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Words of Wisdom by Ram Dass Book Review

In this blog I am going to review the Words of Wisdom book by Ram Dass. I am a big fan of Ram Dass and find that he has a wonderful way of concisely explaining sometimes complex philosophical concepts. This book has a sub title which sums up its content perfectly. “Quotations from one of the world’s foremost spiritual teachers.”

words of wisdom by ram dass book review
Front cover of Words of Wisdom by Ram Dass

Ram Dass occupies a unique position in the field of spirituality having been a former Professor of Psychology. He bring this authority to his explanation and description of a range of spiritual traditions. To learn more about Ram Dass, you can’t go wrong with his autobiography Being Ram Dass. I wrote a review of that book here:

Themed chapters

This book is conveniently divided into themed chapters covering a range of subjects and traditions. There are 14 chapters ranging from “Trusting the present moment” to “Approaching death with less fear and more curiosity.” Each chapter brings together Ram Dass quotes related to the title from a range of sources.

Ram Dass Quotes

Some of my favourite quotes from Words of Wisdom by Ram Dass are as follows;

“As the Tao says. “Truth waits for eyes unclouded by longing.”

“There is no best or right kind of experience in meditation; each session is as different and unique as each day of your life.”

“If you can’t stop thinking, can you let your thoughts go by without getting caught up in them. Just as a breath arises and then drifts away, can we let thoughts do the same. You don’t have to see where each breath goes. It’s just the breath coming and going. Allow the thoughts to be the same.”

“The qualities in yourself determine what qualities are in the world.”

“You are not holding on anywhere. You’re right here, always in the new existential moment. Moment to moment, it’s a new mind. You just keep giving up your story line.”

“I myself stand in need of the arms of my own kindness.”

Themes for Yoga Classes

Words of Wisdom by Ram Dass is a collection of quotes. As a result it is a rich source of inspiration for Yoga Teachers and themes to weave into classes. I have read many quotes from this book in my yoga classes and have written my own meditations inspired from it. A number of my yoga students have asked me for the details of the book.

In Summary – Words Of Wisdom by Ram Dass Book Review

A great book to dip in and out of for inspirational quotes. I highly recommend it.

West Kirby Bookshop

If you wish to purchase a copy of this book, at the time of writing West Kirby bookshop currently have this in stock. If it has sold they can order it in promptly. We encourage you to buy local and support your local bookshop.

West Kirby Bookshop is located at 6 Grange Road, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 4HA. They can also be found on Twitter @westkirbybooks and also on Instagram @westkirbybooks

Their email address is hello@thewestkirbybookshop.com

If you enjoyed our “Words of Wisdom by Ram Dass Book Review”, check out these other resources:

Ram Dass’ website:

The Be Here Now network has some great podcasts to listen to;

https://beherenownetwork.com/

Here is a link to the Neem Karoli Baba ashrom taht Ram Dass helped establish:

https://nkbashram.org/

The SEVA foundation that Ram Dass set up to restore people’s sight:

https://www.seva.org/site/SPageServer/

Check out our other book review:

https://yogasmiths.org/category/book-review/

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Krishnamachrya his life and teachings by A G Mohan – book review

Krishnamacharya his life and  teachings by A. G. Mohan (with Ganesh Mohan) Shambhala Publications 2010

We review the book Krishnamacharya his life and teachings by A G Mohan in this blog. A version of this book review appeared in the British Wheel of Yoga magazine Spectrum Winter 2020 edition. A. G. Mohan describes his experience of learning yoga from his teacher Sri Krishnamacharya. Mohan studied with Krishnamacharya for 18 years until the death of his teacher in 1989 at the age of 100.

Krishnamacharya his life and teachings by A G Mohan

The father of modern Yoga

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is widely considered to be one of the most influential yoga teachers on the development of modern yoga. He is oft referred to as the “Father of Modern Yoga.” It is without doubt that his most famous students spread the word and practice of yoga far and wide.

During his life time Krishnamacharya had no desire for personal fame or material success. This is the main reason why a lot of yoga practitioners may not know who he is and the impact he had on spreading the ancient wisdom of yoga. One of his favourite sayings was “a capable student brings fame to the teacher.” This book serves to shine some fame on this important, authentic, pivotal yoga teacher. 

Krishnamacharya’s life

The book starts with a touching insight into Krishnamacharya the human being! Ganesh Mohan, the author’s son, describes how approachable and encouraging his father’s teacher was to him. He also details how he used to give him sweetened almonds as a treat. 

Krishnamcharya was born in 1888 and his first teacher was his own father who taught him the vedas, yoga asana and pranayama. He was clearly a very intelligent man and obtained two degrees from Mysore University. Krishnamacharya obtained a scholarship and a further degree in yoga and the theory of samkhya from Patna University. It is clear that the young Krishnamacharya was academically gifted and had a thirst for knowledge which he pursued. A significant period in his early life was studying yoga in the Himalayas with his teacher for 7 years. 

Mohan presents the overview of Krishnamacharya’s life with the caveat that it is difficult to ascertain precise details and that Krishnamacharya himself did give differing accounts himself throughout his life. He was a man who did not like to talk about his achievements and this humility results in a degree of uncertainty. 

Meeting his teacher

Mohan talks about his own life and how he started to explore the deeper meanings of life. He was told whilst working on a project to speak to a colleague called Srivatsa Ramaswami who recommended he attend a lecture being given by Krishnamacharya. Srivatsa Ramaswami is today a respected teacher himself and studied for 33 years with Krishnamacharya. Mohan’s beautiful description of attending the lecture and meeting Krishnamacharya is a joy to read. It sets his life on a completely different course. 

Mohan takes us through his experience of being taught yoga asana and philosophy by Krishnamacharya. It is interesting to learn how Krishnamacharya imparted his knowledge to his students. He never referred to notes or books, his knowledge retained in his memory, texts and scriptures recited from memory, with nothing written down. It is striking how basic and simple the room was in which Krishnamacharya lived and taught; 

“He was a person of few possessions, and the room reflected the simplicity of his life. It was furnished with only a chair, a bed and a carpet for asana practice.”

It is very insightful how Krishnamacharya with his vast and detailed knowledge of many yoga texts was also very discerning in what he taught. He did not teach kriya to his students and also would not teach parts of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This is quite refreshing to read, as I am sure many readers will know the Hatha Yoga Pradipika has some very bizarre practices detailed that would likely get teachers arrested if they tried to teach them to their yoga students! 

The source of modern Vinyasa Yoga

Krishnamacharya created the vinyasa system of yoga. This is such a commonplace style of yoga in our modern world. Krishnamacharya was the first person to intelligently sequence asana one after the other with the movement between the positions being linked to the breath. This transformed yoga from a static practice to a dynamic practice. One of Krishnamacharya’s favourite vinyasa sequences that he frequently taught was based around the Warrior postures and is included in the back of this book. As part of this article, after the book review, I have laid out this sequence so that you can try it for yourself. 

Krishnamacharya taught yoga one to one and also therapeutically to those with ill health. It was only in his early life of teaching yoga that he conducted group classes. When approaching asana his attitude was to “never use force in teaching or practicing asana.” It is a shame that some of his students who went on to become famous teachers did not adhere to this advice! 

(You can read our review of David Williams’ memoir that covers his experiences of learning Yoga from K Pattabhi Jois one of Krishnamacharya’s students here: https://yogasmiths.org/2020/05/28/my-search-for-yoga-by-david-williams-book-review/ )

Some criticism that is often levelled at Krishnamacharya is for the yoga demonstrations that he held. These were mostly with the boys he taught at the Mysore palace performing advanced yoga asana, sometimes with Krishnamacharya standing on them! In this book Mohan describes how Krishnamacharya dismissed these performances as “Yoga propaganda” that were perhaps necessary at the time to popularise and publicise yoga. It is clear that this was not something he enjoyed as clearly demonstrated by how he chose to live the majority of his life. 

The chapters of this book cover pranayama, kriyas, yoga therapy, yamas, niyamas and meditation. Mohan imparts his teachers wisdom on these topics. 

The later years

Mohan was Krishnamacharya’s student until his teacher’s death in 1989. The later years of his life are fondly recounted. He was in good health both physically and mentally in his final years. His physical health was only really affected by a hip fracture which he refused to have surgery for! Mohan describes how he was able to assist his teacher and help care for him. 

In Summary – Krishnamacharya his life and teachings by A G Mohan a must read

In my opinion this book is a must for any serious student of yoga. It gives an authentic insight into the origins of our modern yoga practice. We see Krishnamacharya as the incredibly intelligent erudite father of modern yoga. A person who was devoted to learning and spreading the teachings of yoga. A humble man who never sought fame or fortune and in fact clearly struggled through his life to make ends meet. Yet a man who’s legacy is evident in all corners of the world. When we look at lineage in the yoga tradition, Krishnamacharya is the source that I find myself referring back to more and more frequently. A reliable intelligent reference for our modern practice. 

If you wish to purchase Krishnamacharya his life and teachings by A G Mohan I would encourage you to buy ethically. Ethical Consumer website rate Blackwells highly and recommend boycotting Amazon.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Krishnamacharya-by-A-G-Mohan-Ganesh-Mohan/9781590308004

Further resources re: Krishnamacharya his life and teachings by A G Mohan

You can find our blog about the Krishnamacharya Warrior Flow sequence that is featured in the book here:

This article featured in the British Wheel of Yoga Spectrum Magazine Winter 2020 edition:

British Wheel of Yoga https://www.bwy.org.uk/

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Being Ram Dass Book Review

My ‘Being Ram Dass’ book review will look at this newly published autobiography of Ram Dass and hopefully inspire you to read it for yourself!

In the afterword of this book, Ram Dass states that he was not particularly interested in writing an autobiography. He spent the major part of his life cultivating presence and not living in the past or the future. Ram Dass was persuaded to write this memoir by Ramesh after he suggested it be angled as a review of his life through the eyes of his guru, Maharaj-ji. As a result we have a wonderful document of the life of Ram Dass. It is written in the intelligent, honest, open and charismatic way one would expect of Ram Dass.

Who is Ram Dass?

Being Ram Dass book review

Ram Dass was / is a famous spiritual teacher. He left his body on 22nd December 2019 on the Island of Maui, Hawaii. During his lifetime he undertook extensive lecture tours, ran retreats and authored over a dozen books. ‘Be Here Now’, his first book, sold over 2 million copies. It is through this book that I started to dig deeper into the teachings of Ram Dass. He is also known for popularising interest in psychedelic drugs in the 1960’s alongside his colleague and friend Timothy Leary.

The inspiration for buying a copy of Be Here Now was found in David Williams’ memoir ‘My Search for Yoga’ which you can read a review of here: https://yogasmiths.org/2020/05/28/my-search-for-yoga-by-david-williams-book-review/

Richard Alpert at the height of The American Dream

Ram Dass was born Richard Alpert. He was a chubby child who ate to please his mother. As a psychologist he would later have to work through some issues around this! He was born into a practicing Jewish family. The family were very well connected, his mother was from a wealthy family and his father became a wealthy self-made man. His father was friends with Albert Einstein which gives a feel for the kind of circles they mixed in!

However, their family life was always slightly marred by his fathers multiple affairs. Richard’s father wanted him to become a doctor. He had already begun to feel a sense of ‘otherness’ or a feeling of being a bit of an outsider. This resulted in him being drawn to psychology.

Richard Alpert ultimately reached the pinnacle of this career, despite crippling exam nerves, becoming a professor at Harvard. He was an embodiment of the American Dream. Richard had achieved professional respect, wealth, a sports car, a motorbike, a home full of valuable antiques and his own aeroplane. The kind of position he achieved is demonstrated in the story he tells of wanting to go to Mexico and buying a plane to travel there.

Feelings of being something of an outsider led him to travel to the west coast and to San Fransisco. He embraced the counter culture surrounding the Beat Generation poets and authors. Poetry readings by Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac et al were attended. Richard struggled with his bisexuality and began to feel that he was leading a bit of a double life, a life as the respectable professor in Harvard and then a different life style in San Fransisco. It is clear that he struggled with shame around this due to the social pressures and cultural attitudes of the time.

Richard Alpert and Timothy Leary – psychedelic researchers

A new psychologist joined the faculty staff at Harvard by the name of Timothy Leary. Richard and Tim became great friends and embarked on research together. Their research moved into a very different area after Timothy Leary took magic mushrooms on the recommendation of a friend. Consequently, they started to investigate the effects of various psychedelic drugs as a potentially beneficial tools in psychotherapy. Research into this had already been taking place in some institutions. It later came to light that the US government has funded a project looking at the potential use of LSD in warfare. Allen Ginsberg took LSD as part of that particular project.

We must remember that at this time everything that was taking place was under the cover of research and was completely legal. This was well before the war on drugs. It struck me how meticulous they were with their research. They has a real sense of responsibility around the research. Dosages of drugs, environment and provision of a guide were all important features.

The approach taken by Richard and Tim is in stark contrast to that of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters who advocated taking as many drugs as you wanted and seeing what happened. Richard however was sacked from Harvard after he gave drugs to a handsome undergraduate who had caught his eye and asked for them.

Tim and Richard continued research independently. They were chased and evicted from place to place trying to set up a research centre into psychedelics. We get a feel that at around this time, things probably weren’t as fastidious as they had previously been. It felt as though Richard had become something akin to a drug dealer and this is when he took a step back.

From Dr Richard Alpert PhD to Ram Dass

Being Ram Dass is very much about the internal journey of Richard Alpert to Ram Dass.

Ram Dass discusses psychedelics as a gateway drug. Often this refers to a gateway to harder drugs. He postulates that they were a gateway but in a different way. They were a gateway to opening to the living spirit beyond the materialism and existential constructs of 1950’s America. In essence, they enabled him to let go of the labels, ego and conditionings and to see a connectedness with everyone and everything. He liked the mystical experience that he found.

The Zen meditation teacher Alan Watts advised him that “When you get the message, hang up the phone.” Richard took some time before he hung up the phone!

A trip to India was a pivotal changing point in his life. Richard Alpert met Neem Karoli Baba affectionately known to his followers as Maharaj-ji. He gave Richard Alpert his new name of Ram Dass literally meaning servant of God. Maharaji-ji sent him to learn yoga and an intense period of study ensued.

During this period Maharaj-ji gave Ram Dass his blessing for his book. Ram Dass had no plans to write a book! The book that eventually materialised was ‘Be Here Now’ which is a classic guide to yoga and spirituality. You can find a link to our book reviews at the bottom of the page where you will find my ‘Be Here Now’ review.

Beware of dodgy gurus

Ram Dass embarked on a journey of spiritual discovery. He embraced and sought out different teachers and techniques but remained faithful to his teacher Maharaj-ji.

There is an interesting part of the book where he discusses studying under different gurus. He refers to ‘gurus along the way.’ One promised him wealth and power, trying to pitch Yoga to a westerner in a way that the guru thought he would be interested. Wealth and power were not attractive to Ram Dass. They are not a spiritual path. He had experienced wealth and power in his career and he resonated more with Maharaji-ji’s path of the heart. His intention had moved from the head to the heart.

The spiritual journey in India features an array of famous names. It is clear that there were a group of like minded searchers converging on India. These people then radiated the teachings out across the world.

Ram Dass’ mantra gift

The book is full of beautiful insightful quotes. I wanted to share in this ‘Being Ram Dass book’ review the mantra that he gives the reader.

Nowadays the mantra I give everyone is “I am Loving Awareness,” which is my own simple practice. The love is bhakti, the awareness is Buddhism: awareness and love, wisdom and compassion, formless and form, consciousness and love.

Ram Dass – Being Ram Dass
My favourite picture from the book. Ram Dass meditating in the dome at the Lama Foundation

Ram Dass Stroke in 1997

In 1997 Ram Dass suffered a major stroke from which he was given a 10% chance of survival. After a series of further health issues including a broken hip and sepsis, Ram Dass became quite frail and more dependent on his carers. He talks about how this enforced change resulted in a spiritual shift in how he viewed his service to others. Ram Dass became a being of presence and loving awareness. He loved nature and the natural world around him. Living out the later part of his life in Maui provided a connection to nature and its astounding beauty.

The stroke left him paralysed on his right side and affected his ability to talk. His speech became more broken and paused. He would ask people to ‘surf the silences’ with him. Interestingly as a listener you feel that you absorb his words more and have time to ponder and digest.

Ram Dass’ legacy

The legacy of Ram Dass lives on in his teachings, via this book and also through the numerous projects he instigated.

The Neem Karoli Baba ashram in Taos, New Mexico, is dedicated to his guru and Ram Dass was heavily involved in its realisation. Neem Karoli Baba has certainly become known in the west due to the work and life of Ram Dass. As detailed in this ‘Being Ram Dass’ book review, the inspiration for the book was to see his life through the eyes of his own guru.

Ram Dass had the foresight to record a large number of his lectures and talks. They serve to bring his teachings to new ears regularly via podcasts. You can find a link to these at the end of the review.

The SEVA foundation was another initiative that Ram Dass was involved in setting up. This is a fantastic organisation that works to restore people’s sight via cataract surgery around the world. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what the organisation has evolved into.

In the 1980s when the HIV epidemic was rife he sought to comfort those dying and to spend time with them, hugging people in hospital.

An important aspect of his later life was his openness around his sexuality. He started to talk about this and embrace this aspect of his life. It is comforting to the reader to note that he had a 19 year loving relationship with his partner Peter. I am glad that Ram Dass lived to see the world’s attitude around LGBTQ+ rights take some big steps forward. He details that he struggled with this so much but thankfully made peace with it and this was a real release for him.

Final Words from Ram Dass

The book ends with;

I have learned that we are all blessed and guided from within even when we lose faith or feel lost. That guide, the real guru, is our own being, our true nature.

Namaste, Honouring the Light within each of us!

Ram Dass – Being Ram Dass

The back of the book list’s Maharaj-ji’s advice and guidance:

Love Everyone, Serve Everyone, Remember God, Tell The Truth.

The words of which Ram Dass certainly led his life.

Being Ram Dass book review

Being Ram Dass Book Review Summary

I loved reading this book. It is a fascinating journey through Ram Dass’ life right up to his final moments before leaving his body. He writes with humility and is open about his failures and successes. As a whole, the book becomes a wonderful guide to the up and downs and pitfalls of life. Ram Dass imparts his knowledge and wisdom throughout. As a result the book is full of great insights and is certainly quote-worthy.

As a yoga teacher this is also a useful book. Ram Dass has a wonderful way of relating yoga practices and techniques to the challenges of daily life. He also draws from a vast array of sources from across different traditions.

The story of Ram Dass is one of turning on to different ways of thinking / living. Tuning in to eastern wisdom. Dropping out of the fluctuations of the mind to live in loving awareness. As Timothy Leary said “Turn On, Tune In and Drop Out”. Ram Dass embodied the true meaning and intention of this oft quoted statement.

If after reading our Being Ram Dass book review you want to buy a copy, you can get it from Blackwells: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Being-Ram-Dass-by-Ram-Dass-author-Rameshwar-Das-author/9781683646280

Being Ram Dass book review

If you enjoyed our ‘Being Ram Dass’ Book Review, check out these other resources:

Ram Dass’ website:

https://www.ramdass.org/

The Be Here Now network has some great podcasts to listen to;

https://beherenownetwork.com/

Here is a link to the Neem Karoli Baba ashrom taht Ram Dass helped establish:

https://nkbashram.org/

The SEVA foundation that Ram Dass set up to restore people’s sight:

https://www.seva.org/site/SPageServer/

Check out our other book review:

https://yogasmiths.org/category/book-review/

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The Pottery Gardener by Arthur Parkinson Book Review

In this blog “The Pottery Gardener by Arthur Parkinson book review” I will introduce you to this book, its author and hopefully why you might wish to buy a copy for yourself!

The Pottery Gardener by Arthur Parkinson is described on its front cover as “ravishing” by none other than Joanna Lumley. I would concur with this description. It is a lovely book with beautiful pictures, a personal love story to flowers and hens.

I purchased this beautiful book during the depths of winter for some colourful relief and inspiration for the coming growing season.

Arthur sets out his intention for the book;

“What I didn’t want this book to be was a heavy thing with tons of text. Elements of it, I hope, may prove to be of some practical use, but having myself amassed (like most gardeners) several shelves worth of books on the subject, I can divide them into two piles. One is for those that are for visual, inspirational use, much needed in the winter, and the other is for those that are practical and informative, often with very few pictures. This book is aimed at being in the first mentioned pile.”

Arthur sums up his approach to gardening as “Beautiful chaos is the look that is always wanted.” The pictures in the book show exactly this. Beautifully full beds, containers, dolly tubs and planters. The type of rich fullness behind which lies a great deal of hard work and creativity.

Arthur Parkinson – the author

Arthur is a young rising star of the gardening world and already has a good track record behind him. He details in his book his journey into gardening. Early inspiration came from visits to Chatsworth Estate, instilling a love of the gardens and the estate’s hens. Arthur’s father insisted he learnt a trade and young Arthur plumped for gardening. Training at college and Kew Gardens ensued.

Arthur became friends with one of his inspirations, Sarah Raven. On Sarah’s recommendation Arthur visited the Emma Bridgewater Pottery factory to inspect the garden there.

Gardener at the Emma Bridgewater Pottery Factory

Arthur visited the garden at the Emma Bridgewater Pottery Factory, discovering that it was fairly non-existent. He came to be the gardener at the factory and set to work creating a garden!

This is where the book becomes quite inspiring. Arthur had to build a garden upwards due to the industrial setting. Dolly tubs, galvanised animal troughs, raised beds, galvanised bins and more created the planting areas. Arthur explains that just because a space is small doesn’t mean you have to plant small plants. In fact, doing so just enhances the smallness of the area. He encourages planting of larger growing plants so that you feel as if you have worked into a rich and lavish garden dominated by fronds and petals.

Bare soil does not feature in Arthur’s plans for a garden. This is something I had not particularly considered despite being drawn to fuller looking gardens. The approach outlined in this book is to plant fully all spaces that you can with a wonderful succession of gorgeous flowers. In this way you can have cut flowers brightening up your house for a large part of the year. The garden at the factory provides beautiful flowers from early spring through to late autumn. Expertly planned successional planting is key here.

The pictures in the book of the Emma Bridgewater Pottery Factory garden are simply stunning. Enhancing the garden in many pictures are the beautiful rare breed hens that Arthur is equally fanatical about.

Inspiration and recommendation

Whilst Arthur’s intention for this book was to provide a delightful pictorial record of the gardens he has worked on, it also provides plenty of practical tips.

Arthur recommends many varieties of dahlias, tulips, alliums and many other of his favourite flowering plants. As I read this book I kept a pen and paper to hand and jotted down some of my favourite recommendations. As a result, I have ordered a number of dahlias. I always used to have dahlias in my garden at home as a child and I have no idea why I have not continued to grow them! This is being rectified this year! I’ve also purchased some interesting nasturtiums – it’s always a bit of a battle with my Dad about these at the allotment. I love them. He hates them. I am going to try and win him round this year with some colourful varieties. On the plus side they have a lovely peppery taste and are edible.

The book brims with recommendations for a range of different flowering plants. Enthusiasm for bee friendly flowers is present in a big way and I whole heartedly support this! Arthur also details suppliers and books he recommends.

I should also mention as part of this review that there is a chapter on hens. My purpose for purchasing this book was for the flowers but I have been wooed by the hens. They really are beautiful animals, particularly the breeds featured in this book. Unfortunately I do not have any space for hens – maybe one day.

I came to the book from a love of flowers and leave feeling love for hens!

My Own Experience of Gardening

Arthur makes some very interesting observations about how lacking school education is with regards to gardening and farming.

My own experience mirrors this. When I was in primary school I naturally gravitated towards the plants in the class room. My lovely teacher, Mrs Till encouraged me and made me plant monitor which involved looking after and watering the plants each day. Mrs Till presented me with a certificate for “The Boy with Greenest Fingers” at the end of the class year.

However, all that existed in the grammar school I attended was a voluntary nature / wildlife group. This group met infrequently to plant trees and clear wild blackberry vines. Other than planting a tobacco plant to see if we could observe acid rain burning its sensitive leaves, gardening did not exist on the curriculum.

I had my own plot of garden at home. In this plot I would grow lots of lupins, carnations and dahlias. I quickly discovered that I had “green fingers” and my enterprising brain soon saw me selling plants to school teachers. After all the school buses had ferried my fellow students home I would return to school chauffeured by my mum with the boot of her Datsun Cherry full of plants. I made some decent pocket money from this, selling boxes for £5 a time. Teachers would occasionally ask me to stay behind after class, not through any naughtiness on my behalf but to ask for some tips about their carnations!

I funded my hobbies of vintage scooters and records through gardening for older people in my local neighbourhood. Mrs Rees was a lovely lady who lived 5 minutes walk from my house. I gardened for her for many years and learnt so much from this gentle intelligent gardener.

Me and my parents

I was lucky to have been brought up by parents who loved the taste of fresh home grown vegetables. My father Graham and I have been helping each other grow vegetables for over 40 years now and counting! There is something very enriching and bonding about growing and working the land together. My dad brings his lifetime of knowledge, snippets of wisdom from “Treacle Toffee” Billy and other such characters that have crossed his path at the allotment. Having studied permaculture, I bring a different perspective to doing things. I also discovered Charles Dowding and his no-dig approach to growing vegetables. As a result this has revolutionised the way we approach the allotment plot.

Let me not forget my mum! Mum is a fantastic weeder. She clears a weed filled bed in no time at all. Mum also boasts super human strength when required and has been know to pull out trees with one hand!

In Summary, The Pottery Gardener by Arthur Parkinson Book Review

To quote Joanne Lumley, a “ravishing” book providing a wonderful splash of colour and inspiration. I have already spent a small fortune on ordering plants and seeds for the coming year. The entrance to my flat now features a lovely William Morris planter lasagne planted with tulips who are all peaking through ready to bloom and flourish as spring slowly arrives.

I have always loved gardening, having focussed in more recent years on vegetables in the allotment. Arthur’s book has reignited my passion for flowers and reminded me of my love for some that I had forgotten about.

I highly recommend this book. Both a beautiful coffee table book but also a useful book of recommendations and practical tips.

You can purchase a copy from Blackwells here: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Pottery-Gardener-by-Arthur-Parkinson-author/9780750992411

The Flower Yard by Arthur Parkinson

Having read our “The Pottery Gardener by Arthur Parkinson book review” blog you may be interest to know that Arthur has another book due out very soon. It promises to be another interesting and inspiring book. You can pre-order copies of it now. I’m a sucker for an autographed copy of things and you can get one from Sarah Raven’s website here:

https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gifts-by-type/sarahs-signed-books-1/arthur-parkinsons-the-flower-yard.htm

From Sarah Ravens website:

“The Flower Yard follows Arthur as he gardens through the seasons in pots. It is a beautifully visual yet personal and highly informative read on his love for bold colours, cut flowers and bees. The chapters provide a fascinating insight how he grows his garden and ensures a bold a brilliant show from his pots, treating the garden as if it is a stage by growing plants from seed and using bulbs on a huge scale, despite the gardens size and being in the middle of a town. This book will prove to be a tonic with over 200 photos taken also by Arthur and will be especially helpful for those with truly small gardens, patios and balconies who want floral exuberance and escape.”

Or you can get one from Blackwells here:

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Flower-Yard-by-Arthur-Parkinson-author/9780857839176

Further Resources

You can follow Arthur Parkinson via his instagram account at: https://www.instagram.com/arthurparkinson_/

Sarah Raven can be found here:

https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Charles Dowding and find out more about his No-Dig approach here:

https://www.instagram.com/charles_dowding/

https://charlesdowding.co.uk/

If you liked The Pottery Gardener by Arthur Parkinson book review be sure to check out our other book reviews here:

https://yogasmiths.org/category/book-review/

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Spectrum Magazine Autumn 2020

If you are a member of the British Wheel of Yoga you will have received your Spectrum Magazine for Autumn 2020. We are honoured to be on the front cover, all 3 of us! We couldn’t resist getting Archie in the picture. I’m sure you agree that he looks very smart. He even wore a fresh clean bowtie!

Spectrum Magazine Autumn 2020

Spectrum Magazine Autumn 2020

Spectrum magazine autumn 2020

In the magazine we discuss the importance of spinal health and consider all of the different ranges of motion that our spine has. Our spine has flexion, extension, rotation, lateral flexion and articulation. As a result we put together a sequence that takes the spine through all of these movements. It features across 3 pages in the magazine with detailed instruction. The sequence is mat based. This makes it very accessible and also adds an element of connection and grounding. We created an instructional video for this soothing Low Spinal Flow on our YouTube channel. You can check it out below. Let us know what you think and subscribe to our channel.

Low Spinal Flow as featured in Spectrum Magazine Autumn 2020;

DID YOU enjoy our article in spectrum magazine autumn 2020 edition? then join us for Online Yoga Classes

We currently offer a range of online yoga classes. Our approach to teaching the physical yoga postures is grounded in what is good for the body. We focus on postures that will help improve flexibility and build strength in the body. All of our classes include yoga postures, breathing exercises, guided relaxation and yoga philosophy. You get a well round yoga class covering many of the 8 limbs of yoga.

Check out our classes for this week in our Shop and further details at Yoga we offer

Previous Spectrum Cover Stars

We feature on the Spectrum Magazine Winter 2016 edition. The article in this edition discusses our journey to becoming British Wheel of Yoga teachers. It was also about diversity in the yoga scene and we talked about getting married as soon as equal marriage had been introduced.

Check out The Smiths song title reference!

Links

You can join the British Wheel of Yoga online. Click on this link for further details: https://www.bwy.org.uk/join-the-bwy/

You can purchase copies of Spectrum Magazine without being a member. Click on the link for further details: https://www.bwy.org.uk/spectrum/

Check out our other blogs here: Blog

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