Craig Williams Yoga Meditation and Mindfulness

03/06/2026

One thing I have always believed as a yoga teacher is that teaching should never replace learning.
I'm currently in Sagres and this morning I attended a class with the lovely at
It was a real pleasure to practise with her again. The last time I joined one of her classes was around two years ago, and it was wonderful to reconnect with her teaching.
Although I teach yoga myself, whenever I travel I make a point of attending classes with other teachers. Every teacher brings a different perspective, different experiences, and different traditions. There is always something new to learn, whether it's a cue, a sequence, a philosophy, or simply a different way of holding space.
I think one of the greatest gifts of yoga is that the learning never ends. The moment we believe we have nothing left to learn is probably the moment we stop growing.
Grateful for today's practice, for the opportunity to be a student again, and for the reminder that yoga is a lifelong journey of learning.

13/05/2026

“Breath is the mind made visible.”
An ancient yogic saying.

I have to remind myself of that, especially on the mornings when my practice feels impossible.

For the last 18 months, I have been training with the breath through pranayama. Not casually, but in the quiet, repetitive way that slowly changes you over time. Longer retentions. More demanding ratios. Inhale, hold, exhale, hold. A practice that asks for patience and honesty.

Some mornings, I sit down feeling fine… then the counting starts.

The numbers do not land. The ratios feel heavy. My chest feels tight. My mind starts negotiating.

“Just shorten it today.”
“Just skip the retention.”
“Just get through it.”

And in that moment, I realise something that is easy to miss in day-to-day life: I am not always consciously aware of the subtle disturbances in my mind.

I only really see them when I work with the breath.

Yesterday was different.

I spent a couple of hours doing yoga and meditation at my local beach. Nothing dramatic. Just movement, stillness, sea air, and time away from noise. Afterwards, I sat down for pranayama.

Same sequence. Same timings. Same expectations.

Effortless.

Not because my lungs suddenly became stronger overnight, but because my mind state had shifted. The breath did not change. I did.

It was a good reminder that progress is not always about pushing harder. Sometimes it is about noticing what is already there.

Most of us carry tension without even recognising it.

Deadlines.
Finances.
Uncertainty.
The constant background noise of modern life.

We often do not call it stress. We just call it normal.

Until something reveals it.

For me, the breath does that. It shows me when I am calm, and it shows me when I am not, even if I have been telling myself I am fine.

So I will leave you with a gentle question:

Where in your life are you holding your breath without realising it?

And what helps you return to yourself before that tension spills into your work, body, or relationships?

And in that moment, I realise something easy to miss in day-to-day life: I am not always consciously aware of the subtle disturbances in my mind.

10/05/2026

I've been asked to assist with a mens yoga retreat this December near Oxford. Here are the details https://yogaforblokes.com/winter-retreat-waterperry-2026/
I'd be most grateful if you would share.
Thank you 😊 🙏

Winter Retreat Waterperry 2026 is a yoga retreat for men within a characterful setting near Oxford. Recharge for the festive season!

23/04/2026

Greetings from Estonia 🇪🇪

I’m here in Estonia studying the kriya yoga of the ancient Himalayan yogi Babaji— a path rooted in an ancient lineage and centred on movement, breath, awareness, and inner stillness.

For those unfamiliar, Mahavatar Babaji is regarded in the yogic tradition as a timeless Himalayan yogi who revived and reintroduced Kriya Yoga to the modern world. His teachings were brought into wider awareness through Lahiri Mahasaya and later shared globally, most famously in the book Autobiography of a Yogi. The practice itself is less about belief and more about direct experience — working with the breath and nervous system to cultivate clarity, presence, and insight.

It’s been great reconnecting with yogis I first met in Le Mans at a retreat last summer — a reminder that while the practice is deeply personal, the journey is shared.

Looking forward to the days ahead of discipline, learning, and going deeper into something that continues to unfold over time.

More to come 🙏

22/04/2026

opportunities to practice with me in April

16/04/2026

Come and try some Spring Yoga moves

15/04/2026

Today,(April 14), I pause to reflect on the 76th anniversary of the passing of Ramana Maharshi — a sage whose life was a living answer to the question:

Who am I?

Born in 1879 in South India, Ramana Maharshi had no formal spiritual training. At just 16 years old, he experienced a sudden and profound awakening. Faced with an intense fear of death, he turned inward and asked deeply, “What is it that dies?”

Lying still, as if his body were a co**se, he realised — directly, not intellectually — that he was not the body, not the mind, but the awareness behind it all. In that moment, the sense of a separate “self” dissolved.

Soon after, he left home and travelled to the sacred mountain Arunachala, where he lived in silence for years. People began to gather around him, drawn not by teachings full of philosophy, but by his presence — still, grounded, and deeply peaceful.

His core guidance was simple:
Turn inward. Ask, “Who am I?”

It’s a question I’ve sat with for a long time. Not just as an idea, but as a practice — through stillness, through stripping away layers I once believed were “me.” Roles, stories, identities… all gently seen through.

In that inquiry, there are moments — glimpses — where the mind falls silent and something deeper reveals itself. In Zen, this is often called kensho — a direct seeing into one’s true nature.

Kensho isn’t about becoming something new. It’s about recognising what has always been here.

These glimpses may come and go, but their value is profound. They shift something fundamental. They loosen the grip of ego and bring a quiet clarity that carries into everyday life.

Ramana’s life reminds us that awakening isn’t reserved for the few — it’s available in the simple, honest turning inward.

On this day, I’m grateful — for the teachings, for the inquiry, and for every glimpse of truth along the way.

If this resonates, take a moment today:
Sit quietly…
Ask gently…
Who am I? Who is reading this?

And listen.

09/04/2026

Spring Yoga

04/04/2026

At Friday night yoga class at MBT Fitness we reflected on the Hindu monkey God Lord Hanuman, as it was his birthday on the day before. His attributes are strength, courage and devotion. The yoga practice was strength focused poses including warrior flow Virabhadrasana Vinyasa and a pose that requires some courage, the crow Kakasana. Devotion was shown by the yogis that wanted a class on a Good Friday.
Thank you.