London, the wonderful Julie Gudmestad and too much heat!

I have just spent a lovely inspiring and nurturing weekend in London, not only staying with one of my friend's, Hannah, but also attending Julie Gudmestad's Applied Yoga & Anatomy course at the Life Centre in Angel (www.gudmestadyoga.com).

Aside from my day trip to Redhill, I have not gotten off the Island (or rock as we tend to call it) since March, so a break was much needed - as much as I love Guernsey, one can begin to feel a little claustrophobic and trapped after a while, possibly a result of the lack of anonymity as much as anything else!

So it was fantastic to be anonymous in the big city once more (even if it was stupidly hot on the Saturday) and I managed to fit in a trip to my Ayurvedic doctor in South Croydon for a much needed catch up and advice about the ongoing saga of my skin since the tick bite in Nepal. As always Deepika was her usual lovely self, full of energy and wisdom. It is a pitta imbalance of course, makes perfect sense. Needless to say been doing/eating all the "wrong" things to promote this pitta imbalance - why does that always happen?!! Sigh!!

So no more running in the sun, no more spicy foods, no more tomatoes and carrots, no more midday sunbathing, no more chocolate and no more lettuce - argh, how will I cope, I eat lettuce with practically every meal, I love lettuce, it is one of my favourite foods. Yikes!! of course this isn't forever, just to find some sort of balance again. Phew. The worst bit is the smelly herbs I have to take for the next 2 weeks, about 6 times a day, it is awfully complicated and does encourage regular eating habits however!

Hannah is an angel and a most accommodating and welcoming host and I was spoiled rotten with lovely food, a comfortable bed, a lovely and hot shower and great company! She has gotten right into her garden recently and it is looking lovely - gone are the days where we tuck into a bottle of wine upon my arrival at her house - this time we were out watering and weeding the garden together, made me chuckle actually. She has this wonderful cherry tree overhanging into her garden, so we got to eat fresh cherries all weekend. Thank you Han, was really, really lovely to spend time with you.

The Yoga course was excellent too. I must admit that I sign up for these workshops and then I find that I get bored as the weekend progresses as I want to practice rather than simply sit there listening to the teacher. This workshop found the balance perfectly - Julie was very engaging, hugely real, truly inspirational and incredibly unassuming and humble. She is clearly a lady who not only knows her stuff, but has had lots of positive results putting her "stuff" into practice in both the physiotherapy and Yoga world. Of course I can't wait to out my new found knowledge and experience into practice.

Back on Guernsey now and the skin condition has kicked off again. I now have 2 boils...talk about excess pitta and fire in the body, no kidding. Quite unbelievable. Saw a doctor who actually made sense yesterday - thank you Dr Beverly (who also practices Yoga) - and so on yet another and final course of antibiotics to clear the infection. All from that tick bite. Not idea, the antibiotics kill all the good bacteria in the body and stress the liver, let alone all the other medication I have taken to numb the pain and the itching. And here I am trying to love a holistic life. Tested? Yes. Still all supports the idea of balance. No doubt the magical Ayurvedic herbs will kick in soon.

Of course being incapable of moving like this does have its positive side - what is it they say about blessings in disguise - means I get to lie around with hot compresses and nurture myself and try and do my bit for the healing process. Also means I have to let others help me (arggh, not so good at that one) and let go on all levels - so what is the recycling needs doing, or we need to go shopping, or the garden needs weeding, it can all wait until another day...how liberating!

Anyhow praying that everything comes to a head...and I can embrace my new relaxed and laid back attitude into my day to day life when I can move again!!

xxx

A day trip to the UK, new moon all up in the air

I accompanied my Dad and our cat, Bumble, on a private plane to the UK today flown and indeed owned by Mr P, a friend of my parents.

I have never flown on a twin engine light aircraft before and I must admit that it was all a little surreal, 7.30am this morning, sitting on the plane with my Dad beside me and the cat on the seat facing me in her box, not your every day experience!

Flying at 2,000 feet on such a beautifully clear morning was a joy - we got to see the shipping lanes (I had no idea there were so many ships out there!), fly over the Isle of Wight, and take in the views of London closer up to Biggin Hill.



From there we took a taxi through the beautifully green and tree-filled Surrey countryside to the veterinary centre where Bumble was booked for an eye operation with the top cat eye specialist in the UK - honestly, my friends in Nepal would find it really difficult to understand the trouble (and indeed the expense) my parents have gone through for one of their cats!

So while we waited for the cat to have her operation, Dad and I headed into Redhill and spent a few hours bumbling around. Not the most interesting of places to find ourselves but I still managed a little shopping and then we sat and watched the world go by and it crossed my mind how much diversity there is in this world and yet here we all are, just trying to survive.

Bumble's operation went well and we managed to get back to Biggin Hill by 4pm for our flight back to Guernsey. The weather was really warm and the skies a little cloudier than the morning, so we flew lower and jumped along quite a few hot air pockets as we flew down over the Downs and onwards to the coast over Portsmouth. Being so low the views were pretty cool, especially over the shipping lanes again and coming into Guernsey. Thank you Mr P for a wonderful trip and thank you to Bumble for being such a well behaved and inspiring cat!



Back in Guernsey, I went straight to teach and taught a grounding session, not only to bring me back to earth after my "up in the air" day, but also to ground the energy of today's New Moon - all good fun, thank you to those who attended and shared their uplifting energy. I ran back home to clear my head, I am really enjoying running at the moment and especially at this time of the day when there is little traffic and the sun is setting and the honeysuckle's scent fills the air. I feel very lucky to live over here in Guernsey, it is a true blessing.

x

I made jam today and was inspired many times

Today I made jam! This is the first time I have ever made jam and it is a really rather satisfying process - thank you Mum for your patience and your inspiration! Of course I had to spend an hour before making the jam, picking the berries in the greenhouse, but I rather enjoy this whole greenhouse malarkey, it is incredibly relaxing and fulfilling...nothing like growing to satisfy the soul...funny that growing is in my blood and has found me again.

I went swimming with Christine at Petit Bot this morning. It was cold! But ah, such a wonderful way to start the morning, looking up at the cliffs and watching the seagulls gracefully riding the sky, and feeling relatively insignificant and yet awe struck by the normality of it all (birds flying, clouds passing the sky, waves on the ocean...who thought of this stuff?!) and having these wonderful chats with Chris about the spirituality of life. Have to love it!



The sun was shining as we walked back up the beach and Chris decided to make the most of the opportunity to embrace its energy and give thanks with a sun salutation in her bathers. Sadly I was far too cold and could only sit and watch instead, huddled in my towel, all the time thinking that in that very moment, Chris was truly living that moment...knowing as well as I do, that that moment will never come again, and truly flowing with the grace of life and inspiring me in the process.

Only an hour later and I was inspired again, this time by an 80 year old gentleman who attends Sheila's Tuesday morning classes. Now there is an example to us all. He has hearing problems and has to wear a hearing aid, which often buzzes in the background, and he has trouble balancing, but he is always smiling and has a great sense of humour. I am truly humbled by his presence in class.

I must admit that I have had one of those days where I have found myself questioning the meaning of life. Rather strange. In the past I have enquired many times into who I am, but it has been many, many years since I have questioned the meaning of life. And now it is back again!



It is like the mist has cleared a little and the illusion has lifted. This morning all I saw was suffering and this afternoon, more so joy. Weird stuff, the extremities of our existence and mirrors of the mind. I guess my sense of meaning has shifted slightly, purpose and raison d'etre. Crazy stuff.

I saw a black bird carrying a yellow bit of plastic in its beak today. I also saw next-door-neighbour's cat, who has adopted us of late, scampering across the back lawn with a dead rabbit in its mouth.

Class was great fun tonight, thank you to all those students who shared their energy in such an uplifting way. I have been buzzing ever since.

Anyhow bed time. I am off to England tomorrow with Dad and Bumble Cat, who is booked in with a top cat eye specialist for an eye operation, poor little thing.

xx

Cool skies

What a beautiful day! The sun was shining early and if you managed to get out of the wind, then it was really rather burning!

I was captivated by the sky at lunchtime - it looked as if someone had painted the sky with a brush of white paint, rather incredible.

The greenhouse is starting to go berry mad...loganberries, raspberries, tayberries, boysenberries, blueberries and strawberries. There is nothing better, and possibly more nutritious, than eating the berries straight from the bushes - yum!!

I managed a brief swim in the sea today, anything to ease the itching of my arms as the tick bite strikes back again, and it was surprisingly warm, I am intending to go in as much as I can for the rest of the summer, after my slack effort in May! It does make you feel so much better as challenging as it may be to get in the water - especially when it is cold and windy.

I was lucky to receive a Reiki treatment today - it is just so wonderful, I felt so incredibly relaxed during the session and did not want it to end, and then I just felt so much clearer afterwards somehow. I can highly recommend, hugely beneficial, regardless of whether you suffer with stress.

Bank Holiday coming up and fingers crossed we get some rain for the poor garden. I am looking forward to having the time to walk and swim and cycle and practice and catch up with friends and family. Hoorah!

Retreating at Vazon!

Phew, it finally rained, well kind of rained, more like heavy drizzle really, but still, I m sure it has helped the garden a little.

I am housesitting for my parents at the moment, so I am particularly aware of the weather as they have a rather large garden and an industrial sized greenhouse where they grow an incredible assortment of vegetables and fruits, and I have the responsibility of ensuring nothing dies during their absence. Lucky me!

Actually it has been a bit of a blessing and great timing. I hadn't realised how stressed I had allowed myself to become earlier this month (I always find that rather ironic, being a Yoga teacher and all) and so being forced back to the rhythm of nature, has been brilliant. I am thoroughly enjoying watering in the greenhouse each morning, seeing how everything is growing - the asparagus seem to grow before my very eyes, the berries are ripening by the day and the lettuce is its usual crazy self!

Of course there is more on its way, lots more vegetables and tons of fruit - the trees are seriously laden at the moment, this is certainly an abundant year! There is a vegetable garden outside too with lots more growing and then the banks of flowers and shrubs lining the outside of the greenhouse and all the herbs and the incredibly aromatic lavender and jasmine on the back patio, I just love it.

I have to say there is something incredibly grounding about waking up in the house where I have lived most of my life, without the sound of the early morning paper plane, or the clicking of horse hooves, nor the hooting of car horns as people drive around a corner on a Ruette Tranquille (maximum speed limit of 15mph), which I always find rather ironic really - hooting on a quite lane that is - all of which happens every morning where we live in St Andrews!

So living down at Vazon has been a little like being on retreat. Quiet, aside from the rustling of the leaves on the trees and the wonderful sound of the sea (especially in the evening), and green, so incredibly green, and spacious and light, and just so peaceful - all those wonderful qualities of a retreat centre. plus the most amazing sunsets and it only takes me a matter of minutes to go to the beach to swim in the sea and it is much warmer on the West coast too!

Needless to say it was indeed the perfect setting for the Reiki 1 course on Saturday. Thank you ladies, as always a pleasure to spend time with you all, and to share and laugh together - truly inspiring! It always fascinates me how we all come together, whether it be through Yoga, through Reiki, through the Wellbeing retreats or through nutrition and how we always have so much in common - I guess another indication, as we learn and indeed experience through Reiki (and indeed Yoga), that we are, essentially, all one.

So its been a fab few days enjoying nature and spending time with my lovely friends and wonderful boyfriend.

And thank you, dear Universe, for the rain!

xxxx

Practice, practice, practice!!

It's been a challenging week and I know I am not alone on that one. All the bank holidays have forced people to squeeze more into less working days, and this wonderful weather has put the pressure on to get out there and enjoy it. So this has disrupted every one's routine and now we have the full moon just adding to the general energy imbalance.

Still, one has to try to remain positive. The weather is stunning. Guernsey is beautiful. We are lucky to have these bank holidays (not so, perhaps, for those of us self-employed however!). I have fantastic family and friends. I have my health (tick bite aside of course). I have my practice. I have my cats. I have so much more than I realise.

And this is sometimes the problem - that we have more potential than we ever actually realise - as in transform into form, manifest then. And somewhere inside we know this. Know that there is more to us than we express, than we ever really embrace. And we put on toe in, and then pull it out again, and sometimes we stand on tiptoes to try and see further, without looking straight ahead, at what is already there facing us, if we weren't trying so hard, if we weren't doing so much about it. And then there is fear. Oh yes, big real, solar plexus churning and kidney aching fear.

And that's the reason I am so passionate about Yoga. About the fact it wakes us up, and makes us consider our potential, helps us to realise our potential. Not to say that that process is always easy, often it is incredibly challenging, because something inside us is looking for change - wants to transform, whats to break free and find expression in our selves and in our lives. And times like this, when we may often want to run away from our mat, what we actually need to do is get on our mat, be with ouselves, with our practice, day in and day out.

I am loving being able to attend Sheila's Power Yoga classes. They are challenging on both physical and mental levels, which I love because it doesn't give you too much time to think about anything else, plus you have the opportunity to totally connect with your physical body and all that it is trying to tell you. Plus the classes are fun with a healthy amount of laughter and smiling to make you feel inspired and joyous - I love these classes so much more than those that are really serious.



I also love practicing outside. I am looking after my parents greenhouse and gardens while they are away and love practicing at their place as it is so quiet and peaceful and full of trees and flowers and new life everywhere. I practiced there this morning and was joined by Alfie, my cat who now lives with my parent, and I just loved it - like old times, him rolling around on my mat in the sunshine, me trying to practice around him, just the sounds of nature and the wind blowing the trees.

I love being in tehir greenhosue too. Again it has such a peaceful energy and is full of fruit trees bearing very young fruit and all the berries starting to ripen, and the asparagus growing before your very eyes, and all the lettuse, endless amounts of fresh lettuce. The next few weeks should be fun with all the watering and the picking!

Full moon tomorrow morning so lots of energy buzzing about, lots of thoughts and lots of heightened emotional sensitivity. So let's embrace it all, let's dance with our edge, lets stand still on the earth and feel the grass beneath our feet, let's eat well and drink well and let's just be content and gracious, and joyful.

In service of light and love.

xx

The Orchid fields

On Liberation Day we visited the Orchid fields down on the West coast. They are amazing!! Someone was heard saying that they are the best this year, a little like the bluebells and all the other wonderful wild flowers.

If you live in Guernsey and have never visited, then please do take a wonder down there.



We are really rather lucky to live on this beautiful Island - I was saying to Ewan that if we were backpacking here, we would be blown away by the cliff walking and all the activities on offer at the moment - Walking week, the Literary week, let alone all the live music. Mum was saying that Castle Cornet is open this Friday evening for people to go and investigate. Great fun!!

Slowing down

All these bank holidays have been wonderful but they have thrown everyone out of their routine and I have noticed a drop in the number of students attending the evening classes the last few weeks, which is a shame as I feel the energy is heightened when there are more of us in the room.

Still it has given us lots of time to socialise with family and friends and catch up in the garden. I have even started decorating in the house, which has been fun, even if it does seem like a lot of hard work sometimes!

Being a little off colour has made me a little slower than normal - probably a good thing, lots of time for inward reflection (although taken to excess and this is not a good thing!), and letting the body heal.

I guess something that has been running through my mind since the Yoga therapy course is the fact that the body knows how to heal...if we only allow it to do its thing. The trouble is that we are bombarded by all sorts of information about how others think we should heal, of what we should do be doing and eating, so that often there is no space for us to hear our own body's wisdom. Plus the mind is a powerful thing and will easily overrule the body in decision making.

Still the Universe is full of signs and prompts, if only we can see and indeed understand them. And let's face it, it is all about just getting on with it and living.

Talking of which, I have just read a fantastic book called "The Little Princes" by an American guy, Conor, who went out to Nepal to volunteer in a children's orphanage and ended up setting up his own organisation - Next Generation Nepal (NGN)- and children's home. Very inspiring and made me yearn for Nepal again (it was only a matter of time). There is just something incredibly wonderful and indeed powerful about this poor and complicated country.

Yoga is a fantastic modality for transformation. Trouble is, the periods of transformation, when you start to see everything differently, can be a touch testing, as you have to let go of all ideas of how you think things should be, and accept that everything is different to how you thought it was! It is difficult to explain, but a joyous process in the end...and a never ending one too!

There is just so much diversity in this world, so much to see, feel and experience, so many different cultures and ways of being. And we are just one tiny part of that massive whole - and yet an important part of that whole too.

Mind blowing!