Lihou Island and Yoga fun

So the full moon came and went and despite the predicted emotional turbulence, I came away unscathed, although my allergies did get worse.  Funny how that happens, release comes in so many ways.

It was beautiful weekend all in all, lots of Yoga and outdoor fun.  Saturday we managed an early morning swim at Petit Bot in the sun shine, before I enjoyed a very grounding (my poor legs hurt the next day) Yoga class with Sheila that no doubt helped me stay grounded during the full moon energy, before a wonderful chanting class with visiting Fiona in the afternoon.  I just love these chanting classes, they always pick me up somehow.

This session we were introduced to the peace prayer, although actually I have been chanting it for a long time now as I picked it up from Devika in Nepal and learnt it from listening to her chant it twice a day at the start and end of Yoga classes.  Funny to see it written down and to discover that perhaps I have not been pronouncing some of the Sanksrit as I should have done.  Oh well, while the vibration of the voiced word may not be there, the intention has always existed so perhaps the effect has been the same.  Who knows.  It is a beautiful chant however it is pronounced.

Saturday night the folks came for dinner and I ended up cooking a vegetarian curry as I figured that was far more nourishing than home made pizza.  It was a fun night as it always is when the folks are involved, we managed to skype my brother in Australia too and catch sight of my niece in Byron.  If only it wasn't so far away...

Sunday morning found us in the sea again before I attended a Yoga course with Fiona, all about using Yoga to help with insomnia - in terms of reducing one's insomnia, rather than creating it!!  A fascinating course and I certainly floated out at the end and slept incredibly well on Sunday night and ever since.  In fact if anything it unleashed the inherent tiredness within me and so all I now want to do is sleep.  Not a bad thing perhaps, sleep is so underated in terms of how it helps us to heal and feel so much better.

In the afternoon we pottered across to Lihou with Ewan's Mum and caught up with a few of the people with whom we did the 3 Peaks who were helping out serving tea and cakes in the house.  I absolutely love this Island, it just allows you the opportunity to feel that you are getting away from it all.  The light is quite incredible, so too the rock formations and all that wonderful bird life.

E's Mum came for dinner that evening, so it really was a weekend of family, especially as we had spent Friday night with his sister and brother-in-law.  Still I do love spending time with family, quite a shift from when I was younger and I would do all I could to avoid family get togethers.  Times change, thankfully, I cannot imagine a life without the close proximity of family.

And so now the wind has calmed a little and the rain has stopped falling, at least for a few days, Autumn is really here and how I love the smell and the colour changes.  It really does feel like it is time to retreat, eating lots of nourishing and warming soups and being gentle with oneself.  I even got the sea salts out yesterday, time to cleanse the energy in a sea salted bath, and perhaps time to cleanse the liver with a castor oil compress.  Oh the fun to be had!!

Enjoy the week on and off the mat...

xx