Going with the flow….

So, it’s nearly the week-end and friends are asking me ‘What are your plans for the week-end?’ Personally I try to avoid making plans – since undoubtably they change. Our family has a bit of a reputation amongst close relatives and friends for this, so, for me  I find it better to be spontaneous.
Living here in Thailand helps, that’s why I like it so much it is an easy-going lifestyle.

Having no agenda, no fixed plans for the weekend, opens its up to us for anything to happen and I can limit my frustrations when things don’t happen because I have no expectations. Having no fixed plans, having no agenda opens us up to listen, to be inquisitive, explore, get lost, be fluid and to go with the flow.
Sometimes when we plan too much, we already get a sense of what we are going to get as we have already been there in our thoughts. We can become rigid in our expectations, unable to listen to what may arise and forget about living in the present moment.

So how do we find balance between being too fluid and too static  in life. Maybe instead of planning a stack of things to do set a simply intention…to finish a chapter in my book, to share a juice with a friend, to go to the movies then from this other experiences may arise.

We can become open to listen if we are present and not simply rushing from one thing to the next, focusing on achieving rather than being.

So, the next time you step on your yoga mat, come to your practice with no fixed agenda. Find your foundation, ground down, become connected, explore, have fun, play, listen to your intuition, let your body lead you and go with the flow.


My Hanumanasana

The school summer holidays are my Hanumanasana – three children off school for 10 weeks all wishing for different things, all on the same day whilst I juggle work, motherhood, my life and my children’s desires.
I am trying to find ease and  joy whilst feeling over stretched and challenged as I reach for and try to achieve what I believe to be humanly impossible with unconditional love and devotion. It’s the story of hanumanasana, one of faith, devotion, love and courage.

Rama’s, a king of ancient India, wife had been abducted by Ravana, a demon king from Sri Lanka. In the battle of love Rama’s brother, Laksmana, had become severely hurt and the only way to save him was with a herb which grew only in the Himalayas. However, how could that try to get this herb in time to save his life?
One of Rama’s great followers Hanuman said he could do it. He took only almighty leap which stretched all the way from South India to the Himalayas bring back the whole mountain with him, since he was unsure which herb to bring.
The healers found the herb and Lakmanas life was saved.

So, hanumanasana, the pose which splits us in two. It stretches out our hamstrings, hip flexors and challenges our devotion to our practice. On the Yoga mat we can learn to breathe into this pose to dissolve areas of discomfort, we can find support from props to guide us on our way, we can draw into our centre in order to gather extra power to help us extend and reach out further and we can practice finding joy when we feel frustrated, challenged and over stretched.


‘New Beginnings’ – A Podcast Prenatal Yoga Practice for the First Trimester.

The First Trimester – ‘New Beginnings’

The first trimester of a pregnancy are the most challenging in terms of practicing yoga. The body is going through rapid daily changes on the inside, although there is no evidence of this on the outside. As your baby starts to develop and nestle in to the uterus around sixteen weeks, where it will stay until the birth, it changes from a single embryonic cell into a developing fetus. The physical make-up of your growing baby is formed by the end of week nine and by the end of the first trimester it is moving effortlessly around in its ocean of ammonic fluid.  During these first weeks, it is vital you listen to your body, letting the wisdom of your body be your guide and respecting any cues your body gives you. Pregnancy is not the time to over exert your-self, by relinquishing any temptations to over achieve, you can learn to surrender, listen to the intelligence of your body and focus on a mindful practice of meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques) and restorative yoga which honors both your changing body and your growing baby.

During pregnancy your body is highly sensitive and naturally more intuitive and it is vital you tune into this sensitivity and intuition; so if something doesn’t feel comfortable in your practice the rule is don’t do it.

Please consult your medical physician before beginning any exercise or Yoga Program.

Here is a 2omin Prenatal Yoga Podcast I have created. It focuses on opening the hips and is ideally suited to the first trimester.


First Trimester Prenatal Yoga Podcast.
The Yoga of Pregnancy
A visual aid for the poses in this podcast


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