4 Books to take you into 2021
Over the past year I have been reading a lot, some fiction, lots of yoga books and these four books that I highly recommend.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
A brilliant book which explains in a pretty straightforward way why enough good quality sleep is essential, what gets in the way of sleep and how we can sleep better.
Nobody Told Me by Hollie McNish
This book includes not only candid poetry about her journey of pregnancy and new motherhood, but also includes some lovely prose giving context and background to the poems and her experiences.
Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms by Kate Northrup
In 14 'Experiments' Kate suggests simple ways to look at your work flow, daily working habits and also self-care to work better and do less. You can implement the ones that resonate easily one by one or a few at a time.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
This one needs no introduction. Michelle is an inspiration and her book won't disappoint.
Read on to find out why I love each of these books
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Taking up Yoga in Lockdown
If you are looking for an activity to support your physical and mental well-being during lockdown, yoga might be just the thing. More and more teachers are taking their classes online for their students, and there's a wealth of free online offerings to access as well.
There is a lot more to yoga than physical movement and the positive benefits that brings. Yoga is for everyone, no matter your age, gender, size, shape, flexibility etc. There are no requirements to practice yoga, there is always a style to suit you.
Read on to find out more about the benefits of yoga and how to find the best class for you.
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Contemplate
I'm sitting here, with a cup of mint tea, looking at my snow covered garden, on the last day of the year feeling a huge range of emotions, feeling unsteady, yet steady, feeling overwhelmed yet ready.
I realise that this year has been such a play of opposites.
Life is always full of opposites, we experience these opposites all the time and sometimes they are heightened by events such as a year like we've been experiencing.
I am called to one of my favourite quotes as I renew my hope. One that reminds me to be present. To look for what is around me and within me right now.
Read on to find some inspiration to take forwards into 2021...
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The Wall
The past week has been tough for me. I hit a wall. Low energy, emotions running high, a definite sense of falling down a hole.
Usually my yoga practice, time and hugs with my family, taking the dogs out, teaching always lifts me up.
But this week I was depleted, how did I dig myself out?
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Change
We can all agree that the last few months have been the type of change to mostly instigate a sense of fear, anxiety, overwhelm and deep challenge. But we have navigated the changes. In one way or another we find ourselves here, now, emerging into... more change.
Perhaps this time change may be at a pace more of our own choosing. There is still plenty of unknown ahead of course, changes we may not be able to anticipate, changes that happen quickly. But at least we now have the benefit of some knowledge and we know that we have come this far and somehow we can navigate the hurdles.
So now we begin to make choices about how we deal with the next changes, what will the next few months look like for us? How will we navigate the next round of change as we emerge from lockdown?
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Yoga Class Online
Teaching on-line has been a great journey over the last few months. It has its challenges and benefits - both for me teaching and for students.
I am loving seeing everyone in their own space, and meeting pets and family. Dads have been joining my baby classes because they are not working or working from home - such a joy!
So while we ease out of lockdown I am delighted to be able to keep online teaching going until we can be face to face again.
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Love and Listening
Over the last week, I have been overwhelmed by the death of George Floyd and the response worldwide to not only his death but so many others. Responses I see daily on email and social media from yoga teachers, friends, strangers.
I hope that this is a time of great change, of love, listening and unity. That this time around we move forward.
I have been reflecting deeply and am very aware that where I thought I was I am not. In this post I share my feelings and intentions to make change as #blacklivesmatter
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How Baby Yoga and Massage can help digestion, colic and reflux
Most babies suffer from digestion issues, from general wind or constipation, to the more severe colic and reflux. It is a common topic of conversation amongst parents in my Baby Yoga and Baby Massage classes.
Here are 4 ways to help your baby to pass wind and ease their little tummy using Baby Massage and Baby Yoga techniques - useful to have in your parenting toolbox :)
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Pause
In yoga and meditation, we learn various techniques and tools to help calm the body and the mind, to re-balance, to find ease and to find 'a pause'.
These last few weeks have in many ways been 'a pause' for all of us. Whether our daily lives and activities have changed a little, a lot, or perhaps not at all. We have all been given an opportunity to stop and reflect. This in itself is a practice of yoga.
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Waiting
"Waiting is a state of mind. Basically, it means that you want the future; you don't want the present. You don't want what you've got, and you want what you haven't got. With every kind of waiting, you unconsciously create inner conflict between your here and now, where you don't want to be, and the projected future, where you want to be. This greatly reduces the quality of your life by making you lose the present.” Ekhart Tolle
We all find ourselves waiting. Waiting for this phase in human history to be over, for the solution, for the answer. When we project ourselves forward into a future we cannot know, we are missing what is happening NOW.
So how do we get to the now?
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