A cup of Sencha tea is projecting swirly steam patterns in the low winter sunshine on my desk while I settle down on my sheepskin covered stool. There is something very homely and grounding about brewing a hot drink before a new beginning.

Yes! We have finally said goodbye to the four builders who spent the past nine weeks refurbishing our small London home. While most of our belongings were safely tucked away in a dust-free storage cube down the road, we were to waltz around settling clouds of dust before bedding down for the night.

I am a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother… I am a woman.
And this feels like the season to celebrate all of our distinctly feminine qualities. It is time for our daughters and our sons to be inspired by and proud of their own inherently feminine strengths.

“Movement follows breath.” A classic yoga teacher statement. But does it express what is happening on the yoga mat for most of us? What part does the mind play in this setup? Does it simply withdraw and watch the intuitive breath lead the body’s movement? Or does it constantly try to control the breath and command the body?

My two late grandmothers were very skilful at making and mending clothes. My father’s mother was a natural at crocheting. Every summer, I still proudly wear one of her handmade cardigans. My mother’s mother was a meticulous sock darner and I remember her working her way through a basket full of mismatched socks when she came to visit.