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Lucyogini

Yoga classes, workshops and inspiration for every body

Maternity Leave

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I am now on maternity leave!  Thank you so much to everyone who has shared classes with us, read these posts, practiced with us online!  My heart is full of gratitude.

This is not goodbye!  I will be back! Please stay in touch and check back here and on the facebook page for details of when classes will return.

We celebrated Spring and transitioning last Sunday at our last class (just for now!), and spoke about the time of ‘zwischen’ – the German word for ‘in between’ – the space between here and there, between sleep and awake; before we let go of who we are in order to become what we might be.  

This is of course particularly poignant in these final days of pregnancy.  But we all go through these transitions, every time we approach a change, big or small, by choice or circumstance. It is easy to try to rush ahead… culturally we resent waiting!  Much less honour this time to transition, of becoming.  And yet, there is a necessity to waiting and honouring this time of inbetweeness, where we wait to be called upon to become what we might be.  It gives our intuition space to develop and strengthen. And naming this time helps us to listen to this deep intuition and it’s guidance.

And so now, I wait. With open heart, body a little achy, emotions a little raw, into this time of Zwischen, honouring, listening, watching, reminding myself to trust in the flow of all things. 

This is not goodbye, my friends, only au revoir! I will be back – how could I not?!

Until then, wishing you all beautiful shining summers! I hope you will make time to play, to move, to be full of lightness! (…and you can practice with me online, to help stave off those yoga cravings!)

‘Practice and all is coming’
Trust in the divine truth that we already have all the answers we will ever need; trust in this simple practice – no mats, no lycra, no enlightment required: Get your feet on the ground. Live in this breath.

Everything else…comes next.

To the continuing adventure!
With deepest gratitude and fondest love,
Lucy x

 

Big change for a little yogi!

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It’s been a real pleasure to share our happy news with you all over the past couple of weeks that we’ll soon be welcoming a new tiny yogi to the world – in just a few months (eek!)!!  We’re really excited!  Our little yogi is due to arrive in April, so all being well we’ve still time for yoga up until then. I’m planning on taking a few months off over the Summer to get acquainted in my new role as a Mama, returning to classes (in some form) in September.

So, big changes are coming! Change is always coming.  In the month we learned that not even David Bowie is immortal, it can come as a shock as we are reminded that even our icons are truly human. This body is not forever; we are not unchangable.  As I move through pregnancy, it often feels that it is my mind that is constantly playing catch-up with my ever-changing body.  My body and this growing little person inside have no concern for my slow, resistant mind! I have come face to face – joyously, wonderingly – with the impermanence of being.  Every day different. This is true for us all.  We get sick, we get older, we get better, bigger, smaller, we tire, we recover.  It is all ever-changing.

And yet, our human minds are conditioned to resist change! We like things to stay the same – often even things that we’re unhappy with! Rather stay within safe confines of what is known, than the risky ‘other’ – ever if that other may be better. We try desperately to stay the same, stop time, wish that things were as they once were.  How strange we are!

But in a world that is constantly changing, living in a body that is constantly changing, our resistance to change can make us tight and anxious as we try to hold on to what we know.

And this is why we practice.  To stay flexible, not just in body but in mind. Flow. One breath at a time. One breath comes into being, rises, peaks, releases and comes to an end.  Just as our lives start as one cell, two cells, we come into being, and eventually we will all release back into pure ethereal energy. Just as the Universe itself was born of one moment, it too will eventually peak and return to energy.  Everything is in flow.  All of this is encapsulated in the single rise and fall of one breath.  This is why we practice.  To stay in touch with the flow of ourselves, the flow of all things and to welcome these state-of-being changes as events that will rise and peak and will pass into the next. To trust in change and our ability to flow with it. We practice so that our hearts stay open and courageous and not become tight in the face of change.

“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape” – Unknown

Dedication to Darkness

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Thank you so much for all your kind well wishes over the past week – I am honoured to be part of the kula we’re building.  I’m really sorry to have missed our final classes of the year last week, but I’m on the mend now!

I am blessed to say that I have not had to deal with serious injury or illness too often in my life.  Some of this I am thankful to the teachings of yoga for; some luck also thrown into the mix I’m sure!  A week off my feet has been an eye opener.  A reminder of the fragility of this body, and the preciousness.

I’ve become so used to being able and self-reliant.  I’ve become so reliant on being able!  In my head is my own voice as I tell you – focus on the breath – this is enough – and yet, tears, frustrations, anger – I don’t want this!  I teach yoga – I can’t (shouldn’t!) be incapacitated!

And yet, things happen. We are human.

The Universe has a funny way of reminding us of the lessons we need to learn; times of darkness are often our greatest teachers.

And here we are at the Zenith of darkness: The Winter Solstice.

We tend often to only celebrate the light.

The other, darker stuff gets hidden away.

But what of this Darkness?  What of that which is hidden?

It is the darkness that makes us human.  Our flaws, our hidden fears, our deepest desires.

Darkness provides us the opportunity for growth and for strength which emerges from fathomless depths.  Only in darkness do we discover these potential truths. Only in darkness do we realise that we must strip away the built-up clutter we collected along the way (emotional…physical…spiritual…mental…); in darkness we get back to basics. 

We cannot be, can never be, full LIGHTNESS.

The Darkness makes us whole.  The Darkness offers us the chance to shine.

As a wise friend reminded me this week: Mine the gold!

And so back to basics I have been, trying the best I can to meet myself in darkness and mine the gold!  Nothing fancy; remembering the joy and relief of small, simple movement. Renewed compassion. Remembering to be thankful. Remembering to be gentle. Remembering that this too will pass.

This Winter Solstice and Christmas time I wish for you a time to rest and reflect.  What from this year are you ready to leave behind?  What are you inviting in for 2016?  There is no rush. No New Year deadline. Wait for the lighter days and months for action…for now, rest, nurture new ideas and nourish.  There is nothing more to be done.

Wishing you very happy, peaceful and restful Christmas times, my friends.

May we be happy,
May we be healthy,
May we be peaceful and free. 

Saluting the Moon

FREE Yoga Celebration!

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Christmas and the Winter Solstice are approaching! On Sunday 13th December, I’ll be holding our annual Candlelit Free Yoga Celebration to celebrate the year gone by and welcome the returning light!

There’ll be Yoga by Candlelight! Meditating! Chanting!

We’ll rejoice in the darkness which reveals our true light!

Mince pies and chocolates! …All completely yogic, of course :)

Places are completely FREE!  Donations to The Salvation Army gratefully accepted.  Places are limited so please do let me know if you’d like to attend – and feel free to invite loved ones to join in too – no previous yoga experience necessary :)

Yoga by Candlelight: A Celebration for Christmas & the Winter Solstice!
Sunday, 13th December
5-6:30pm
Brayton Scout & Guide HQ

For more details, head over to our Workshops page!

Viva la France

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What a week.

It is difficult to stay strong and courageous all the time in a world such as ours.  It is difficult not to feel scared by the randomness, the incomprehensible cruelty of terrorism.

What is there to say that has not already been said?

What can we do?

Hope.  Believe in our human resilience. Pray for goodness.

Dedicate our practice to those needing strength.

Yes. Of course yes.

But sometimes it feels like this isn’t enough.

At this time of year, as we approach Winter, Christmas and the Winter equinox, we often speak of darkness.  In many yogic traditions, there is a belief that ‘darkness’ doesn’t really exist in and of itself – that it is merely a state in the absence of light; the unilluminated.

The Yogi is one who is steady and connected to the illuminated centre, even in dark times. 

Darkness – unilluminated spaces exist within us all.  And certainly it can appear that darkness truly exists in the wider world.

We must learn about the darkness within – through our practice, through our integrity and our search for truth – we begin to meet ourselves as we are.  Once we’ve overcome the darkness within, we can affect that which is outside.

Once we understand that there are spaces of darkness within us they begin to become illuminated; the energetic impact of this illumination cannot help but radiate out into the darknesses that exist outside of ourselves.

Once we start to shine light into areas of darkness in ourselves, we find more – we are emboldened to continue. The more the light penetrates us, the stronger we become.

Does this mean that until we are all Buddhas, enlightened beings, we are of no use to others?

No. We can do what we can.  There are charities we can support.  Messages of solidarity and love we can send.

We can light a candle, dedicated to those who are traumatised, those who are grieving, those who are terrified and lost.

We can get on the mat.  We can meditate, pray. Believe in goodness.

We connect to the centre – where the unending light exists.

I do not have the answers or even the words.

My mum always told me: Do what you can, the best as you can.

That is what I will do today.

 

May we be happy

May we be well

May we be peaceful and free

(Metta Bhavana)

 

 

The same, but different

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Each September, I find myself hesitating at the thought of the new term ahead  – longing for the return of Summer, reluctant to get back to the familiar turns of the days and weeks.

There is something about the mid-Summer months that feels different; routines are cast by the wayside, there’s a certain degree of topsy-turviness to life.  All is a riot of colour and bloom in the height of warmth and light.

And when September and the cooler months come along, it can feel a little flat.

The return to old routine…

But things are not the same.

Because we are different.  The same, but different.

Whatever our experience of this Summer, the past few months, even days, even minutes, becomes a part of who we are.

Each of our reactions, inactions, interactions effect us deeply, become part of our consciousness and what we take forward with us.

We might well feel the same, the routines soon feel familiar and the hazy days of misrule of the Summer soon feel like long, long ago.

But fear not. They are not gone.

They are a part of us, things to be cherished for the things we have enjoyed; lessons to be cherished for what we have learned.  The big, the small, the joyful, the disappointing, the heart-breaking.  All of it experience.

And so it will go on.

Once we find ourselves back in the routine of daily life, it can be easy to overlook the subtleties and differences in the everyday.   We as humans are so deeply adaptable, it is almost a human condition to take things for granted.

Including the fact that we have these tools – yoga included – of awakening to living a more conscious life and finding the path to true happiness.

I listened to a TED talk recently that proposed to reverse the formula for happiness and success, suggesting that it is not SUCCESS that makes us happy, but HAPPINESS that makes us successful.

Doesn’t this make perfect sense?

How we process our experiences, how we process our experience of the world – as positive or negative – has a direct impact on our productivity.   The more positively we view our place in the world, the more inclined we are to think bigger, reach higher, believe in our potential.  The more successful we might become and the more successful we understand ourselves to be.

And luckily, the tools of yoga are perfectly designed to enable this mind-shift:

  • Practicing gratitude makes us more aware of the rich abundance of our lives
  • Meditation helps us to unplug from the frenzied pace of life and learn focus
  • Exercise teaches our body that our behaviour matters
  • Practicing kindness: Random acts of kindness to others create ripples of positivity beyond ourselves.

These simple practices retrain our brains to look for the positive first, and to scan the world around us to see positive, rather than negative.

Things might look the same; same body, same routine, and yet things are constantly evolving on the inside.  We can choose how we evolve.  We can choose subtle shifts to live more positively and become more awake.

We are the same, but different.

The Point of Pointlessness

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About five years ago, during a particularly unsettled time in my life, I was gifted with a little garden to take care of for a year. 

It wasn’t an intentional gift, but as no one else did, I took it on.  One day, as Spring was just unfurling, I wandered out, filled a pot with soil and planted beans.  And to my genuine surprise – they grew!

The grass was ragged and uneven; I’d set out to simply neaten it up…a few hours later I found I had mowed, raked, edged, reseeded.  Over the Spring I planted and the Summer brought vegetables I had tended and flowers bloomed.  In the midst of uncertainty, hands full of dirt and soil grounded me; simplicity, fresh air and focus soothed an anxious mind.

The work, of course, was never complete.

Always weeding to be done; seedlings to plant out; watering, feeding, mowing, picking, composting…

The work was never done.  And it wasn’t even mine to keep. I could’ve let it go to seed, no one expected it to be cared for.  At the end of the year, the owners would return and I would give it all back.

But it didn’t matter.  What mattered was that season. That day. The opportunity to play and watch it grow. That was the joy.

Joy of tending.  Joy in being a part of the cycle, the turn of the seasons and forces so much bigger than myself.  Realising that I could never be in control of this, I didn’t try. I was happy just to partake.  Enjoying not really knowing what I was doing and quietly finding the confidence to have a go.

I got the bug, and now with my own garden to play with, I can lose hours messing about with fingernails full of dirt, still not really knowing what I’m doing.  Committing to work that will never be done. Isn’t it all a bit….pointless?

Yes, there are times it is overwhelming.

And times where there is no time at all.

But I know it is there, and continuing with or without me.  Things will unfold, the garden will grow (not caring how neat it’s lawn edge is), unsettled times will pass. I will get stuck back in.

And so it is with our yoga – oh yoga, you perfect, beautiful analogy! – work without end.

No final destination; no medals on offer.  We can return to it time and time again; it is never done.

At each return there is potential for deeper understanding. Quietly finding confidence to have a go. And yes, joy in the work.

And so we return to the mat, to our practice, just as I return to my garden; learning the point of pointlessness.  Embracing the work to be done….and trusting in the process.  Nature does not hurry, and yet everything gets done.  Doing the work simply because it brings us joy. 

Do your work and then step back

The only path to serenity

– Lao Tzu

Wishing you joyfully pointless times this Summer, tending what you love and loving what you tend xx

Shift happens

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If there’s one thing in this life on which we can be certain – it’s change.

Sometimes it’s change we actively seek and welcome; sometimes it’s change that comes to find us.  Either way, it’s coming!

As human beings, we’re programmed not to really like change.  On a biological level at least, we like things to be constant.  Change means uncertainty…and that means stress.  Even if we hate our current circumstance, and even if it’s a change we’ve chosen gladly, there’s always that pull back to the devil we know.

In just a few days time, I’m moving house.  I’m really excited, but not without some trepidation too.  It’s a big shift.  A new chapter.  The start of the next phase of my life.

What can we do when facing change?  Our practice, as ever, has the answer.

Return to the breath.  Get our feet firmly on the ground.  Reconnect to the present moment – without catastrophising; recognising fantasy.  Return to this moment and observe.  This is how we learn to flow; bending with the changing winds; allowing the waves to break over us…rather than trying to hold back the inevitable tides.

This too will pass

Is any phrase, any four small words, more full of humility and hope?  I return to it often; and in times of shift and upheaval – with all their excitement, frustration, newness – it seems to me deeply yogic in it’s message of now-ness.

Shift happens.  It’s how we choose to respond that is really the measure of the outcome.

Yoga for when the winds of change blow:

1. Breathe.

No mat, no studio, no lycra required.  We always have our conscious breath to return to.  Take a deep breath in, and s-l-o-w-l-y let it all out.  Consider this your haven; safe ground to which you can always turn, whenever things get a little….cuckoo.

2. Connect with the earth.

Feeling sure and steadfast underfoot underpins our posture and our inner sense of security.  Be the virabhadrasana Warrior!  Confident, strong, looking ahead with poise and equinimity.

Send roots down through the souls of your feet – Vrksasana (Tree Pose) is a nice, playful way to root down to rise up and really feel the bend, sway and readjustment.

3. Be kind.

Kindness is king in a world of endless change!  Look after yourself. Tend to your needs. Be compassionate towards yourself – as you would to your child, your parent, your best friend.  Notice what you are noticing; newness can be uncomfortable; joy can be unsettling – but this discomfort is all part of the growing.  New feels disturbing until – it becomes the way of being.

As my mother always tell me – nothing is wasted.  It is all a lesson; all opportunity to expand.

Times they are a-changing; and we are flowing.

Creating Rituals

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It’s February! Christmas, the sparkly new year and any good intentions set might already feel like a long time ago. It’s about this time of year, things can start to feel a bit…bleh.

You see the problem I find with intentions and resolutions is that they can feel like a stick to beat yourself with. And I’m not very good at being told what to do…even by myself!

Think back to those crisp bright first days of 2015 (less than 6 weeks ago you guys, we can do this!)…I was going to be so time efficient! And disciplined! And checking my email was not going to take precedence over my yoga practice on a morning! But habits (good and bad) are difficult to break. No amount of 1st January hope is going to stop them dead in their tracks.

So how about instead of talking about habits and resolutions, we talk about creating rituals.

Rituals have an importance, reverence. Sacred.

That sounds more like something I’d prefer to stick to.

Bringing joy and reverence to our day in small ways can be empowering. And I’m not talking all incense and sage smudging here (though if it is that, right on!). The small things…making a healthy meal…rolling out the yoga mat…getting out for a run or a walk with the dogs…making time for the things we need. These are the rituals that bring us back to ourselves. Approaching these small actions as acts of love and self-care make them so much more powerful, more enjoyable, and more likely something we want to gift ourselves with each day.

Rituals are all about connection and it makes sense they are most resonant when we are present. And the idea of having a healthy, caring, loving ritual which brings connection and enjoyment seems so much more like something I want to do, rather than something I should be doing. Enough with the shoulds!

And it’s ok if you get off track; it’s ok if you’ve missed a few classes or your new year regime has gone off the boil a bit – studies have shown that missing a day or more of whatever habit – I mean ritual – you’re trying to create doesn’t mean all is lost, if you pick it up again you can still stay on track to success.

So drop the guilt! There are no mistakes! You’re on the right path.

Now’s a good time to revisit the thoughts that led us to set goals for the year ahead. How do we feel about them now? Is there a healthy, loving ritual to create that will inspire us to our own sense of greatness?

Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around – Vanilla Sky

Commit to being present.

Rituals.

Tune in. Drop in. Connect.

 

Throw Away Your Picture

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It’s Christmastime, all is sparkling and glistening and bright. From the moment Michael Buble’s honeyed tones start (somewhere around October) we’re already imagining the candlelight, the chunky knits, the hearts and eyes full of love.

And that’s a beautiful thing.

These picture postcards of Christmases past, or maybe of Christmases that never really happened are so powerful. They fuel our mad dashes round the shops; the intense menu planning; the hope – dream – wish that everything will be just perfect. That we can buy and shop and plan our way to that soft-focussed happiness. Every year I am caught up in the whirl.

At Christmas particularly I am reminded of some of the best advice I was ever given: Throw away your picture. We all create expectations of how we’d like things to be, especially once decisions have been made, plans have been set. These pictures can be valuable in helping to bring plans together, but once you’ve done all you can (realistically!), let the picture go. You can’t control the future, much less everyone else’s actions and reactions, and that picture postcard version of events you’re clinging on to can create unhappiness if it is not fulfilled. And disappointment can lead you to miss the silver lining of every situation you may find yourself in.

In truth, this is not always easy. Letting go of pictures we’d dreamed of becoming realities can be painful. Arguing in the middle of the John Lewis Christmas Shop isn’t quite the festive dream I had in mind. But releasing the perfect picture makes it, ultimately, easier to move on.

When we focus on the way things are supposed to be, we run the risk of missing the opportunities of enjoying things the way they are – or to have things surprise us for being wonderful in completely different ways from how we imagined.

‘We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand — and melting like a snowflake’ – Marie Beyon Ray

This is not detachment. Detachment is hard on us; a front for the fear of not getting what we hoped for. Detaching ourselves, making out that we don’t care what happens, is a defence against disappointment, and it can leave us cold and tight.

Non-attachment however, is our full, active engagement with what is happening right now, without being attached to an outcome – a perfect picture. It is open enough to hold longing and desire and it is the belief that anything is possible; that you have done all you can and whatever happens – you’ll handle it! Non-attachment is acting from a place connected to your heart’s desires, it’s going full-out, whole-heartedly; it is open and spacious enough to let creativity and fulfilment pour in.

‘…The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet’ – Franz Kafka

Wishing you very happy and peaceful festive season, my friends. Soften to the possibility of right now; trust that things are unfolding just as they should.

 

‘Throw away the picture’ – a concept by the great Susan Jeffers, whose work started me on a path which changed my life. With thanks and gratitude.