

We all know the type. The one who likes to tell you what time they go up to practice, how long they practice for, and how far their practice has 'progressed'. The ones who tell you that yoga has changed their life and it can change your life as well, hell, it probably should change your life, because if you're not doing yoga all the time then surely something is wrong. Whether you're getting these messages from that ever so loud and proud person in the changing room or from the onslaught of social media challenges and Insta-worthy pics, it's not that difficult to be cornered by a spiritual snob, or - gasp - turn into one.

Insight, YogaMelanie SkinnerAugust 8, 2016Mel Skinner Yogayoga, spirituality, happiness, self-inquiry, judgement, snobComment

Why it really is now or never

How do you when it's right to pause and wait, and when it's time to just take the leap? Procrastination isn't always a bad thing, but when we use it to hold ourselves back, we could be missing out on what life has to offer.

Courage, Happiness, Insight, Inspiration, YogaMelanie SkinnerAugust 3, 2016Mel Skinner Yogayoga, healing, heart, courage, life changing, advice, inspirationComment

Why the best is yet to come

We live in a time of overwhelming amounts of information. Learning to discern and sift through through all of it is an art most of us are still learning. But how it would be feel to take a step back from all that information? To take a moment to consider whether your beliefs about yourself and the world are being fed by what you read and who you talk to? How would it feel to tear up those stories and write some new ones? And how it would feel if, in those new stories, .you believed that the best was yet to come?

Are these three demons holding you back?

In a world of aspiration and achievement, none of us really like to think we have demons. Some of us are reluctant to admit we even have weaknesses, or aspects of ourselves which we may be less proud of, but by welcoming in and accepting yourself in ourselves in our entirety is big part of all of our journeys, for healing, prosperity, fulfillment and freedom.

Create, don't compete

Insight, Happiness, InspirationMelanie SkinnerJuly 13, 2016Mel Skinner Yogayoga, competition, creativity, healing, happiness, faith, affirmations, universe, successComment

Find power in vulnerability

By shutting down our vulnerability, we're closing off not only an important part of our life experience, but we're also closing ourselves off to a greater power. Power in vulnerability? Yes, you hear me right.

Does balance exist?

Does balance exist? The world of yoga has you standing on you tip toes, on one leg, and sometimes on your head in an attempt to find out. As for me, I think balance comes with a warning. Does it exist? Sure. Can we control it? No way.

Insight, YogaMelanie SkinnerJune 14, 2016Mel Skinner Yogabreath, balance, yogaComment

Flames and ash!

This is the year of the fire monkey - learn how to manage the potential that comes from fire and heat so you end up feeling burnt into ashes.

Energy, InsightMelanie SkinnerJune 7, 2016Mel Skinner Yogaenergy, chinese astrology, fire monkey, yoga, feminine, respect, self care, creativityComment

A whole new world

When opportunities come along which offer to take us into new territory - be it physical or energetic - we have to take them. A whole new world awaits.

Insight, Healing, EnergyMelanie SkinnerMay 20, 2016Mel Skinner Yogaenergy healing, energy, resistanceComment