The Whispered Wisdom of the Upanishads
The Upanishads are the essence of Yoga wisdom.
They are time capsules containing the deepest insights of rishis, yogis and seers in the period of the ‘Great Awakening’ some 500 years or more before the Christian Era.
They are epiphanies, lightning flashes that scorched hearts, and then solidified into engravings on birch bark and then onto the printed page.
We are looking forward to reading and discussing the Kena Upanishad in our final book club meeting of the season.
An Introduction to Mudra
The word Mudra means a “sign”; a symbol; an attitude; or a seal.
Mudras are said to balance the connections between the first three koshas in particular: physical, energetic (pranic), and mental.
Mudras also promote health, balance the brain hemispheres, and, as a seal, prevent dissipation of energy from the fingers. Mudras help to re-direct and channel prana, especially the fall of prana from higher to lower chakra levels.
Find out more in to Micahel’s one-day workshop entitled The sacred science of mantra and mudra on 28th March 2026.
Mantra Yoga
A mantra is mystical energy encased in a sound structure. In this article, Yogacharya Michael McCann explores the origins and purpose of mantra; the different types of mantra; and the various ways in which to practise mantra. Find out more in to his one-day workshop entitled The sacred science of mantra and mudra on 28th March 2026.
Yoga as a mirror on life – or perhaps a laboratory?
As a student within the Iyengar yoga tradition, it is usual that we focus quite a lot on āsana practice. Perhaps there is a perception in the wider yoga community that this is all we do. In fact we are clear that the āsana practice is set in the full context of yoga as a path to freedom, and this is what Claire Ferry wanted to explore to some degree in her October workshop for the Yoga Fellowship members and guests. Here she offers her personal perspective on yoga practice.
Imbolc: the return of the light
There is an old remembering that time was once kept not by clocks or calendars, but by light and land. By the slow breathing of the Earth. In the Celtic wheel of the year, the dark half and the light half face one another like twin lovers, meeting at the solstices. Between them lie the equinoxes, moments of balance, and between those again the liminal thresholds of cross-quarter days — the fire festivals — when something turns, quietly but irrevocably.
The Path of Karma Yoga
Karma yoga is known variously as meditation in action, spiritual action, non-doing, working with awareness and selfless service. It is nishkama karma (non-doing).
Karma yoga is more concerned with the means than the end. It encourages us to offer up the result or fruit of action in a spirit of sacrifice to God, the Supreme, or what represents the Highest for you. In so doing, the action becomes ritualised and spiritualised, because the true meaning of sacrifice is “to make sacred”.
Set thy heart upon thy work, but never on its reward. Work not for a reward; but never cease to do thy work. (Bhagavad Gita)
Cultivating Spaciousness
Cultivating Spaciousness by Yogacharya Michael McCann
Let go of effort, step back, be in the moment, reflect on who is the real source of thought and action and become the knower of the field. “Abide in Me”. See the wood, not the trees, or at least the space between the trees. Remember to ask for Grace. And, of course, get out of your own way.
You will discover a space that vibrates with the light of a growing awareness, and realise that under every pebble, and in the centre of every atom, sits a Buddha.
Winter Solstice and the Alchemy of Self-Care
Transforming darkness into nourishment, rest, and renewal
The winter solstice arrives each year like a soft threshold — the longest night, the turning of the sun, the quiet pivot point of the natural world. In the Celtic wheel we are already well into the new year that began in darkness with Samhain. We are gestating with the earth, preparing for the return of the light. While much of the cultural noise around December urges speed, productivity, and brightness, the solstice invites us into something far older and wiser: the practice of resting deeply, listening inward, and discovering what alchemy becomes possible in the dark.
BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
In our Yoga book club this week, we are discussing ‘Ramana Maharshi and the Path of Self-knowledge’ by Arthur Osborne.
We are indeed blessed that such a great Yogi was born in our age. His life was a reminder that the great paths (marga) of Yoga remain ever fresh. His shrine and ashram under the sacred hill of Arunachala remain a beacon light to all who continue to seek Arunachala in the heart.
In this journal post, Maharshi’s life and teachings are outlined by Yogacharya Michael McCann
Christmas, the Descent of Light
Christmas, the descent of light
In these cold, waning days of the winter, as we move into the season of Advent, it is worth reflecting on the meaning of Christmas in the light of the Yogic concept of the “Avatar”, “the One who descends”. This teaches that at low points in the cycles of history, when forces of darkness and ignorance gather, and Humanity has lost its way, then the Divine incarnates and descends to the world to restore righteousness (Dharma).