The Glasgow Yogi

I release that which no longer serves me ✨

At the start of the year I quit my job. After 9 years of carefully crafting and honing a career, of dragging my way up a corporate ladder until blisters formed on my hands. I climbed until I woke up each morning with my chest feeling tighter and my spirit smaller. I climbed until I couldn't any more, I simply stopped.

I looked up - how far this endless ladder seemed to go, up and up and up more pressures, more deadlines, more responsibility - but the most heartbreaking realisation? That this place and this system did not place value in it's people.

I looked down. I looked down at all the mistakes I had made, the lessons I had learned, the hard work and the time and the effort and the many tears that had been shed shaping myself into a mould that never really fit me. And I simply let go.

I let go. I let go of the ladder. With no real plan and without having it all figured out I quit my job. Reckless? Maybe. Was it necessary? Absolutely. Because I knew in my soul I couldn't stay in a place where I did not feel valued.

And I suppose this is the part where I say I landed on my feet. That I became a full time yoga instructor or I found the coveted dream job or maybe even that I won the lottery. But the truth is actually much less glamorous, what actually happened was that I spent a few months in a panicked daze of needing to have control, and of needing to have everything figured out. I hid it all under a bravado but secretly I dreaded the question that everyone asks - what will you do now?

I didn't have an answer, and honestly, I still don't. In all of this I allowed myself time, precious time to give myself space to fully breathe and come home to myself again. The next few months my nervous system began to regulate this slower pace allowed my stressed tf out nervous system to rewire patterns that ran deeper than I first knew.

And I'm excited to let go of old patterns, behaviours and everything that no longer serves me to make space to welcome in this new season of spring, this season of growth 🌱

Even as I have no idea what that looks like!

How the moon lost her shine 🌙

Myths of the Asanas - Ardha Chandrasana

A story about balance - light and dark, yin and yang, dusk and dawn. Without one we cannot know and appreciate the other.

When Ganesha hurls his elephant trunk tusk at Chandra the moon is pierced and we lose it's celestial glow and the world is plunged into darkness.

After a time to quell his temper Ganesha agrees to allow Chandra to shine at her fullest potential once every 4 weeks. There are many layers of teachings we can peel back from this story one is a reminder of the balance of the sacred cycles.

Without the sun nothing will grow and without the moon there is no shadows, no softness.

This story can serve as our reminder to bring balance into our own lives. Like the physical posture Ardha Chandrasana (half moon) we are encouraged to invite balance into the body strengthening through our legs and flexibility through the hips. Off the mat we can also invite softness along with the strength, rest with invigoration, socialising with quiet reflection.

Like the moon shines at its brightest only once every 4 weeks we too can give ourselves permission not to have to shine at our brightness every single day. Like the moon we can give ourselves permission to wax and wane, to retreat, reflect and come back brighter than we have before.

I hope you enjoyed this tale 🙏 what asana story do you want to hear next?

Myths of the Asanas - Bharadvajasana 📚

This posture is named after the great sage Bharadvaja who was known for his devotion to study, reflection and the quiet discipline of practice.

Bharadvaja spent his entire lifes (plural!) seeking knowledge yet legend says after many lifetimes of study he had gathered only a handful from the vast mountain of wisdom that exists.

This story taps into many different themes and one of them is that knowledge should be shared rather than "owned". What we learn can be put into practice in life both on and off the mat.

If you are a long-standing student with me you'll know what spring means - the return of Mythology March! Where we weave our yoga practice together with sacred story. Mythology has long been a passion of mine (yes yes spot the Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature!).

I have long been a believer that words hold their own quiet kind of power. And in a time where everything feels exceptionally noisy and chaotic I find it nice to return to this quiet space of inner strength.

I hope you enjoyed this tale 🙏 let me know if I should do more!

Join me this month for yoga and sacred story at my yoga homes the Kali Collective and the Yoga Barn 👇

Fridays 5.30pm
Saturday 8.45am

Last week in we discussed Hanuman the monkey god and the theme of remembering our inner strength 🐒

And if you're looking for a more sweaty kind of strength 🔥 you can also join me for

- Intermediate Vinyasa on Mondays
- Ashtanga Online on Thursday mornings
- Strong Flow on Saturdays

What is created gets dissolved to make space for creation to begin again ✨

If you've been in some of my classes this month you'll probably have heard me speak of Samsara the life-death-life cycle. And in particular this month looking at it through the lens of the Trimurti and creation, preservation and destruction.

Swipe for a brief re-cap of what we discussed if you're curious ➡️

This time of year is one where we're often thrown into the realm of creating and newness but we often forget that in order to make space for these new habits, new patterns and new ways of being that first we have to make space for them

Enter destruction and letting go of stagnation to make space for new energy or creation. And last but not least do we often ignore preservation. This sitting and being content with what is (also referred to as santosha in yoga philosophy). Just being comfortable in the deep inner knowing that we can appreciate the present moment right here, right now.

Mythology has always been a particular passion of mine (yes yes spot the English Literature and Comparative Literature graduate 🙄). And please note this is just a teeny lil snippet of what these stories have to offer you. I hope you've been enjoying these sacred stories in class ❤️

I'm back for my regular schedule in the first week of February after my mystery adventure to celebrate another year spinning round this rock ✨

I would love to see you for class ❤️

Monday
9.45am - Power Yoga at Ralston Community Centre (DM to book)
6pm - Intermediate Yoga at The Kali Collective

Wednesday
6.45am - Morning Flow at The Kali Collective

Thursday
6.30am - Ashtanga Online at The Yoga Barn

Friday
5.30pm - Yoga at the Kali Collective

Saturday
8.45am - Yoga Flow
10am - Strong Flow
Both at The Yoga Barn

End 2025, the year of the snake 🐍. Enter 2026, the year of the horse 🐎.

This year for many of us has been hard. It's been a year of chaos, of challenges and of letting go of that which does not serve us. 

Like the snake sheds its skin we too can shake off those parts of us that we don't want to carry with us. Unhelpful thought patterns or behaviours, toxic relationships, careers which don't fulfill us... The year of the snake signifies renewal.

But here's the thing, this process of letting go has always been messy, chaotic. It's rarely ever clean, controlled and perfectly seamless. There's confusion, uncertainty but also a deep inner knowing that we can't stay stagnant for long. The pull of change calls us forward whether we like it or not. 

But after this messy, chaotic and uncomfortable process of letting go happens we often feel lighter. Like we have made space in our psyche for something new.

The year of the snake - getting rid of that which no longer serves us - carves the way for the year of the horse to charge through.

The year of the horse is about momentum. A time to passionately and unapologetically pursue our goals, take risks, and embracing change.

I don't know about you but I'm very ready to say thank you to the year of the snake for all that you have shown me and for all that you've challenged me to let go of. 

To 2026, I'm ready to see what you have in store, and excited for what you have to teach me 🐎❤️

And to you, my lovely reader, friend, and companion in this wild ride of life, I hope that 2026 brings you joy. 

I look forward to sharing this journey with you ❤️

1 - Jan walks with the Dave Dog 🐶
2 - Feb Nepal wildlife and black rhinos 🦏
3 - Mar Ruby's 90th 🥰❤️
4 - Apr Cobbler with Duncan
5 - May Wales with the Layntons
6 - Jun Lana Del Rey and Sista Swag
7 - Jul with my best pal 🐶
8 - Aug wedding fun!
9 - Sept Pawffice Manger studio dog 🐶
10 - Oct North Scotland adventures
11 - Nov Candy cane Dave
12 - Dec Italy and ski adventures

Holiday mode = activated ❄️

Off to the mountains in a fiat panda (honorary passenger princess courteousy of Joe 🥰👑)

All yoga classes are covered by my beloved Yoga Barn and Kali Collective families ❤️

Classes are back with me from the start of 2026 🎉

New schedule updates incoming (I can't wait!) so keep your peepers peeled 👀

Life is messy.

When I was younger I would look at my peers and I couldn't understand how perfectly well they seemed to handle life. I felt at odds with these put-together people. Where was their raw emotion? Where was the awkwardness of not fitting in? Where was their life curve balls? Where was their pain? Or was harsh reality of life only saved for the select few of us who have experienced trauma?

But, I realised over time and the longer I get to spend on this earth how messy life actually is. There is not one correct linear path. The more time I get to be in this life I come to realise how beautifully resilient people are.

And oftentimes hearing their stories and really listening to their heartbreaks I have realised that these outwardly appearing put-their-life-together people more often than not have also experienced their fair share of life curve balls.

And the most bizarre realisation of all:
How glad I am to be reminded that we are not alone in this messy life.

And I think this is what gives depression it's power. Its heavy darkness makes us forget this and makes us feel like our world is so small.

We forget that there are people who love us, who unconditionally. When actually we are surrounded by community.

Lately I have been so comforted to know that even when life feels heavy and the world feels dark. Others feel this way too and are on their own messy path navigating this life. And somehow this shared experience of darkness brings just a little bit of light. Of hope.

Thinking of you, and always believing you can when you feel like you can't x

Dave Dog and I are busy planning something special ✨

Excited to share some new offerings with you soon 🙊

P.s. you'll want to keep the afternoon of 23 August free for some Kali Fest offerings 😉

*for full disclosure and social media transparency please note absolute minimal (zero) planning took place for the duration of these snuggles 🐶

The breath 🫁

There is nothing more powerful, yet so unequivocally underrated.

We often don't appreciate it until it is compromised in some way.

Working with your breath can be a deeply intimate and personal experience. Much like yoga there's no one size or approach that fits all.

Anatomically we all have different lung sizes and different respiratory rates, different health conditions or body happenings that will affect our pattern of breath.

Emotionally how we show up that day can massively impact how we relate to the breath. Stressful, anxiety triggering days can result in quicker, faster paced breaths.

And though sometimes it feels like it, this sensation isn't the enemy. It's a natural stress response and when your body is in this state it quickens your breathing pace to draw in more oxygen. Why? To help you respond quicker to danger.

Where this feeling is perhaps unhelpful is when this sensation is unregulated and over responding to areas where we don't necessarily need it to. And, from personal experience, when you breathing is heavily compromised it can be absolutely terrifying.

And I suppose here is where I'm supposed to insert some magic social media fused fix. Here's a box breathing video or something. But I won't. Because there isn't anything to fix. You are not broken your body is responding to perceived threat.

Rather than trying to change it or force some shift. Instead start with bringing your attention to your breath. Over and over throughout the day. In, and out. Awareness of it's depth, pace, smoothness. It's always there, it's always giving you signals we just have to listen.

Remember that each breath follows the next. And believe me you are far more resilient than you know ❤️

📸 Taken at my much loved home

I am leaving you Saturday lot in the very capable hands of this week and returning next week with a few extra opportunities to practice together - I can't wait! 🥰

Tuesday
6.30am Ashtanga Led (covering for fabulous Mo!)

Thursday
6.30am Ashtanga Self Practice (covering for Mo)

Saturday
8.45am Yoga flow
10am Strong flow

Much love G x

Release your shoulders with me 🥰

Unpolished, unsexy, perhaps but these are my all time favourite and highly delightful shoulder nourishment moves! Followed by more important Dave dog cuddles 🐶🥰

If you spend either a lot of time sitting at a desk or you spend a lot of time weight lifting or weight bearing on your shoulders try these moves:

💫 Shoulder flossing
Using a strap (or get creative a dressing gown loop, long towel or broom handle will do just as well!). If you are using a flexible material make sure to keep it tight as you move - no noodle straps! You also want to make sure that both arms go back at the same time - no torquing through the spine please we want to work shoulder mobility here!

💫 Deltoid myofascial release
If you are anything like me then this will feel juicy! If we do a lot of weight bearing sometimes the delts can overcompensate. For this one grab a wall and a ball - any lacrosse or tennis-like ball will do! Press your shoulder into the ball and give yourself a bit of a massage here. Think like the bear Baloo from the jungle book when he wiggles his back up and down a tree for a good scratch! Be gentle light to medium pressure is great around 30seconds each side.

💫 Puppy pose
From table top keep your hips stacked over your knees as you start to walk your hands forward into puppy pose. Start by taking the forehead to the floor and then, on more flexible days, perhaps the chest and chin reach the floor. To deepen the stretch keep your hips where they are and slide your hands a little further away. To come out either traverse back to table top or slither forward onto your belly which can lead you nicely to...

💫 Floor pec stretch
Make yourself a cartoon cactus (bend your elbows to 90 degrees and make sure your elbow is in line with your shoulder). The aim is to keep your shoulder, palm and elbow on the side your working on superglued to the floor as you start to move your body weight on top. Go slowly and don't forget to do both sides!

🐶 Dave Dog Cuddles
let's be honest this was 90% of your reason for swiping 😉