 I had a wonderful week away on the Mediterranean coast and the lemons in the picture above (yes, green lemons!) were fresh from the grove behind the apartment.
I had forgotten how a week of sunshine, sea and an abundance of fresh lemons can be truly restorative and the memory of it is still with me to drop in to when the grey skies aren't uplifting. My daily yoga was on the roof terrace in the glow of the morning sunrise overlooking the bay. The terracotta tiles were cold but the warmth of the sun was fabulous. But of course, there are still flies and bugs, and the idyllic bay still offers up the chug of boat engines. Even in paradise there are things to take issue with, if you want to. Yoga in a beautiful environment Our yoga practice doesn't need to be in a beautiful and inspiring environment (although it is wonderful!). The end of the bed, the corner of the studio, tuning in to a few breaths at our desk with a taller spine - it all counts. Eyes closed and tune in - it doesn't matter where you are. Enjoy each moment - get inspired by Chris Hoy I was listening to the cyclist Chris Hoy on the radio this morning and he summed this up brilliantly. As you might know, he has recently announced a very challenging health diagnosis. Yet he has learned to take inspiration from it. Whereas before he might get stuck waiting for a delayed plane and be frustrated and get annoyed. Now when he gets stuck waiting for a plane, he turns to enjoying the moment. He gets to notice and fully appreciate the day that he has been gifted, instead of just moving through it. He has time to experience the breath in the body, the friendly people around him, the book that he doesn't get to read enough, the health that he has while it lasts. Time is limited When you are facing how limited your time is, it helps you stay focused to attending to each moment more and make the most of it. When we don't face a challenging diagnosis we still have that option to bring this same attitude of appreciation, gratitude and enjoyment to our moments, even the challenging ones. Our surroundings ultimately aren't as influential as we think they are. We can all wake up to the moment we are in and enjoy it more fully. We can choose to let go of worrying about what might happen. We can let go of dwelling on that troublesome thing from a recent memory. We practice this on the yoga mat, focusing in on what is actually going on in the body and breath, without the extra thoughts layered over about past and future. Moving and breathing We stand on our mat. We breath and feel the body. We move and start to come out of our heads and pay attention to what we find. The movements help us settle into steadier breaths and release our tense shoulders and backs. We rebalance physically, mentally and emotionally, and find ourselves loosening our knots and becoming more connected to ourselves. We let go of the small stuff and rediscover that this moment, that we are in right now, this body and breath, is good. Sunshine or not. Enjoy it.
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 This last weekend I hosted my annual yoga retreat. We were just an hour from here, deep in the Somerset countryside in a beautiful country estate. The theme of the weekend was peace. To cultivate peace in life, body and mind. Let's pause We are always so busy 'doing' our lives. Working, shopping, fixing, supporting and caring, and then recovering from the demands of it all. At the end of each day, our energy is spent, we end the day flat out, then we sleep it off, and begin all over again the next day. Create space The space created this weekend was much-needed by everyone. The sublime location in the Somerset countryside, the sessions of yoga, the wonderful food, the inspiration and energy of the birdsong and spring bursting out in all directions. The weekly class upgraded to full immersion Cast your mind back to your last yoga class. You reached the end, and felt much better than when you arrived. Then you left and carried on with the rest of your day. When your on retreat, you don't go home and carry on with the day. Instead you are are in a beautiful location, not asked to do anything, offered nurturing practices, fed well, listened to, then you get to relax again, but more deeply in a candlelit evening relaxation / meditation. Then a night of peace, the occassional owl hoot, relaxation and sleep in a comfortable bed. Woken by the abundant morning chorus, pre-breakfast yoga to energise and revitalise. Fed more wonderful food, deepening gentle practices, and a chance to discuss and explore the wider elements of yoga that we often don't find time for. A spacious glimpse This allows us to glimpse the transformative qualities that yoga helps bring to everyday life. We stay immersed in this calm, vital spaciousness all weekend, letting it seep deeply into every aspect of ourselves. The vibrancy of nature, internal and external, is revealed and rediscovered. Through making space, practicing yoga, laughing, listening, chatting, crying, sitting, lying, eating and everything in between with new and old friends. And we bring this spaciousness home with us, and so it ripples on.  We retreat from...
Day-to-day demands Usual routines Distractions Noise Work TV and phones Traffic and city-life Stress and tension Fast pace and being constantly busy Doing life We retreat into... Tranquil countryside Sanctuary Abundant birdsong, spacious vistas of the Somerset levels Nature Slowing down and breathing Yoga practices to nurture and cultivate vitality, stability and peace Spacious time Being cared for, cooked for, encouraged, listened to Community of friends Spiritual connection Ourselves, tuning in, listening Quiet Being Peace Feedback from this year's retreat: "Thank you so very much. It was perfect and as I had hoped / needed" "Such a special time" "Really inspiring weekend. Great to reset and rethink yoga." "Loved the pace and balance of practice, breathwork, time for walks. Perfect for noticing and nourishing the whole of me" Stay in touch for info on next year's retreat which I'll start planning soon.
Slow downWe took the opportunity to slow down and really give space to our yoga practice and to go deeper. Each practice was longer than a usual class giving more time to delve, spend time exploring poses or pauses for longer and gaining familiarity with the ‘health mantra’ to cultivate our health and nourishment. Nourish It could sound self-indulgent to spend a weekend like this, but truly it isn’t. Each of us needs nourishment so that we can show up in our everyday lives with more energy, kindness, patience and good humour and do all the things we need to do better. The hope is that periods of deeper practice rekindle the love of regular practice to inspire you to continue to nourish yourself regularly, to show up on your mat and avoid running on empty for too long. BreathThe interest and discovery of breath was a real take-away for many. The workshop seemed to gravitate towards this through the interest of everyone there. It was so great to have time to experiment with the effects of breathwork in our practice and to understand how it can profoundly change our state and effect how we feel energetically, physically and mentally. Working with the breath takes patience, I remember working with a breathing technique for 5 years (!) before I finally got it and was able to gain the benefits from it. Yes it was worth it! It can be such a useful and vital aspect of ourselves to cultivate. ResultsThe feedback from the weekend has been wonderful. “Beautiful house, gardens, great food and very friendly. I enjoyed it so much and learned so much about the breath which I think has transformed my practice and I'll take forwards. I loved how relaxed it all was and a perfect gentle rhythm to the days. Thank you so much.” “An outstanding weekend” “A fabulous weekend. Feeling relaxed and grounded. Thank you.” ContinueI’m already looking forward to the next one and will be planning it soon. Watch this space as the last one has been fully booked since last December.
In the meantime, keep yourself nourished, including through your yoga practice. I have weekly classes which keep you practicing reguarly, offer 121s to support you with starting or developing your home practice, have online resources to help you practice in a fruitful way, and some nourishing Autumn workshops available soon. Please get in touch if I can help or give me a ring if you want any guidance on your yoga practice or getting started. Clara x |
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Bristol YogaSpace Ltd
Princes Place, Bishopston Just off Gloucester Road Bristol BS7 8NP |
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