The magic of Byron Bay, Australia

So here we are in Byron, the Utopian town on the East coast of Australia, 2 hours south of Brisbane and 8 hours north of Sydney.

I have spent so much time in this town over the last 7 years that it always feels a little like coming home when I visit. Of course things change, but the energy of Byron is always the same offering a variety of vibes depending on your reason for visiting. On the one hand it is a surfing town, on another it is an alternative hippie town, on the other it is a backpacking party town and yet another it is a boutique town attracting the wealthy from the city on a weekend beach break. Byron is a reminder that we create our reality depending on perspective and attitude.

For me it has always been about the Yoga. This is where I was truly inspired on my Yoga journey, a year into my practice when I sold my house and left my full time job and on a whim decided I needed to spend a few months in Byron. I am still not sure what motivated me to come all the way out here. Admittedly I had visited about 5 years previously with a friend on a holiday to Australia, and actually that had been a bit of a whim trip too.

Still I found myself here in 2004 and just fell in love with the alternative nature of the place. Everything was new to me back then and I loved the opportunity to attend classes with experienced teachers who taught this dynamic form of Hatha Yoga. Then there was the whole hippie, alternative, healing scene, what with so much Yoga and healing therapies and the markets and that back to nature, organic vegetarian vibe. For me it was heaven. I indulged from 2 to 6 hours a day and met many teachers and made new friends and contacts.

As tends to happen, at the end of that 3 month trip, plans came together so that I ended up returning to Byron 9 months later, in September 2005 to undertake my Yoga teacher training course with the inspiring Lance Schuler of Inspya Yoga whose classes I had attended regularly during my time in Byron. Now I think back it was all a little crazy, I was only 2 years into my practice so it was a huge learning curve for me. Still I loved every minute of it, even if was completely full on, 6.5 weeks of early mornings and late evenings, lots and lots of dynamic Yoga so that by the end of it I was a little too Yang.

I hung around Byron for a few more months, my brother and our surrogate little sister Claire, came out to stay and we shared a room together in a hostel down at Belongil on the beach. In fact Ross and I worked at the hostel too, I cleaned and he drove the minibus and worked in the laundry room. It was fun, we had a hostel community going on and a soft pace to life. I spent most of my free time at Yoga undertaking an apprenticeship of sorts with John Olgivie, who has been another truly inspiring teacher for me on that first Yoga trip to the town - another "coincidental" meeting, and many connections since then . I was in Byron for 5 months in the end and my practice on and off the mat developed considerably during that time.

All good things must come to an end and I left Byron to return to Guernsey and set up Beinspired, to share the teachings, knowledge and experience I had gained. I returned to Byron the year later, in 2007, as my brother was still living here, having completed a Yoga teacher training course with John. I spent 6 weeks in Byron that time, attending classes with John and even joined him down at Govinda Valley, a spiritual retreat centre near Sydney and helped on one of his residential teacher training courses. Here I was introduced to the world of the Hare Krishna and developed an interest in their cooking and loving attitude towards food.

I returned again 3 years ago while travelling around the world, and I stopped in for 3 weeks with my friend Hayley, to visit my brother and enjoy the Byron vibe. It was different that time though, life had moved on and I was visiting for such a short time and was going through my own crisis of spirit. John and Lance were overseas so I missed the opportunity to train with them but it did allow me the opportunity to indulge in the teachings of others instead. Plus the weather was pants and the weather is rarely pants in Byron!!

Anyhow here we are back again and this time with E and my folks. It is quite funny really because when Ross and I were living here we would talk about Mum and Dad visiting. They had never really understood the reason we kept returning to Byron and why we couldn't just do our teach trainings in the UK. I guess we always wanted them to come and experience it for themselves, to gain an insight into the reason we love this town, Ross for the surf and me for the Yoga. We would also walk from the hostel to town and dream of staying in one of the beach-side apartments, which were always well out of our price range.


So here we are now, the folks experiencing Byron and indeed Australia for the first time, and us staying in this wonderful villa a mere 2 minute walk from Belongil Beach where we have spent so much time in the past. Bliss! Still town has changed a little with new shops and others closing, but on the whole it is still good old Byron, maybe not quite so many people in town as it is their Autumn here and I am used to spending the summer months in town, and maybe there are not quite so many backpackers, which is hardly surprising as it is so expensive here now, well for us Brits in any case.

So we met Ross in Brisbane in the pouring rain and he drove us down to Byron also in the pouring rain - nothing like a cleansing arrival huh - and we were greeted by my Mum and my new niece, Willow. She is so cute, looks so much like my brother and has a wonderful temperament, although like all babies she can be quite demanding when she wants feeding!

So we settled in rather quickly. In fact we had only been in Byron about 30 minutes when we went for our first swim in the sea. Ah how wonderful, after months of the freezing cold sea at home, it was so refreshing, and indeed uplifting to go into the sea here instead, so warm in comparison! Plus of course the beach at Belongil is just stunning with views of the lighthouse and the hills in the background and the bright sands and clear sea.

Ah how I love the beach over here but gosh, you can only lie on the sand so long in the bright sunshine before your skin starts to burn, regardless of sunblock. Still there has been much more for us to do than simply sunbathe, in fact E and I have been action packed since we have been here, oh so difficult to learn the act of relaxation!

The first morning dawned sunny and bright and I took E along to the Byron Yoga Centre, which has moved since I was last staying here and is now in the centre of town. John is not in the town so we just chanced on an "elements" session with a lady called Ella. It was perfect for what we needed, nice and slow to slow us down to Byron pace. In fact the classes I attended those first few days made me realise how quickly my mind has been working recently as I struggled to get into the slower pace of the classes out here - just as demanding as going quickly, in fact more so perhaps as we were holding poses for longer. It was an interesting awareness, often the case after rushing around in life back home to be in a position to get away!

One day we walked up to the lighthouse, a good 1.5 hour walk from where we are staying and affording wonderful views of Byron and the hinterland in the distance, plus of course Tallows the other side. One of the conservation ladies who works at the lighthouse was peering through some binoculars and had us all staring too as she had spotted whales out to sea. Quite amazing really, they are having strange weather and sea temperatures in Byron too this year and it is apparently very early to see whales at Byron. E and I have been up again since keen to see more of the whales, but no luck yet!

We have cycled around town a number of times, been swimming in the sea at least twice a day and in the 50m open pool too, been surfing a few times which was really rather funny as the currents are so strong here at Belongil and within twenty minutes E and I had drifted a good 70 metres down the beach, and we only managed to catch a few waves in each session, pitiful really! We have walked and walked and even been running, no mean feat in this humidity.



One day Ross drove us out to Protester falls in the rainforest. It was quite a windy journey to get there, right into the gloriously luch rainforest and then a walk through the trees, E looking out for tiny frogs and snakes, but thankfully no such luck on either account! We ended up at the bottom of the waterfall, really rather impressive that someone found it in the first place as the bush is so dense with all those wonderful tropical trees, I only wish we had been able to swim in the pool beneath the waterfall itself, although I am ever so slightly jumpy about the potential for leeches.


In fact it is really rather funny, here I am totally fearful of leeches, and here I am the only one amongst us who ended up getting sucked by a few leeches. Oh my gosh I lea pt out of my skin and made quite a scene when I realised I had one hanging off the back of my calf while we were at the waterfall. Horrible things, the blood was dripping for quite some time after that. And then back at the car I realised I had another one on my leg a nd one on my hand. Ahhhh! It did make me laugh though - yet another reminder that the more we fear something, the more it will appear in our lives...and so now I am trying to be more welcoming of leeches so they leave me alone!!

We drove up to Nimbin too. Most people who visit Byron end up at Nimbin. It is the "drug" town of the hinterland, much cleaner now than it was in the past, but still a sure place to score your weed for that chilled out Byron experience! Dad got asked if he wanted to buy any, a first for him, E got asked too, so I guess they target the men. It is a funny place up in Nimbin, a really strange energy, not quite as dead as it used to be when you would see long haired and drugged up parents dragging their unkempt children around town. Now the place is full of backpackers on a day trip out. We ate some food and looked in a few of the hippie shop before heading back to Byron and taking in more views of the hinterland.


E and I took the folks up to Lennox Head one afternoon. This is rumoured to offer one of the top ten surfing spots in the world although every time I visit, there has been barely any surf. What it does have, however, is the Tea Tree Lake. This is a lake surrounded by tea trees, so that their oil seeps into the lake and makes the water look like it has been soaked in a tea bag. It is an amazing place, great for swimming as the oils nourish the skin and it feels like you are swimming through silk.

On Sunday we all went up to the market in Bangalow that week. I love the market. It has grown in size since I was last here, more like Guernsey actually with local artists and jewellery makers selling their wares, together with a plethora of clothing stalls and food stalls and all sorts of bits and bobs like crystals and fairy stuff as well as the opportunity for massages and tarot card readings, as you can imagine I love it all, especially the falafel staff for lunch and then the chai tent for afternoon tea where you can sit and drink the wonderful Byron chai while listening to people drumming. A perfect Sunday afternoon.



Other times E and I went out on our own. We visited the local town of Mullum, rumoured to be like Byron was 20 years ago, sleepy and grungy. We went for chai and coffee in Bangalow and looked around the trinket and earthy shops, which I love. We drove out to Brunswick Heads and sat in the shade reading our books and enjoying the peace and quiet of another sleepy town this time on the beach. We drove into the hinterland and out to Minyon Falls.



This really is an incredible waterfall, you drive to the top and can walk out and stand on a viewing platform right next to the falls itself and look over the edge at all the tree tops below, quite an incredible drop at 100 metres and makes me feel a little uncomfortable somehow, fear of falling and fear of doing something really irrational like throwing yourself over the rails. Strange!

Of course the highlight for me has been going to Yoga classes daily. Fortunately, too, Lance has been in town this last week, quite coincidental, a true blessing for me, 7-9am 3 days a week (most of the classes are 2 hours long out here). The first class I took E and Mum along with me. Lance has this wonderful shala on his land in the bush out towards Broken Head, a 10 minute drive south from where we are staying. He is up on a hill and is surrounded by the lovely rainforest. His shala is fantastic as the side doors open so that you can see the sun rising in the East.

That first class was packed, 25 us of squeezed into the Shala, and it was a strong class, as it always is with Lance, very present moment, dynamic, no time to think about anything else apart from your positioning on the mat and your breathe, everything else melts away, it is an incredible feeling. He took a liking to E and singled him out a few times, not great for E but entertaining for the rest of us. Mum thoroughly enjoyed the class, the dynamism of the class and also Lance's humour. She could finally understand the reason I traipsed half way around the world to train with him.


A few of the students on my teacher training course who are local to Byron were at the class and it was lovely to see them, so too my philosophy teacher, Phil, who hasn't changed a bit. Lance and Phil both teach together now on the teacher training programmes and also retreats around the world. It has been my ultimate dream for some time to eventually live like this too, I can't think of anything better than travelling to do the thing you love in the most amazing places in the world, all that natural energy and surrounding yourself with like minded souls and a peaceful energy, sharing your passion of Yoga and teaching others from your own experience. Utter bliss.

It reminds me of this fantastic quote I read yesterday, which went something like this - "Success does not create happiness. Happiness creates success. Do the thing that makes you happy and success will follow"....or something like that!

I have been to class twice more this week, really good to be taught by someone who is so knowledgeable and experienced, I have learnt loads, not only about my own body with its imbalances and restrictions, but also about how to teach the subtleties of various poses in a way I have not felt nor considered, or been aware therefore, previously. This is what I love about Yoga, it opens the mind to a different way of thinking, makes us awake and alive, conscious, in the moment, light and full of joy in our hearts.

Mum joined me for class this morning and we started with Bhajans, Phil leading as he played the guitar and we chanted the Gayantri Mantra together, the most ancient and indeed popular mantra chanted in India by millions of people every day. It is an incredible mantra that we used to chant together every morning on my teacher training course - essentially means from the dark comes light, illuminate our mind and hearts.


We joined Ross, Star and Willow out at Brunswick Heads, a wonderful little town with a lovely sheltered beach and lots of shade. Out beyond the pier there was some incredibly steep surf so we stood at the end and watched for a while and even saw dolphins swimming in the surf. Heavenly! Not so the sunburn from sitting on the beach, the sun is fierce out here!

We have eaten some yummy food, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and I love the fact that it is quite normal to be vegetarian here, although we do all eat fish and we have managed to sample some wonderful fresh fish. We had fish and chips on the beach the other day, but it was grilled fish and accompanied with a salad so nice and light, under the stars and with the moon in the distance. We have eaten at a new Hare Krishna eatery, another veggie meal, and meals at home with the family and Ross cooked for us one night too, lots of tofu, macadamia nuts, washed down with lovely Bundaberg ginger beer.

So we are off this afternoon to seek some shade, maybe a little more op shopping and just enjoying being away.

With gratitude.

xxxx

Forty eight hours in Hong Kong

Well Hong Kong was fab and of course totally manic, even more manic than the last time I visited over 10 years ago but that is possibly what makes Hong Kong, Hong Kong!

Back then it was all a novelty to me, my first trip to Asia and the whole Asian experience. I was blown away with the smells and the street food and the foreign signs all over the place. I have seen much more of Asia and the world generally since then so it was interesting to return and see it through different eyes and find that it is still a fabulous city to spend time, a real fusion of East and West.



We were staying in Kowloon, on the mainland, and were fortunate to get upgraded on our first night to a five star hotel and up to a suite on the second night, with a free dinner and breakfast thrown in for the inconvenience. This of course added to the whole wonderful Hong Kong experience, especially swimming in the roof top pool and enjoying our own steam rooms and spa pools, plus of course all the freebies that come with staying in such wonderful accommodation.


Not to say we spent too much time enjoying the accommodation as we were keen to see as much of Hong Kong as we could in the limited time we were visiting. So we went for it, taking the iconic Star Ferry from Kowloon across to Hong Kong Island. From there we walked up to the station to join all the other tourists queueing to take the tram all the way to the top of Victoria Peak. Ordinarily this Peak provides incredible views of the city, but sadly it was a little foggy while we were in town, so the views were not as impressive as I know the could have been. Not to worry, going down the steep hill sitting backwards in the tram was an experience in itself!



From there we navigated our way onto the MTR, the Hong Kong equivalent of the underground, which is really rather impressive - in fact all the transport in Hong Kong is really impressive; clean, spacious, clearly signposted and easy to use. So we took the MTR to Causeway Bay and walked along to Times Square. Not quite as impressive as Times Square in New York, but a buzzing part of the city all the same filled with even more people, which is quite some feat as Hong Kong is the busiest place I have experienced for some time.

We walked - a common theme of our time in HK, in fact we walked so much that I was exhausted by the end of the day and aching the next! - along Causeway Bay to have a look at the boats, all rather cool, especially the older ones. From there was walked all the way back to the MTR station and took a train all the way to the Central Markets. There are4 lots of markets in Hong Kong selling all sorts of things from fake watches, to handbags, to fruits and vegetables and fish too. Interesting to take a peak, but not really my kind of thing.


We trekked up to Soho - get this, there is the option to take an escalator, which runs all the way up the hill for ease of access to the higher parts of the city - and took a drink at the Tantra Bar, all very laid back and chilled out, before enjoying some authentic food in one of the many eateries, and heading to Lan Kwai Fong to take in the sights of the ex-pats and non-ex-pats too of course, living it up at the many bars lining the streets. Phew. This city certainly offers an active party scene for all those socialites.

Back on the MTR to Kowloon and we walked to the Temple Night markets filled with yet more fake watches and handbags and sunglasses all manner of stuff to take home with you. I mean you could get totally carried away with the shopping in Hong Kong. In fact if you are a big spender then you would be in heaven in this city. It is literally teeming with upmarket shopping districts and malls all over the place. In fact you could be excused for thinking that the city is one big mall in itself. I have never seen so many shops and it blows my mind how much stuff there is on sale, and how it can ever all be bought by everyone in the city - what happens to all the stuff that surely doesn't get sold?! Seriously mind blowing for me.

We wandered around Kowloon a little more. It was late and a Tuesday night but still the city was alive. It really is incredible, just so many people all the time. And not only that but so much light too, all the buildings lit up, artificial light all over the place, it blows my mind to consider the city's electricity usage too! It really is a city of excess.



And yet there is of course a softer side too. The next day we headed North to the New Territories, and up to Sha Tim. Phew, how lovely for us non-city dwellers, to find some space again. Here we could see the green hills and there were not so many people, and certainly not many tourists. We were here to visit the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. And in fact we thought we were visiting that Monastery initially, in terms of walking up this building that looked like a Monastery on first glance, only to find it was anything but that.

I guess the fact we walked past rooms filled with photos in front of which people lit incense and gave offerings should have given it away. Plus of course the fact that all the signs were in Cantonese, and the fact that there was so much incense burning everywhere, plus of course the solemn look on people's faces, and the fact an escalator could take you all the way to the top of the building. Still it wasn't until we were descending and the smell hit me, let alone the sight of ash burning in the air, that we realised we were at a funeral home. Oh my gosh that smell is nauseating, bringing back memories instantly of the burning ghats in Kathmandu and Varanasi. What a terrible mistake to make and we wasted no time getting out of there, feeling incredibly disrespectful to those who had come to honour their dead relatives.


Anyhow, we found the Monastery behind the funeral home. It is in fact rather impressive. The figures of golden monks line the approach to this hillside monastery famous for its gaudy Buddhist statuary. The walls of the main hall are bedecked with more than 10,000 Buddha figurines, all slightly different. There are views of the hills in the distance and the whole place has a rather serene energy, quite in contrast to the energy of the centre of Hong Kong. A perfect place to get away from it all for a few hours!



Back in Hong Kong we wandered around the Temple Street markets some more before enjoying a final Cantonese meal and taking in the energy of the whole place some more. It is an incredible city. After a final swim in the pool we went to the airport for our overnight flight to Brisbane in Australia and onto the utopia of Byron Bay. All rather exciting!

The Magnolia tree

I finally remembered to take photos of the glorious Magnolia tree at the bottom of our lane. It is stunning, still brings a smile to my face every time I pass it.

As you know I am blown away by Spring this year, it is just such a magically colourful world out there and free too, one can never doubt the abundance of nature, nor the presence of the Divine, which is visible everywhere.



Strangely I came across this wonderful poem in the Sunday Times Style magazine, which sums it up perfectly:-

"Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe,
Who did not leave a single thing lacking in His world,
Filling it with the finest creatures and trees,
So as to give pleasure to all mankind".

(Talmud, Berakhot, 33,2)
Only a few days until we leave for Australia, so on the one hand we will miss the 3 weeks of Spring, but on the other hand we will get to enjoy lots of sunshine, sea, Yoga and Byronshire nature, and return when the evenings are lighter and the days warmer. Hoorah!

xx

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