Spring Sunday

Another glorious day! Okay so we lost an hour in time but we have gained an extra hour of light in the evening, and with this current weather, this is simply perfect.

I taught a class, which explored the chakras this morning. It was a really well attended class, everyone who booked a place remembered the time change, which I must admit I wasn't expecting, so a huge thank you for your interest and commitment - great group energy! I do love the chakras and the fact that we have the opportunity to explore and experience them through our Yoga practice - yet alone help to energise and balance them, and thus helping to tranform us in the process.



After class I got to potter at home, I do love pottering, cleaning (a fantastic way to shift energy), washing, all that wonderful root chakra stuff, and then a walk with my parents through the lanes of St Andrews and St Martins and down to Petit Bot and along the cliffs - stunning, what with the bright sunshine and the daffodils, bluebells, buttercups and violets lining the cliff paths, let alone the swell and waves breaking on the bright granite rocks below, and not another soul about (well human soul in any event!). We have the solar plexus, heart and third eye chakras shining their colours!



We then entertained my parents to dinner...a first, a red Thai currey and my first attempt at Pad Thai...all went well, phew!! And how lovely to have that extra hour of sunlight. It really is a beautiful Spring over here at the moment.

Happy times - with non attachment of course (apparently the weather is due to change this week).

xx

A Saturday of nature and photography!

Saturday morning, 7.30am, after an early morning yoga practice at home, I met Nick (my cousin, the professional photographer) at Petit Bot for some early morning yoga shots by the waterfall.

While it was rather misty with lots of sea fog, it was still a stunning way to begin the morning - barefoot and feeling the damp earth under my feet was grounding to say the least, let alone sitting by the waterfall, hearing the sound of the water falling onto the ledge below, and feeling the splash of water on my body. Wow!!

Nature is powerful, have no doubt, and it was wonderful to spend this time with Nick, noticing the budding trees and the daffodils and primroses growing around us. I had brought along my bathers with the idea of going for a morning swim, but my feet were soon chilled and it all of a sudden didn't seem as appealing as it had when I had awoken hours earlier! Mind you there were quite a number of people going early morning kayaking, so at least someone was making the most of the empty sea.

I joined Nick again in the afternoon, this time at his house, which is fairly much "the good life" way of living. You have to love it - there I was sitting surrounded by daffodils, the sound of the birds and Nick's youngest daughter practising her tapping on a piece of wood in the garden, and there behind me a mother duck and her 7 ducklings (1 of the initial 8 died unfortunately!), while in front of me the chickens laying eggs. Brilliant!




Nick's eye for capturing the spirit of nature and indeed the spirit of Yoga is incredible and he took some fantastic shots and we even managed to get two of his daughters involved - thank you girls, and a huge thank you to Nick, a wonderful way to start the day and indeed wind down at the end.

A couple of hours later and when I really did think I was winding down for the day, having sat down and watched Oxford win the boat race, my partner decided we should go for a run. Admittedly I had mentioned to him a few weeks ago that I was considering starting running again, and would he like to train me so I could fulfil a yet unfulfilled ambition of running the Guernsey half marathon. But still...I had kind have started to forget about that back home and in the swing of things!

So anyway, what was meant to be a gentle run around the block, turned into a half an hour full on run with 4 lots of 20 second sprints, which made me feel so sick that I really wanted to stop but Ewan wouldn't let me and so we gently ran it through instead - evil at the time, but empowering all the same!

It is incredible what running does to the body, mine was certainly thrown into shock, it has been almost 8 years since I ran the London marathon and soon after hung up my running shoes and discovered Yoga to help me sort my body out after all those months of pounding the tarmac and the cliffs so I guess I have running to thank for bringing Yoga into my life!

Still my joints felt fine and while I collapsed onto the sofa after some gentle stretching when I got home, and while my face may have been bright red for a full hour afterwards, I remembered why I enjoyed running in the first place - it does make you feel great, not least the fresh air and the sense of achievement that you have gone out in the first place, but the fact you get to witness nature, for us the sun setting and the changing skies - it is certainly a lovely distraction from the pain you feel inside!!

So all in all an energetic and nature based day!

xx

March sea swimming!

Chris and I managed to swim for about 8 minutes at Petit Bot for high tide this morning. It was seriously cold and I would not have been able to do it on my own - it helps that Chris and I chat to one another, distracts me from the numbness in my body! I was shivering for an hour or so afterwards.

Still, it was well worth the effort, nothing quite like a morning swim when no one else is around and the sun is shining over head.

xx

Spring is here!!

What a stunning few days. Yesterday I was fortunate to get out and about around the Island, and took the opportunity to visit Tara at Wild Guernsey - wow, how stunning is the setting for their wonderful project.

Essentially Wild Guernsey is a growing educational and sustainable agricultural land project, run by Tara and D’Arcy. They are living a low-impact lifestyle adopting a land-based, simple, localised lifestyle that works with the land and with natural cycles. They want to re-connect to the land & share this knowledge with those who wish to join them (see http://wildguernsey.wordpress.com/ for more.



I am truly inspired by what they are creating, plus of course their approach to living generally. It resonates hugely with me and I hope that we get the opportunity to run a few land-based Yoga classes up there one day. You can't help but smile when you meet the ducks and they have this incredible Turkish Oak tree, perfect for sitting under and meditating. Magical.




I also took the opportunity to walk around Pleinmont and visit the fairy ring with my partner - we were out for just over an hour and only saw one other person walking with her two dogs - this is pretty cool on such a small Island. To say the area is stunning is actually an understatement, the flowers are so colourful and beautiful at the moment, they make me smile, and bar the sound of the aeroplanes, all we could hear was the sea and the seagulls and other birds singing. Magic.



Simply driving around the Island is sensory overload at the moment, I have never seen so many daffodils and primroses, and there are beautiful pink and purple flwers too so that it can feel like we are in some wonderland, a little like Charlie andthe Chocolate Factory, just that this is real!



We managed another dip in the sea on Sunday evening, sunset at Vazon, very, very cold, but well worth any initial discomfort and with the tides being so high it would be a shame to miss the opportunity!

It seems Spring has officially arrived with the equinox on Sunday - hoorah - a time to give birth to new ideas and an opportunity for new beginnings too. I love it!

Om Shanti x

Yoga and Wellbeing retreat on Herm in the sunshine!

Wow, how lucky were we for the Yoga & Wellbeing retreat in Herm last weekend? It was absolutely stunning, incredible sunshine, a massive full moon, extreme tides, the Spring equinox and a wonderful group of participants.

We practised lots of Yoga in the conservatory of the White House Hotel with lovely views of the sea and Guernsey in the background - both flowing classes in the mornings and a gentle class to restore on the Saturday evening. We breathed and sat in silence, enjoying the sounds of the sea and the singing of the birds and we lay and relaxed and let go in Yoga Nidra.

My Mum offered participants the option of some led walks around and through the Island, Hayley offered her wonderful massage, Christine her lovely reflexology, Michelle her inspiring life coaching and there was Reiki on offer from me too.

We ate nourishing vegetarian food in the Mermaid where we had the opportunity to chat to one another, and a few glasses of wine were drank by some in the evening before a hardy bunch followed Michelle's lead with some 5 rhythms dancing in the Conservatory, while others of us got a much needed early night.

I was awake super early on the Sunday and made the most of the stillness and indeed the super high tide to take a quick dip in the sea - very quick as I find it rather disconcerting swimming on my own these days! I was able to fit in a practice on my own in the conservatory before the first session of the day, and this was fairly special, having that space and the views all to myself for an hour.



I know I am not alone in arriving back in Guernsey feeling as if I had been away for a week rather than one night - energised, rested and inspired. Needless to say I can't wait to do it all over again in November - we'll just have to hope the weather is as kind then too!

Thank you to everyone who made this retreat so special and thank you, particularly to Hayley, Christine and Michelle for facilitating and, especially, to my Mum for all her incredible organising, so much appreciated.

Om Namah Shivaya. xxx

Beautiful Guernsey

Wow, how beautiful is Guernsey these days?! There are daffodils everywhere, it is like some surreal wonderland - well it is after living in a city for 5 weeks and then you come back here and there are flowers growing all over the place!

I went for a long walk on the cliffs with my parents last weekend and it was stunning; lots of primroses, yet more daffodils, and lots of pretty little purple flowers. To say nothing, of course, of the stunning views of the waves breaking onto the bright granite rocks below and the sounds of the seagulls and smell of the sea air.

The weather has not been brilliant this week - fog, damp, rain and now cold - but there have been glimpses of the sun and with that summer ahead. I went Nordic walking with the group on a sunny afternoon through the lanes around L'Eree and it made me feel that I wasn't in Guernsey at all - I mean the landscape was the same, all green and yellow and full of violets too, but there were no cars and no noise, no other people, sheer bliss, if only I could live down there myself, such a joy if one craves silence and anonymity.

Still, Guernsey is not so bad, I amanged a swim in the sea the other lunchtime. My gosh it is cold, really, really cold, but Chris was going in and so I figured I should join her and give it a try. We were in for 5 whole minutes and actually properly swam...made me feel great afterwards, but I could not warm up the rest of the day - I was totally chilled to the bone! I am in awe of Chris and her friends who go in every day of the year!

I am in awe of the Talbot Valley at the moment - there are sheep in the fields and they remind me of Nepal - that whole Spring time thing. It is quite an idyllic scene.

I started teaching again this week and am thoroughly enjoying the classes and seeing everyone again. Having attended classes in Vancouver and New York, I am now very aware how cold and dated St Peter's appears. I am keen to find somewhere more central and warmer to teach, but it is so difficult to find such a place over here. if anyone is reading this and knows of anywhere, then please let me know as I am open to suggestions.

We are off to Herm tomorrow for the Yoga & Wellbeing retreat - I am hoping the sun will be shining, but regardless it should be a lovely weekend of Yoga and relaxation...a perfect way to embrace the Full Moon tomorrow night and the Spring Equinox on Monday, all rather exciting, I absolutely love this time of year with all its new beginnings and hope for the future.

Anyhow time to get to bed, early start tomorrow.

Going with the flow in New York

New York is an incredible city. We had an amazing time, so much fun. We didn't take a guidebook, nor have a plan so we just went with the flow - lots and lots and lots of walking, from one end of Manhattan to the other, lots of spontaneity and random encounters. Lovely Italian food.



A bit of sight seeing - the World Trade Centre was well worth the emotional energy, not so the time spent visiting the Statue of Liberty in freezing cold winds with all the queuing. Lovely diamonds in Tiffany's, amazing sensory overload at Times Square, albeit it a tourist honeypot, market at Union Square, chancing a dance in a gay club, good vibe pubs around Washington Square and cool hippy shops, lovely night views of the city from Brooklyn, a black squirrel in Central Park and all those mad people running in the bitterly cold conditions.



Wonderfully uplifting and energising classes at Om Yoga on Broadway off Union Square, the fantastic 8 mile bookshop called The Strand, night-time wanderings around the Meatmarket District, lots of fast walking in the cold rain, enjoying the ease of the subway and the friendly people, live music, wonderful coffee shops, modern art at the Guggenheim museum.

Hilarious tour guides on the bus loops (it was only us who were humoured by their sarcasm, which made it even funnier), witnessing a girl getting hit by a taxi and Ewan being a good citizen and forgoing his coat in the process, bagels for breakfast and fruit smoothies, a man who claimed to be trisexual (go figure), ...and on and on, so much fun, so much diversity, so many good experiences and fond memories.

Yoga in New York!

Wow, once again, lots of choice for Yoga in this city.

Luckily - or coincidentally (not that there is perhaps such a thing!), I have chosen to stay in a hotel in Union Square right near a plethora of Yoga studios, notably Om Yoga, headed by Cyndi Lee, an internationally reputable Yoga teacher, who has certainly established a lovely ambient Yoga studio on Broadway.

So I went to my first class this morning with a teacher named Frank, in this bright and tranquil studio, with lots of space and fresh air (so slightly refreshing after YYoga where space is non-existent and the rooms are heated and one of the studios lacks a window) and only a handful of other students.

It was a lovely class, great background music, gentle instruction, lots of room to play with some more physically challenging poses, lots of heart opening and inversions, plus a few arm balances and the legendary Hanumansasa (splits)! I left feeling nourished, energised and relaxed, all at the same time. Thank you Frank for facilitating that experience.

As always - now I have taken the time to check in - the body came through with its daily message, no surprise there then, given my outer circumstances.

Arriving into New York last night after a 3.30am start was a little challenging. It was rush hour on a Friday and he place was packed with people, cars and taxis. If anything, it was a little overwhelming after the spacious nature (in comparison) of Vancouver. Still within an hour of being here I had located the train station, Om Yoga studios and Wholefoods, so I felt a little more grounded and focused.

Wholefoods was an unbelievable experience. I have been to a number of these during my travels in N America the last few years, but this one is HUGE. I have never seen so many organic and health relate products under one roof. Plus it was absolutely packed with people, and the queues were extensive. Whoever established Wholefoods must be rubbing their hands with glee - mind you, there is an ethic side to the whole establishment too.

Anyhow all very exciting. Ewan arrives today so that we can truly have fun and see what this city has to offer. Clearly time for me to come out of my 2.5 week retreat!!

Love and light.

Om Namah Shivaya, with love

Well I enjoyed a lovely last few days in Vancouver, practising lots of Anusara Yoga with some seriously inspiring teachers in YYoga in Yaletown. I happened to attend a class on the the Mahashivaratri festival, so we practised strong, a dance of grace perhaps, in honour of Shiva, On Namah Shivaya.

What I loved about these classes was not only their honouring of Shiva, their strong and heart opening emphasis with precise principles of alignment to keep you conscious of every movement and feeling in you body, but also their infusion of a philosophy that celebrate life. Om Namah Shivaya.

It never ceased to amaze me - a little like on my Yoga therapy course - that after I had sat in silence for a few moment, centering myself, connecting with the breath and the body, awareness of life that day, that my arising intention would be neatly reflected in the philosophy of the class for that day. So that at the end of the class, sitting in integration, I would notice what had stood out for me from the class, and the wisdom would enthuse that understanding...in a real and grounded way. Heaven and Earth, in spirit and in matter.

Here's the invocation that we chant at the beginning of the class, which I learned from listening to Deva Premel's CDs some time ago:-

Om Namah Shivaya Gurave: I offer myself to Lord Shiva,the Auspiscious One, who is the true teacher Within and Without.

Saccidananda Murtaye: Who Assumes the forms of Reality, Consciousness and Bliss.

Nishprapanchaya Shantaya: Who is never absent and is full of peace.

Niralambaya Tejase: Independent existence, the vital essence of illumination.

Got to love it!

So I guess - in a non-attached way and open hearted way - I was a little sad to leave YYoga after my final class knowing it would be some time until I return again. While the rooms may have been warm and we may have been spaced about 10cm apart from each other, I am thankful to the teachers and thankful to the other students, who kept the energy heightened so that I would often leave the class on a real natural high - amazing how much the energy of the class is affected by those present and how the teacher almost glides on that current. I learned loads about myself and about life generally, on and off the mat. Om Namah Shivaya.

In light.

xx