Beautiful sunrise

And yet more snow!

I drove home from my parents' house last night in the hail, I have never seen anything quite like it! Then by the time I finally got to bed the snow was falling with big snow flakes.

It has been rather challenging figuring out what to take to Nepal, it is difficult to imagine it being warmer than here, but we are not going trekking in the mountains this time and will be going down nearer to the Indian border instead to see the animals in the Chitwan.

Anyhow just hoping the airport opens again later so I can at least get myself to London and catch up with Ewan, Hayley, Hannah and Vicki.

Beautiful morning.

x

Winter wonderland

Wow, I couldn't believe it when I woke up yesterday morning to open the blinds and find a white world outside. All rather exciting especially as there was not any ice, which meant I could still get out in the car and fulfill my teaching commitments.

It is all melting here today unlike Edinburgh where they are experiencing snow storms. The skies are incredible here, not sure if it is a change of light, but the clouds are rather mesmerising.

I am off to London tomorrow to meet Ewan before he flies out to Nepal on Tuesday and me on Wednesday. I am so excited, especially as I get to see Ewan again. I am now living on my own, which was strange initially, but now I am into the flow of it again - complete peace and quiet and a tidy environment! Mind you cooking for oneself is not so much fun and I have enjoyed having friends around the last two nights so I can cook for someone else too!



I am getting proficient at lighting the fire, which does seem a waste when it is only me here, but all the same it is really rather warming on these cold and dark winter evenings. The cat doesn't seem that fussed, in fact I believe she is missing Ewan as she does not visit so much.

Anyhow time to go and practice. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I hope to be in touch from Nepal if we get the chance.
xx

Edinburgh and onwards

I have just spent a wonderful extended weekend in Edinburgh, staying with my friend Rachel and visiting her sister and my best friend Lou, who has recently given birth to the lovely Matilda. Great also to spend time with Lou's 17 month old son, Ronan, her husband Dave and also her sister, Sarah, and my surrogate parents, Barry and Carol - thank you all for a lovely time and many a nice meal.

Rach was incredibly hospitable and accommodating and as well as cooking me meals and making sure I felt totally at home in her own home, she also took me to the Scottish parliament building where we had a look at the debating chamber as well as walking around the bottom of Arthur's seat and along the Royal Mile to the Castle and around town. We even managed a walk by the sea with incredible sunset views and some mad tree stump. I was there for full moon too, what better place than Scotland with all its Wicca history!

Edinburgh is a stunning city, admittedly cold, dark and rather wet at this time of year, but full of lovely people and some great angel/crystal/alternative type shops!! I didn't manage a Yoga class this time, although poor Rach was rather patient with me practising each morning before we went out!

Back here in Guernsey it has been a strange week. One of my neighbours died at a young age and I have seen a rainbow from the house each day (thank you). Ewan left the Island today for his world travels until March. KIt is kind of strange being in the house on my own although the cat from next door seems to have moved in (not sure this is ideal, I mean ideal for me and company but not ideal when I am off on Monday and perhaps the neighbours miss her being in their own home - mind you someone said to me that cats will always go where they want to go...) so I am not totally on my own...and yet when are we ever on our own!



It is strange huh, I have lived on my own and travelled on my own many months at a time, but all of a sudden being on your own, through no choice of your own, is kind of weird. Silence. Which is great to be honest, but takes a bit of getting used to. Plus of course now there is no one else to cook for, which is a shame as I love cooking! Still the Universe does what it does and we adapt as we do. Life goes on, it transforms and with it so do we.

I have managed to light the fire all on my own and the house is certainly clean and tidy and with all the washing done! I have the whole weekend ahead filled with friends, Yoga and fun...plus packing as I am off to London on Monday to meet Ewan before he flies out on his birthday on Tuesday. I fly out on Wednesday to meet him in Nepal, novel for me someone being there to meet me the other side. Hoorah, I can't wait, I am so excited about the Nepali energy and trying to learn a bit more of the lingo, plus catching up with Devika and all my friends out there.

I hope everyone is looking after themselves, enjoying their quiet time and yet enjoying the company of others.

I am hoping for a swim in the sea before I go and with snow on its way, it will surely be warmer in the sea than in the open air!

Lots of love

xxx

The moon and sun at the fairy ring!

I felt particularly grateful and fortunate for my life on Monday when I was able to meet my friend Sarah after work for an afternoon walk out at Pleinmont.

In complete contrast to the weather a few days earlier, Monday was stunning - admittedly a little colder than it has been, but bright sunshine and that wonderful Autumn light as the sun drops down towards the horizon.

We walked out to the fairy ring and sat and chatted on the bench with views of the Hanois in one direction and Lihou in the other, the sun warming our faces and the smell of the sea filling the air.

We managed a walk around the fairy ring and I was delighted to notice the moon rising ahead of us as the sun was setting to the other side of us (check out the moon in the photo). How magical. not so however was the collection of empty beer cans and bottles littering the fairy ring, nor the 3 bags of dog poo we passed on the way back to the car...surely it doesn't take too much energy to carry these with you to the nearest bin (of which there is an absence, bins that is, I will admit, but still no excuse surely).



Back near the kiosk we stood and watched a small fishing boat coming into shore, the sea gulls flying past doing their usual thing and reminding me again of the flow to life and the going with approach, which certainly makes ever thing smoother and more joyful somehow.

So thank you Sarah for a lovely walk, and thank you to Ewan for going with the flow and joining me for a warming steam and energising swim at the Grande Mare before a drink in the lovely cosy Fleur.

xx

The Autumn Herm retreat

So the Universe has now made its message really clear...the Yoga & wellbeing retreats on Herm should never start on a Friday evening! Yes, there was a great sense of deja vu last Friday when the winds were high and I received a phone call from my Mum saying the boat to Herm had been cancelled and so we would not be able to get across to Herm for the much planned retreat until the next day. I had to smile.

Of course I was semi-prepared this time and know that there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the situation and so there is little point worrying about it. Of course all the attendees were totally understanding and I am sure they enjoyed the opportunity for a quiet night in as much as anything else (plus the relief of not having to venture out on rough seas!). Unfortunately I was so unplanned for what turned out to be a quiet night that I honestly did not know what to do with myself, all a bit strange!

So we travelled over on the Saturday morning in the rain and while everyone set off to unload their bags in their respective rooms at the lovely Mermaid cottages, I hot footed it to the White House to set up the Yoga space in the conservatory for the morning class with the help of Hayley and Chris (thank you ladies). The light in the room seemed brighter than last February and the room was certainly warmer and more ordered somehow.

Thankfully my Mum had actually accompanied us this time so as well as doing all the organising, she was also on hand to set up the treatment rooms and ensure everyone was settled in their rooms as well as liaising with the Herm staff to ensure everything ran smoothly...which it certainly did. A huge, huge thank you to Mum, she was certainly my star over the weekend.

There were 15 practitioners and everyone had practised Yoga previously so the classes were an absolute dream, we certainly filled the room with one light vibration and over the weekend the weather seemed to reflect the change in our enery arriving from Guernsey in the wind and rain and leaving with the sun breaking through the clouds and the winds having calmed right down.

After class on Saturday morning Chris and I managed a swim in the sea, a proper swim too, and while it wa s little bit of a shock to the system we both felt great afterwards and it was lovely to chat while swimming around the harbour like that! Others took the more comfortable option of wrapping up in warm clothes and enjoying the peace and tranquility of Herm with a walk around the Island or simply chilling in their rooms.



Actually after lunch, while some were enjoying massage with Hayley, reflexology with Chris and Reik with Eugenie (thank you again ladies) Mum led a few of us on a walk out to the statue at the north of the Island and through the centre, past the enormous Herm cows and around the coast back to the Mermaid via the silver mine, which is super cool as you have to walk off the main path and down the cliff so you can access the entrance into the mine, which reaches back to the main path underground. All rather exciting; my Mum is a wealth of unusual Herm knowledge!



The afternoon Yoga programme kicked off with thirty minutes of chanting and while I am not sure how others felt about this experience, I could certainly feel the uplifting energy circulating throughout my body and tingling in my heart and fingers, let alone leaving my mind clear of thoughts (well for a few minutes in any event!). This was followed by a pranayama and meditation session before a gentle and restorative evening class so that we were all chilled out in time for our evening meal.

As always Tom and his staff did us proud and we enjoyed a combination of mushroom risotto, a sweet potato dish, rice and salad. Yum, yum. I went back for seconds and had to resist helping myself to thirds. There was the usual laughter as Hayley led the i-ching session and the angel cards were available to those who wanted to indulge, before tiredness set in and both Mum and I were tucked up in our respective beds with the lights off before 10pm - that has to be a first on a Saturday night for some time!

Sunday morning and Sarah and I set out for our early morning Yoga practice before we were joined by everyone for the morning class. I led a kundalini based class, focusing on releasing the spine and grounding the energy and setting us up nicely for breakfast. Chris, Hayley and I say by the open fire and indulged in warming porridge and poached eggs on toast washed down with lots of herbal teas, what a joy for a Sunday morning!

While others went off to relax in their rooms or enjoy another treatment, I managed another swim in the sea, a rather quick one this time, more of a dip I guess you could say before warming myself with a relaxing bath and spending an hour chilling with Mum in our room before we joined Eugenie in the conservatory for general chatter over herbal teas with magnificent views towards Guernsey.

Luhcn was earlier than usual and Mum and I decided we were still full from breakfast so spent the time helping Hayley and Chris pack up their treatment rooms instead as well a packing up what we could of the Yoga space in preparation for our return to Guernsey.



The rain had eased by the end of the lunch break so we were able to follow through with the mindful meditation walk. Mum led the walk, challenged by the fact she had to walk slowly and in silence too. Anyone passing us would have wondered what was going on, 16 women walking in silence up past the church and down the other side. There were moments where I had to resist a giggle as I considered that this was probably as challenging for everyone else as it was for my Mum and yet there is a certain joy which comes from being totally present while walking and having the chance to observe your surroundings without being distracted by chatter.

We finished the weekend with a Yoga Nidra which seemed to leave everyone rather spaced out and it was perhaps rather appropriate that as soon as the boat docked into Guernsey the heavens opened drenching us all in rain, and thus helping to ground us before the car journey home.

I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, it was completely organic and seemed to take on its own energy and it was a privilege to spend the time with such a fantastic group of women. I can't wait for the next one in March...it will certainly be one night next time, and how special to have Herm to ourselves at any time of the year but especially when Spring is springing and all the spring flowers are beginning to blossom.

A huge thank you to all of you who attended and helped to make this such a special weekend.

xxxxxx

How times change

Another poem I wrote a while ago:

And in the darkness
of the night, my
heart yearned for
eager flight.
Rise up my love,
It calls to me,
Go far, be strong,
and all will be.

But in the moment
of the timeless
void, where all is
still, the world
is silent, I sit
and ponder the
path before me.
there are no
signs I can see.

Thankfully that was over a month ago. I credit a combination of the Reiki, acupunture and homeopathy (see my friends) to help me to see the light.

After a few months of feeling under par, I am feeling empowered and clear again with my future plans. It is all about accepting who you are, even if that is totally outside of the box. I love it. When you reach that level of acceptance and appreciate the clarity again.

xxx

Brrr...it has gotten very cold!!

Oh my gosh, it is really rather cold! We are nestled up on the sofa near the fire, even the cat has taken to sitting beside us to keep warm!

Two of my best friends have stayed with us this weekend, H and Han, and we have had so much fun together. There is nothing quite as special as spending time with your girlfriends and as it is not something I get to enjoy very often as my best friends all live off Island, I have made the most of it this weekend.

Ewan made us a bonfire on Friday in honour of Guy Fawkes's night so we stood around that for a bit watching the fireworks in the distance. Then Ewan decided to leave us to it(we were cackling like witches apparently) so we honoured the new moon with our own little letting go and new beginning ceremony and we also did some abundance work too, all good fun, before angel cards and the I Ching too. We managed a relatively early night and slept so well - must have been the fire and the melatonin release.

Saturday morning I taught a Yoga class - great fun, I do love the energy of the morning sessions and in the afternoon we enjoyed the Grande Mare health suite all to ourselves and drove along the coast to the Rockmount - 10 years ago this was our regular haunt, how times change, mind you the views of the stormy sea are still pretty cool. That night we continued the reminiscence with a trip into town and lots of dancing and smiling and yet more good times and memories.



We managed a walk before lunch at the Imperial with views of the crazy sky, one minute really grey and heavy with rain and the next clearing and looking like it may brighten up for the rest of the afternoon. We managed a trip to the Little Chapel too, it is such an incredible spot especially with the cows in the valley below. So yet more prayers before saying our goodbye's and going our own ways again...thankfully we will meet before New Year, this time in London before H moves out to Australia.

I am absolutely loving the colours of the great outdoors at the moment. Apparently due to the mild Autumn the leaves on the trees have maintained their moisture for longer than usual and hence the incredible oranges, auburns and ambers. Not only that but I happened to be awake for sunrise the other morning and saw the most incredible skies. And then a few days later I was driving through Talbot valley the other afternoon and was suddenly hit with this sense of awe at the wonderful richness of the landscape, the bright green grass and the bright skies. We do live in a truly beautiful world.




So another busy week ahead, incredible how it comes in waves. We have the Yoga and Wellbeing retreat on Herm this weekend, which should be so much fun and then I am off to Edinburgh to visit my other best friends and meet Lou's new baby, Matilda, and enjoy the cold Scottish weather!

Hope you have a good week.

xxxx

Happy Halloween!

Wow it is November already, time has just flown by!

Life has all of a sudden become rather busy. Nige and the children left us last Tuesday and I have been tackling all the washing ever since! Chris - our friend who has been living in the wing since August - left us on Saturday to return to Cambodia for 5 months of travelling, lucky thing, so more change in the household and generally. We managed a swim in the sea, in fact we managed one on Friday too, it is surprisingly pleasant at the moment, although I doubt I will be saying that in another month's time!

And then Sunday brought Halloween, hoorah! So a belated happy Halloween to everyone, I had meant to blog but ran out of time. I must admit I do love Halloween and it was perfect this year, not only falling on a Sunday but also with the clocks changing and gaining that extra hour in bed...only that I didn't because I got up to practice before teaching the Halloween trans formative chakra balancing workshop in St Peter's. The session was really inspiring for me, I am fascinated by the chakras and people's experience of working with them through a Yoga practice, so it was a great start to the day.

In the afternoon I forced myself out of the house where I was quite enjoying pottering in the kitchen and making Thai butternut squash soup and preparing quinoa, eggs and seaweed for lunch the next few days. But being Halloween I felt drawn to visiting the fairy ring and doing some pendulum work, all good fun! It was such a lovely afternoon, we are so blessed at the moment with all this fine and mild autumnal weather, there are still blackberries growing on the hedges down the lane from here, it is all very strange, no doubt we are in for a very cold winter instead!

We only had two trick or treaters in the evening and sadly we never did anything with the pumpkins we bought for the occasion. Still, I did my bit to honour "Samhain - All Hallow's Eve", which is a fascinating time indeed. Samhain means "end of the summer" and thus the end of the agricultural season and the beginning of the Celtic year. Samhain is really the festival of the dead - a time of chaos and the reversal of normal order: endings and beginnings happening simultaneously.

On an individual basis, this is the time to rest and reevaluate life and goals. Now is the time to get rid of any negativity or opposition that may surround achievements of hinder future progress. By Samhain we should have accomplished our desires ad now need to stabilize and protect what we have gained. This is important because it is impossible to concentrate and put energy into new goals if what we have is not secure. All very interesting really!

I started a new job on Monday, just 10 hours a week using my chartered secretary skills, all part of the bigger picture and utilising one's skills to further one's dreams and intentions. So far I have really enjoyed the change of scenery, it is really rather grounding being in an office and having human interaction in this way, let alone a structure to one's day - believe me, I never thought I would say that! It means I enjoy teaching even more than usual, good to have the balance and to know I am working towards my goals of getting out to Nepal again in December and starting my training as a Yoga therapist in February in Canada (North America is where Yoga therapy is really happening these days).

On Friday we celebrate the new moon. Check out this link for more info...again, all very exciting and I know my friends and I can all relate to the changing energy...http://realastrologers.com/new-moon-in-scorpio-november-6-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Realastrologerscom+%28realastrologers.com%29

So have a good week and embrace the energy of the new moon and new beginnings. This is a magical time of beginnings, when you can recharge goals, or set new ones, where goals and wishes take root, as you reach out for spiritual wisdom, draw on unseen allies and open the door to magical change. You might get what you ask for, or something even better that you can't imagine yet. So start visualising and then writing down your intentions so that you are committing to doing your part to make them real. Some call it co-creating, since you're opening to universal energies to set dreams in motion.

Love and light

Em x