My 2020 Story

Why Yoga?

People come to yoga for so many reasons. Perhaps the perceived flexibility and mobility benefits to be had – maybe better sleep. I thought I’d summarise the benefits here – it would be interesting to see why most people start their adventure into the world of yoga though.

To improve flexibility – a physical benefit which may come as a result of a long-term practice.

Better sleep – almost immediate effect with the right practice at the right time

Selfcare – all time spent doing something for yourself is good

Anxiety – yoga movements and breathing are shown to be helpful in anxiety. May be advisable to consult a doctor if symptoms are long term.

To help with back pain – Dru Yoga for a Healthy Back is shown to reduce chronic back pain. Consult a trained yoga teacher. Not all yoga movements will give this benefit.

To help with menopause – both high intensity and slow yoga will be of benefit.

Pregnancy and post-partum – consult a yoga teacher trained in this area – enormous benefits to be had.

Social aspect – a regular class with a regular group will provide this benefit

Cancer care – a specialist group can be enormously beneficial for those undergoing and recent recipients of cancer treatment.

As a route to meditation – Yoga movements are a well-documented route to meditation practices.

More athletic body – yoga has physical benefits – with the more athletic variants focusing on athleticism.

Better breathing – Yoga breathing will benefit you far beyond the time within yoga practice.

Maybe I’ve missed something obvious – but there it is for today. Benefits of yoga practice.

Ready to Shop

The necessity to visit shops means that a masked look is required. It’s not easy to make it look good – or even passable. But I’ll give it a go..

Today this was it. Long cardi over jeans, hood up. Eyes on (could be more dramatic) and scarf over the nose. Kinda warm inside, but at least it’s co-ordinated.

I’m wondering if I’m alone in considering that if I’ve got to wear it I’ll make an effort to make it look ish-OK. Maybe I’m disillusioned.

I’d love to see some interesting looks where people express their personality whilst dressed for the awful trip to the supermarket. – Any takers?

Behind the Scenes

All of my classes are online at the moment. From my shiny, tidy kitchen of my super calming lounge. I think as teachers we’ve become pretty efficient at preparing for class. It’s all in the camera angle and the lighting.

No magic though – behind the scenes in my lunge looks like this – tablet for camera, box in which I keep my Bluetooth headset (otherwise I’d likely loose it and be in a panic before class), circle light for better lighting – great in day or night especially at the moment when the sun rarely appears. Candle lit, blanket to cover my legs whilst I lead relaxation and book for student attendance lists.

Actually just writing that makes me feel pretty organised! Maybe I’ve got this sorted ..

Breathwork

There’s a bit shift lately, I’ve noticed, to focus on this thing called ‘breathwork’. All this talk of controlling the breath to invoke extreme state – diving under ice, sitting in ice baths, Kundalini breathing. Am I somehow missing out?

I signed up for a Breath course.

In simple terms this course explains the 3 different emphases that breathwork makes. Making the breath faster, slower, or aiming to balance; with a few techniques offered in each category.

Faster breath stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, raising the heartrate and making the mind more alert. In its extreme form this would lead to hallucinations and possibly feeling unwell (think panic attack). Forced fast rate breathing is a feature of some of the currently trendy breathwork models.

Breathing very slowly enhances the parasympathetic nervous system and leads to sleepiness and meditation. In the wrong circumstances, if forced, could result in slow responses.

Balanced breathing using measured rates of inhale:exhale inspire balance. Our primary focus in breathwork should be to master these techniques – particularly as we learn the control of our body’s breathing mechanisms.

So in only the first few hours of this 15 hour teacher training course I have learned a simple way to look at this trendy guru-led fad. Breathwork has amazing benefits – but perhaps stay away from extreme ideas?

Cappuccino

I remember first seeing one of these cars on Top Gear back in the early 1990′ – Jeremy Clarkson rode it down between 2 supermarket aisles and stretched out on wither side to reach the shelves. I can see him now in that tiny roofless car. I wanted one right then.

But when they first came out in 1994 I was married with 2 young children, so that dream went on hold.

In 2006, however, I had just given birth to child number 4 and was driving a people carrier o transport my 4 children and partner. So when I saw this tiny car pop up on eBay I knew the time was right to claim one for just me. I bid the asking price and went to collect the car. It had been sitting in the garage of an elderly lady – under dust covers and forgotten about until the garage was cleared by her son after her passing. What a treasure I had purchased!

It sat in my garage – used regularly and only on days when rain was unlikely. Never gave me a bit of bother. When I sold the house and decided to move up North I nearly sold it then, but couldn’t bring myself to part company with it. And so it travelled in the back of the removals van 200 miles up the road.

Still used regularly, but at 26 years old and of an age when it needs the tlc that can only come from a car enthusiast with mechanical skills – I’m ready to let it go. In for its MOT and going on the market this week.

The Gift

In every situation, good or bad, there is a lesson to be learned. We’ll call that lesson The Gift.

It’s your choice whether or not you open that gift – to acknowledge it or more to the point, to accept it. It seems to me though, that unless you learn from that lesson, it will return and return to you until the lesson is learned. Perhaps the challenge won’t be exactly the same, but it will return. Only when the lesson is learned will you be able to move on – most likely to the next challenge but with a different lesson.

2020 has been a challenging year for many. I’ve heard it said that we’re all in the same boat – and equally we’re not in the same boat but in the same storm. Either way this year has brought challenges for all. And within these challenges lie our lessons – these are our gifts.

On 21st December at 7pm on Zoom I will be offering a yoga session to help you uncover those gifts. 21st December is the shortest day of the year – and the date when, 3 years ago, I lost a very special friend. This yoga class will help you bring forth your gifts so that you can end the year on a positive note and move forward into 2021 with ease and grace.

Join me on the shortest day of 2020 for this online special event. – My gift to you. For information and your free ticket – go here

Reflexology

Another first – today I tried reflexology for the first time ever. Why have I not done this before?!

I’ve been having kinaesiology every month for the last 9 months or so. The aim being to balance hormones and ultimately reduce the amount of prescription drugs I take. My main issue is hypothyroidism which was diagnosed post-baby number 3 some 21 years ago.

I can across am article with a picture of the feet reflexology points which showed a link betwnn the pad of the foot under the big toe and the thyroid gland – and as it happens I have a fair but of discomfort in this area (could be the high shoes of course). – so with this in mind I booked the session.

Judy came to my house with her foot spa and chair. I lit candles and had my yoga music on. What a lovely experience. Verdict so far – feels like I’m floating on air. Will definitely be repeating that one!!

Apple crumble

Got to love it when your relatives have apple trees and they deliver their excess produce to you. Apples have been arriving over the last few weeks.

Apple crumble is my favourite – most because it’s so easy to make to be fair!

5 or 6 freshly delivered apples

150g SR flour

40g oats

75g sugar

75g coconut oil (solid state)

Chop apples – place in cooking dish

add all other ingredients to mixing bowl and using a fork, break up the oil. Mix well. Cover the apples with this mixture.

Cook for 30 mins 190C (I don;t know the gas conversion, sorry)

Enjoy with whatever floats your boat – ice cream , yoghurt with a bit of cumin sprinkled on top, custard – wahtever.

What could be easier?!

December already!

This year has gone super-fast. It doesn’t seem five minutes since all this lockdown stuff began – I remember the silence descending as the cars stopped rolling by – and the sound of the waves at the beach a mile down the road. The first months rolled by in shorts and afternoons in the garden. Spring rolled into summer and nobody could remenber what day it was never mind how fast the weeks were flying by.

As summer rolled into autumn and the days got shorter and cooler we hurtled towards the clocks going back and the evenings drawing in at a pace – at such a fast pace the days feel almost non-existent; is it even worth getting out of pyjamas?

Darkness descends by 4pm now – many of the shops remain closed (until tomorrow) and no pubs are coffee shops are open. The supermarkets aren’t constantly playing Christmas tunes and there aren’t any advent calendars to be bought anywhere. Though households have already decorated their homes (not me I hasten to add) it feels like the end of 2020 might be a damp squib rather than a party animal.

How can it be December already?

Slow down

For a retired person I’ve been spending a lot of time doing stuff – I can fill my days and end up feeling like I’ve done nothing! I’ve decided to slow down.

Well – I’ve decided to prioritise what happens in my day. For a start I need to fit in the things that make me happy. So I teach at 745 online – yoga / mindful movement to start the day: nothing too serious, but it’s always good to be joined by a few like-minded souls ready to start the day feeling good. Then fit in a workout and meditation before midday. That leaves afternoons to do the stuff that can otherwise take up the day and leave me feeling like I’ve neglected me.

And after all, what is retirement about if not to spend time on things that make you happy. Time to slow down and enjoy the journey.