Our Lihou Christmas outing!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas. Mine was certainly special, spending it with family and enjoying a freezing cold swim at blustery Vazon on Christmas Day morning and then repeating the whole experience again at Cobo on Boxing Day with hundreds of other crazy Guerns!! You have to love the Guernsey winter swimming spirit - well done to my parents who ventured in on Christmas morning, the first time they have swam in the sea since Christmas last year!

It never ceases to amaze me that while I always think Christmas will be a restful break, it is far from restful making sure to spend time with as many family members as possible. Still that said, I very much enjoy the energy of Christmas, not so much the materialism, but the fact that it does encourage family to get together ans enjoy some quality family time. Not that that doesn't come with its issues, of course, there are always many needs to consider, but it can be a time of much joy and blessings.


Yesterday Ewan and I managed to make the most of the beautifully calm, crisp and bright day by cycling down to Lihou as the causeway closed and the sun set behind the Hanois lighthouse. Ewan loves to watch the tide closing the causeway, which always makes me a little nervous, because he insists on standing as far along it as he can and moving back towards Guernsey with the running tide. And my gosh, that tide certainly moves quickly! I don't know that I have ever watched it as closely as I did yesterday, with Ewan timing the movement of water.


I got scared eventually and started walking back towards L'Eree, stopping every so often to witness Ewan's movement along the causeway and also take in the incredible skies, with the moon rising, the sky a sun burnt amber and the stars starting to shine. Back at L'Eree I stopped and sat on the rocks and just listened to the elements, the sound of the sea and the birds as nightfall descended. Bliss. I haven't been able to do that for ages.


Ewan made it back safely, his feet a little wet, and we tested my new bike lights as we headed off in darkness along to Grandes Rocque to visit friends and then back towards home stopping at Le Fleur de Jardin to meet other friends visiting from Australia before heading uphill all the way home. Boy was I pleased to get into the house and give my poor body a break from all that cycling!!

So New Year is a matter of days away. All being well we should be in France enjoying nature on our friends' farm in Normandy. I can't wait. Let's just hope the weather is kind and the boat runs on time. This will be the first time for ages I haven't spent the New Year with Hayley in London doing our burning bowl ceremony, I might have to do it on my own this year!!! See http://www.reikiwebstore.com/ProductPage.cfm?ProductID=377&CategoryID=16 for more info.

Happy holidays!

xx

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today is Yule, a pre-Christian holiday celebrated on the winter solstice, which falls today this year. It is the true new year both astronomically and spiritually, where we see both the death and rebirth of the Sun God represented in the shortest day and longest night of the year. From this time on the sun grows in strength and power and changes direction (as seen from Earth) to move north again.

It actually occurred at 5.30am GMT. Apparently after dark, if you look toward the west you'll see Venus in the sign of Aquarius, and if you look toward the east you will see Jupiter in Taurus. Both are bright in the sky.

At this Solstice the Sun forms an exact trine (or flow of energy) with Jupiter, which is quite rare and is very good news! Jupiter is the planet of faith, of hope and abundance. It is the archetype of Father Christmas and gives blessings and grace to whatever it touches.

In the earthy sign of Taurus it wants to give us pleasure and beauty ans can offer a sense of sheer joy and gratitude of being alive. Apparently the Sun is also close to Pluto- God of the Underworld, which has been happening since 2008 when Pluto moved into Capricorn. Pluto is the Transformer, it destroys only to rebuild, just like the phoenix.

The Moon is in the sign of Scorpio, emphasizing this theme of deep transformation. So often this week I have heard the word "transformation" spoken by many.

The Sun is square to Uranus, which could lead to an overload of nervous energy-take time to slow down and meditate. I have noticed this in my own life today, so much mania. Thus it is essential to try and stay grounded - walk on the earth, practise some standing and balancing Yoga poses, eat some grounding food and breathe some fresh air!

Essentially Yule is the time to begin to think about what you want to accomplish in the months ahead. It is a time to outline the goals you wish to work toward. So now is a time to focus attention inward to allow your higher self, or spiritual side, time to clarify what needs to be done and which goals should be set.

I was fortunate to witness the light of the sun brightening the horizon as I began my morning Yoga practice, soon of course the clouds set in, but it was lovely to have the reminder that it is there...the light following the darkness again.

It was a joy to teach this morning - thank you to all of you who made this final class of the Year so special, on the Solstice with a practice intended to help us ground our energy, connect with the breath to turn inwards and a chakra balancing meditation to encourage balance on all levels.

Of course it has been a manic day. The excitement of Christmas, last minute pressured jobs in the office and that general sense of tiredness as the clock ticks closer to a much needed break.

I was fortunate to have the space to join my wonderful friend Christine for a simple winter solstice ritual, lighting 13 candles together to represent each planet and the nodes of the Moon, and speaking affirmations in the process. Wonderful spine shivering music played in the background as we sat in front of the glow of the 13 tealights set on the windowsill, a view of the trees and what would have been the setting sun, if it wasn't for the clouds (!) in the background. We read a reading each from Benedictus, so relevant and so touching that it made us both very present. It does indeed feel like it is transition time into new beginnings. Thank you Chris, I'll always remember our Solstice celebration, truly beautiful x

So happy solstice everyone. Enjoy the lighter days ahead!

xxxxxxx

I have given them to you in the order that they rise above the horizon at 5.30am on December 22nd.

Winter weather!

This weather is crazy! It feels like all the rain we haven't had this year has come this last week or so. Yuck! Mind you, on a more positive note, at least the ducks are happy, plus of course the reservoir over here in Guernsey should be getting full!!

Often I am away at this time of year, last year we were in Nepal, so it has been a bit of a shock to the system to witness the incredible darkness of the last week. I was practicing Yoga yesterday morning in the Yoga space and it felt like 4pm in the afternoon, I had to have the light on to be able to see my mat! Mind you all is not lost, it is the winter solstice next week and we should start to see a marginal increase in light again, hoorah!!

Sitting here in front of the lovely warm fire, I can hear the rain falling and the wind whipping around the outside of the house. There are severe weather warnings in place for the English Channel tonight, so it looks like we may be in for a bumpy night ahead. I find the storms rather exciting because they have so much energy and can create so much chaos and yet you get this incredible peace afterwards...like the old is blown away to make way for the new.


Talking of being blown away, E and I spent last weekend pine cone collecting. Not to be outdone by my parents who have found this great secret spot, E chanced on a spot somewhere else on the Island, which has now become our secret spot. It was so exciting to find all these pine cones, in fact I am excited about going again this weekend. We love burning pine cones on the fire, they have a lovely smell and really help to warm the room and there is something really satisfying about foraging in the wild!!


There was a beautiful full moon on Saturday and I managed to cleanse all my crystals under its shine. We went for a magical walk at Jerbourg on Sunday with Charles and Jane and E's Mum, all the way down to Divette (I think) next to Marble Bay, such lovely cute little bays, we were lucky to avoid the rain showers! I guess it is due to the weather, but I am always surprised how few people are on the cliffs on a Sunday, great for us as we get them to ourselves!

So time to count down to the winter solstice and all that offers by way of celebration.

xxxxxxx

The joy of London

E and I went to London to celebrate his birthday last weekend. We managed a quick swim in the sea at Petit Bot before we flew out...it was cold, it is certainly going to be a challenge to continue this swimming malarkey all through the winter months!

London was as wonderful as ever - incredibly hectic, noisy and busy so that I couldn't live there, but fun to visit for a weekend. On Friday the weather was bright and clear, albeit a touch cold, and we enjoyed fabulous views of the entire city from the London Eye - there are so many cranes in the city!! From there we walked all the way along South Bank to Tower Bridge. We actually walked along the side of the Thames for a bit, down on the "beach" with all its stones, pebbles and sea glass! Pretty grim water, but I must admit it does provide another experience of the city - I have never walked down there before.



We visited the Tower of London, not cheap but a first for both of us. I must admit I wasn't really that interested in the whole prisoner torturing stuff (pretty sick what they did to people, incredible that people can cause so much pain to others) but loved seeing the jewels, albeit that someone told me they are not the real ones - certainly looked real to me, so special all those crown jewels, lots of sparkles. We walked all the way back from the Tower, through Somerset House and along Pall Mall all the way back to Green Park and caught a tube onwards to Ealing where we were staying.

On Saturday E, our friend Charles with whom we were staying, and I, walked along to a Yoga class I had found in Ealing, not far from Charles' flat. It was actually held in the home of a lovely lady called Teresa, who is fortunate to have her own studio in a massive room in her house. I had emailed prior to our trip to check we could attend, yes no problem, mixed ability and mats available, but it is still always interesting turning up to classes for the first time, as you don't know the protocol - we could not locate the Yoga space initially, it was the smell of incense that finally gave it away!! I love that smell, feels like coming home.

It was one of the funniest and most inspiring and uplifting classes I have attended for some time. Teresa is wonderful - anyone living in Ealing please seek her out. E and I don't practice Yoga together that regularly now due to other commitments, so it is always quite a treat when we do get the opportunity, generally off-Island. Charles used to go to Bikram classes on a semi-regular basis but is not so aware of the flow of a vinyasa class and I must admit I did get the giggles as Teresa rushed over to help on a number of occasions.

She has a wonderful space, the incense, the music, her energy, I don't know, it just created a lovely ambiance. The class was strong in places and I learnt some new movements, which is always a joy as it means I have been able to share them with students in my own classes this week. E was very happy because at the end of the class Teresa asked him if he teaches Yoga! Clearly he has been taught well over the years, he is more than able with his own practice at home, occasionally I find him in the Yoga room releasing his piriformis in pigeon, or enjoying a headstand.

So the class put me on a big high, reminding me of the joy of practicing in a classroom environment and being led through a sequence without having to think what to practice next. I just wish I could do this more often in Guernsey but sadly, despite the number of teachers practicing on the Island, classes are not held 24-7 like they are - comparatively - in London or any other big cities in the world.


The rest of the weekend was fun. We drove through Richmond Park and delighted in the seeing the wild deer. We drove around a few little towns in Surrey looking at property. We went dancing, which was such great fun, hugely liberating and uplifting, energising too. We even managed a spot of shopping, Ealing has some great charity shops and E and I came away with a number of books and trinkets.

So all in all a fabulous trip away. Thank you to Teresa for her inspiration and to Charles for putting us up all weekend.

xxx

A weekend of nature!

What another stunning weekend on Guernsey and indeed Herm, it is weekends like these that make me feel so gracious for living in such a wonderful place - one overlooks all the traffic!!

E had a friend visiting from the UK so we decided to make the most of the free boats to Herm, plus the wonderfully mild and bright weather, to visit Herm with Hayley and Mike. We walked from Rosaire where the boat docked, all the way around the Southern cliffs of the Island to Belvoir Bay, as beautiful as ever.


In fact it was fantastic as the tide was particularly low, the lowest I have ever seen it on Herm and while it may not have been ideal for our annual November Herm swim, it did mean that we got to walk all the way from Belvoir to Shell Beach on the beach itself, which was a first for all of us.


E, his friend Nige, and I went for the swim, no easy feat as we had to walk some distance over the sand banks to get wet beyond our waist. Meanwhile on the beach, Hayley and Mike were indulging in some Tai Chi. I was aware that a few passing visitors were taking photos - clearly amused by people swimming in the sea in November and practicing Tai Chi along the shoreline!!


I can't quite believe it is almost the beginning of December and here we were swimming in the sea without it feeling absolutely freezing. The weather is so strange this year, well in comparison to last year when it was almost snowing by now. I still see people wearing shorts and flipflops and there are still flowers everywhere.


My lovely farmer friend in France mentioned that she had been talking to other farmers, one who does the seaweed test and this shows it is going to be a very cold winter, and another who does the onion test, and this shows that it is going to be a very mild winter. So I guess even Nature is confused. You can certainly see this in the garden at the moment, what with dandelions and daffodil bulbs shooting. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few months.


It really is beautiful over there on Herm. I just love the peace and quiet and the lack of traffic, plus all the wildlife and bird life surrounding you. You can't help but leave Herm feeling a little more refreshed and grounded than when you arrived. It just slows you down somehow, plus I love the fact you have to walk everywhere...you can only hurry that so much!!

Sunday and we spent some of the morning wandering around Earlswood gardening centre looking at all the trees and plants and flowers. I love smelling all the herbs and E loves checking out the "sick bay" where they put any trees of plants that are suffering in some way. I bought E a sickly pine tree as an early birthday present together with an indoor gardenia, which should continue to emit a rather pleasant smell. It has this wonderful energy in the nursery and every time I visit I can't help thinking that, like my parents' greenhouse, it would be a calming and uplifting environment for a Yoga class. We'll see...


In the afternoon we walked from Petit Bot down to Portelet, that lovely sandy beach only accessible at low tide on foot. There is this crack in the cliff face that E has managed to walk through previously and was keen to show Nige. There was a fisherman down on the rocks but other than that we did not pass a sole on the whole walk. I wonder if people realise how invigorated and uplifted it makes you feel going for a walk on the cliffs.


Mind you I shouldn't complain, the less people enjoying the cliffs, the more peaceful it is when we do exactly that. However it is a shame because they are stunning and such good exercise, you couldn't help but get fit if you walked, and certainly ran, on those cliffs a few times a week. You just need to make sure to practice some Yoga thereafter, to stretch out the legs and rest a while!!

So another lovely weekend courtesy of Mother Nature, E and friends. Thank you.

With love

xxx

Stunning Edinburgh

Last weekend I was in Edinburgh visiting Lou who has been my best friend since we met at school almost 20 years ago now - how time flies! It is funny how you have these close friends, who you don't necessarily see from one year until the next, but when you do finally meet up again, it feels like you only saw them the day before.

So it is with Lou and I, from the moment she picked me up from the airport we were back into that familiar and comforting territory of being with someone who knows you so well! Life has moved on since those school days and now Lou has a husband and two beautiful children, Ronan and Matilda.

We had fun. I was slightly shocked by the exhausting nature of young children and have a renewed respect for anyone with children. I guess it is a little like anything, the more you do it, the more you adapt to it. Still when you lead a busy life without children, you wonder how on earth people cope being busy and looking after children. Much respect!

We went into Edinburgh city centre a few times. It is a stunning city steeped in history, with this incredible sense of space. Edinburgh castle affords a fantastic position, and adds a wonderful energy and grounding nature to the city. I love it. Especially as the weather was incredibly bright and mild on this trip, quite unlike my previous November trips when it has been freezing cold, wet and windy.


We visited the museum and I got to visit the Tibetan section and turn the prayer wheels, sending the energy of "Om Mani Padme Hum" into the air. I always feel a sense of homesickness when I am in such an environment with pictures of the Himalayas reminding me Nepal and the wonderful Tibetan Buddhists. There is just such a calming energy about the Tibetan Buddhist culture with all those prayer flags brightening and indeed defining any landscape.




What particularly blew me away on this trip was visiting East and North Berwick. Again the weather was in our favour, but this part of Scotland is absolutely stunning. We went down to the beach and watched a massive heron sitting on a rock. There were lots of people walking their dogs and making the most of the views of all the small Islands in the distance, one of which was apparently the inspiration for "Treasure Island" written by the Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson.


North Berwick is a fantastic little coastal town. We visited the bird sanctuary and I took great delight in finding the remains of this chapel, which had been home to many a pilgrim on a pilgrimage to and from St Andrews. I just adore all that old "spiritual" energy, the fact that the stone in the buildings is still filled with the energy of all those pilgrims and their prayers. I can't help but press the palms of my hands against the stone walls and just feel the vibration. It is incredibly subtle, but I have no doubt that that energy exists.



We visited Lou's parents, who were like my second parents all those years ago, and her sister, Rachel, with whom I went travelling around the world for the first time all those years ago. We managed dinner in Edinburgh one night with a couple of Lou's friends and Rachel, which was lovely as I do enjoy spending time with other women, discussing life through our different eyes and sharing and discussing experiences, so that you can gain a renewed perspective on life.

On my last day we drove out into the countryside from North Berwick so the children could sleep in the car. What a joy. We passed a wonderful castle where Lou and Dave got married, and then this incredible rambling castle on the cliffs around from the town,and these beautiful churches and ruined chapels. And then out into the land, there was just this feeling of expanse and nature all around you, so many birds and even deer and this wonderful Autumnal golden light softening and yet brightening the entire landscape so that I was rather awestruck by the whole experience! I can't wait to visit more of the country!

A huge thank you to Lou, Dave, Ronan and Matilda for making my time with them so special.

xxxx

The wonderful Autumnal yoga & wellbeing retreat on Herm.

What an incredible weekend we have just enjoyed on Herm on the Beinspired Autumnal Yoga & Wellbeing retreat.

Truly we have been blessed with the most incredibly mild, calm and bright November weather, which showed Herm at its very best. Not only was the sun shining all weekend confusing the fauna and flora, which believe Spring has arrived again but we were also fortunate to enjoy a bright moon waning from full on Thursday, quite a joy to witness it rising as I was walking with the girls from the Yoga hall to the restaurant in flip flops after our evening session and then seeing it setting in the morning, on our way back to the Yoga hall for our morning session with Guernsey in the background.

Unbelievable.


On Friday Mum (my incredible assistant!) and I travelled over on the first Trident boat of the day at 8.15am with the Herm teacher and a father and son going fishing on the Island for the the weekend. We were laden with bags of props and blankets and food and all the other paraphernalia that a retreat on Herm involves.



It was wonderful to be there so early on a Friday out of season, clear skies and the Island so quiet of visitors. Linda, the Mermaid hotel manager, was incredibly welcoming and helped us as we set up for the weekend. Needless to say it was quite a joy to walk into the conservatory of the White House Hotel and know that would be our Yoga space for the whole weekend, with those wonderful views of Guernsey in the background and Jethou off to the side. There are very few other places in the world I would rather teach, and indeed practice, Yoga.


After setting up and making sure the heating was on - although it has to be said that this has been the warmest retreat we have ever held, in fact I actually had to turn the radiators off on Sunday, it got that warm - Mum and I headed off for a much needed walk through and around the Island. How amazing to have it to ourselves, and the time to enjoy the scenery - the view of Sark on one side and Guernsey and Jethou on the other, let alone the opportunity for a bit of cow gazing and an opportunity to collect 3 whole bags of pine combs...a joy of mine, I love to collect pine combs!!


By the time the Trident arrived from Guernsey at 4.20pm, the light was decreasing and I was more than ready to get on with some introductions and teaching! What a delight to see all those people coming off the boat, so many familiar faces from classes back home and previous retreats, and also a few new faces who had google-searched Yoga retreats on Guernsey and decided to come and embrace the unknown in Herm for the weekend with Beinspired - thank you hugely to everyone.


After dropping bags off at rooms we met in the front lounge of the White House Hotel for cups of tea in front of the roaring fire, courtesy of my Mum's fire-making skills and of course the collected pinecombs! From there into the warm and cedar-smelling Yoga hall with the lights of Guernsey shining in the background and the candles burning on the window ledges, for our introductions before our first Yoga asana class began.


With a focus on trying to bring balance to the chakras (the 7 main energy centres of the body) throughout the weekend, the first evening class centered (quite literally!) on our root and sacral chakras with lots of grounding and hip opening postures, and finishing with a nourishing and indeed embodying Yoga Nidra. Yum.


This year, with my Mum on the case, the vegetarian food prepared by the Mermaid was great. Anyone coming on the retreat and hoping to eat less than normal would have struggled, the Mermaid staff did themselves proud this year. Throughout the weekend the food was nourishing and healthy as we were accommodating a variety of dietary requirements, including those lactose, glucose, dairy and wheat intolerant.



That first night the choice was vegetarian cottage pie with a sweet potato mash topping or a chickpea, tomato and onion curry with brown rice plus 3 different types of salads, a large bowl of home-made coleslaw and a choice of breads including gluten free. And for those with a sweet tooth, homemade chocolate brownies and fruits salad for desert. Yum!!!


An early bedtime was taken by many, 9.30pm seemed to be the average light's off time, Herm has that habit you see, of calming you down from the fast paced lives we tend to live very quickly. I guess it is the general energy of the place and the fact you have to walk everywhere and there is no rush about anything, it is just a very restorative and peaceful experience, well worth a trip for anyone who needs to simply calm down and come back to earth a little. Not having televisions in the rooms helps too, it kind of encourages you to let go.


Saturday morning and Mum was up before dawn making a fire in the hotel in preparation for those wanting a cup of tea and some fruit or biscuits in front of the fire before the early morning class. Christine and Hayley, my wonderful earth angel friends as well as being the retreats reflexologist and massage therapists respectively, met me at the harbour for an early morning swim under the moonlight. Unbelievable with this weather and relatively warm seas!!


Joining together in the Yoga hall with the moon setting in the sky, we started the morning with some pranayama and silent meditation before an asana class focusing on the navel and heart centres so lots of core strengthening work, twisting, hip flexor opening, heart opening and backbending poses. The energy was high and we finished off with a relaxation to set everyone up for an active, or indeed inactive day ahead.


The class was followed by breakfast in the Mermaid, your choice of eggs, vegan porridge, muesli, juices, teas and coffees and morning banter. Thereafter - and actually like the whole weekend there were no rules so everyone could do as much or as little as they liked - there was the option to do your own thing, enjoy a reflexology, massage or Reiki session, join my Mum for one of her led walks, or simply chill in your room with a book or the opportunity for a warming bath.


Herm was indeed at its best and while I spent the time offering Reiki treatments and enjoying the opportunity to practice on my own in that wonderful Yoga space with the sun setting in the distance, I know everyone made the most of the opportunity to get some fresh air and truly connect with nature. And actually this is the joy of these weekends on Herm. While I don't doubt the healing benefits of the asana, pranayama, meditation and Yoga Nidra sessions, the true joy is the fact you have this wonderful opportunity to embrace the grounding, tranquil and healing energy of Herm Island.


The evening class was gentle in approach. Moving slowly from one asana to the next with complete awareness on the breath, resting often so the body could integrate the effects, we ended with a lovely nourishing Yoga Nidra, which is an incredibly healing and restorative practice of its own. From there, with the moon rising behind the trees on the top of the Island we walked to the Mermaid for another wonderful meal of vegan pumpkin risotto, courgette lasagna and an array of salads and bread and an opportunity for wine for those who fancied it, followed by a fruit crumble, custard and fruit salad.


That evening was another relatively early night for most of us. Mum and I were staying in harbour cottage near the harbour itself and the others were in various other cottages near to us. As I lay in bed that night I was very aware of not only the gentle sound of the lapping sea but also the rather noisy birds that become active after 10pm. And then in the morning waking and hearing the sea and the birds again. There is nothing quite like it, to be that aware of the flow of nature again.


On Sunday Mum was up before dawn again to light the fire before joining me, JP, Debbie and Christine for another early morning swim at 6.55am under the setting moon off the harbour in Herm. It was great fun, thank you to Debbie and JP for joining us - quite a feat considering they have been swimming in the warm Egyptian seas recently!! There is nothing quite like a morning swim to set one up for the day ahead and a shame to waste the opportunity - high morning tides, bright moons, mild temperatures, laughter with friends, you can't beat it!



Setting up for Yoga that morning I couldn't help thinking how blessed I felt in that moment. Again the moon, always the moon, setting in the distance, Ben Lienbach filling the air with his calming and awe-creating sounds, the incense burning and the chatter of the attendees drinking tea in front of the fire, the high tide visible through the windows...when those moments arrive, it is a wonderful feeling.


So onwards and another morning pranayama and meditation session with some Kriya Yoga to move awareness, from the body to the environment with the sound of the sea lapping the shore in the background. Thereafter we embraced a full chakra balancing asana practice with clear views of Guernsey in the background before ending with a chakra balancing meditation.


It was a joy to witness people's practice over the weekend. There were some who attended every class and others who honoured their bodies and took a much needed time out. Well done to Michelle who hobbled off the boat with a leg injury on Friday and also to Lise who came with a kidney issue, and of course Jessica who is 33weeks pregnant and found the relaxation challenging simply because the baby would start to kick too much!!


Throughout the weekend I shared a number of quotes with those present at the end of the classes, and this I would like to share as it is truly a beautiful poem to end the retreat:-

"The choice for Love"

What does the voice of fear
whisper to you?

Fear speaks to you
in logic and reason.
It assumes the language
of love itself.

Fear tells you,
"I want to make you safe".
Love says
"You are safe"

Fear says,
"Give me symbols.
Give me frozen images.
Give me something
I can rely on".

Loving truth says
"Only give me
this moment".

fear would walk you
on a narrow path
promising to take you
where you want to go.

Love says
"Open your arms
and fly with me"

Every moment of your life
you are offered the opportunity
to choose -
love or fear,
to tread the earth
or to soar to the heavens.(Emmanuel's Book II)



After the class, Mum and I rushed around packing up the hall with lots of help from everyone else, collecting all the bags together at the roundabout for the Herm guys to collect. Thereafter we all congregated together in the Mermaid one more time for a final egg and laughter-fuelled breakfast before heading to Rosaire steps for the boat back home, the sun still - incredibly - shining overhead.


Call it what you like, but the Divine, that something that is both within and around each and every one of us was ever present this weekend, pervading every moment, and it would have been a challenge to ignore its very existence - we were all such a reflection of that essence. Indeed the stars were shining brightly overhead. And now here we were, with smiles on our faces, sitting in the fresh air on the top deck of the Mermaid being rocked gently by the sea all the way back to Guernsey.


Thank you especially to my Mum for all her wonderful organising and support, to Christine and Hayley for their energy work, but also to all the 19 attendees who helped to make this weekend so special. It was after all what it was - and what it was, was whatever we wanted it to be and for me it was incredibly uplifting, inspiring, grounding, calming and centering. Thank you again, with gratitude.

Om Namah Shivaya.

xxx

November sunshine

I can't believe that it is already the 8th of November...where has this month gone, it seemed only yesterday it was Halloween and now we have had bonfire night and it is the full moon again on Thursday!!

Bonfire night was fun. We had a party at our house for E's family and while the boys enjoyed the fireworks I stayed inside enjoying preparing the food for everyone! Mind you I did enjoy an obligatory sparkler, I love the bright light, a reminder of our own essence after all.

Sunday was my Dad's birthday so we enjoyed some family time together, lunch and a walk through the lanes and up to the Guet near our home, lovely to get some much needed fresh air and enjoy seeing the sea so rough and the wonderful afternoon November sunlight shining through the clouds. It was noticeably colder than it has been recently, all wrapped up and that winter feeling in the air reminding me that Christmas is not so far away now. We celebrated over fresh Chinese food in the evening, happy birthday Dad, moments with my family are precious.

It has gotten milder this last few days, and the sea has become calmer again. I managed a proper swim in the sea again yesterday at Petit Bot - so lovely to have that time out as life has been rather busy recently and it is easy to forget to make time for things that bring you back to earth. It is wonderful on the beach at this time of year, not only because you have the whole place to yourself, but because the bird life is so noticeable, and it rather uplifting to sit on the rocks and just watch and listen to all the sounds of nature...a relief after all the sounds of the office and traffic in and out of town.

This weekend we have the Autumnal Yoga & Wellbeing retreat on Herm, which should be a wonderful opportunity to get away from it all and immerse in Yoga and nature, no laptop or Internet, no television and no traffic!

As for this week. Well there are a few exciting days ahead. Not only the full moon on Thursday but 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year on Friday, now that is certainly auspicious. Just catching the clock at 11.11 has some significance, so you'll be very lucky if you catch the clock at that time on Friday in particular.

Happy full moon and 11th tidings!

xxxx

Celebration of Samhain

I have just returned from a meditative weekend of Yoga in Jersey with Godfrey Devereux, staying with my wonderful friend, Alyssa Burns-Hill.

Godfrey's approach seems to have changes since I last had any involvement with his teachings. then it was reading one of his books and watching a DVD, where he appeared to be very much focused on the strength of the physicality. Since then he has clearly found meditation, and the weekend was far from physical, concentrating instead on the breath, with gentle movement to release and lengthen the lower back, and lots of sitting in silence, and lying in Savasana. One "posture practice" as he calls it, asana, the rest of us may say, lasted a whole 2 hours and 20 minutes, of just moving through a sun salutation broken down into bits. Phew. The class yesterday was a full on 4.5 hours without a break. I felt I had run a Marathon, and actually, I probably could have done in that time.

Still, it was enjoyable to have the time and space to breathe so consciously, and also to really enjoy the benefits of lengthening one' spine and noticing the behaviour patterns and movements of one's own body - how we are so programmed to move a certain way, even if that certain way is not within our best interests. I enjoyed his ramblings, even if I did not always agree with his take on life and God and spirit, but great to have the opportunity to learn from someone who has clearly gone through some stuff.

Of course it was wonderful to spend time with Ally and chatter together as we do, sharing and inspiring and creating new ideas. Ally and her husband, Gary, have a lovely property with large Windows offering views of the sea, a lovely spot to stay and chill in the mornings and evenings before class. One can just sit on the sofa and stare at the sky and the clouds, which became clearer as the weekend progressed. Thank you to the Burns-Hill family, much appreciated.

So today is Samhain, or All Hallows' Eve. Technically it means "end of the summer", the end of the agricultural season and the beginning of the Celtic year. Samhain is the festival of the dead. The day was Christianized when the day that follows it was designated All Soul's Day, or All Saints Day. This is a time of chaos and the reversal of normal order; endings and beginnings are occurring simultaneously.

In the past, Samhain was when the majority of the herd were butchered, providing food for the winter months. Slaughter, barren earth and decreasing daylight made the concept of death an ever present reality. Because of this, Samhain has always been considered a time when the veil between the worlds was thin, a night of magick charms and divination, when the dead could be easily contacted.

On a personal basis this is now the time to rest and reevaluate your life and goals. Now is when you want to get rid of any negativity or opposition that may surround your achievements or hinder future progress. Samhain should have seen the accomplishment of your desires, and now you need to stabilise and protect what you have gained. This is important because it is impossible to concentrate, let alone put energy into new goals, if what you have is not secure.

So have a good day, enjoy the pumpkins and the energy of celebration.

xxxxx