My Meditation Journey

Today, 22nd May , is World Meditation Day. I wanted to share with you my meditation journey, how meditation is simple and effective and maybe inspire you to try it!

15 years ago in a California yoga studio, a shift in my yoga practice happened. One day on the mat I experienced a deep resonance as I moved in a sun salutation, like I had become one with the movement and the space around me. It felt amazing and I realised that yoga was not just a physical movement experience.

As I journeyed through my practice, widened my knowledge and trained to teach yoga I came to realise that what I had experienced in that California yoga studio was a meditative state through movement.

Meditation was something I was intrigued by, had sat and done guided by teachers and using recordings. But I didn't really understand what meditation was supposed to feel like, where it was supposed to take me or if I was doing it right. Recordings were lovely and relaxing, but there must be more to it than just following them and feeling rested. I wanted to really know how to meditate.

Four years ago I joined a meditation teacher training with Mick Timpson at Beanddo, Manchester. I didn't plan to teach meditation, just deepen my understanding of it. The accessible meditation tools I learned underpin every meditation I do, and actually everything I do in daily life. Read on to find out more about my meditation journey, why I teach meditation and how meditation might help you too.

Cautious or Can't Wait?

It's almost time for yoga classes to return to in-person. We await the next level of restrictions lifting on 17th May, and government confirmation that we can get back to practicing in a room together in England.

But how are you feeling about this? The reality is that we're not all ready to plunge back into closer proximity to others, and that's ok.

I spent a lot of time last autumn, working out a comprehensive covid policy and procedure for in-person classes. When we were not in lockdown, we came together safely and I felt confident hosting and teaching classes because this was in place and we all adhered to it. We could still chat, make social connections and enjoy being together. Mums and babies, and pregnant ladies could make those important networks and share experiences. Students commented that they felt safe and it was joyful to practice together.

In this blog post I talk about how I am feeling as we go back to class and how my covid policy and procedures can help you feel reassured. Whatever the individual journey we have had to navigate and wherever we are on the scale of cautious to can't wait I welcome you to class whenever you feel ready.

10 Reasons why Mum & Baby Yoga is great for your baby AND you!

There are so many benefits to joining a baby class, and so many benefits to joining classes that support you as a new parent as well as your baby. In this blog post I talk about 10 benefits of joining my Mum & Baby Yoga class in depth:

1. Build confidence lifting and handling your baby

2. Baby Yoga can help soothe those common baby niggles – digestion issues, colic and sleep problems.

3. Supports the development of your bond with your baby

4. Enjoy meeting other parents and babies

5. Builds confidence in communicating with your baby …

…Read on to find out about each of these in-depth and find out what the other 5 benefits for you and your baby are.

Baby Yoga, Postnatal YogaSarah CloverApril 7, 2021Baby Yoga, Postnatal Yoga, yoga quotes

Transition

This time last year in the UK we celebrated Spring Equinox with a sense of being pulled back from blossoming and outward growth, and being pushed inward, into our home spaces and losing freedoms we had taken for granted.

This year I am celebrating a year of teaching classes online, all that it has taught me and the students who’ve joined me. I’m celebrating the teaching of the Steady Centre that yoga brings us. How coming back to centre and spending more time with our ‘self’, has been one of the things we’ve been thrown into, has most challenged us and possible has taught us the most.

We are no longer the world we thought we were, the world of ‘normal’ and we are not yet a new world emerging. We are still in transition. We are still navigating change and always will be.

Read on for my reflections on our year of change...

Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga philosophySarah CloverMarch 18, 2021yoga philosophy, yoga practice

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

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.

Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverFebruary 14, 2021yoga practice

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...

Sarah CloverDecember 31, 2020

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?

Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverOctober 16, 2020yoga practice

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?

Yoga and Wellbeing, Yoga PracticeSarah CloverAugust 5, 2020yoga quotes, yoga practice

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.

Yoga Practice, Yoga and WellbeingSarah CloverJune 24, 2020yoga practice

Occasional Thoughts Blog

07977093373• sarah@breathingspace-yoga.com