Journal Practice - prompts for reflection and Intention at New Year
Each New Year I spend time reflecting, and creating intentions. Rather than resolutions (which feel too pressurised and likely to fail) I like to think about intentions as process and journey rather than end result.
I also realise that I often find a theme that I want to work with for the year ahead – often it’s slowing down, doing less, increasing time for me, finding joy in the moment. But it has also been ideas such as building community, making connections.
In this blog post I will help you to reflect on your year past and set gentle intentions for your year ahead. I invite you to find a word or phrase to take you through your year. You can contemplate, journal, draw or voice record your ideas however you wish. May they begin a year of good health and happiness.
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At Winter Solstice
During winter we let go of light just as trees let go of leaves, we look towards cosy and warmth and probably more time indoors, and we should rest more as our ancestors once did when they followed the seasons and the longer nights more closely than we do today.
Winter is nature's sign to slow down, let go of brighter months and spend more time resting and reflecting. The cycles of the seasons can support us so much if we listen, feel and follow them rather than fight against them.
This blog invites you to reflect on your year and take time to rest. I also share some beautiful words from the poet and philosopher John O’Donohue.
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10 Ways to Use a Blanket
This blog is about using a Blanket to support your yoga. You can buy specific yoga blankets, but any firm blanket will work.
BKS Iyengar was credited with popularising the use of yoga props through his school of yoga. Over the years many yoga props and supports have been developed to support the spectrum of yoga poses but you can’t go wrong with the basics. Simple yoga props include: belts, bricks, blocks, blankets, chairs, bolsters, cushions and using a wall.
A blanket can be a useful support for any yoga student. In this blog I share a few ideas on how to use your blanket to support you in ten common yoga poses.
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Spirals of Joy - Parent and Baby Bonding through Yoga
The majority of parents/carers can easily recall a moment of pure happiness and joy that occurred when they had a positive interaction with their baby. Simply the response of a smile or a full on belly laugh, or a wonderful hug or even a kiss from their little one. This moment came from a shared experience of love and happiness, each feeding off the other regardless of which person began the moment.
Baby Yoga can help parents and carers to find these moments of joy and happiness. The process of the growth and expansion of these moments and the bond between parent and baby is known as 'The Expanding Spiral of Joy'. Find out more in this blog
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3 ways for new parents to use a muslin to stretch your shoulders
As new parents there are muslins everywhere - now you can add another use for them - to ease out those achy shoulders, that spend a lot more time rounded forward as we hold, feed, lift and carry our little ones.
My ten minute video will show you 3 simple ways to get a lovely shoulder stretch using your muslin or a belt or scarf.
Our shoulders get tight and scrunchy all the time, so this post is not just for new parents, anyone can benefit.
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N.O.U.R.I.S.H. yourself by creating a 'To Be' list
Lots of us have ‘To Do’ lists – but do you have a ‘To Be’ list?
I came across this idea recently and thought it was brilliant. Ensuring that you have time to just ‘be’ is so important in our busy world. It’s more important for our health and wellbeing than all the stuff we have ‘to do’.
In this blog is a little inspiration to create your own ‘To be’ list, using the acronym N.O.U.R.I.S.H.
There’s also a PDF you can download to help you.
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M.E.N.O.P.A.U.S.E. 9 ways to support your menopause journey
Menopause is not something to ‘fix’. It is a natural transition for the female body, and a natural time of transformation.
Western lives and culture mean we may feel the challenge of the transition more than some other areas of the world where women report less symptoms. For some of us we may undergo an early or medical menopause, and for some of us our natural menopause can be hugely challenging emotionally, mentally and physically. If we are lucky our symptoms might be mild.
However we come to menopause, and however we journey through it, we can make it a positive experience as best we can. In this blog post I offer what I think are the9 key areas of our lives and tools we can use to help us to do this. Are there things on the list that might help you manage your journey?
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Going Upside Down
When we think of yoga poses that take our body upside down, headstand and shoulderstand probably spring to mind first.
But there are lots of yoga poses that take our head lower than our heart that are much more accessible, and provide the same benefits.
In this blog post I show you 5 simple and accessible inversions and explain the benefits of going upside down.
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A tour of the female pelvis for pregnancy, labour and birth
It is really useful to understand more about your pelvis and how it is amazingly built to open for labour and birth, to enable your baby to pass through. (
You may have been experiencing some discomfort during your pregnancy which has made you more aware of your pelvis. This may be around the pelvic joints, or it maybe a sense of much more pressure down into the pelvic floor as there is a lot more weight than usual for it to hold up with your growing baby. These experiences can come and go through pregnancy.
In this blog I share a video in which I give you a tour of your pelvis, and there are also some pictures and an overview of what I share in the video.
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10 Ways to Use a Belt
This blog is about using a Yoga Belt. You can buy specific yoga belts, but any soft, non stretchy, belt will work or even a long scarf.
A belt can be a useful support for any yoga student to help you to support a yoga pose; find your way into a yoga pose more fully; and in restorative yoga, belts can be really helpful to help hold parts of the body so that the body can rest and enjoy the benefits of the pose without the effort of holding the pose
In this blog I share a few ideas on how to use your belt to support you in ten common yoga poses.
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