text: Excellent novelty ideas, Claire. I've been reading books that I would have NEVER picked up before, like science fiction cyborg stuff. They still aren't my cup of tea, but I'm enjoying broadening my reading base.
  Thanks, Priscilla <3 I love that you're reading new genres - what a great idea! I'm sure it's good fodder for your own writing (and it's always good to know our likes and dislikes!) Hope you are doing well.
  Great ideas, it can be hard to be positive with so much uncertainty around. I’ve started reading again, something I always claimed to not have time for but that wasn’t true it was just easier to zone out in front of the tv. Oh and I’ve never done so much diy which is crippling me in my old age
  
  What a wise decision, to have a gray box for Cortana! Of course, providing the option of whatever color, even orange if one wanted, would be the best, but gray was fine. Microsoft decided to force the use of white, unless one uses the “dark” mode globally in Windows!
  Changing the location of your PC or changing to dark and then back to white, etc. will do nothing. You can download from this page a registry file that will make Cortana gray, but this change will be lost right when you use Cortana for the first time after you restart Windows. This means that for the registry change to be permanent you need to merge this file in the registry each time you start Windows and then restart Windows Explorer for the change to be applied!
  You are welcome to download the registry file that will make Cortana gray, but as you see, it is not a real solution to the problem.
  Let’s hope in the near future Microsoft decides to give us the freedom of some choice here. Until then, we’d better hide completely the search box and keep just the Circle of Cortana.
  
  You may have heard of yoga and possibly even some of the many benefits that a regular practice may bring. You may even recognise the odd yoga pose, but still feel totally lost in the big wide world that is yoga.
  The good news is, you're in the right place! We have built this one-stop shop to answer all your questions and get you started on your yoga journey.
  'Yoga' is a Sanskrit word that means 'Union.' It can be defined as bringing together body and mind for a calmer, more relaxed outlook on life. The practice of Yoga is over 2,500 years old and has developed in many ways over the centuries.
  Ultimately the values and principles remain the same. 'Asana' or yoga postures are often today what we refer to as yoga, but these are in fact a very small part of the whole philosophy. As outlined in the ancient Scriptures, Yoga is a way of living. Asana and the physical practice is the way we train our bodies and minds to lead a long and healthy life.
  All of us will have a different experience with a physical yoga practice and the benefits for each of us are as wonderful and varied as our sock drawers.
  Mentally, you may feel more balanced, better able to process thoughts and deal with the day-to-day goings-on.
  Absolutely! If you can breathe, you can do yoga. "Yoga is not about touching your toes but what you learn on the way down." Jigar Gor. Although slightly cheesy, this quote sums it up nicely.
  Practicing yoga is not about what you can or can't do, or the way a pose looks on your body, but the way you feel when you're doing it. Increased flexibility, balance and strength and just some of the many benefits that come with a regular practice.
  What types of yoga are there? How should I get started? What do I need? Let us guide you through the basics for beginners and everything you need to get you going.
  Yoga is a lifestyle that you will begin to embody, or maybe begins to embody you! We won't ask you need to turn vegan overnight, but as your practice builds you will begin to feel a greater sense of compassion towards yourself and the World in which you live.
  Your life will begin to change in ways you never knew possible. Like all habits, it's takes commitment, practice and resolve. The more you put in, the more you'll definitely get out!
  Hearing people's stories of how they started their individual yoga journey's and what yoga means to them is not only inspiring, but can motivate and support new students of yoga starting out on their paths.
  Hearing the real and tangible benefits that people experience on a daily basis reminds us of what a positive impact a regular yoga practice can have on our mental, emotional, social, physical and spiritual wellbeing.
  Yoga is often used as an alternative medicine. It's healing powers for both the body and mind are immense, and even in the West now we are beginning to see doctors and nurses prescribe yoga to people to help improve mental, emotional and physical issues. The NHS shares how yoga can help reduce the risk of falling, contributes to activity required per week to stay healthy, and can help pre and post natal woman.
  When you join your first yoga class you'll notice the the lesson is focused around physical yoga postures, also known as asanas. There are 84 postures in the classic yoga text, The Hatha Yoga Pradikpa. But as times have evolved, so have postures and now there are 100s.
  The good news is, to get you started on your journey, knowing a few basics will help build your confidence as you become more familiar with moving your body in line with your breath. Chances are you'll start to (re) connect with parts of your body that have been long forgotten!
  Joining your first yoga class can be a big step to take. Especially if you can't remember the last time you spent a prolonged chunk of time on the floor!
  If you feel like you might be ready to give a yoga class a try, we offer Live Online yoga classes which are a wonderful opportunity to get to know and practice with a real teacher, in real time, with other real students. Just like you, who were once a beginner.
  We know it can be daunting to turn up to a Live Online class, but our friendly teachers will guide and support you carefully as you begin your practice. And if you'd like to arrange a bit of a pre-class chat, to get to know us, and run through any questions you may have, contact us now and we'll organise that.
  We don't promise enlightenment, the ability to do backflips or that you'll fit into a size 6 bikini on your next holiday (if anyone ever gets one of those again). However, we are super confident in the quality of the yoga we offer and the technology we use to deliver it to you. This is why we offer a free trial for you to test us out and see if we are for you. The only commitment you need to make in return is turn up to class. We can't wait to see you online!
  It's up to you whether you have you camera on or off. Some people like to keep it switched it off while they get used to the class, while others enjoy having the camera on for the social aspect. You can also have the camera turned it on it the beginning while you say hi to the teacher and then turn it off once class gets started. All mics will be muted during the practice by the teacher.
  
  There’s a new fitness craze that is firing up the fitness and environmentalist lobby. Plogging it’s a mix of jogging and picking up litter, as you go, according to Men’s Health. So when you mix jogging and the Swedish phrase “plocka upp,” or “pick up”. Ta Da!
  It has its roots in Sweden, where people who are interesting in saving the planet as well as themselves pick up litter as they go about their jogging.
  So what are the fitness benefits? Well as you jog you are going to be bending, squatting and lifting. And as you continue on your run and the more trash you pick up the heavier you’ll become, which adds to the calorie burn count.
  There’s a Swedish fitness app, Lifesum which includes plogging as a fitness activity and it reportedly burns 288 calories per 30 minutes.
  
  London is one of the top visiting destinations that attracts more than 20 million tourists every year- Isn’t it amazing?