This section provides a selection of Press articles, published in various media.  The majority of my ramblings, available in the 'My Thoughts' section, have also been published in magazines such as Yoga Life, Pondicherry, India.  I will update this section as and when new press documents appear, and will also include some of those which I have not written, yet find truly inspiring and which I wish to share with you.

Namaste, Sonia.

Published: Feb. 2008 Yoga Life Vol.39 No. 02, Pondicherry, India.

The whole of the material universe exists because of the 'play of opposites'.  This idea sheds awareness on the play of opposites within our Asana practice.  When we sit up, there must be apoint when the energy also moves down to ground us!  Most of us find this point of energetic change in the small of the back.  Thinking only of sitting up is quite a different experience energetically than thinking only of sitting down.  Doing both feels different again ... more balanced.  If we move to the left we must also be moving somewhere to the right ... or else it will feel so unbalanced!  Awareness of the different directions of energy in a posture, brings yet another dimension to our experience of Asana.  We can also find the centre of the movement, the point of change, where Yang meets Yin, Loma flows into Viloma, positive to negative and experience its dynamic.  Where the opposites merge one into the other is the "turning point" and the point on which we wish to take our stance.  Within all this wonderful dynamic energy is a centre of stillness.  We must balance ourselves between the play of opposites in a dynamic peace!

Published: July 2008 Yoga Life Vol.39 No. 07, Pondicherry, India.

"Give me another term for Samadhi!" I asked my small advanced Yoga class.  The answers came fast and furious: "Bliss / Right Knowledge / Peace / Self Awareness / Nirvana / Total Contentment / Illumination / Oneness."

"Keep going", I said, "there is a particular word I want from you." Well, we continued until many other words were spoken.  But no one came up with the one I wanted!

"It's so easy to foget, to lose the vision, to get bogged down in intellect, to not see the wood for the trees..." I said.  "The word I am looking for is... YOGA!!!"

Have we forgotten what the word Yoga means or what we are doing with Yoga?

Yoga means "everything" which was said, including Samadhi and more!

Yoga is Chitta Vritti Nirodha according to Patanjali - and so is Samadhi!

I know it is just a word - and Yoga has become just a four letter word to some.  How many toss the word off so casually!

"I'm off to do my Yoga Practice" we say.  Why not say, "I'm off to do my Samadhi!"  It may take our practice take on a more subtle tone if we think Yoga is Samadhi!

We must contemplate the words we use, so that we may not just give Yoga a lip service.  Our practice will be more effective, more whole, more subtle.

It falls into the same old syndrome!  "I go to church on Sunday, but forget God the rest of the week" ...That same thing, it happens in Yoga too!

All this means simply - Be Aware! (Beware) and avoid the pitfalls on the path

Published: Feb. 2008 Yoga Life Vol.39 No. 02, Pondicherry, India.

The whole of the material universe exists because of the 'play of opposites'.  This idea sheds awareness on the play of opposites within our Asana practice.  When we sit up, there must be apoint when the energy also moves down to ground us!  Most of us find this point of energetic change in the small of the back.  Thinking only of sitting up is quite a different experience energetically than thinking only of sitting down.  Doing both feels different again ... more balanced.  If we move to the left we must also be moving somewhere to the right ... or else it will feel so unbalanced!  Awareness of the different directions of energy in a posture, brings yet another dimension to our experience of Asana.  We can also find the centre of the movement, the point of change, where Yang meets Yin, Loma flows into Viloma, positive to negative and experience its dynamic.  Where the opposites merge one into the other is the "turning point" and the point on which we wish to take our stance.  Within all this wonderful dynamic energy is a centre of stillness.  We must balance ourselves between the play of opposites in a dynamic peace!

Published: July 2005 Yoga Life Vol.36 No. 07, Pondicherry, India.

As I look out of my kitchen window into the gravelled corner of my Japanese garden, I can see some green weeds growing on the gravel!  Although I have put a black membrane down beneath the stone, so nothing could grow up there, it appears that something has!  It must be that the wind has blown leaves that rotted down onto the stone, forming a kind of earth.  Then exposed to all the elements, the stones provided a perfect environment fo growth... When the environment is right, there has to be growth!  Yet, here, in the West in particular, we never think that we first need to "prepare the ground" to create the right environment for growth, especially spiritual growth!

It seems anyone, any time, in any shape can go for it!  Without the correct environment there will be no growth - no insights.  We may be able to performan Asana-position perfectly, but that is all - we may sit for hours in stillness - but that is all - no wonder so few gain real insight and experience themselves, not just interchanging what others have written and experienced.  We need to use the knowledge and experiences of others as sign posts to show us the direction to create environments in which to grow and live ourselves.  It is the Yamas and Niyamas which create the environment.  It is the way we live and treat others!