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

So the Yoga backlash continues, Anusara this time...

Good grief, it has all gone crazy in the Yoga world. I have just received an email news update from the wonderful Bridget Woods-Kramer, an Anusara-inspired teacher in London with whom I have studied previously, which addresses her regret to write in response to the publicity storm relating to John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga.

It would seem that his actions represent a failure to adhere to the ethical standards of Anusara yoga and more specifically the root philosophical teachings upon which Anusara is based. As if Yoga needed any more bad press.

I studied a lot of Anusara Yoga while I was in Vancouver this time last year and loved the energy of the classes. Of course what has happened in John's personal life does nothing to detract from the quality of his teachings, nor indeed the Anusara lineage and other Anusara teachers. It is just a shame. The internet is full of stories of his reported actions and like Bridget says,

"It should be remembered that we are nothing if we can’t find forgiveness & compassion in our hearts and gratitude for what we have and for that which we have received. I look forward to a time of healing and change and I reaffirm my commitment to be the best yoga teacher I can be."

The trouble is we do put these people on pedestals. They are internationally acclaimed Yoga teachers with massive followings of students. They have inspired and students look to them for spiritual guidance. And yet they are only human. And often their ego works in as many tricky ways as our own. And often the power gets too much. And sadly they then become a false guru.

I have met many of them on my Yoga journey. Open and keen to learn more and to be guided spiritually, it can often take you a while to recognise them. I have always been very good - or is that every bad - at looking for the best in people and not necessarily taking the time to check into my intuition. I have met teachers who have presented themselves as the most spiritually directed and ethical individuals, the kind of teacher who you may pout on pedestal, only to find that they have abused their "power" and have engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with their students or have screwed them over financially.

I guess the lesson for all of us is to recognise the pure from the false. To recognise when someone is using their power in a positive life transforming way, or from the ego. It is a lesson - for me again - not to put people on pedestals and not to always think they are better somehow. It is also a lesson to be pure hearted and minded and utilise our power (as everyone has the ability to be powerful) in a loving way that benefits the whole of humanity.

Thankfully it is Valentine's day tomorrow and I am hoping that despite the commercialism of the day, we can all tap into the universal consciousness of love (as happens when we are all swimming on the same wavelength so bring on those feelings of love from the heart) and raise the vibration of the world (and especially the Yoga world) a little bit.

Time to go dancing around the fairy ring, bring on some more positive changes!

With love.

xx

Is Yoga really bad for you?!

The daffodils are out, which is a reassuring sign that Spring is on its way! Mind you last week it was so cold I figured we may finally be having a winter after all, which was rather poor timing as we are without the coal fire as we wait for our wood burning stove to arrive, hopefully before the next cold snap!!

I read an interesting article in last week's style magazine for The Sunday Times, entitled "Do you feel pain? A new book claims that far from being good for you, Yoga can cause serious damage". Hmm.

The article goes on to say that more than any other activity, Yoga now divides the "fitness industry" into those who think it is essential for a supple and healthy body and those who think it is of little use at all and may even be dangerous.

Apparently in America, hospital surveys have shown that Yoga injuries soared by 136% between 2000 and 2007 and figures are said to be increasing as the number of students increases. It is argued that this is partly down to bad teaching and partly down to bad technique. It is further argued that Yoga is woefully unregulated and some people claim to be yoga instructors after a weekend course.

The teaching is a valid point. While I believe the ability to teach is a gift, it is still essential that people train properly and there is now a plethora of teaching courses available and I am not always convinced that they are all of the best standard of teaching, or more so, that they certify all attendees as yoga teachers even if they are not particularity proficient. Yoga teacher training courses have become an industry in themselves sadly.

As for injuries, I guess there is bound to be some correlation between the increase in the number of people who practice Yoga - apparently more than half a million people attend classes in Britain - and the increase in the number of injuries. Still it would be interesting to see a comparison with say football or running, you know how many people get injured from those "sports" each year.

ultimately the difference is that Yoga is not just another form of exercise. It is something much more than that. Yes it offers the potential to increase one's physical strength, stamina, flexibility and sense of balance, but it also offers the potential to increase one's mental strength, stamina, flexibility and sense of balance in life. Plus of course one should not forget that Yoga in its original form is a spiritual as well as a physical discipline. It helps one to become more conscious, more aware and better able to deal with the stresses of daily life.

I mean there are so many benefits - a regular practice boosts the immune system, reduces depression and prevents postural problems. In early January researchers at the university of Miami showed that practicing Yoga can help breast-cancer sufferers curb the fatigue that affects their quality of life; other studies show that it can improve osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, lower blood pressure and even enhance your sexual vitality!

Ultimately it is down to the individual and being in your body. It is up to the individual to listen to their own body, to know when something doesn't feel right, to stop and not push beyond one's limitations, to breathe consciously and with awareness. No one should ever feel that they have to do something that doesn't feel right for them. No teacher should ever push someone into a position that doesn't feel comfortable for them. It is all about taking responsibility for the self and finding a class that suits your level of fitness and physical limitations.

One final bit that made me chuckle more than anything else...in trying to "sell" Pilates in favour of Yoga, a Pilate's teacher is quoted as saying, "Yoga takes you outside of the body through meditation. Pilates has you stay in your body by tuning your mind into your muscles". Now I am not saying that isn't true about Pilates, but I would say that it is not very true about Yoga.

I like what Cyndi Lee, the inspiring founder of Om Yoga Center in New York, says:- "A purist might say that you shouldn't put too much emphasis on the body, but ignoring it does not make sense either. You can't get enlightened out of the body. Being embodied is an essential part of Yoga - as is embodying your Yoga." It all comes down to the individual and what works for you. I believe it is unfair to say that Yoga is bad for people - it has been life changing for me, I can't put a price on how much it has shaped and continues to shape my life.

Again I couldn't say this better than Cyndi Lee says it:- "Yoga is a personal practice always. The effect of the practice -- awareness, friendliness, compassion - leak out into your life and create templates for all your relationships, but it always starts with your own body, breath and mind. It is about creating imprints, readjusting neurological patterning, creating positive habits".

So practice with awareness and self-compassion and enjoy, always enjoy!!!

Om shanti

xxx

Cyndi Lee is a true inspiration, with love

Well I flew back in from New York today, it is so much colder over here! Yesterday was unseasonal in New york, bright sunshine and warm temperatures for the last day of January, madness!

I managed to squeeze in two classes yesterday and was fortunate with my timings in that I got to attend a class with the Cyndi Lee, my total inspiration. She is a joy, her class was a joy, it is just wonderful to have had the opportunity to meet her in person and to learn so much from her in one class.

I can totally understand the reason she is such a popular teacher, to me she is just so wonderfully ordinary, a real good soul with an incredibly grounded and joyful energy and so incredibly aware of everyone in the room and how to assist them in their practice. I can learn much from her. So thank you Cyndi, you certainly touched my soul and made for a enlightening send off from New York!

"May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all beings never be parted from freedom's true joy.
May all beings dwell in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion."

Om shanti.

More Yoga in New York

I have been having lots of fun with Hannah over the weekend here in New York. We managed a tourist trip up to the top of the Rockefeller building to take in the stunning views of Manhattan, we have been blessed with wonderful weather the last few days.

We walked and walked and walked, we pampered ourselves with manicures and pedicures (they are as popular in this city as Starbucks!) and we even managed to meet some friends of Hannah's and go to the theatre in West Village, a gay production no less, really good night, especially as we chanced upon this amazing angel and crystal shop. Hannah said I went into a trance and while we were somewhat limited for time I was completely oblivious to her trying to usher me out the door - obviously we invested in some crystals and her some more angel cards, bliss!!


On Sunday we met more friends for brunch at Jules Bistro set to live jazz, great stuff, lovely to see Shane and meet new friends. From there Union Square and some shopping because Hannah knows how to shop, it is indeed her passion and I am amazed how it can become so very addictive with all the deals everywhere! This time we chanced upon "Namaste" this incredible book shop with yet more crystals and cards and incense and music and all that stuff I love, so of course I have been back on my own since!!

Today while Hannah worked, I went to Yoga. Big style. Four hours in fact. I started with the intermediate class with Joe, the anatomy teacher on the Om Yoga teacher training course. I attended one of Joe's classes last time I was in town and like that time he inspired me again today with his intricate knowledge of the workings of the body when applied to Yoga asana.

He made a very subtle adjustment to my Tadasana, which has been a revelation for me in so many ways since. Initially I was wondering what effect he was trying to create by making this adjustment and then of course I felt it in my body, and then intellectualised it with my mind. And all of a sudden it dawned on me how important it is to play around with the manner in which we "hold" poses, how a subtle shift in alignment, can create a subtle shift in awareness, which can create, perhaps, a subtle shift in energy and with that, a shift in our life.

It sounds ridiculous perhaps, but the mind is in the body and it is also an instrument for the spirit. I have questioned this last year where we are aiming to go with our practice, should we always be trying to progress to new postures, or should we be content with where we are, and where we have been, does the emphasis move to sitting with the breath, to meditation, does asana drop away? Well all I can say is that for me, the body is the gateway, it works for me, right now and there is nothing wrong with that, we all reach our nirvana in different ways.

It reminded me. Many times while teaching more challenging poses I hear myself saying to students that perhaps it won't so life changing to actually eb able to do that pose. And in many respects I still believe that is true. in so much as it is not the "achievement" of poses that is important, but more so that we have practiced, that we are present, that we are mindful with our breath as we ease ourselves into new territory. If we are doing the pose without awareness, without the breath and perhaps merely through habit then I guess it won't be so life changing. The energy won't have shifted with the mind and the body.



One must remember the importnace of the journey, the small steps that ultimately create the transformation, because then there is not so much effort, it is more subtle. It is possible when seeing people trying the more challenging poses that they force and puff and pant their way into the pose, to be able to say they have done this pose or that pose. But really is that achieving very much? Unlikely. Better to go slowly, take the time and when the time comes so it will be. It is like Pattabhi Jois said, "practice and all will come".

And I think the point is that each asana does really have the potential to transform our life. It doesn't have to be that we can do the most amazing looking postures, or be the strongest person in the class, it can be as small as shifting the way we stand, just a millimeter of pressure change from heels and toes and back again can affect our energy, our connection with the earth, our root chakra and therefore the root chakra elements to our life. Perhaps we feel more grounded to the earth, more connected to our family and perhaps even more so, centered within ourselves. This, for me, is the key. how wonderful does it feel to be centered?!

I stayed and took the advanced class with Ani. This was a joy. I must admit within the first thirty minutes I was thinking, "oh no, not more sun salutations and planks and vasisthasana" but actually my body loves them, it always has, and at home in my own practice I don't challenge myself like this, if it starts to get uncomfortable I stop. You witness this in class when teaching, it is not that the body gets uncomfortable (although often it does and one does need to stop if an injury is likely) but the mind gets uncomfortable and wants to stop, it doesn't always like going out of the comfort zone. How can we transform and allow the soul to shine if we stay stuck in a comfort zone?

What I also noticed in class today was something I read about in a Yoga magazine a few weeks ago. There are good students and bad students and often teachers are bad students, because they don't do what they are told, more so they do what they want to do. It is not just teachers, I do have some students in my classes who are prone to leading at their own pace, to rushing through postures to reach an end, whatever that may be, rather than listening to the instruction and being led, allowing their awareness to be in the body and in the moment, rather than in their head. And today was no different with students beside me leaping into handstand before finishing their sun salutation and sneaking in a head stand while in prasrita padottansana.

It was an advanced class but this didn't mean that we did ten more sun salutations than we would do in an intermediate class, or that we held poses for longer, if anything the "advanced" means more subtle. More subtle movements, more control and awareness of space on the mat as we flowed from one pose to the next, and yes of course a few more challenging poses, some arm balances I don't get the opportunity to practice with teaching instruction, and of course more inversions and back bends. It really was a joy and I left the centre feeling taller, lighter, clearer and more energised. I love it!!

A huge thank you to the om Yoga teachers who have blessed me with their knowledge and energy, they are indeed special teachers, I am learning a lot from them, not only as a student but for my teachings too. Om Namah Shivaya.

It is my last day tomorrow so I have booked in for another 4 hours of Yoga and if I am really lucky one of those may well be with Cyndi Lee, whose books and music have inspired me so much these last few months.

xxxxxxxxx

Om Yoga, it is good to be back in New York!

So I arrived in New York yesterday afternoon, it was quite a long day with the early morning Guernsey start and the transfer on to Heathrow before flying out to JFK. It is funny, I used to get so excited about travelling on aeroplanes but these days, after 6 years of a lot of travelling, I dread the thought of being stuck on a plane in one of those small seats for longer than a few hours!

Anyhow, fortunately (thank you travel angels), the flight wasn't very busy and I had a whole row to myself to stretch my legs and spread out! Probably just as well actually, I finally succumbed to a cough and cold over the weekend, the first in ages, and I am not sure it would have been fair to inflict my sniffing and coughing over some poor stranger!

So I arrived into JFK and it felt familiar immediately, Ewan and I were only here in March last year so it has been too long between trips. I got a taxi to Hannah's apartment down near the Staten Island Ferry, a few roads away from the infamous Wall Street. So I am staying in the heart of the financial district in Hannah's incredible apartment with views of the sea in one direction and strangely, and yet interestingly, into offices straight across.

It is quite nice to be sitting here with people working across the street and knowing that I am on holiday!! What I did notice last night was that contrary to what I may have heard about New York, the offices were clear by 7pm and there weren't many people in them before 8am this morning. And what I found rather fascinating was the fact more of the lights were left on all night - presume this is security - and even television screens...perhaps a waste of energy I would have thought. But there you go, the excesses of the material world!

I got the metro up to Union Square this morning and sat in the square indulging in a Starbucks tea watching the world go by - it was so much quieter than when we were last here in March - before having a quick whirl around the wonderful and huge Wholefoods. I do get rather excited about these health stores, there is just so much choice and I particularly enjoy the massive salad bars. Thankfully I was limited by time so didn't indulge beyond the necessities.

I headed to Yoga of course, Om Yoga, founded by the inspiring Cyndi Lee. I attended classes at this centre in March and I just feel drawn to return. The centre is on Broadway next to Strands, the oldest book store in the city and right up on the 6th floor so you have to get an elevator to get to class! The centre has a fantastic energy to it, really calming with about 4 studios, a large changing room, a few seated areas and somewhere to buy books and clothes etc.



Cyndi originally trained as a dancer and offers a unique brand of Yoga instruction combining creative and invigorating flow sequences that emphasise precise alignment of the body. She does it all with a clear focus on Buddhist teachings of mindfulness and compassion. The Om Yoga teacher training program is known as the Ivy League of Yoga teacher trainings and the teachers at her centre are really inspiring.

Today, it was an intermediate/advanced class taught by Frank, whose class I have attended in the past. It was great. There is no denying the fact that I absolutely love attending Yoga classes overseas! I love the anonymity and the fact I can just stay silent the whole session and really go within. I love listening and learning from new teachers and new sequences. And I particularly love to be encouraged beyond my comfort zone and into new areas of feeling.

So it was great. Lots of vinyasas, flowing standing poses with twists and turns, handstands, backbends, lots of hip openers, a supported fish pose and a shoulderstand before final relaxation. Bliss. Note to self, prioritise attending Yoga classes overseas more often!!

After Yoga and feeling much clearer, brighter and energised, I walked down Broadway all the way back to Hannah's, right at the end. I guess it would probably take an hour, only I kept stopping to look in shops along the way, I couldn't resist, there seem to be sales on all over the place.

It is so cool to be here, especially as I am not so much a tourist this time, which creates a whole different experience and of course it helps that it is rather familiar as Ewan and I did so much when we were last here. I am amused by all the stands at the side of the pavement selling food, some of the smells are nauseating, but all add to the New York ambiance!! And then there are the sirens and all yellow cabs and all that stuff we don't get at home. It is great!


So now I have crashed on the sofa, enjoying some time out on my own with views of the sea and the ferries, and hoping that the jet lag eases so I can stay awake when we go out for dinner later to meet a friend from Guernsey!

Tomorrow, more Yoga and even a Phoenix Rising Yoga therapy session all to myself, excited? Just a bit!!

It is all about the practice.

Love and light

x

Recycle, recycle, recycle!!!

Yesterday morning E and I took a truck load down to the tip at Chouet. E goes down regularly for work and sometimes I join him, this time it was to help clear some stuff for my parents and from around here - seems everyone is getting stuck into this decluttering energy!!

The tip blows my mind. Not least the number of seagulls, which is simply unbelievable, but also the thought of what on earth happens when it is filled up - and more to the point, what on earth are we filling it up with?!

I took some photos before I got told off as it is apparently a no-photo zone, understandable, but all the same, the seagulls were blowing my mind and I was ever so slightly incensed to noticing recyclable objects being buried in the earth. I mean seriously, is it so very time consuming and difficult to recycle?

If only we could all take a little more responsibility for our impact on this planet and make an effort to recycle where we can. I know there are arguments that recycling doesn't make that much difference, but I do think it makes us more conscious of our own waste and how we create this depending on what we buy and how it is packaged. I am very aware, for example, of the excessive plastic packaging on food stuffs from one retail outlet, and try and avoid that where I can, and of course recycle where I can too.

I believe it is worth everyone taking a trip to the tip and really considering what goes into the earth. One day that landfill will be filled and then what, we start sending our waste to Jersey, where it gets burnt and showers Guernsey with ash instead. you can't win, all you can do, is your little bit to reduce waste, recycle where you can, and not just food stuffs but furniture and all that stuff that gets thrown out without a thought for where it ends up in the long run.

Hmmm.

So aside from tip visiting, we managed a run on the cliffs this morning, quite an uplifting and energising way to start the morning,e specially as we didn't see a sole. I would be lying to say I found it a pleasurable experience, yes it was lovely to be on the cliffs, in the fresh air and see nature unfold around me, but it is tough running on those cliffs and I was more than happy to reach the car at the end!! I stretched out during my practice thereafter and have felt quite awake and uplifted the whole day - there is clearly much benefit to this exercise and fresh air malarkey!

Sadly I have made the decision to cancel the proposed Yoga & Wellbeing retreat on Guernsey scheduled for March. Unfortunately there was simply not enough interest to warrant a retreat, which is a real shame as it had been a dream a few years ago to hold a retreat on Guernsey, but sometimes things are just not meant to be, and I must remember that quote about trying to fix something when it isn't broken, as I do so love the Herm retreats and Herm really is the ideal location. As for dreams, well these change with time and the dreams I have now, are different to the dreams I used to have...its a funny old life...the key is knowing when to let go of a dream to make space for the new one to come in. Thank you to everyone who has supported me with the Guernsey retreat, we live and learn, and if we don't try, we never know!!

So there we go. Here I am ranting about recycling and caring for the planet when I know that I am flying out to New York on Wednesday to visit Hannah and undertake some Yoga training for a week. Just as well E and I keep planting trees, balances it all out somehow!! I bought seeds with Mum on Friday too, so all being well tomorrow we can begin the seed planting season and look forward to an abundant summer of fruits and vegetables ahead!!

Keep warm and keep recycling.