Moon set and sun rise!

I am simply in awe of the magic and beauty of Spring this year. Perhaps it is always like this and I have just simply never noticed before.

It seems to have happened over night, one day it was winter and the next Spring had arrived bringing with it all this colourful new life.

E and I have managed quite a few runs in the last week, we were out on the cliffs early Saturday morning and it really was incredible with a particularly high tide lapping up the cliffs below and the gorse beside us with its abundant and bright yellow flower.

There are primroses and daffodils everywhere, I don't think you can beat a field full of daffodils, it blows my mind that nature created this somehow. And then there is the magnolia coming into full blossom, there is a magnolia tree at the bottom of the lane and I keep meaning to take a photograph as it brings a smile to my face each time I pass it as it is just so beautiful. And let's not forget the blossom on the cherry and apple trees. We are really lucky, it seems that there is Spring colour everywhere we look over here.

The moon has just added to the spectacular expression of nature this week. It was bright and shining on Wednesday and then in full "full moon" glory on Thursday and what with the clear skies, the stars were quite a sight too. I have feeling it was a rather powerful full moon, filled with magic and possibility. My crystals were certainly glowing from their night time bathing in the moon's rays!

The running has been improving. E is a task master and there are moments when I long for him to stop telling me how much longer we have to go, and whether we are going to make our targets and especially when he tells me my feet are sounding too heavy on the road - there are moments when I feel lucky that I am able to move my feet at all because I tell you, sometimes this running malarkey is hard work, especially at 7.30 in the morning!


I have to say though, I have been feeling great. I have this theory that the stronger our body is, the stringer our mind is too. I see it in Yoga, indeed I feel it in Yoga. Whenever I am on a retreat or on a dedicated Yoga trip and I practice a strong class at least once a day then my mind tends to become stronger in the process. The same thing happens with exercise generally, the difference being that Yoga puts far less pressure on our joints and also makes us far more self-aware and conscious - it is easy to lose yourself when running, whereas Yoga brings us back to ourselves. Still there are benefits in both.

We managed a swim in the sea yesterday too. High tide at Vazon and straight off the slipway. There was an undercurrent so we were washed out far further than intended and had to actually swim back to shore so no quick dip for us like normal! The sea temperature is about 2 degrees higher than it should be at this time of year, not that you would notice, still feels very cold!


This morning I was awake super early to finish some decorating I started over the weekend (why oh why oh why) so I ventured out into the garden with my cup of tea and was amazed at the dew and all the cobwebs visible hanging from the trees. Not only that it was really still and peaceful, this rather gentle and highly tuned energy (there really is a lot to be said for getting up early) and just the sound of nature. I was fortunate to watch the moon setting in one direction and the sun rising in the other - it made getting out of bed so early worth it!

With blessings and much gratitude.

xx

A cliff based meditation

So the weather has changed again, last week the crazy fog and strangely warm weather followed by an incredible downpour on Saturday morning and now the wind has arrived, blowing away the cobwebs and bringing with it colder temperatures again. Phew it is hard work keeping up!

We were very aware of the weather this weekend. Saturday morning I met my friend Claire and we went for a 50 minute run along the cliffs from Fort George to Jerbourg and then back through the lanes. This was quite some challenge, the cliffs are unforgiving while running, but it was beautiful, early morning sunshine and only a few dog walkers to be seen. The daffodils are out in force, plus the primroses and the campion too. Amazing how quickly nature changes from the reds and oranges to the Spring time colours of yellows and pinks brightening the landscape and our mood too.

Saturday afternoon was spent laying peat and horse manure on the outdoor raised beds and the indoor beds in the greenhouse too. All good fun even if I did mange to bash my hand on the greenhouse door and kick my heel with the wheel barrow and then fall over, with the wheel barrow when trying to transfer a very heavy peat bag on to it all on my own. That will teach me!

Needless to say I was aching somewhat the next day but it will all be worth it, no doubt, when we get to eat the results of our hard work. The peach tree is coming into blossom and we still have strawberries, very strange. The seedlings are coming through, even some of the butternut squash which I managed to plant upside down the first time, poor things!

Yesterday we really did get to immerse ourselves in nature. You see we have signed up for the Three Peaks challenge with the Lihou Trust to raise money to help put a new roof on the house on Lihou. We love Lihou Island. We stayed there on our own a few January's ago, when the snowy owl was in residence and took great delight in walking upon it a few times during our stay. Last year we stayed again with E's Mum and some friends and this was so much fun. There is nothing more wonderful than the tide rising and finding yourself cut off from Guernsey, enjoying the peace and tranquility of your own Island for 24 hours, especially Lihou with its abundant bird life and views of the hanois Lighthouse in the distance.

The Three Peaks challenge involves climbing the high test peaks in England, Wales and Scotland within 24 hours, namely Ben Nevis in Scotland (1344m), Scafell Pike in England (978m) and Snowdon in Wales (1085m). It has been an unfulfilled ambition for some time, and as often happens with such things - or so I am reminded - they tend to happen when the time is right with some ease. It was a little bit like the trek to Base Camp of Everest in Nepal, it had been something I was interested in doing and then the opportunity simply presented itself without me having to do anything.

I guess it is a reminder that often we do get what we want, or what we dream perhaps, if we just let go of it and let it happen when the time is right, and often with some ease.

Not that there will be a lot of ease about the Three Peaks, but it is for a good cause and means we get to achieve another of my recent intentions, of spending lots of time on the cliffs! The event actually happens on the 15th July so we have few months to train and yesterday was our first official group training session.


We met at Portlet down at Pleinmont at 3pm and walked all the way along the cliffs to Petit Bot, about 2.5-3 hours I think. The sun was setting by the time we got to Petit Bot and the wind picked up again as we started the walk all the way back to Portlet, in the dark this time. It was quite a treat, rather magical really. The moon was high and bright (full moon on Thursday) and the stars were shining brightly too. It made for a wonderful sight, the sea reflecting the moon's light and the waves crashing onto the rocks below. The wind was strong, keeping us on our toes and certainly blowing away all the cobwebs and at times almost pushing us along.

I was reminded how infrequently I get out into nature after dark these days. I don't believe I have ever walked on the cliffs at night, which is perhaps not surprising given the rough terrain and the fear of what you may find, but it is an invigorating experience, all the night time bird sounds and the fact you are all alone, in nature, with your own thoughts and subject to the elements.

Of course it was also a relief to make it back to Portlet and the Imperial by 8.30pm. My knees were feeling the rough terrain and all those crazy steps - whoever laid those steps did so without any seeming consideration to those of us with shorter legs (well even longer legs from what the guys were saying) - all I can say is I am very thankful I had my walking poles with me!

This morning we are aching somewhat, it has been an active weekend and I do feel very alive for a change (Monday morning and all). There is much to be said for spending time in nature and pushing your own physical fitness boundaries. I find it as strengthening for the mind as I do for the body. Plus for me it is a meditation in action, an opportunity to zone out completely and I must admit it is more satisfying and calming for me to find this "peace" through physical activity than it is to sit on my Yoga mat attempting to meditate for 30 minutes. But then of course we all access the pathway to the soul in different ways.

If anyone is interested in joining us for the Lihou Charitable Trust Three Peaks Challenge, then there are a few spaces still available and 3 cliff based training sessions to go - I may finally get to walk the whole cliffs in one go, two times as well!! Good to make the most of what Guernsey offers so naturally and indeed beautifully.

x

The balance of life and Ayurveda

As I often do at the end of a Yoga class, I read a quote from "A Year of Living Your Yoga" by Judith Lasater on Tuesday evening and have been reflecting on it ever since. It reads:-

"Balance is not a static state but it is like a pendulum that swings from side to side - We all crave balance. But too often we think balance means perfection. Instead, be grateful for your mistakes and regrets: they give balance to your victories and celebrations".

I like this.

Too much of my life has been spent berating myself for my imperfections, for my inability - ironically - to find the balance. And it is funny because you do need to swing both ways to find the balance in the middle again - you need the dark to experience the light, the sadness to experience the joy, the bitter to experience the sweet. But it is the extent of the swinging, which is important.

I have spent much of my life being an extremist, all or nothing. My experience of Yoga has been a reflection of this (as it often is, what happens on the mat is often a reflection of what is happening in our lives), from the minute I discovered Yoga over 8 years ago I was hooked. It became everything to me and I was desperate to be "perfect" at it. Not just on the mat but in life generally. All of a sudden I had an even stricter set of codes for living to follow, from the purity of thought to the purity of action and even the purity of food. I set the barometer high.

So of course the imbalances got stronger, the ones already there, so that the extremes were more noticeable, and I was harder on myself. It all came crashing down two years ago now when I experienced adrenal fatigue and general exhaustion. I had been pushing myself too hard in my quest to do and to be my very best, working full time as a Yoga teacher and holistic practitioner, working every hour of every day, always giving and not looking after myself in the process - rather ironic really. Crash and burn.

So I learnt the need for balance in a rather big way, for the middle path, treading carefully! Also of course learning to accept the perceived imperfections, to embrace all aspects of one's being, self acceptance ultimately. And with that allowing the pendulum to swing less erratically, more grounded, less air-headed.

Ayurveda can help so much with this, and is something I have tapped into quite a bit in the past few years. To me, Ayurveda is truly inspiring, the most ancient and authentically recorded health system in history, over 5,000 years old, it was created by yogis who spent their lives studying nature and the human condition. Meaning “the science of life” it is exactly that, viewing health in four dimensions of physical, sensory, mental and spiritual and is centred on preventative medicine and bringing a person back to balance.

It shows how an imbalance in one part of a person’s being will affect them in another, i.e. if a person isn’t being true to their life path (dharma) then physical and mental illnesses can arise which cannot be effectively treated with modern medicines but can be helped by Ayurveda.

Ayurveda uses elemental medicine which means that they balance out earth, fire, water, air and ether in the body. These are divided into three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which are the basis of a person’s constitution and also the factors that can create imbalances. Ayurveda places great emphasis on diet, lifestyle, yoga, meditation, massage and herbal medicines to bring a person back to health and keep them there - and health, to quote from the Ayurvedic Health Home in Kathmandu, is “a dynamic process, an inner joyfulness, like a flow of the river or a breeze of the wind".

I have a rather wonderful Ayurvedic doctor in Brighton who has helped me so much, I love the fact the science considers you a whole person and ultimately balances the imbalances in a gentle and yet profound way. I love the way it impacts on your life, in terms of your energy changes and so does the nature of your life, as indeed you start to live more true to your nature, more accepting of it perhaps.

So thankfully the extremes are no longer so extreme. We live and learn. Mindfulness. There are so many keys. Ultimately it is all a learning experience, all part of the bigger picture, the spiritual journey. The one that takes us back to our true self.

xxx

The healing power of nature

So finally after a few days of the gloom, the light returned again. Mind you not that it really mattered, on Saturday morning E and I went for an early morning run along the foggy lanes of St Martins and St Andrews, it was rather special as it was so quite, no planes and not many cars, almost as if everyone had decided to stay tucked up inside away, taking refuge from the gloomy weather outside.

In the afternoon I jet washed the back patio - it is rock and roll around here I tell you! It did remind me however, how our light is always there. The patio was layered with grime and yet after a few bursts on the jet wash, its original colour peeked through - it reminded me of us. How the grime, be that physical, mental or emotional, clouds are our own light, yet it is always there, we just have to chip away at it, bit by bit, to uncover our true self, the radiant, shining being we are.

I was reminded of the weather too. On Sunday the light appeared again, glorious sunshine to make us feel more alive and joyous somehow. E and I felt so inspired that we went for a quick dip in the sea at Petit Bot. Of course it was glorious - high tide and no one else to be seen, but it was of course very cold and while I had all good intentions of taking a proper swim, my body went into shock and I lasted all of about 2 minutes!! Every respect for those of you who swim properly all year around!

Thereafter, I managed to attend Sheila's yoga class, a wonderful start to Sunday, especially with the sun shining outside and the sounds of the morning chatter of birds. Thank you Sheila, Om Shanti. It certainly woke me up and back at home, E and I went out for a bike ride to make the most of the warm sunshine, through the lanes near Petit Bot and through the valley by the little chapel - I do love those lanes with all the wonderful serene Guernsey cows. We even saw a sparrow hawk - well we think so, too big to be a buzzard, too small to be a kestrel, grey too, we are spoilt here on Guernsey.

In the afternoon We collected some horse manure with my parents (see it really is rock and roll) and I helped Mum to rake the new raised beds that my Dad has lovely built. Some of our seeds have germinated and we transferred the seedlings to bigger pots, lots of Brussels sprouts and purple sprouting, it is rather exciting being involved from the infancy stage. Mind you I have a lot to learn - it appears that I planted the butternut squash seeds upside down and while the poor little things were trying to germinate, they were all topsy turvy so thankfully Mum turned them all around - what an idiot I am huh!!!

Growing does help one to remember the simplicity to life - the need for light, heat, shelter and water. I find it ever so relaxing to spend time in the greenhouse. My Mum talks to the plants and plays background music from the radio as it helps them to grow. We are getting more bees, this time in the greenhouse, the bee man told me that they like music too, let us hope they like Island Fm!!

Mum and Dad are now established wwoofers - world wide opportunities on organic farms (www.wwoof.org) - and are receiving interest from wwoofers wanting to come and stay and help us during the summer. I was initially introduced to this scheme in Australia, not only meeting travellers who had done some wwoofing, but also a friend on my Yoga course in Byron who is an established wwoofer and has people to stay to help with their coffee plants in the Byron hills.

And then a few summer ago, after taking 3 months out to travel around the world again, I stayed with my cousin and her husband in a mobile home on their organic small holding in rural North Devon, near to Bideford. I was there for some "time out" to figure out what to do next and while I spent much of my time writing and studying a holistic therapy course, I did put in some time attending to their vegetable garden. This was my first exposure to vegetable growing and it planted a seed, that has grown ever since. So a huge thank you to Yo, for the opportunity, and for helping me to realise the therapeutic benefits of spending so much time in nature and the present moment and meditative qualities of weeding!

There is a lot to be said about spending time in nature. It really does help to slow us down and re-connect us with the resonance of the earth somehow. We lead such busy and often stressful lives these days, everything happens so quickly that is refreshing to slow down and literally smell the roses. Not only that but it is healing. It rejuvenates the soul and reminds us of the bigger picture, the natural flow, the coming and going, a time to stop and a time to grow.

It works on our root chakra, connecting us to the earth. If ever we feel ungrounded, disconncetd somehow, then it can help to stand barefoot on the earth, maybe hold a tree (I jest not, I did this every morning of my Yoga teacher training course and I truly believe it helped me to stay grounded), or sink the feet into soft sand, and just breathe the fresh air and listen to the sounds of the birds or the sound of the sea. It opens the heart chakra too and energises the crown chakra, reminding us of our connection to something greater, that we are part of the whole, not so alone after all. I guarantee you will feel better afterwards!

So on that note, time to stop and be quiet for a while!

Om shanti!

The sound of silence!

It has all gone a bit foggy out there these last few days and while on the one hand it feels damp and claustrophobic what with not being able to see the bigger picture, on the other hand it is so nice not hearing aeroplanes flying overhead!!

There is something so incredibly wonderful about silence. Life has been busy recently, with constant chatter and people in the house and today I am enjoying the opportunity to potter between sessions and just enjoy my own quiet tidy space! Of course it is not really that quiet, the back door is open and I can hear the birds in the garden and here beside me the cat licking herself (but she should settle soon!) and then the fog horn, reminding me that it is so rare to experience total silence.

I came across this wonderful quote yesterday, which reminded me of the importance of sometimes sitting with others in silence, "Silence is just another way of communicating feelings, a space for words and thoughts to gather.” So true! In Yoga we call this "Mouna", literally silence derived from the Sanskrit root "mun", which means to measure.

It is said that silence is God, the living force, the only reality, the soul, peace, strength, goal, aim and purpose of our existence. It is not only about not talking, but also about having more control over the expression of the senses. Mouna is a way to measure and observe the input and output of the senses as a way to obtain inner silence - essentially to achieve mouna of the mind.

It is said that through silence the brain and nerves are soothed and meditation becomes easier. Silence helps to develop will power, strengthens resolves, gives peace of mind, makes it easier to speak the truth and gives control over the speech. Furthermore it is understood to help to control anger, irritability and the emotions and is useful for physical and mental healing encouraging serenity, calmness and inner spiritual strength.

It is recommended that we should spend one week a year in complete solitude, staying in one place, not interacting with anybody and living a simple life. However while many live like this in monasteries their whole lives, it is slightly more challenging for the rest of us and for some almost impossible, not least in timings but simply because it can be incredibly confronting being faced with the concept of a life lived in silence!

I have attended a couple of Yoga retreats where mouna has been an integral part of the timetable. In Bali on a retreat with Emil Wendel, we were asked to be silent from the moment of rising until brunch, after the first asana and pranayama session each day. Then on a retreat in Goa with Emil and Sue Pendlebury, we were asked to remain in silence each morning as we had done in Bali, but also we experienced two full days and nights of silence too.

I actually have no problem being silent as I like to be quiet, but there were people on the retreat, especially the Goa one, who were really challenged by the idea of silence, not being able to ignore or drown out the sound of their own inner voice, nor communicate with others verbally. Of course I loved it. When I was doing my Yoga therapy training in Vancouver last February, I spent 3 weeks living on my own and on the days when we didn't have class, the only words I would speak would be to thank people for serving me in the shop or at the Yoga studio, but other than that, I had no need to speak! I find it incredibly liberating and I start to get flustered if I haven't experienced enough silence in a week!!

I will always remember a poster I saw on the wall of an Ayurvedic clinic where I was staying in Kathamndu, that said "silence is healing". I believe it is so true. It was certainly apartof their treatment in that clinic, so that whilst there was times when music was played as this can also be healing, especially mantras and sound vibration, many of the treatments were conducted in silence, which can be so soothing for the nerves.

There was this restorative Yoga class I attended in Vanocuver last year during the time that my life was very quiet and the teacher played singing bowl music very loudly, and while I do appreciate the healing properties, it was so loud that my body became really tense as it was literally hurting my ear drums. It actually made me chuckle because it couldn't have been any less restorative, and I left feeling far more on edge than when I arrived!! I suppose it is all about balance.

Anyhow today is a lovely quiet day and long may it continue!

As for the fog, I guess we should enjoy the peace while it is there, because no doubt there will be a lot of catch up flying over the next few days!

x

New moon tidings!

It is a new moon today, which may account for the sleeplessness I have heard people mention the last few nights, me too actually, too much crazy energy in the air!!

Mind you it has been beautiful out there these last few days, the sun has been bright and the daffodils are starting to come through enlightening the scene with their bright yellow glow. Spring is on the way, it is so exciting!!

I have been running quite a bit recently. Not far, about 30-40 minutes at a time, and I do question how on earth I managed to run the London Marathon all those years ago, phew! These days it is more for the delight of it, well it gives me the opportunity to process and get some peace and quiet, no talking, just me and nature, the sounds of the birds and the glorious views through the rural lanes of St Andrews.

If I am lucky I am rarely passed by any traffic through the lanes and aside from the odd dog walker, I rarely see another sole either. I see cows in their fields, daffodils, primroses and celandine. Last week a buzzard flew a similar route to the one I was running so I got witness the elegant beauty of its flight. I see sheep and their baby lambs behind St Andrews' church (so cute), and in the distance I can see the sea and Fort Houmet at Vazon. It truly is a joy.



No doubt the novelty will wear off soon as it has done in the past and I will no longer need to process as I am at the moment. Still it does make you feel so much clearer and energised, a little like a good Vinyasa Yoga class!! The fresh air makes all the difference too, especially as I have been stuck inside decorating quite a bit recently. Not that I mind. The paint fumes are not ideal, but I do love the art of decorating, trying to keep the brush straight and the fact you can transform a space so quickly.

So it has been a little busy. On Sunday I went on a Yoga therapy course here in Guernsey taught by a lady from the UK. This one was on Yoga for obesity, which was rather interesting, scary though when you consider how many people are now classed as obese, surely a reflection of our sedentary lifestyle and all those hormones flying around in our food and water, to say nothing of the stress and pressure we live under these days. Let us hope we will find our find our balance again as a society and work with nature rather than against it, like Ayurveda, got to love that Indian system of healing.

Talking of nature, I helped Mum to dig some beds in the greenhouse yesterday so we can get the greenhouse tidy for the season ahead. It is all rather exciting. Dad is making some raised beds for us outside of the greenhouse at the moment, which will make weed control and picking so much easier this year. We planted some potatoes and I was delighted to see that some of the seeds we sowed a few weeks ago are starting to sprout a little. So much fun!

After the run and greenhouse experience I stopped at Vazon on the way home to sit and listen to the waves and breathe some of the sea air and as the tide was high and the sun was still shining, albeit headed for sunset, I decided to go for a quick swim. I have been a complete slacker on the winter swimming this year, I think I managed twice in January and none until that point in February.

And to be honest I doubt I will be rushing to repeat the February experience. My gosh. It was freezing. I lasted a grand total of 15 seconds of breaststroke before I had to get out. My feet were freezing and I was cold for an hour afterwards. I have no idea how the hardcore sea swimmers do it a few times a week for a good ten to fifteen minutes, every respect!!

Apparently temperatures are going to improve the next few days, not in the sea however! But still, maybe this really is a sign that Spring is on its way...I hope so, the world will seem a much brighter place!

On that note, time to go and practice, that always makes the world seem a much brighter place!

xx

Happy day of love

So it is Valentine's Day today, the day of love! So yes OK, it has now become a horribly commercialised affair these days, a huge business in itself what with all the heart shaped merchandise and flowers and chocolate galour, BUT, it is an opportunity for us all to open our hearts and come together in a collective consciousness of love. So that is pretty cool.

As I said in my previous blog entry, maybe all this potential vibration of love will help to raise the vibration of our beautiful world, help the planet to heal a little. Well at least it may help to bring a smile to our face when we receive a card from someone we love, secret or not.

So how did the day get its name? Well apparently it comes from a famous Saint although there are various stories about who he was. The most popular belief is that St Valentine was a priest from Rome in the 3rd century AD.

Evidently Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers. Valentine thought this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret.

When Claudius found out, Valentine was sentenced to death and thrown in jail. There, he fell in love with the jailer's blind daughter. His love and belief in God cured her blindness, and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed "From your Valentine".

Valentine's Day didn't become popular in the UK until the 17th century. By the 18th century it was traditional for people to swap handwritten messages of affection. Nowadays we also swap chocolates and flowers and all things heart-shaped!!!

I figure today is a good day to share some Sufi poetry with you - this is my favourite poetry and while I shouldn't need an excuse, it is appropriate as it is all about love...

Trading in Love's Currency
Reason said, "We live in a world
of six directions - and that's it!"

Love replied, "There is a path beyond,
and I have travelled it many times."
reason saw a market and set up shop,
but love trades in another currency altogether.

Rumi

Sweep out the stable
Be watchful - the grace of God appears suddenly.
It comes without warning to an open heart.

Sweep out the stable of your existence
and the king will gladly enter.

Rumi

The Missing Sun
You are like the sun -
Come!

Without your face, the garden is yellow and pale -
Come!

Without you, the world is like dust -
Come!

Without you, the circle of love turns cold.
Come!

Rumi

The Glowing of Your Presence
Where have you taken your sweet song?
Come back and play me a tune.

I never really cared for things in this world.
It was the glow of your presence
that filled it with beauty

Hafiz

On that note have a wonderful day, open the heart and spread the love!!

Love xx