Homeopathy is wonderful

Homeopathy is just incredible.  The world of healing is incredible. Admittedly the fall out from taking a remedy is never easy, the "stuff" has to bubble to the surface, it has to be lived...everything shatters to come back again, well the bits that need to come back that is.  And with that a healing occurs.

My shoulder pain has gone, seems it was a chip after all.  My skin has improved, the anger is no longer seeping out of me, unresolved issues now resolved, change has occurred - and of course change in life means a change is practice too.  It is hard to describe in words, to intellectualise, but everything appears the same, but feels different - body, mind and soul back together again and with that more humour, joy and presence...in the moment hoorah!!

I cannot recommend homeopathy enough, if you feel stuck or a little out of sorts, carrying an illness that won't go away, emotions burdening the immune system, no clarity, not managing to move yourself forward in life, well give Lea Powell a call and be prepared to heal. 

We had a wonderful weekend,  a healing one then.  I loved teaching on Saturday morning before we went for a swim in the sea in the bright sunshine, the only ones on the beach, so special, breastfeeding Elijah while sitting on the pebbles and taking in the new shape of the beach post-storms and everything looking a little different.  I actually stayed in the water for almost a whole minute, Ewan for two!!!  We spent the afternoon walking on the cliffs, enjoying the beginning of Spring, all those daffodils and primroses, just love it.

Sunday was more walking, so lovely to be able to get out in the fresh air, before more yoga, swimming and  dinner at my folks, thank you Mum, what a joy not to cook fir a day!!

Spring is certainly on its way, so exciting, Lakshmi shining brightly, hoorah for the beauty that surrounds us each day.

With much love and gratitude.

x

Grace entering in

I am forever in awe of how life unfolds, the coincidences, or not, of how things come together with the power of clear intention.

I was reminded of this last weekend when we were in London on a family trip to treat Ewan's mum for her Christmas/birthday present.  I wasn't feeling my best - combination of hormones re-balancing, sleep deprivation and something playing on my mind, which meant I was also taking a homeopathic remedy - so it was with some joy that I got to spend the first evening walking from Kings Cross up to Primrose Hill with Elijah, on our own while Ewan and his Mum went to the opera.  Sometimes a good walk really does help to clear the head.

Sadly the walk didn't totally solve matters and that evening was not a great one for Elijah who woke every hour and by the morning I was feeling a touch shattered.  Still the highlight of that next day was the opportunity to practice Yoga at Triyoga in Primrose Hill.  The teacher invited us to make an intention for the class and I chose what felt right, but for the first time in a long, long time I found the class confronting for I was so tired that it really was an effort, and I felt that perhaps I had slipped backwards...which upon reflection, I had; my mind caught in the past and my body lost in time somewhere, spirit certainly not shining brightly.  But the class did of course encourage things to bubble closer to the surface...things the teacher said, poems read...funny how they all play a role in helping things become clearer.

We walked and walked that afternoon, along the canals to Little Venice, so beautiful, and then through Hyde Park and along South Bank before ending up in Covent Gardens for dinner, I just love rambling through London, so much to see and do. I was hoping that a day of activity would encourage Elijah to sleep better but sadly not, another sleep deprived evening left me feeling even more shattered the next day.

Still another highlight was a further class at TriYoga, another intention, this time to let go, surrender to it all and allow Grace to enter, wow, such power in any intention to let go.  Such a great class, incredible energy and teaching style, deep, deep into the hips and groins where all that emotion is held, a journey no less, as all good classes (for me) should be. So that at the end, lying in Savasana I had a release.  This hasn't happened for some time in a class, but the tears came and with that the beginning of the healing.

It takes a while of course for the healing to process.  I was all caught up in it the next day as the anger and frustration came to the surface, that's my story, the emotions that have defined me so much in the past, and up they come and out they ooze, the challenge not to get too attached to them or involved in them for really they are just passing through, and as they do, wow, the lightness as mind, body, soul come back together again and with that, the clarity and strength too.

Sometimes you have to break to be able to come back together again, and it is funny how things happen, the timing of people who come in and out of your life, the things that catch your attention, the readings, the crystals, the messages, they are all there, the angels work tirelessly in the background I have no doubt, and all I can do is bow down and give so much thanks for the manner in which Grace manifests.

Needless to say the shift in life brings a shift in my yoga practice too, the two are such a reflection of one another and I am so much enjoying embracing the new, inspired, devoted and much gratitude to Lakshmi, Goddess of beauty and abundance for shining the light so brightly in my face.

With much love

xx

Love is in the air!

Collective love in the air tomorrow, strong winds forecast and a full moon, what a fabulous end to the week!!  Time to dance in the moonlight and cleanse in the rain, give thanks to the Goddess of the Moon (so much power in this) and embrace the vibration of love to feel the heart buzz.  Here is some information  about this month's full moon, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy....http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bf3182281c10722c7eea99902&id=4f88689dde&e=eae0fe6be6

Love, love, love
xx

The Guest House

Elijah was off colour yesterday, I suspected he was teething but you can never be too sure, especially as he was super tired, super agitated and warm to the touch.  As soon as Mum saw him after lunch she insisted I take him to the doctor.

After booking the appointment, I had to leave Elijah with my Mum to go into the office for a meeting.  I managed to get myself quite flustered on the drive into town as I ran through worst case scenarios in my mind, meningitis or some other horrible condition...on and on so that I could feel my heart not only racing but also breaking just with the thought of anything happening to Elijah.  I could also feel the fear rising as my nervous system became much more alert and I was much more agitated and impatient than usual.  Really incredible mind-body reaction...after all it was simply my mind creating these feelings in my body!

The doctor gave him a good once over and concluded that yes, more than likely it is teething, but to continue to monitor him and take him back in if his condition does not change.  This is the first time in many, many years I have visited this doctor who also happens to be a homeopath and I was amused to see that she had a print-out of my favourite Rumi poem attached to the filing cabinet.  I am very fond of homeopathy, it really is wonderful and I was happy to receive a prescription for some homeopathic remedy which helps to alleviate the negative effects of teething.

The only downside to the whole visit was the question of vaccinations raising its ugly head again.  As I was told to do, I booked Elijah in for his first jabs at 8 weeks over a month ago now, but something about it sat uneasily with me and I was actually quite delighted when the doctor at that time told me to postpone the appointment due to Elijah suffering with congestion (common in little babies).  So I cancelled the appointment and have been waiting for some clarity before doing anything about re-booking.

I guess as it has been on my mind I have attracted people into my life who have provided an opinion.  Strangely, when we were in Glastonbury, quite by a chance a lady sitting at a table next to us in a café remarked on Elijah's cuteness and then told us not to vaccinate him as the vaccines are poisonous.  I took that as a sign that perhaps I was best to leave well alone.  Since then I have come across a few mothers who never vaccinated their children and the children are now teenagers and have never had any problems.

But of course the doctor, while understanding of my predicament, did suggest that one should vaccinate because the alternative of your baby or child ending up with some preventable disease that could hospitalise them is not worth thinking about.  And again the fear crept in, not helped because Elijah was ill, and the thought that if he did get seriously sick or even die from a preventable disease simply because of my reticence to vaccinate him, then how would I live with myself?  So I booked an appointment in a few weeks time, giving me more time to reflect.

In any event as Elijah was still under the weather later that evening and on the recommendation of the doctor, we gave him some calpol.  Now I have heard most parents talking about the wonders of calpol and I was intending to give it a wide berth but needs must and when your child is ill, you will do what you can to ease their pain.  And my gosh, within what felt like 2 minutes of giving it to him he was all of a sudden wide awake and back to his old self again.  I could not believe the turnaround and so quickly too.  Wow!! 

So it has been quite an experience this last 24 hours, a range of emotions in such quick succession and everything turning out ok in the end.  I am reminded how easy it is for fear to kick in, and how much our decision making is determined by the "what if?" scenario.  Mind you it is all very well having faith, but quite another to be blasé.  We will see, it does all become clear in time, especially if you put it out there and just let it come...patience, patience, patience.

Here is that beautiful Rumi poem:

The Guest House

 

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

-- Jelaluddin Rumi,
    translation by Coleman Barks

With many positive thoughts to those affected by the floods and with much gratitude for everything...

xx

Sleep, glorious sleep!

Prayers do get answered - I got some quality sleep last night!  And wow, what a difference it makes to how I feel today, and what perfect timing as I return to the office job after 12 weeks of maternity leave.  This means that Elijah is 12 weeks today, the switch has been switched as I was told it would be, all of a sudden life has become more manageable again!!

It took me almost 12 weeks to read Stephen Cope's "The Wisdom of Yoga", a fabulous book that really helped to support me during what was, really, quite a challenging time. I love his interpretation of the yoga Sutras and the manner in which he integrates these into real life.  I particularly like his perspective on enlightenment, which people often consider completely out of this reality, that one has to be someone they are not.  I don't see it quite like that and nor does Stephen.  I love this quote:

"The more I got to know Rudi, the more fascinated I became with him. He was one of the only human beings I knew who was simply not chasing any form of illusion. Whatever grasping he surely once had, had been transmuted into some more refined form of longing. For Rudi did have longing. In fact, he was almost all longing. Longing for God, for life, for knowing the world. Rudi came closer to being enlightened, I think, than any being I will ever meet. And yet, he was also in so many ways just like the rest of us. He spent a third of his time fiddling with his computers and playing online. he got angry. He overate. Sometimes at our dinner parties he drank too much. Rudi was no saint. He did not give off a white light. What was clear, though, about Rudi, is that in his personality there was very little coloration of narcissism. Rudi was not on a quest for any illusory form of the Yellow-Crested Firebird whatsoever. He was, rather, on a quest for Reality. He seemed to love things just the way they were".

It shows there is hope for all of us!  I am reminded of the need to accept things just the way they are - much easier when one gets some sleep.

I suspect at the moment there are many people who are not happy with the way things are as their properties are flooded and farming land ruined. With the sun shining today, we must rejoice before the next storm appears. My heart goes out to those whose lives are seriously disrupted by the storms, makes one feel grateful yet again for the life we have, especially here in Guernsey.

I have been back to teaching again this week, which has been fabulous.  I ran a workshop on Saturday and I was blown away by the degree of focus and indeed progress of the students in the room, quite a honour to teach.  Last night too, a lovely evening class with the rain falling outside, all cocooned in the warm and dimply lit room opening the heart space and feeling the vibration of love filling the space.  Thank you to everyone who makes these sessions so memorable for me.

I have managed to get to a class myself this week, which was a real treat.  I appreciate these opportunities much more now and realise the necessity of taking some quality time out on my mat.  I have also started to enjoy cooking again and trying to keep up the iron levels through nutrition alone.  I made this delicious dal the other day, I left out the chilli, garlic and raita and it was still super yummy.  Here is the recipe:

Warming dal with cheat’s raita

Serves 4-6

Preparation time 20 minutes

Cooking time 35 minutes

 

1 tbsp coconut or other oil

2 onions, peeled and chopped

6 cloves of garlic, grated

1 red chilli, finely chopped

3cm piece of ginger, grated

1 tbsp black mustard seeds

1 tbsp turmeric

1tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp cumin

100g red lentils

400ml vegetable stock

200ml coconut milk

400g chickpeas

For the raita

1 clove of garlic, grated

2tsp mint sauce

200g Greek yogurt

 Rice and fresh coriander to serve

 Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the onions slowly for about 15 minutes until they have really softened and started to go golden brown. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the spices and toast them for 1 minute. Throw in the lentils and coat them in the spicy onions. Cover with the stock and coconut milk. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for a final 10 minutes until everything is cooked through and wonderfully aromatic.

For the raita, mix the garlic, mint sauce and yogurt with a good pinch of salt. Leave to macerate for about 5 minutes before serving. 

Eat the dal with rice, a generous dollop of the raita and fresh coriander leaves.

 

Happy cooking!

 

With much gratitude

 

x

The light returns

So we made it back, 13 hours of cross channel 6 metre wave travel, oh yes, what a joy!!  We could have flown to Singapore in the same time, although in fairness I don't mind the boat and nor did Elijah as he slept well, which is just as well as daddy felt sick for much of the journey!  I admit I don't particularly enjoy such a rough crossing but I do love that Commodore Clipper, such a good boat, just keeps going...

Elijah is almost 12 weeks and all of a sudden life is much more manageable. People were always telling me about this magic switch when things became much more manageable and I had almost given up hope - especially as someone told me 6 weeks was the magic number - but here we are.  I am not sure if it is because we have adjusted to life with Elijah, or whether Elijah has all of a sudden become more aware and more self-occupied so that he will sit for 15 or 20 minutes at a time just watching what is going on...so I can do stuff.  What a joy, freedom of sorts, and he is so cuddly!!!

I was back to teaching today, running a series of workshops so I can share with others, in a more disciplined manner, various aspects of our practice.  I just love it.  Staying with Charles (one of Elijah's spiritual parents) in Brighton I managed to get to 2 Bikram yoga classes and while these classes are insanely hot and very pitta imbalancing I did love the challenge and discipline of them and they helped to inspire me back to Guernsey. So lovely to teach, and so wonderful to share.

Admittedly the two hourly night time feeding is exhausting but the marvellous acupuncture from Andre Sidner has left me feeling wonderfully energised.  I received regular acupuncture when I was preparing for pregnancy and I have to say it is mind blowing - well for me anyway. And now, recovering from the birth and early days of motherhood, so too the iron deficiency, well it has helped enormously.  Thank you Andre - shining lights!

So too actually my Yoga practice,  I can't eve begin to tell you how much practicing Yoga has helped the transition from single life to motherhood and the healing that comes with all that and so the light shines again.  I am blown away by the power of Yoga and how it really does indeed help to transform, I wish we could all practice to transform the world into a lighter and brighter place. Collectively we need to heal, not easy, but worth it in the long run:-)

Today we went for a long walk around Pleinmont, wow, new moon tides, insanely high and low, and these crazy winter winds made for a marvellous sea scene.  While this winter has been rather testing in its dreariness, the seas have been incredible in these storms.  Wow, what is going on with weather these days, a definite climate change going on.  How wonderful, therefore, to see the buds appearing...Spring is on its way reminding us again and again that everything changes, so too that all of a sudden the light is increasing each day, noticeably very much today.

On that note, I am off to cuddle my baby, change a foot as he usually feeds non stop at this time of the evening but is happy sitting with us here on the sofa, what a beautiful boy. 

Grateful, grateful, grateful.

xx