Mindfulness, the beginning...

I started an 8 week mindfulness course this week, which has already made me very aware that my life is far too busy!

But then it has been one of those weeks.  Elijah has been suffering jet lag so that I was up with him until 12.30am, 1.30am, 2.30am, 12am, four nights/mornings on the run.  Work was manically busy as I have 3 weeks of work to catch up on.  Plus I was out every evening. 

So trying to squeeze in 45 minutes mindfulness meditation (well body scan this week) was a touch testing.  Which made me laugh a little because here I am trying to reduce my stress, release negative tendencies etc. through the mindfulness course and yet here I was feeling more stressed and more negative as a result of not having enough time to be mindful.  Ah the joys of modern living!

Still this weekend has provided a much needed time out from the hectic pace of the last week, Elijah has been in bed by 8.30pm, I have managed to enjoy two very quick swims in the sea at Petit Bot and catch up on all the paperwork/study/washing.  Oh yes because did I mention that I thought it a good time to advance my yoga studies by undertaking an advanced yoga teacher training course.

So you see that brings me back to the fact that I am very aware that I am doing too much.  And as we all know, it should be less about the doing and more about the being! In fact I came across this beautiful extract from David Frawley in his book I was reading recently, which reads...

"Real yoga is about non-doing. Much of our unhappiness, and even disease, arises from the fact that we are already doing too much. We have no time, not even for ourselves, much less for our loved ones. We are constantly on the go and yet never seem to arrive at any place where we want to stay for very long. Yoga is about doing less and being more present wherever we are and with whatever we need to do. Yoga is not simply something new but a better way of using the faculties ...and resources we already have. Yoga asanas are about moving the body more slowly, ultimately bringing it into stillness. Yogic meditation is about slowing down the mind and creating deep calm and unwavering inner peace that does not require any outer entertainment. A yogic lifestyle is about not bringing any harm or interference into the lives of others. Yoga is not as much a new achievement s a means of letting go and relaxing into the infinite. Yoga philosophy is a philosophy of being. You are all that you need to be. But to discover that, you must move aide the veils of the body, mind and sense and uncover the essence of your being" (David Frawley, "Yoga: The Greater Tradition).

So herewith the challenge.  To slow down.  To be more than to do.  Which of course was the joy of our recent travels, because away from the hum drum of daily life, it is often so much easier to be.  So perhaps the challenge therefore is to incorporate a little more of this into life here in Guernsey. We started that yesterday actually with a walk out in St Peter's, a parish we rarely visit, and we saw the gorgeous Guernsey goats and discovered that there are only 1,000 of these in the world.  We ended up at Forest Stores buying some of their cheese, and it felt good to be supporting the local goats and doing something different!

It is funny though isn't it, how having a child changes your entire perception of life.  For actually they do offer the opportunity for being and for being mindful and aware of the moment as you sit playing with them or washing them, or cleaning up after them, plus going to see goats etc, which we would not have done previously.  But it also means that you are juggling even more balls than you may have been juggling previously, especially if you are working and trying to further yourself and develop other aspects of your being.  But like everything it is a balance, figuring out the important bits and prioritising accordingly.

I as very aware of this when we were in Canada, in so much as I was very lucky that Ewan was happy to loo after Elijah while I went to yoga classes.  I managed to get to a lot of yoga classes, but I did feel ever so slightly guilty about taking the time out for myself and yet was very aware that in taking the time for myself I was perhaps a bit of a better humoured mother and partner.  And this was a healthy realisation as it has made me even more aware how much this time at yoga is sacred for so many of the students, and how grateful I am that they have prioritised that time in their life.

So on that note, I am going to take myself to my mat and make the most of some child-free time to practice, and body scan, and just be, what bliss, me, may mat, some candles and quite space.  How the soul feels very happy about this!!

With love x

Apple and cinnamon flapjacks

These are yummy and pretty good for you too.

Oats contain a soluble fibre that has been clinically proven to lower cholesterol in the digestive tract, the high fibre content makes them an obvious choice for easing constipation and they are very rich in B vitamins which are essential for supporting the body during stressful times.  They support adrenal gland function and nervous system activity and are essential for energy production at a cellular level.

Ingredients (makes 6-10 squares)
2 tablespoons coconut oil plus extra for greasing
2 apples
2 tablespoons honey
180g porridge oats
1 or 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried cranberries (optional)
2 tablespoon mixed pumpkin seeds (optional)

How to make

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a 20cm square baking tin with coconut oil.

Cut the apples into quarters, remove the seeds, then place them, unpeeled, in a food processor;
Process to a coarse purée, adding a splash of water if necessary.

Melt the coconut oil and honey together in a pan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil and honey have combined, stir in the apple purée and stir thoroughly to form a sticky mixture.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin, pressing down well, and bake for around 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Enjoy!!

Om

Of the many sacred syllables in Hinduism which resonate with different properties of the cosmos, OM is the most scared.  It is considered to be the primordial sound of the cosmos itself, intoned when the universe was created. OM sonically represents Brahman, the ineffable Supreme Reality, and thus naturally sanctifying. For this reason it is intoned at the beginning of every mantra or prayer. It is also considered a condensed version of all scared writings. It is sometimes written AUM and pronounced "ah-oo-mm" but the meaning is the same.

Love

For one human being to love another human being : that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation" (Rainer Maria Rilke)

Our enlightening trip to Canada

We have just been on the most amazing trip to Canada - a journey within a journey.  I feel like I am returning home a different person, probably the result of 12 yoga classes, a lot of time in nature and surrounded by trees and the wonderful people I have met and experiences experienced over the last few weeks.

I love travelling and I have missed travelling the last year, not that we haven't travelled, but more so that we haven't travelled outside of Europe and there is much joy in slightly longer haul travelling (not in the travel itself per se, especially with children) but in different cultures in different parts of the world.

Vancouver was great, the perfect tempo to transition from the craziness of life on Guernsey to the slower pace of Vancouver Island and our life as we calmed down without work and home responsibilities - very liberating!  Ewan was a star and I managed 4 yoga classes at the amazing Y-Yoga studio downtown Vancouver - I had studio envy most definitely.

Vancouver Island is fabulous especially as one of my best friend's lives there, Sami.  Sami was actually one of my first yoga students all those years ago now, almost 9 (where did that time go and how much our lives have changed in that time) and helped spread the word because yoga helped her so much in her life, which found her changing her life and leaving her settled life in Guernsey for life in Vancouver Island, a place that had captured her heart many years before. 

It all worked out well and she is married to Derek and they have two beautiful children, Rosie and Elliott. They have a fabulous property surrounded by trees and looking towards the mountains in the distance and Sami's parents (who also emigrated from Guernsey) living below them so that they have family and help on hand.

We had a fabulous time staying with the Haynes, and hour and a half from the mainland the Island is beautiful despite the fog, which meant we didn't get to see the views!  Still we had lovely friend and family time and we braved walks in the rain and I was able to get to a lovely yoga class at a studio I visited a few years now. This was most definitely studio envy time, I loved it with all the plants and the wooden vibe, bliss!

From Vancouver Island we took another ferry, only 35 minutes now, to Salt Spring island.  Wow.  I could move there.  Amazing place, just LOVED it.  The Island is about 3 times larger than Guernsey but has only 10,500 people (in the winter).  It is absolutely full to the brim with trees and a fabulous alternative vibe.  People assumed we were locals, fitting in rather well as a tree surgeon/gardener and a yoga teacher.

I managed 3 yoga classes with a lovely Swiss guy who has his own studio over there, it was a little bit too yang for me (and still no inversions, absolutely no inversions in class the whole time and very few forward bends, interesting for me, suspect it may be the safety issues and liability...) but I was grateful to Ewan for the opportunity to practice and feel cleaner, more energised, clearer, stronger (the list is endless) etc etc in the process.

We walked trails (with fabulous fairy and elf doors), we swam, we visited the sites, we enjoyed organic and fresh foods, we laughed, we stayed in a log cabin in the woods, we played table tennis, we tried to take Elijah out on a Canadian canoe on he lake (he didn't like the life jacket) and we watched a lot of the BBC world news reporting on the massacre in Paris...talk about the news becoming reality TV, and the darkness of the world.

We didn't want to leave...

But alas the next stop was pretty good going, back to Vancouver Island, meet with the Haynes family and another ferry back to the mainland and from there a couple of hours drive up to Whistler and the mountains.

Amazing again. I love mountains.  And while I did indeed love these mountains I am afraid that I struggle to get as blow away - awe inspired - as I do in Nepal, I have indeed been spoilt with fishtail let alone seeing the sun rise over Everest (even if I was half dying with altitude sickness!).  But we loved our time in Whistler.

Sami and I went skiing one day which was terrifying.  I have only skied for half a day previously and after a turn on the nursery slopes we decided that I would be okay on the green run.  Big mistake.  The whole "feel the fear and do it anyway" did not really work for me.  I try to overcome fear but this fear was all consuming...I honestly was not quite sure how I was going to get down the mountain because skiing down it appeared impossible, arghh!! 

I did make it down, just.  After some time for contemplation and a good talking to and falling a few times.  Back to the nursery slopes for a good hour or so and then back up and down an easier green route...still incredibly scary so I had a few heart in mouth moments and a little bit of annoyance that it was all such hard work and frustration at not taking lessons and knowing what to do...

But I did feel great later that evening, all that fresh air and snow and sun and breathing and trees and mountain energy.

We went snow shoeing one day and I stood on a frozen lake for the first time.  I also got to go to a couple of yoga classes, lucky me, the classes were super busy too, I was impressed with the commitment, ideal though for a stretch after a day on the slopes.

We had an afternoon in Vancouver before our flight home and I managed yet another yoga class which was amazing, the teacher was really good, I learned lots from the session .  We also chanced upon a café with the most amazing soy chai and the Banyan bookshop which is full of all things I love - crystals, angel cards, yoga stuff, incense, candles, spiritual books, music, singing bowls.  We went to the botanical gardens at the University of British Columbia, which are incredible and made Ewan very happy with all its giant red woods (western red cedars).

Back in the UK and we have a few days in Brighton with our friend Charles, which is a good transition before home.  There are some fabulous independent cafes here with the vegan/vegetarian/fresh/organic options that we have gotten quite used to having in Canada...and I managed my final yoga class before home, Bikram, not my favourite, incredibly hot and hard work but makes you feel amazing afterwards.

So all in all this has been an amazing trip and I most definitely feel a different person now to the one I was when we left 3 weeks ago now.  I have thoroughly loved and indeed relished the opportunity to spend all this time with Ewan and Elijah, it will feel so strange going to work without them!!!

I came across some marvellous quotes on my travels, one that sticks with me is this one...

"The central epiphany in every religious belief occurs in the wilderness. Buddha had to go to the wilderness to experience self realization. Mohammed had to go to the wilderness to have his central realization. Moses went into the wilderness for days to experience his divinity for the first time. The wilderness has always played a critical role. It's where human beings most easily sense the divine". (Robert F. Kennedy JR)."

I have to say that sending time in the wilderness has helped me to heal and provide clarity, to strengthen and release...happy times...very grateful and delighted we took the plunge and stepped beyond the fear of 9 hours on a flight with Elijah. And grateful to Ewan that he was happy to look after Elijah (and eat pastries) while I went to yoga.  I believe we both feel lighter for the experience.

Happy times!!

xxx

Happy new year

What an incredible way to begin the New Year than by being here in Vancouver. I just love this city and am delighted to be able to share it with Ewan and Elijah.

Our New Year began early, the joy of a jet lagged baby! It is the first year for quite some time that I haven't stayed up to welcome in the New Year, which meant New Year's Day was brighter than most and not just due to the weather!

We began the day with a cycle ride around a rather freezing Stanley Park, amazing place, mountains in the background and all the trees, birds and sea life to entertain the eye! This was followed by an early lunch - I am slightly addicted to these marvelous gluten free crackers called "Mary's crackers", yum, yum, and all the rather tasty salads from the wonderful Wholefoods. I would just love one of these shops back home, although it would certainly challenge the budget. Still, all a novelty, and indeed holiday treat over here!

After lunch we joined the owners of the apartment where we are staying, Jackie and Mick, for the annual Vancouver New Year's Day Polar Swim. In its 95th year it attracts about 4,000 people every year and this was an especially busy year due to glorious sunshine, albeit an air temperature of 2 degrees!

I have never experienced such crowds and indeed madness! We wore our bathers and dressing twin yo the beach as suggested by Jackie and Mick, which seemed a little crazy to us initially but when we got to the beach we realized this made perfect sense as there is nowhere to lay down clothes and towels as there is just so many people! In fact you just had to head for the general direction of the sea, and that was crazy too, as most people run in and then run out again! I managed 7 strokes, it didn't feel as cold as the predicted 6 degrees. In face we ended up going in twice it was that much fun!

It was a fab experience, Christmas Day Polar Bear swim in the Atlantic back home and then New a Year Day a Polar Bear swim in the Pacific, where next?!

I warmed up with a very busy Warm flow yoga class at the downtown Y Yoga studio, I do love being able to begin the year indulging in my greatest love - practicing yoga with like minded students, bliss!! We ended the say with a glass of bubbles, a perfect end to a lovely day. I felt very blessed.

Since then we have walked and walked and walked, I have been to more yoga classes and felt cleaner do clearer as a result. 2014 was manic for me and I lost my grounding a little towards the end of the year with the manic ness of life on Guernsey and the craziness of the corporate world where I work part time - essentially we set up a company at the end of 2013' just before I gave birth to a Elijah, and it sold for gbp39m in December 2014...that is quite some return in one year, and a whole lot of hard work for all involved.

So it is already so liberating to just be, without the pressure of work and it's materialism to come back to roots somehow,  to remember what it us all about...and being on one's mat, with other like minded souls facilitates that - you start to hear the gentle whispering a of the heart again. So too traveling and being elsewhere new, where the world becomes full of possibilities again and you can feel the energy working its way through - where coincidence and synchronicity seems prevalent again, this I live. A journey within a journey, of course all part of the journey. A journey of the heart. This I love. A Life full of heart I love.

We are now on Vancouver Island with dear friends...blessed indeed.

Happy new year to one and all, I hope it us filled with much love and peAce.

Xxx