The primate community has hit the headlines positively over the last few weeks; I think we have things to learn from this monkeying around. Firstly I read that a Zambian chimp called Julie has started a trend in her primate community by swanking around with a long blade of grass dangling from her ear for…

I am a very nosey person. Fact. I have never been able to help myself earwigging in on strangers’ conversations and being far too inquisitive about other people’s lives. This week I feel I have excelled – even by my own high standards of shoving my ample nose wherever it is not needed; I have…

Mum had another health scare last week, but thankfully performs another Lazarus, laughing that at least this latest episode furnishes her with a day trip to the hospital and gifts me a legitimate reason to go and visit. ( I am bubbled Boris, honestly). Admittedly my mother has been a bit gung-ho since getting her…

I attended a course for introvert yoga teachers last week. I know, it sounds like an oxymoron – for surely you need to be extrovert to stand up/lie down in front of a class? The truth is that most teachers are actually quite shy regardless what they teach. Most yoga teachers I know, start their…

A buzz phrases in teaching at the moment is to, ‘dissolve the screen’. With all lessons being delivered remotely, teachers are urged to forget the screen that divides us from our PJ’d students as they study at home. We are advised to engage warmly and imagine that the class is sitting there right in front…

We all want to know when there will be some easement of Lockdown. I like the word ‘easement’ for it denotes both the right to use someone else’s land for a specific purpose, and/or the state or feeling of comfort or peace; I think both definitions can be applied to our longing to know when…

One of my worst failings (as I am constantly telling myself) is my strong critical voice. In my defence, I am as critical of myself as I am of other people, so I know how rubbish it feels to be on the receiving end of relentless negative feedback. I speak from experience when I share…

I am not sure about you, but when I am in the process of buying presents for other people, I have an annoying tendency of self-gifting myself at the same time. There is absolutely no excuse for this because I love shopping, so it is not as if I need to reward myself for doing…

You will be much relieved to hear that the only commitment I have made at the start of this New Year is NOT to set any resolutions. Those of you who know me will know that this really does go against the grain, for I am the person who usually has notebooks full of goals,…

Dreamers like me who dare to think beyond THE vaccination have a new festive parlour game – entertainment we would readily engage in should we be allowed to meet in groups for some pre-Christmas party shenanigans. In the absence of such permission, we content ourselves with some social media frivolity, questioning which Covid-related behaviours will…