Back to work today after the on-off Christmas and New Year period, followed by our staff retreat. Waking up at 0630 with the daylight alarm. It’s less of a surprise that way, with the light slowly increasing for half an hour before the alarm itself.

This week sees the grouping of postures for different parts of the body. Yesterday the spine, today face and neck followed by balances. ‘For health, beauty, poise and balance’ as he puts it. One testing balance, holding one leg bent behind while the other arm stretches above while you look up. Like a vertical Dancer’s Posture. Confusingly, perhaps, a crouching sequence with palms together on the crown is called the Dancer in Hittleman’s book.

Hittleman:

Refined sugar products, coffee, alcoholic beverages and an over-abundance of high protein are to be considered as artificial stimulants and will, in the long view, deplete the life-force.

Krishnamurti:

If we can understand the compulsion behind our desire to dominate or to be dominated then perhaps we can be free from the crippling effects of authority.