My Blog

Summer's here and the time is right....

05/15/2012 18:17:00

…not necessarily for dancing in the street, but don’t hold yourselves back on my account. Just be warned that you might want to get the thermals on because it’s frickin’ freezing out there. But, despite meteorological mutterings to the contrary, summer is going to be here soon…ish….perhaps….

There are plenty of people out there who do believe that the opportunity to bare our flesh will be here soon, however. For most of us, we’ve got bits of us that have been put in ‘storage’ for so long that they may well have matured or, shall we say, made provisions for any periods of scarcity? That’s right; your bum has got bigger, your bingo wings wobblier and your tummy is closer to your toes.

And you know what? Those reasons don’t mean you should have any less of an urge or an inclination to get those bits out this summer. Get ‘em out in the open; get ‘em bronzed (responsibly, of course…or use the fake stuff as long as you don’t mind smelling like a biscuit) and have a damn good time.

But – for the majority of us the thought of getting our less-loved limbs out of hibernation is enough to drive you back to the freezer for another bowlful of Chunky Monkey.

Just before you settle yourself down with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s finest work (actually, why not do it at the same time?) read on for a few pointers towards how you can start to create a brand new relationship with your body (including your less-than-perfect bits) and get yourself ready for shaking it all about in the road, lane or cul-de-sac of your choice.

Love is the answer.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a bit of self-love (no – not like that; get your mind out of the gutter). One of the key guidelines for living a yogic life is the principle of ‘ahimsa’. It means to do no harm, and when we’re thinking of starting to do any sort of work on ourselves it’s a key one to keep in mind. We’re not talking giving yourself a punch in the face every time you don’t go for a run, but something a little more subtle.

We’re talking ‘do no harm’ in thought as well as deed. If every time your best friend saw you the first thing they said was “I hate your thighs. Now – fancy a cuppa?” you might start hanging out with them a little less because, unless you’re motivated in a very strange way, hearing negative things about yourself isn’t fun. So why do you think saying the same things to yourself is any different?

If you want to start changing your body you might need to consider changing the way you think about it. Ok, so there are bits of you that you want to change, but take a moment to think of all the bits that do work. Your heart beats around 100000 times a day; the lungs contain over 300,000 million capillaries and if they were laid end to end they would stretch 1500 miles; your nose and ears continue to grow throughout your entire life…(okay – I admit the last one is a bit freaky). Your body is an amazing thing.

Look at the bits you don’t like; send them love. Thank them for being just the way they are, and let them know that you’re going to be working on changing them a little bit. But don’t bother trying to alter your nose; that baby’s going to just keep on growing.

No day but today.

And no moment but this. Mindfulness is one of the most important components in yoga. It is paying attention “on purpose” and asks you to cultivate a conscious direction of your awareness. As we discovered just a few paragraphs ago, your body is an amazing thing so as you start to improve it, this process is going to require as much effort from your mind as it will do from your body.

I know ‘effort’ can be a dirty word (but, without being rude, if some of us had put a bit more effort into not eating our own bodyweight in Toblerone then we wouldn’t be here now).

Be aware that everything you put in your body is going to make a difference to this process. Notice how and what you’re eating; be aware of how your emotions affect what you want to/do eat. Whatever you do choose to eat, be aware of how it feels in your mouth; the consistency; how it makes you feel afterwards. Write all this down. Not so that you have some evidence with which to beat yourself up with (see “not talking giving yourself a punch in the face every time you don’t go for a run” above) but so that you can start to develop mindfulness of how your body works.

Run, Forrest, Run!

Or jog. Or stroll. Or (shock! Horror!) do yoga. Or do some sit ups whilst watching ‘This Morning’. Just do something. Your body is designed to move and if you’re going to make it the fittest, healthiest, most flab-free version of you that you want, you’re going to have to move it. Take your lymphatic system for example; it’s essential in many activities not least helping you to fight infections (or, for the medical term, ‘the lurghie’). It doesn’t have it’s own pump and relies on your muscles (yes, you do have some) pushing against your bones (ie. You moving) to work.

There is something that everyone can do with whatever body they have. A yoga practice can be modified for you to do even if you can’t leave your chair let alone touch your toes. Find two cans which weigh the same in your cupboard and you’ve got yourself some free-weights. Get off the bus one stop early and walk home (it’s an oldie but a goodie).

Keep in mind that this is as much about training your mind as it is about training your body; but you’ve got to do both for the best results. Recognise that to change what you’ve got, you have to change what you do. And don’t forget that there are plenty of resources out there to help you. None of this has to be done by yourself; but the most important part in this whole process is you, you wonderful amazing beautiful thing. Now get on with it and shine, baby!

Welcome to Winter

12/19/2011 16:59:00

Whilst we’re soaking up the Caribbean sun here at The BodyHoliday, it’s kinda strange for this weathered Brit to get her head around the fact that Christmas is coming….fast!

Even the fact that it’s actually almost officially Winter is a strange one to come to terms with. Without the scarves, gloves, thermal vests (never let it be said I’m not a stylish girl!) and the associated layers of clothes, it’s really hard to remember that the year is moving on.

But moving on it is, and on 22 December we’re going to celebrate the arrival of Winter in the traditional yogic way; with 108 Sun Salutations at daybreak.

Sun salutations (Surya Namaskara in Sanskrit) are an integral part of most yoga practices. Sri K Pattabhi Jois (one of the most important teachers in the Ashtanga yoga lineage) said;

“No asana practice is complete without sun worship. Without its focusing of mental energies, yoga practice amounts to little more than gymnastics &, as such, loses meaning & proves fruitless. Indeed, the Surya Namaskar should never be taken for mere physical exercise – for something incidental, that is, that simply precedes the asanas of yoga”– Sri K Pattabhi Jois.

‘Surya’ is one of many names of sun and ‘namaskara’ means to bow before or to prostrate oneself. The Sun has been worshipped in many ancient cultures for its life-giving properties. Without it, life as we know it could not be sustained. These cultures also recognised that the sun bestows its power and light on all life; free from discrimination or judgement.

When practiced correctly, you’ll find that they contain elements of four of the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, as detailed by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. They contain asana (the physical moving of the body), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (control of senses), dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation).

So we choose to celebrate the Winter Solstice and the coming of new light by completing a traditional Yoga Mala – 108 Sun Salutations. As we reflect on the significance of the sun, we are reminded that the sun is the illuminator of our world, that it is our primary source of heat and the giver of life.

But why 108? The number 108 carries spiritual significance in many different cultures:

* 108 is the number of "Upanishads" comprising Indian philosophy's "Vedic texts".

* 108 is the number of names for Shiva (a really important Hindu god).

* 108 is the number of names for Buddha.

* 108 is the Chinese number representing "man".

* 108 is the number of beads on a Catholic rosary.

* 108 is the number of beads on a Tibetan "mala" (prayer beads, analagous to a rosary).

* 108 is twice the number "54", which is the number of sounds in Sanskrit (sacred Indian langauge).

* 108 is six times the number "18", which is a Jewish good luck number.

* 108 is twelve times the number 9, which is the number of vinyasas (movements linked to breath) in a Sun Salutation.

It’s something I’ve done with students on a number of different occasions; both to welcome in the changing seasons but also as sponsored events to raise money for charitable causes. Yes it’s hard work; yes it’s challenging on your mind and body. But at those moments in time when your mind is telling you that you can’t possibly manage any more, it’s an opportunity to remember that the tiredness, frustration, discomfort will pass. It’s only temporary, just like the cold, wet, winter days. Those moments that might make us feel less than full of sunshine are just temporary; they will always move on.

However cold the weather may be where you are, why not take a moment to welcome Winter and be thankful for the gloom. Without it we’d never realise just how beautiful the sunshine is!

Are you ready to rock your boat?

11/29/2011 16:58:00

When you think about it, life can be a scary experience. And I’m not even talking about the really scary events; like doing a parachute jump, or going pot-holing, or meeting a huge crab half way up the steps to the spa (in my defence it was very dark, the crab really was massive and no-one had told me they don’t all live in the sea!).

But for some of us, we have to face something that pushes us out of our comfort zone almost every single day. It might be having to make a presentation to colleagues at work, or squashing ourselves onto packed public transport, removing a new arachnid resident from under the sofa, or even stepping onto a yoga mat.

The really interesting thing about fear, is that it is such a personal experience. By its very nature, it is usually based on an irrational response which even you, the person holding it, can see.

I’ll give you an example; I am scared of boats. Whether they’re the size of the Titanic (you can tell from the example I’ve chosen I don’t feel overly positive about them), or a teeny tiny dingy, as far as I’m concerned as soon as I set foot on one it’s only purpose in life will be to sink as quickly as possible, taking me down with it. Even I know that on the law of averages, this is extremely unlikely. I know that there are more than a couple of boat excursions going out and about from around here every single day; returning all passengers in the one piece that they set out in. I don’t even have to go any further than our own beach to see with my own eyes that boats aren’t considered to be a weapon of mass destruction.

When was the last time you watched a gangster movie where they ‘disposed’ of an informant by giving him on a nice day out on a posh yacht, safe in the knowledge it was a sure-fire way of feeding him to the fishes? Exactly!

To be honest, it wasn’t really an issue before I moved to St Lucia. Gloucestershire isn’t exactly known for it’s nautical opportunities or the chance to live life on the ocean wave. But now that I am living on a Caribbean island, I’m starting to get a bit irked with it. There’s the Sunset Cruise, for a start. Every Friday evening we take guests off on a rather splendid Catamaran to see the island, and the resort, from a whole new point of view. Then there’s the boat trip to go and spot whales and dolphins (Flipper! Flipper!). And wouldn’t it be amazing to go snorkelling in a secluded bay, coming face-to-gills with a real life Nemo?

So it would seem that so far, whilst my fear likes to give me the impression that it’s doing me a favour (“Oooh no don’t get on the boat. Listen to me; I’m here to keep you alive, silly!) it’s actually just serving to keep me missing what could be a whole lot of fun.

But what my fear has helped me to understand, is that there are people who think of coming to yoga in a very similar way as I do of my boats. I’ll admit that the chances of drowning are considerably less, and I hope that no one feels nauseous, but the feeling is exactly the same. They have probably only listened to the stories of people having a go at a yoga class and either finding it really hard or, at the other end of the scale, getting nothing out of it at all. Perhaps they’ve got a friend whose hairdresser’s brother’s cousin went to a class, had a bad adjustment by a teacher and was off work for a week. Quite often their fear is based around the feeling that they would be ‘bad’ at it (“Oooh no don’t get on the yoga mat. You can’t even touch your toes. You’ll be rubbish at it. Listen to me; I’m here to keep you alive, silly!”)

Sometimes the only way to slip under the radar of that little voice is to take it by surprise. Last week, due to a slight mix-up with timetables, two ladies came to my ‘Dancing Warrior’ class (a slightly more challenging vinyasa flow session) by mistake, thinking it was a beginners class. They only told me this at the end of the lesson, when they came up to me beaming from ear to ear. They explained that they would have never had the courage to come, believing that it would have been far too difficult for them. As it turned out, they had a wonderful time (releasing their ‘Wild Thing’ as if they’d done it a hundred times before!) and loved every minute of it.

I think it’s safe to say that I’m not going to be the next Ellen MacArthur, just like the folks who take their first step onto a yoga mat might not be the next David Swenson or Shiva Rea. But who knows what potential we are denying ourselves by listening to the voice that says “oooh no” instead of the voice that says “ooooh – YES!”?

Beauty

10/22/2010 20:50:00

Beauty; it’s a funny old thing. It’s ‘in the eye of the beholder’; a phrase I never quite understood. For a while I thought the beholder was the one who ‘owned’ it, which made it all more confusing. I’m easily confused at the best of times, remember.

The train I’m on right now is cutting through the countryside on a brutally cold October morning. There’s a frost and as the sun is rising its coating everything with an almost sepia tinge. All the colours have been asked to keep it down, and keep quiet, because the rest of the world is hitting its ‘snooze’ button one more time. To me it’s beautiful. And I would assume that it is to most people. On the ‘Is It Beautiful?’ game show it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Tick the ‘ooooh it really is lovely’ box. Well done. That’s decided then. Everyone agrees; fields plus lovely sunrise added with a frosty tinge = a winner.

But lets raise the stakes a little here. I’m going to open with ‘pigeons’. Surely any bird gets the beautiful box ticked just by default of doing that whole flying and soaring thing? And have you ever seen the amazing blue and purple almost peacock colours on their necks? But to some they’re ‘rats of the sky’.

So I’ll see you ‘pigeons’ and raise you ‘wind turbines’. When I see them in a row, with their vast arms circling through the sky, I get the same feeling of awe and goosebumps on top of goosebumps as any spectacle of natural beauty. But they too seem to get people really quite miffed.

Here’s another one to go in the mix; backbending. Backbends are up there in my top five of beautiful yoga asanas in ashtanga yoga. The strength of the psoas and quads; the openness of the heart; the flexion at the thoracic hinge; it’s another surefire winner in my book. But when I get to that point in my own practice, am I the epitome of beauty, grace, balance, strength and suppleness? Am I buffalo. Unless you consider a laboured breath, cramping muscles, pointy pain in the general vicinity of my right shoulder, and a face like I’m sucking a lemon. Yeah – let’s just say that me and backbends don’t have the best of relationships right now. In fact, I’m thinking of starting to see other asanas.

However I know that my fellow yogically inclined friends not only see the beauty of this pose, but they do become the epitomy of it. Annie and Toff – I’m talking about you! They seem able to completely open themselves to the beauty of the experience which then manifests itself right there. It’s a magic yoga circle – what you think is what you experience…what you experience is what you think…See beauty and you feel beauty…feel beauty and you see beauty.

Finding beauty goes hand-in-hand with so much more that is essential for a ‘good’ practice. When you have those moments and they really take your breath away; you’re left standing in awe. There is nowhere else you can be other than in that exact moment. The only place you can be is right here; right now. And that’s one of the fundamental qualities we’re looking to achieve in practice and as a result of it.

Can I find beauty in the things I find difficult or challenging? Can I find beauty in things that anger me, by acknowledging that there is beauty in the experience? Am I able to find beauty in all people, whether aesthetically pleasing and/or infuriating and awkward?

It’s clear that there is one common denominator in all this and its choice. We, I, can make a decision to choose to see and feel beauty. It’s only a perception, and perceptions can be changed as easily as a pair of glasses. When the beholder chooses to experience something beautifully everything gets better. Even pigeons smile (well, you never know – have a look next time…).

Must the beat go on?

10/19/2010 15:00:00

I am very aware that in many ways I am the exception to the rule. It is pointed out to me on a fairly regular basis, should I happen to forget that most people are quite happy not finding out whether or not they can get their chin all the way down their shin.

Take my ability to concentrate, for example. Actually, it often feels that someone has done exactly that and taken it far, far away. If I'm going to be able to really concentrate I love to be somewhere with as many distractions as possible. For example, right now I'm writing this whilst sitting in a coffee house. I'm surrounded by plenty of opportunities to people-watch (another favourite past time); music playing in the background; a never-ending supply of caffeine-free, soya milk based hot beverages to consume...the list goes on.

But I came here specifically because I knew that today I had to knuckle down and plough through my work 'To Do' list. I've been here a couple of hours and the list is pretty much all done. So 'yey' me.

I often find that this very same way of thinking crosses over to my yoga practice. And I know this has the potential to sound like one big ole' contradiction, but stick with me for a moment or two.

One of the very first things we're taught when we turn to the philosophy behind yoga is that a regular practice will help to still the fluctuations in our minds. It will make that choppy water, whipped up with thoughts, memories, expectations and the like, still to a beautiful mill-pond. We will have the capacity to enjoy life at it's very best, riding out whatever waves may come our way with the grace and style of a swan (without paddling like hell under the surface).

I get that - I really do. There are days when I step on my mat, enjoy the peace and serenity of the 90 minutes that follow, and bathe in the benefits for the rest of the day.

But then there are the other days.

There are days when life gets in the way, and getting my agitated, grouchy, distracted body onto a yoga mat for 90 minutes is harder than finding an 'alternative' to chocolate that doesn't taste like you've left the paper wrapper on.

So what should I do on those days? Give up and let my temporary apathy and grumpiness stop me from doing something which I know I love? Or should I compromise and at least find a way of negotiating to get myself into that zone...Well, I go for the second option. And to do that I need....

....music!

Ok - all you yogis and yoginis that have just recoiled in horror, c'mon - it's not that bad. For me, an ashtanga yoga practice that is accompanied by some of the most goose-bump giving, well written, beautifully produced gems on my iPod is just as valuable as those spent in my little bubble of perfect peaceful serenity.

And if that admission blew your mind, then you'd better hold onto your Birkenstocks 'cos here comes another one. Sometimes it's not even 'yogic' music I listen to. Whatever 'stills' my mind at that moment is what I know I need. Some days it's a bit of folk with Seth Lakeman; other days I might want to 'rock out' with Kings of Leon (one of my loveliest recent practices was accompanied by Snow Patrol); occasionally a dose of 80s cheese hits the spot.

When the music is playing (usually quite loudly) my yoga practice can take me to that feeling of being in the moment just as effectively as any silent practice has done. I feel the same level of connection with my breath, the same awareness of my body, the same experience of being in that moment, and the same understanding of the challenges that will face me when I get to certain poses (I've yet to find a track that makes Marichyasana D a joy, for example!).

Ok - it may not be for everyone. But don't knock it 'til you've tried it.Remember the fun of making mix tapes? It's just as fun to do a playlist for your yoga practice - really it is! Or maybe that's me needing to get out more....again.

(If you need some inspiration for a playlist have a look here.... www.yogajournal.com/multimedia/playlists/