Tag: yoga

I am not going to whinge and whine in 2023 but…

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At some point in your life you have to take a long hard look at yourself. That point for me is now. I am sorry if I am not making any sense but I am too busy trying to be so many different things that I am not being the one thing that I most need to be… ME.

No surprise there, I know that I am not the only one. I would ask you to leave a comment down below if you can feel me, if you get what I am saying, if you know where I am coming from but the truth is that if you know any of those things then you won’t leave a comment. You may nod your head knowingly but you will then scroll along with your life.

I get it. I can’t touch you. I don’t touch you because I don’t even touch myself. (I don’t mean in the biblical sense) I mean touch my heart, smell the air, the flowers, sniff the salt of the sea, none of it. I barely have time these days to walk my poor old dog, never mind spend any quality time with those around me, not even me.

As I do every year I set out to improve myself. Last year I did. I created a new business, I worked at a wages job earning a regular income while I stayed up late at night working on what I call our future finances. Last year I wrote a new book during NaNoWriMo, I published a new book and some other stuff..

I didn’t start eating properly, exercising regular, sticking to a regular yoga practise, using my aromatherapy oils daily, my crystals or my tarot and do not even get me started on my much attention I didn’t give at all to Reiki! Fuck all of that shit I am too busy!!! I have to make plans, work schedules, family schedules, cook and clean the house, care for the dogs, go to work, pay the bills, create, create, create. I have to prove myself, be the best at my game. I have to know everything. I have to read blogs, books, listen to podcasts and more books, take courses and watch everything. I am fifty two and I have fallen behind.

I don’t have time for counting calories, carbs, nutrients, exercises and reps, I no longer namaste, my soul does not soar, my feet are not grounded, I don’t feel supported my mother earth and father sky has long left the building. I cannot remember the last time I went to bed at the same time as my husband, well a time that we went to bed together when I wasn’t so tired that my lights were out the second my head hit the pillow.

Honestly I cannot think about my relationships with others right now. I don’t have the energy to heal the rifts that have come between me and those around me for no other reason other than my constant state of busyness. I have to give to me now. My cup, my bucket, myself is empty.

Don’t get me started on menopause, my older aunt is here now with a vengeance and sometimes I just want everyone to shut the fuck up.

My blog, in case you forgot the title, is Body Peace Writer. It is what I once strived to achieve. Before I was in a car accident, before my heart was broken and before the pandemic. I wanted to merge my life as an alternate therapist, yoga teacher and writer. I wanted to live one big happy namaste, eight limbed, rakeed up, crystal cleansing, essential oil lathered writer.

I was so sure that 2022 was going to be my year. You know to get my shit together. But I developed a hip issue, it has a fancy ‘itis’ word attached to it but I am pretty sure it is because I am overweight and sit on arse all day. I am a writer. What else am I going to do when I am not at my day job? I sit and snack while I work to keep myself awake. Then when it is finally time to sleep, I can’t. I take a pill, then it is hard to wake up- you know the cycle if you have read this far.

Currently I am on – hormone replacement therapy, anti-inflammatory, norgesics; analgesics; antihistamines; metformin and anti anxiety meds. Most of which started after the car accident. Most of which I suspect I wouldn’t need if I lived my true existence.

There is no perfect scenario where I am going to fix myself. I can’t runaway to a health farm or retreat in a cave in the mountains of Nepal. I have a life to live here, I have responsibilities here and work to get done away from my wages job. I have to find a way of integrating all that I want with all that I can do. There are only so many hours in a day and I have to use some of them for being a better friend to me.

Of course you and I both know that I would have never started writing this post if I had not already started on a plan. I have to squeeze some good shit into my everyday. I have found a healer, yoga teacher, mentor. I have had two sessions with her and a couple of weeks dotted with some decent crying times. The first week she sent me home with crystals, the next aromatherapy blends all designed to heal my heart and send the negativity away. Next week she is giving me an energy healing and I start weekly yoga classes with her on Wednesday. So its a start. It is a push in the right direction. I am not looking to push bad things out of my life, I am aiming to bring more of the good things in. I am searching for a balance I can live with.

I love a chai latte with a bar of white chocolate on the side, perfectly cooked salted potato chips in a buttery roll, chocolate at room temperature and cheese boards, and none of these things will be left behind any time soon.

Namaste beautiful writers, it all starts with the little things. Wish me luck!

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Spring!!

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Not that you would know it but here in Perth we are two weeks into spring. It is thirteen degrees outside, raining and windy. If it wasn’t for the leaves returning to the deciduous trees in our garden it would be easy to miss the recent turn of the seasons. I am trying not to whinge, summer and its hot dry days will be here soon enough. (I popped out at lunch to snap some shots of the garden, and was blessed with blue skies)

My aim for this month is organisation – I know, try not to laugh out loud. It feels like every year I run the gauntlet of trying this way and that to become more efficient, more productive, more, more, more… The truth is that I end every day exhausted and I never feel like I have done enough work. Then I remind myself, my family is safe, the house is clean, some work got done, and I can wake up and do more tomorrow. When did we become so hard on ourselves? Who ever told us that we have to get it all done, NOW! I am working on a balance of being gentle with myself without slacking off.

YOGA

This month has been cold and my arthritis has been flaring up and cramping down. So my yoga practice has been working on treating every joint in my body to some movement and attention. It helps, particularly around midday when I have been sitting at my desk typing for a couple of hours. A daily practice doesn’t have to be time consuming or even interrupt your day. Here are a few exercises that I try to do several times a day without leaving my desk:

Yoga Journalling

As a writer you probably already have a tonne of journals and balk at me attempting adding another one to the pile. I call this section yoga journalling but you can do it in your everyday notebook, journal, diary, scrap of paper, phone notes – where ever you choose to write. When I began training as a yoga teacher we were told to journal after every class to record the valuable insights and epiphanies we were sure to have, and I soon realised that all my writing belonged in the one place, I do not have the patience for chopping and changing journals according to the pants I am wearing. So I use my stock standard Molskine notebook for everything, including shopping lists – All writing it good writing? It doesn’t have to be fancy or form a starting point for my next novel, it just has to be put down on paper for me to review at sometime in the future.

That said try this small exercise –

Your First Yoga Class

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People often ask me if my Yoga Classes are hard? Let me set you at ease, they are not.

My classes are as challenging as you need them to be on any given day.  After you have been practicing for a while  you see that your body will often react differently from one class to the next, even throughout a single class from one side to the other.  When you look close enough, no two poses you do will ever be alike. It is my job to guide you into practicing poses safely and within your limits, it is your job not to let your ego push you past those limits. I design my yoga classes to meet you where you are and you must always remain where your breath is. ( we will discuss this more in class 😉)

Arrival: please try to arrive five-ten minutes before class starts, I will need some information from you before we start and we can talk about your expectations and any concerns that you may have.


What to wear: leggings or loose comfy pants on the bottom.  Please be comfortable, which you won’t be if you are fidgeting around trying to keep your arse covered.  Yoga is not an Instagram fashion parade, it is one place where you must dress for comfort over style.  You may like to bring socks for our meditation at the end of class but we will practice in bare feet for safety. If you are prone to cold feet and are uncomfortable you can buy Yoga Socks with special grips on the soles.

On the top, layers are good to peel off during class if you get too warm and you can reapply for meditation. Best not to wear anything that falls over your head during forward bends.

Please refrain from wearing perfume during class, a clean body and a roll of deodorant is all you need.  Chemical smells are distracting when we practice and may cause headaches and sneezes in your fellow students.

Eating before Class? It is better not to eat within a couple of hours before class, but if you must, enjoy something light such as a piece of fruit and a herbal tea.

What to bring: a mat, a drink bottle, a blanket and a small cushion for your head. If you do not have a mat let me know I always carry a few spares and you are welcome to use one while you are deciding whether or not yoga is right for you.

Savasana Meditation: Don’t leave class during Savasana, our final pose. It is your time to relax, time for your body to reset and adjust to any changes our practice has brought.  I  will often  use a singing bowl and Reiki to set an atmosphere of serenity as I guide you through a meditation while you simply focus on your breath. Leaving at this time is disruptive, if you must go early please ensure it is during our Savasana preparation time.

Okay so with the basics out of the way, trying new things can be scary.  Coming along with a friend helps but that is not always possible and even with a friend your negative internal dialogue can still kick in.   Let me try to put your mind at ease.. no one is looking at you.  Not one person is class is bothered about your size, your tummy, your butt, lack of flexibility, lack of physical stability, if you wobble, shake or even fart!  Yoga is an internal practice.  Throughout class, I encourage you to turn within, to focus on your breath and to draw your attention to what is happening on your mat.  Yoga class is your sacred space, to let go of stresses and worldly worries, Yoga time is all about YOU.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Namaste 🙏

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