Yoga with Divya

A rare place has unexpectedly become available on the Summer Solstice Yoga and Mindfulness Retreat I am teaching in Surrey, taking place from 19th–21st June 2026.

The weekend will offer restorative yoga, mindfulness meditation, deep rest, nourishing food, time in nature, and space to slow down and reconnect.

As the retreat falls on the Summer Solstice, we will also mark the turning of the season by sitting around the fire together on Saturday evening.

Room available: single en-suite.

If you feel drawn to join us, or would like more information, please visit this link:

https://yogawithdivya.co.uk/yoga-and-mindfulness-retreats/

What Actually Helps my Mental Health

Over the past week for Mental Health Awareness Week, I shared five things that support my mental health in everyday life.

Real things I return to again and again and are woven into my life.

From slowing down to compassion, from old wisdom, to non-performative Yoga.

NO ONE is an authority on your mind and wellbeing.

I share to remind and inspire you to keep close what supports you in your daily life.

Here are my five reflections together in one blog post:

“What Actually Helps My Mental Health”

Here is the full Article:

https://yogawithdivya.co.uk/what-actually-helps-my-mental-health/

Direct link also: in comments

I hope something here feels supportive for you. Do consider what helps you, and keep it close in your life.

Five Days, Five Shares: Mental Health Awareness Week
Here is the fifth and final share this week on how I support my mental health.

Quiet, Non Performative Yoga.

I 'stumbled' into a Yoga class in 1999, while working as a news journalist. What hooked me then is what continues to draw me to Yoga now:

-refuge - in the practice
-peace - from slow, mindful meditative practice
-calm - being in whole presence not stuck in mind

And

-less self absorbed - as Yoga teaches us to not rely on external validation, nor even our body, our achievements

I'll be honest, today's representation of Yoga makes me shudder and if I was that news journalist today, I doubt I'd be hooked - I'd probably be turned off and run a mile :) Sorry, just being honest.

However, Yoga is Yoga - whatever the ways of dressing it up are going on (last night I saw a flyer for 'yoga, beer and heavy metal' - as for women in tiny bikinis doing a 'yoga posture' and getting thousands of likes, or male teachers showing off biceps in class, I'm not sure what good this does for people's wellbeing, but there you go).

Yoga world is an industry. I guess I am part of this as I teach and offer classes. I appreciate this. But if Yoga wasn't Yoga, there's no way I would have continued as long - teaching and practising.

Fortunately, great teachers out there, search with discernment and you'll find them. (Any friends in London, I can recommend teachers - drop me a message).

Anyway, let's bring this back to You.

I'm not saying any of us need to practice Yoga or study it to experience good mental health.

But I do believe, 100%, that Yoga - in its real form - offers solid support for inner wellbeing. It also can offer fantastic support for body health and functioning -but none of us can fully control that, particularly as the years' go by and Time and Grace have more influence in our lives.

Thanks for reading this post and I sincerely hope what is shared here is not a critique but a reminder of what solid, real support is available to us - no matter where we come from, what we believe, and what challenges we face.

*I'll pull together all the five shares on the weekend and share as a whole.

Take care of gentle you.

-photo: yes, photo is of me in a yoga inspired posture. I share it as I hope it emanates a sense of quiet.
I love this posture as it calms my mind and helps stack my spine and head in a helpful, balanced way. We call this posture 'Hero' (Virasana).
I also have a love affair with.. bolsters. They support you, time and time again, whatever your mood and energy levels. Not a bad friend for life ;)

Five Days, Five Shares: Mental Health Awareness Week

Here is the fourth share this week on how I support my mental health.

Compassion.

Throughout the day, compassion is woven in.

I think without it I would not be able to recover and then build resilience following deeper losses and stresses in life.

Compassion is not: pity, self-pity, being a victim, sympathy.

Compassion is: sheer, pure, understanding.

When we show ourselves our compassion what we are doing are: noting how we feel, and understanding the factors that have contributed to that without judging or commentating.

We still need tools and ways to get through challenges - but compassion provides a calm and empathic base line from which to do that.

So much more I could say about compassion - I've written a book basically about compassion ;)
(Finding Peace in Difficult Times).

But for now, I hope this is helpful for you, as a reminder and as something to explore and keep exploring in your life.

-photo credit: courtesy of nikon corporation, image of Buddha in compassion meditation.

Covering Yin Yoga, online, Thursdays in May and June, for The Life Centre.
8.15 - 9.15pm.
This will be a restorative, unwind at end of week feel, class.
All welcome.
https://thelifecentre.com/yoga-classes

Five Days: Five Shares - for Mental Health Awareness Week
Day Three: Comfort from old wisdom and nature

Here is a third share on how I support my everyday mental health

A constant through line of my life that has provided soul, mental and emotional support is ancient wisdom coupled with nature.

Nature alone provides mental health support - I think we all agree.

But I wanted to add to that, that for me, it's the wisdom nature holds that really gives me a sustaining sense of hope, faith and connection.

For example, there is a beautiful large park near where I (now) live, in Sussex. But what gives me deeper healing in this park is its testament to what is really old, wise and abiding.

This certainly comes from the trees - many here are more than hundreds' of years' old, housing a wisdom deeper than any of us can hold.

And also, this park is home to a few monuments - not pertaining to any particular religion or sect - but created and erected in honour of the peace and wisdom of nature itself.

Similarly, I find comfort and solace from old texts, old teachings and wisdom that has endured centuries.

So today, my third share for Mental Health Awareness Week, is old wisdom.

More than a teaching, it's a comfort. Particularly in an age where things quickly come, and go.

-photo credit: I took this photo of the peace patch in the local park (Alexandra Park, Sussex).

Five Days: Five Shares - for Mental Health Awareness Week

Day Two: Relax the face and Tension Points

Here is a second share on how I support my everyday mental health.

When I can remember, and especially in times of pressure or busyness, I:
-Relax around the eyes
-Drop my shoulders
-And soften the belly

We know that what goes on in the body impacts our mind and mental state.

Softening the eyes helps to calm the thinking part of the brain.
Dropping shoulders - gives a message to let go of the weight of the world - even if it works only for a few seconds, it's worth it!.
Softening the belly - sends calming signals to the brain and nervous system.

-photo credit: Andrey K

Five Days: Five Shares - for Mental Health Awareness Week

None of us are experts on 'another'.

No one knows what challenges you face more and truer than you do.

But we can still support each other, if we choose to.

Today, and each day this week, I'll share something that helps support my mental health - something real from my life - in case it resonates and could support you too.

Monday: Share One: awareness of rushing around

Where and when possible, I remind myself that 'rushing around' tends to increase chances of accidents, mistakes and less wise decision making.

So, where and when possible, I try to limit the need to rush around.

Some days are packed. Some days require me to rush around to get things done and meet responsibilities. On these days, I will remove 'what is essential' to that day, or reschedule those things for another time.

Less rushing, is my share for today.

Feelings - Affect mental and physical wellbeing

We are human. Our outer world will inevitably affect our inner world.

I do not share the view that we can 'control' our inner world to the extent we can choose what we feel and think.

External influences affect our energy. With life around us so rapid, complex and bombarding, this inevitably will have bearing on thoughts and emotions.

But there are ways and things we can bring into our life to support our inner life, and experience more peace.

What Yoga offers us are tools, and a calm place, to rest our mind, to regulate our emotions, and give us an alternative place to the ‘outer world’ where we can rest in awareness.

This coming week, I will be weaving in heart-meridian balancing sequences into classes. Heart-meridian energy directly influences mental and physical stability.

But...

beyond sequences, I do feel that Yoga itself - the whole premise of Yoga - can offer us balm for the heart and mind, particularly in difficult or fast moving times.

Upcoming classes:
Sunday, 10th May, Restorative Yoga - Bathe the Heart - 6.30 - 7.30pm uk time, online
Wednesday 13th May, Yin Yoga - Heart Meridian practice - 6.30 - 7.30pm uk time online
Link for info and booking: https://bookwhen.com/yogawithdivya

Photo:
Taken yesterday, in St Leonards' Gardens, on my amble back home from a work meeting.

Tell me,

how do you fathom Yoga?

We are each privileged in this modern age to be able to decide for ourselves what we call Yoga.

However

This privilege has meant the tradition, intention and practice of Yoga is losing ground.

It is not for me to tell anyone what Yoga is.

IT IS UPON ME to study and respect the tradition if I dare have the audacity to say I practice Yoga…