So you’ve finally made it to Christmas week. The presents are wrapped, the turkey on order, cards sent out to everyone from your third cousin twice removed to the plumber. The tree is decorated, the kids nativity play done, arrangements made for relatives, you even survived the office xmas party (and didn’t inadvertently flash/snog/cry all over anyone inappropriate). Phew. Now all you have to do is cook Christmas dinner for 8 people, oh and don’t forget Boxing day buffet. Pause … stop … and breathe.
So, my friend, level with me here (its ok no-one’s listening) … how are you feeling? Full of festive joy and cheer? Or pretty bloody shattered actually, a bit emotional, and in need of a well deserved break.
Take a second to ponder this question … are you taking care of yourself? Are you investing in yourself in the way you invest time in your family, your loved ones, your career, your responsibilities?
We’ve all heard the phrase “you cannot love another until you love yourself”. Taking time to relax, renew and connect to ourselves means our lives seem fuller, somehow richer. Our interactions with others become calmer and kinder. We become more understanding and more ‘authentic’ when we know our true selves.
We’re all aware that yoga is a spiritual practice, but the truth is that in a 60 minute studio class, we teachers simply don’t have the time to go deep into philosophy, to help you unpick what this ‘yoga’ really is … a truly and undeniably life-changing tool.
Speaking for myself, what I really want is to instil in you is the power that yoga has for self-transformation … not only of your physical body but the profound effect it has on the mind, the emotions, the ‘self’. Sure I love teaching creative vinyasa flow sequences, playing with arm balances with you, seeing your flexibility and strength improve week after week … but what I really want to share with you is the ‘magic’.
The biggest gift for me is when you guys ‘get it’. When that little lightbulb goes off and you see the bigger picture. That its not about handstands and lululemon pants, its that moment when you stop beating yourself up, you let down your guard, you become ok with not getting it perfect, and you realise that you are ALWAYS enough.
I could spend hours banging on about how, on a yoga retreat, you’ll take inspiring classes, spend your afternoons relaxing on a beautiful beach, get awesome at headstands, eat great food, meet like-minded people … (all of these things are true by the way!) but what you’ll LEAVE with will be the magic, the understanding of how to harness this amazing tool we call ‘yoga’.
So this year I won’t be theming classes on backbends or hip openers. I’ll be using our yoga practice to get all ‘Paul Daniels’ on your ass (cheesy reference to the ‘magic’)
Our themes will be gratitude, self acceptance, risk taking, devotion, community, surrender. Each class will be a 2 hour journey through each theme incorporating mindfulness, vinyasa flow, great music, poetry and philosophy. We will explore each theme through the body and then blow the doors off as we connect back to philosophy so you understand why we do what we do on the mat and how to take this into your life when you’re off it. You’ll begin to understand that every time we step on the mat we’re working towards self-acceptance, when we surrender into a pose we relinquish control, when we attempt to balance on our arms, we develop strength of character, determination, tenacity and when we keep going, we show devotion.
Same awesome yoga flows, same beautiful playlists but now we connect it back to the source … we connect it back to you.
For more information on my upcoming retreat in Goa go to the Retreat Page