Libra full moon!

Happy full moon!  So today heralds the Libra full moon, which is all about balance, as is the Spring Equinox of course, which sees the balance of day and night.  Here on the full moon we are encouraged to balance our feminine and masculine energies so we can harmonise relationships with ourselves and others.

This full moon emphasises our place in the world and how we impact on others.  This is, therefore, the time to be aware of the needs of those around us, while also following the yearnings of our own heart and moving forward along our path.  We are encouraged to seek emotional balance in all situations, however challenging.

In finding balance we are urged to be aware of the aggressive masculine energy of Aries and make sure that this does not dominate our behaviour, trying to change others and projecting onto them what you want them to be.  On the other side of the coin, we should be aware of the energy of others trying to manipulate and control us, making us do something that does not serve ourselves.

Essentially we must - as always - do what feels right for us, because this will mean it is "right" for everyone concerned.  Stop blaming others and take responsibility for your own actions. Make peace with yourself.  Forgive.  Have compassion. 

There is this beautiful quote from Ven Ajahn Sumedho in his book, "Teachings of a Buddhist Monk", "First of all, we must start practicing loving kindness with ourselves.  If we hate ourselves, we tend to hate others.  And any kindness we might feel for others is only superficial sentimentality. It is not real kindness because it comes fro an idea. We establish loving kindness with ourselves by not creating burdens out of what we have done in the past.  Nor do we create burdens out of the foolishness of our thoughts, or our opinions and views.  No guilt is created, no remorse or self-hatred.  We can even practice loving kindness for the pain in our bodies when we sit for a long time in meditation.  This is kindness towards pain, not an aversion towards it, or wanting to get rid of it, or worrying about it. We may make a mistake, perhaps say something wrong, and instead of feeling guilty about it and hating ourselves, we can forgive ourselves for having our weaknesses - not justifying them, but not creating problems around them either.  Having a kindly patient towards the rubbish in our minds is a willingness to allow the unpleasant to exist, a willingness to allow it to take its natural course to cessation."

This full moon may see some relationships coming to an end.  There is this saying - people are in our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  If it is for a reason then that person is in your life to meet a deep need.  If it is for a season then that person is here to help you share, grow and learn.  Those with us for the lifetime are there to help us develop a solid emotional foundation.  Sometimes we need to realise that a relationship has served its purpose and it is time to let go.

As a Yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner I see this in play frequently, by the students that come and go and those that stay, through the patterns of friendships away from the mat, of the stages of growth in one's own spiritual development and healing process.  It really is a fascinating world.

Over the last few weeks you may have experienced a revisit of the past.  This has happened to provide you with the opportunity to make a conscious decision to do things differently now.  Again, another lovely saying, "if you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you always got". 

So this full moon encourages us to seek balance in all aspects of our life, finding inner peace and harmony and responding to others with loving kindness.  We can clear out the old to make way for the new - after all this is Spring, which is all about new beginnings.  This is an ideal time to take to our mat and clear away the cobwebs in body and mind, to brighten the vision and start afresh, copying nature, which is doing exactly that.  Clean slate, dream, imagine, and create the life you want to live.  You have the power!

Have a good week!

With love and gratitude

Em x

Herm Yoga & Wellbeing retreat

What an amazing weekend!  I know I am biased but it truly was a very special weekend on Herm for the annual Be inspired Yoga & Wellbeing weekend.

It all began on Friday morning really when E, Judy and I were travelling over to Herm on the Trident boat. E, who had been standing out the back of the boat, came rushing into to Judy and I to tell us that a pod of dolphins were following the boat.  Oh my gosh, I have never seen so many dolphins and certainly never in Guernsey before.  What a treat.  There was one swimming very close to the boat and jumping in and out of the wake.  What a joy, talk about being on a high before the weekend even really got going!

Herm is as lovely as ever.  Some trees have been lost in front of the conservatory, which is shame, but does mean that the views are even better than you used to be from the light and spacious Yoga space in the conservatory of the White House Hotel.  E and I spent a few hours setting up for the retreat  with the staff in the Hotel doing a great job of helping to make sure everything was ready for the arrival of the attendees at 4.30pm.

This was meant to be the Spring retreat but it did indeed feel more like winter with those high winds and lower temperatures of late.  The radiators were turned right up in the conservatory, but I must admit it was a little chilly that first day.  Mind you with a brisk walk around the Island you soon warm up - what a joy to walk the whole island without seeing another soul, all those Springtime flowers and the wonderful views of the brightly coloured Shell beach and Belvoir Bay - I thijnk there must be a special light on Herm as the sea always looks so blue and the sand so yellow!

So the party of attendees arrived on at Rosaire Steps at 4.30pm, all ready for a weekend of Yoga and wellbeing.  We were at full capacity this time, it made a difference too, all that energy in one room, wonderful! Everyone settled into their rooms, all refurbished for the new season ahead, before meeting for tea and snacks in front of the fire before the first class in the conservatory of the White House.

That first class is always a little strange as people are a little nervous about their practice and wondering if they will cope with a weekend of Yoga.  Plus of course no one wants to go at the front despite the fact it offers the most fantastic views of the East coast of Guernsey and is much warmer by the radiators.  Still no one needed to have worried and over the weekend everyone moved to different places in the room to share the views.

The first class was active and a little dynamic with a led Yoga Nidra at the end.  Sadly the temperature had dropped significantly in the room  by then and with strong winds causing a door to bang repeatedly, it was certainly a challenging way to end the day!  Still, any Herm retreat really does encourage one to go with the flow of things, which is never a bad thing!

That evening we were treated to some wonderful food created by the new chef in the Mermaid.  With many dietary requirements, he had safely opted for two vegan dishes of roasted peppers and rice and a vegetable and chickpea hot pot with lots of steamed vegetables, salad and breads.  Desert included a choice of fruits salad, yogurts, sticky toffee pudding and a fruit crumble.  Yum!

It was an early night for us and an early rise for E and I the next morning, 5am to be exact so that by class we had lit the fire, prepared the tea and snacks and I had managed a practice all on my own in that lovely Yoga space, nice and warm now.  The first session of pranayama and meditation was sadly not so warm but we soon warmed up with a flowing class, focusing on opening the heart and backbends to further encourage a sense of love, joy and compassion and face those fears that backbending bring out in us.

Class was followed by brunch with cereals and fresh and dried fruit, yoghurts, a variety of bread and a choice of cooked eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes.  There was certainly enough food to keep you going all day!

Saturday was very much an opportunity for people do as much or as little as they liked.  Sadly the first boat from Guernsey was cancelled, which meant that the practitioners could not come over until lunchtime, causing a bit of chaos to the treatment schedule, but as I have already mentioned, one has to learn to go with the flow on Herm and this is exactly what everyone did.  Thankfully some dropped out so that we were able to accommodate those who were really looking forward to their treatments and walk 'n' talk sessions.

A huge thank you to Hayley Le Marquand for her holistic massage, to Christine Shepherd for her reflexology, to Jo Henton for her Reiki hands and Michelle Johansen for her walk 'n' talk sessions.  I am really very grateful to all of you for coming over and helping me out. x

JP Macé very kindly led a run at 12pm and then saved the day with his partner Debbie by leading the 2.30pm walk that E was not able to do due to his bad back.  Thank you to both of you, very much appreciated.

The sun shone for us too. It seemed all the sun salutations had done some good!  What a treat as it looked so unlikely in the morning but lo and behold E and I managed a walk in the sunshine and even saw a rainbow too!

So with treatments, sessions, running and walking on offer there was lots for attendees to do, but there was aslo the opportunity for them to chill by the fire and have a chat, read books and/or take an afternoon nap. 

There was also the opportunity to join the chanting class and I was amazed how many people did exactly that.  I love chanting and it was great to be able to do this with others for a change as it really does create such an uplifting energy not only within one's own system but within the Yoga space itself.  We chanted "Om Mani Padme Hum", "Hare Hare Om Namah", "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama" and the incredibly beautiful "Gayatri Mantra".  Thankfully I was not the only one who felt incredibly floaty thereafter!!

Needless to say the chanting set us up perfectly for the final class of the day.  It was gentle in nature and rather introspective, the room was lovely and warm and with the sun setting in the distance over Guernsey it was a special way to end the day.  Even more so now that the door was not banging during Yoga Nidra!!!

That evening we were treated to another feast, a sweet potato crumble or a Thai vegan curry with brown rice, salad, steamed vegetables and bread on the side.  This was followed by yet more sticky toffee pudding, fruit crumble and fresh fruit salad for the vegan ones amongst us.  Yum, yum!

Some drank wine, some didn't, some read their angel cards, some didn't.  It really was very much a do as you like weekend, everyone getting on well together with great camaraderie and lots of laughter and good memories I suspect.  For E and I it was certainly another early night!

The Sunday morning dawned wet and windy once more, so morning tea and snacks beside the fire was welcoming.  After the Pranayama and meditation, with all that Brahmari vibration, we enjoyed a fun final Yoga class.  To me Yoga should be a joyful and light-hearted experience so we practiced lots of different asana that encouraged laughter and a sense of play.  I suspect many were surprised to see themselves in asana they do not practice so regularly and others will no doubt be inspired to continue practicing.  It was lovely to see so many "birds of paradise" in the room, in all their various guises!!

Brunch followed and then that was it, we were back on the boat to Guernsey, no dolphins this time though, only fond memories of the weekend.  It had all past in a flash, and before I knew we were saying goodbye to each other and I must admit while I felt very elated , I also felt a tinge of sadness that it was all over and we were all going our separate ways. 

Thank you so very, very much to all of you who attended, for those of you who travelled that extra distance from Jersey and the UK, for all of you making the weekend so very special and magical for me.  Thank you also to my Mum for helping with all the organising and to E for helping out over the weekend.  Thank you to Sion and Linda and the team in the White House and to Tom and his team in the Mermaid on Herm.  Truly the weekend would not have been the same without all of you sharing your energy as you did x

With much gratitude and love

xx

Snow, New Moon and Mercury going retrograde

Snow in March!  Quite a coincidence, or not, being that it arrived on the new moon and with Mercury retrograde.  You see each year there are usually three complete Mercury retrograde cycles and these usually make the times when we all have to be more careful about day to day communication, travel, negotiations since Mercury is linked to the messenger of the Gods and it is the planet to govern all forms of communication. 

As the planet of communication, Mercury retrograde tends to breed a certain level of confusion. Mercury rules our lower mind, that is to say how we perceive and interpret information that we receive from our environment, and how we relay that information to others. Mercury has rulers hip over such things as speaking, negotiating, buying and selling, listening, formal contracts, documents, travel, the mail and shipping, and so forth. All of these areas of life are affected when Mercury is functioning in a sluggish state.

Decision-making is challenged during Mercury retrograde. Needless to say, it is not advised to sign contracts, engage in important decision-making, or launch a new business. Delays and challenges are more probable with Mercury retrograde. It's a time when being careless with money, our personal information, or paperwork can be costly.

There is a positive side to Mercury Retrograde. This period is best used for re-organizing and reflecting. We look at the world a little differently and can come up with some very important inner revelations. It may be difficult to communicate them under this influence, but not everything needs to be rationalized. Mercury retrograde periods can be times of heightened inner awareness, when meditation, benefiting from keeping a journal, reworking old plans, and reviewing past work are favored.

It is important to note that there is absolutely no reason to suspend projects or anything of the sort during the Mercury Retrograde cycle. It's not an ideal time to start new ones or to sign contracts, simply because a change of mind is very possible once Mercury turns direct. However, it's a fabulous time to do some "outside of the box" thinking. Acting on our ideas, however, might be best left for a Mercury Direct period.

One must pay close attention to what one says and communication in general although particularly around the days of Mercury's stations (February 23rd and March 17th). If you are desperate to argue with someone, especially, or if you are planning on signing contracts, try to hold off. It is likely that you will have a change of mind once the station passes, and you can do some damage in the meantime.

So it seems that this is an interesting time to have arranged the Yoga & Wellbeing retreat on Herm, especially as it finished on the 17th, the final day of the retrograde, when one should be particularly aware of what one is doing and saying.  It is all rather exciting as the retreat will - as long as our travel is not affected and we all make it there ok - doubtlessly clear some of the confusion so that whatever has been troubling us, or whatever has been on our mind the last few weeks, will become incredibly clear by Monday the 18th and we will be able to charge ahead with even more strength and clarity than normal.  Hoorah!

So it if you are lacking clarity and are not coming on the retreat then please do not worry.  Spend some meditating if you can, just sitting silently for 20 minutes, clearing the mind as much as possible.  Or undertaking some chanting, chakra balancing works a treat as it clears all the chakras and can take less than 5 minutes. 

Getting out in nature and enjoy the snow.  But tread carefully and keep warm.  Feed the birds!

With love and gratitude

x

Inspired

What a wonderful ten days off Island.  It is always lovely to get off the Island, and yet always lovely to return again.  Especially as we seem to have returned to Spring, it is so much warmer on the Island than it was in the UK, and it is lighter now too, with all those daffodils and extra sunlight in the evening, hoorah, summer is not so far!

Aside from work we did manage to visit some lovely places.  We were staying with our friend, Charles, in Surbiton so we now have a good awareness of that area and the lovely little village of Claygate where I enjoyed a dual Reiki session - now that was a first  for me, two ladies channelling Reiki to me at the same time, it was lovely, so much heat and energy.

We went to Bushy Park near Hampton Court Palace, where we saw deer and lovely trees.  Mind you not a patch on the trees we saw a few days ago at Stansted Park in Hampshire, where there is an arboretum, which is a collection of interesting trees (subjective of course).  Here there was an amazing Redwood and lots of beautiful maples, we love trees in this house, especially lovely to get to hug a Redwood, so grounding!!!

We visited Farnham, a lovely market town, and walked around the fields in Leatherhead, so beautiful.  We drove through West Sussex, super posh, with amazing landscape of massive undulating fields and lovely Farm shops.  We visited Pentworth House, where the grounds were designed by the influential Capability Brown, someone I studied at University in the context of Landscape geography - always lovely to see these things in practice even if we couldn't access the house, which was a shame.

We went to Salisbury, another lovely town, so old and historic.  We visited last summer but never made it into the Cathedral so this time we did exactly that.  What a wonderful Cathedral, wow, just loved it, such incredible energy, you only have to place your hands on the walls to feel it.  You do indeed feel closer to God in places of worship like this.  We visited Winchester too, this is another lovely town, although this time we did not venture into the Cathedral, we shall save that for next time!

We also experienced the joy of the NHS.  E's sciatica got acute while we were away, so we had to visit the A&E on two occasions.  On the second occasion we had to wait 6 hours to see a doctor.  During that time, it was interesting to watch everyone coming and going, all shapes and sizes, all number of complaints.  I went into the main hospital at one point to get a cup of tea and was amazed to find a Burger King, let alone all the drink and snack machines.  It was a truly eye opening experience and one that makes me realise we have so far to go as a society in understanding the need to take responsibility for one's health; eating properly, looking after our joints and body as a whole, let alone staying mobile and mentally strong. 

Talking of which I did of course manage to spend as much time as I could at Yoga.  My first night I  went to Bikram with Charles.  This would not be my first choice, it is so hot in the room and I easily get bored of the repetition of the poses and indeed the 26 poses in the sequence.  However one does feel amazing afterwards, lovely and clean on the inside and out.  mentally it is a challenge for me to go to this class, so I forced myself to do exactly that one evening on my own and made an intention to enjoy the session and amazingly I did.  It does get easier each time you do it so I can see how people get quite addicted to it, well to the feeling it creates for you and also the fact that the heat does help you to be even more bendy than you would be ordinarily.

Surbiton does have quite a few Yoga options but many of these are in teachers' homes.  This is all the rage these days in the London area (perhaps in other areas of the country too).  A combination of limited access to halls, plus the cost of hiring such halls has meant that teachers are now converting garages and creating their own Yoga space for small classes.  I went to the Yoga Hutch, which is indeed a converted space run by two Ashtanga Yoga teachers who trained up in Union Yoga in Edinburgh, somewhere I have trained myself many years ago.  It was lovely to do an Ashtanga class again, moving with the breath, five breaths in every pose and lots of vinyasa.  There were 8 of us in the class, which was quite enough, there was limited space, no room to take the leg out to the side and one was almost nose to nose with the person facing you.  Does make one more aware of the way one moves on ones mat and the space one occupies.

The highlight however, was TriYoga in Chelsea.  Expensive admittedly, £16 for a class, how spoilt we are in Guernsey, but I do like the space; white, clean and light with lovely changing areas and seated areas and friendly staff.  As it happens serendipity came to play, how wonderful when this happens, you know you are onto a good thing!  Last time I was at TriYoga with E, we chanced upon a class with the wonderful Aram. I found him truly inspiring and made contact to thank him for the class and to go on his mailing list.  It fascinated me that he came to Yoga as a result of a a bad knee and back injury, both of which healed with mindful vinyasa Yoga.

Through my contact with him I became aware not only of a wonderful book on the back and pain management but also of his teacher, Stewart Gilchrist, who I decided looked like an interesting individual when I saw photos of him on facebook.  As it happens he was running a workshop on balancing on the Sunday I was in London so I signed up.  Wow.  Stewart also came to Yoga due to a severe bad back many years ago and he used intensive ashtanaga vinyasa Mysore Yoga to heal.  He has practised Yoga for many years, studying with Patthabi Jois in India as well as the Jivamukti teachers, Sharon Gannon and David Life. Indeed he trained as  Jivamukti teacher in 2003.

He is incredible.  Reminds me so much of my teacher in Byron, Lance Schuler, perhaps the Scottish incarnation!  He has these amazing long dreads and is incredibly knowledgeable (an academic in his spare time with all sorts of qualifications in Law and nutrition and natural drugs etc) and takes no nonsense.  Such an incredible energy, he holds that class so well, it is full on, super full on, as appears to be the Jivamukti way, with a zillion sun salutations A & B and constant vinaysa moving with the breath, so many plank, chatturanga, upward facing dog, a full on Yoga work out, really pushing you to the edge and beyond, shifting boundaries time and time again.

I have missed this.  I really have. It is so easy to limit oneself both on and therefore off the mat.  It is so easy to fall into the "fear" trap, fearful of injury, of challenging oneself physically and mentally, of getting stuck in the same patterns, of not moving forward with one's practice and therefore in one's life.  There is absolutely no time to think of anything else in Stewart's classes, a little like Lance's classes.  Total present moment awareness on the breath first and foremost, lovely strong Ujaii breath, and the movement and placing of one's body into postures.  Big toe grounded, drushti and clear focus, abdomen active in and up, tongue into the roof of one's mouth.  Vinyasa, vinyasa, vinyasa, breathe, breathe, breathe.

I just loved Stewart's classes, truly.  Such an incredibly inspiring man, so much philisophy, so much energy, so much movement and clear instruction, some people are born to teach Yoga and he is one of those people. I learnt so much about Yoga, my practice, my mind, it is incredible what you can learn about yourself from your mat in the space of 1.5 hours. Tasmai Shri Guravee Namah.  It was indeed meant to be.

So there we go.  A thoroughly enjoyable trip, lots of new experiences, enlightening and uplifting and indeed healing on many levels.  A shame the camera broke otherwise I would have lots of lovely photos!

I hope all are keeping well.

WIth much, much gratitude,

Emma