Calm in the Christmas Chaos

This time of year can be stressful for many of us, as I was reminded yesterday whilst seeking solitude in the quiet, empty, warm sauna!! This is when we need to find calm the most and, as always, we can find this in yoga. 

For some switching off work for a few days is worrying - what if something goes wrong while you're not there. For others the noise and bustle of everyone around at Christmas can be overwhelming. Or perhaps the silence of having no one around can be lonely. Expectations are high regardless because Christmas is built up to be such a significant time of year for so many. Added to that it's also a full moon and the longest day of the year. Whilst Winter Solstice is a time of re-birth and awakening the prospect of leaping into the new year can also be daunting! There are so many reasons why it's important to take some time out, often forgotten in the rush to get everything done. 

Restorative Yoga and slowing down has it's place on all our mats, and I've found I go to it more at this time of year than ever. When we are stressed, excited, nervous we quicken our pace, but often we need to do the opposite in order to bring balance back into our lives - the main focus of Ayurveda. Releasing into props such as cushions, bolsters and blankets allows the body to completely let go as it is supported. The quiet space along with physical response helps the mind to let go. 

As we move into a new year this is the perfect time to slow down, take stock and set intentions for the next phase from a place of calm. So, in the midst of the Christmas Choas take some time out, lie with your legs up the wall, a hot water bottle on your belly and give yourself some peace for 5 minutes. 

Satya - Truthfulness

A few days ago I was messing around and somehow found myself in this yoga pose - Mayurasana, Peacock.

It wasn't hard, I just balanced and lifted my legs up

and then eventually...

I fell!! 

My partner captured my graceful moment and I decided to share it on social media. Not because I want everyone to see me doing an almost impossible yoga pose but because I want everyone to see me do it like a normal human being, fall over and make an idiot out of myself! 

One of the 5 Yamas in the eight limbs of Yoga is 'Satya' - truthfulness. The Yamas are a series of commitments to our relationship with others (how we act to others) making up one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Satya, in my opinion, is one of the most important. Being honest means that we don't deceive others. It means that other people respect us because they trust us. It is the basis of any solid relationship, whether this be with a friend, partner, colleague, client. If you don't have honesty you don't have trust and if you don't have trust you have no relationship! 

I'm constantly aware of the way that things are portrayed in the world today. Social media makes it impossible to escape this desire to show other people our lives, and consequently to be shown other people's lives all the time. However, we all know that what we see is not always the truth. In an attempt to live more closely in line with Satya, whilst still living in the modern world running a business that relies on social media, I have chosen to show the reality of my 'advanced yoga practice'. I try new poses to challenge my body and my focus. Sometimes I manage them, but guaranteed, for every pose I can do there are 100's of attempts where I've landed in a heap on the floor.  

I hope that this inspires others to give it a go! 

Workplace Wellness

It's common knowledge that a healthy, happy workforce results in fewer sick days, increased productivity, increased staff resilience and morale and a better functioning business. 

We have been lucky enough to team up with Active Sussex's Workplace Challenge and recently taught a class for the awesome guys at The Student Room. The session reminded us that there is always time to switch off at work, clear some space and move, breathe, unwind and get some perspective.

As well as being great for individuals, wellness sessions give staff something to share helping with team cohesion. They are a reason not to run out of the door at 5.30 which can really boost a sense of enjoyment in the workplace. If you see it as a place to do something enjoyable it's no longer just associated with 'work' (although hopefully we all love our work!) 

Workplace wellbeing is a buzz word at the moment, and rightly so. A simple gesture from employers that they care about their staff  can greatly increase a sense of value. If we feel valued we want to honour that. It may not be possible to offer a pay rise to all staff every year, but a one hour session to improve their health and wellbeing is a small investment that shows an employer cares. 

In a survey carried out for Britain's Healthiest Companies 87% of the participants had a Vitality Health Age older than their actual age. That's a vast majority and something that really needs to be addressed! From high blood pressure to stress to postural issues, the workplace is proving to take it's toll on it's staff. However, according to the Stress Management Society, for every £1 spent on workplace wellness initiatives a company will see £3 return. Surely that's incentive for businesses if they're staff's health is not! 

We currently run regular sessions for the NHS South East Commissioning Unit and have delivered Wellbeing Days in schools, colleges and businesses across the county. For more information on how we can help your business just get in touch, or head over to our Corporate page. 

Where you look you go

I'm a firm believer that we create our reality in a sense that the things we focus on are the things that happen, whether we are focusing on what we do or don't want.

Where we send our gaze is where our attention goes.

On a workshop this weekend I learnt more about Drishti (the gazing point) in Ashtanga yoga and how each pose has a Drishti associated with it. When you practice following this your mind is not allowed to wander off around the room because it is following your gaze, focused on these set points.The movement of yoga becomes more meditative as your awareness turns inwards. Being reminded of this has led me on to think about our gaze in a broader sense. 

I recently returned from a surf trip to Portugal where my partner and I spent most of the time messing around in the waves near the surf schools (because it was too big for us out back!). The one thing we could continuously hear the instructors saying was 'you go where you look!'. I have been told this countless times when surfing. I've also told my yoga students this, especially when trying poses like Crow - you know that if you look down you'll fall on your face! The exact same words were repeated in the yoga studio during the workshop on the Drishti.

The significance with this in all aspects of our lives are huge. From a physical perspective, your body will move in the direction of your gaze. When practicing sport whether weight lifting or shooting a hoop, you keep your gaze up and on the target otherwise you will fall over or not know where to aim for. So how do we forget this fact in day to day life? 

It's taken me a long time to realise that the thoughts that occupy our minds are the ones that become the reality, because these are the thoughts we are living. I guess this is where mindfulness / meditation / focus can help you to clear your mind, but I think it requires real understanding in order to conquer the power of our attention. It also requires strength - dragging your awareness away from the things that scare you is hard as it is natural to keep your eye on the enemy! But as with all things in life, there has to be balance. 

On the flip side, being able to focus on what you do want and really, truly believe in it happening... maybe that's where the magic begins...?!! 

To Keep Calm and Carry On?

I've been thinking a lot recently about an article I read on 'why lying broken in a pile on your bedroom floor is a good idea'. I've had different view points on this depending on where I'm at in my life. I see people every day coping with massive challenges and just 'getting on with it', and yet I also see people hiding their problems only to find they explode later on. What is the best way?

We live in a culture where we are proud to 'Keep Calm and Carry On', despite the challenges we meet along the way. We try not to burden others with our problems and we try our hardest not to let the cracks show. But sometimes this is the worst possible thing to do. There are times in life when you just need to keep going. However, when the emotion builds up it needs a release, whether it's through talking to a friend, exercising, doing something creative. A lot of the time we hold on just long enough and then let go in an unhealthy way through drinking, eating or partying (excessively), and then carry on again doing the same thing we were doing before  and feeling the same way. There is no change, just keep going, escape a little, keep going. 

As a culture, we often look at vulnerability as a weakness and try not to show it. We think we should 'carry on' because that's what we have been indoctrinated to do! However, letting yourself to break down is empowering because it allows you to build yourself up again, and that's when the fun starts. My favourite line from a song is 'when you have nothing you have nothing to lose', I have been on the best adventures and had the most amazing experiences as a result of this mindset, using the downs to fuel me on to the ups and help me change the situation. Embrace the collapse because when you are broken, when you have nothing... you have all the possibilities and nothing holding you back! 

There is a Hindu goddess called Akhilandeshwari, 'The Goddess of Never Not Broken', who teaches us this important lesson. She is in constant flux, breaking apart, spinning herself into a whirlwind in an attempt to get closer to God, and riding a crocodile as a symbol of the fear inside us, our reptilian brain. Rather than give in to this fear she rides it. And rather than hold it all together, she embraces the breaking apart and uses her fear to literally ride forward in her life. 

So, I don't think 'Keep Calm and Carry On' is a very good mantra! Fall apart, embrace the fear, and move forward every time! Life isn't about carrying on it's about change, and without challenge there wouldn't be any change.