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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

 

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.

Morning Yoga Flow!

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It’s summer! I love to practice yoga outside – there’s something deliciously freeing about moving and breathing deeply out in the open air.  Our latest online Morning Yoga Flow class was filmed out in the back garden of my new house.  It’s such a beautiful space and it’s a pleasure to share it – and this practice – with you.

Lots of you asked for a short(ish), morning practice, so I hope this will do the trick! Twenty minutes to get you fired up, warmed up and ready to face the day.

It’s inspired by the summer and by you. It’s about expanding our hearts, meeting ourselves just as we are; it’s about celebrating the light, the day and this amazing body that moves and lives and breathes.  Whatever the weather (and the summer rain makes an appearance in this video!),  this class can be used to wake up the body and mind at any time of the day, or year.  Enjoy. Breathe it all in.

I’m pretty sure our newest yoga intern, Nina (#Ninalovesyoga) steals the show in this one; it’s worth a watch just to see her lording it up! :)

I’d love to hear what you think – let me know in the comments!

Keep practicing, keep flowing, my friends! Wishing you a summer of love and light xx

 

5 Ways to Help Save the Planet

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Today is Earth Day! A day bringing environmental issues to the fore.  I am PASSIONATE about this – and it is so ingrained to our yoga practice and our responsibility as yogis to take care of the planet and the future. And it all pays back: reducing our energy consumption invariably costs us less and we feel better for it.  One Life, One Love, people!

I’m going to take it as read that you already are keen recyclers and you know not to leave the water running whilst cleaning your teeth, but here are another 5 ways to help save the planet and Do Your Bit.  There are no excuses.  We all need to get involved!

  1. NO MORE JUNK MAIL

12 billion pieces of junk mail are delivered to UK households and businesses every year, an average of about 453 pieces of junk mail (both addressed and unaddressed) per year.  That’s equivalent to between 4.6 – 6.1 MILLION trees. Bleugh.

And it’s really annoying.

  • Check the small print carefully every time you buy or subscribe and make sure to tick or untick the appropriate boxes to opt out of them sending you further information or passing your details to other companies.
  • Register with the Your Choice Preference Scheme, which helps people to cut down on unwanted unaddressed mail delivered by members of the Direct Marketing Association.  Ironically, you have to ask them to send you an opt-out form, but once you fill in and return it, unsolicited mail should lessen (can take up to 12 weeks to take effect).
  • Opt out of being on the Edited Electoral Register. The edited electoral register can be bought by any person or company and used for any purpose.  When you fill out the annual electoral form, tick the box to ensure that your details appear on the FULL REGISTER only.

More very helpful and useful information from the Citizens Advice Bureau here and here.

  1. STOP PAPER STATEMENTS

Almost all high street banks now offer online banking.  It’s easy, it’s quick and you can request to go paperless and instead have your statements at the click of a button online.  Saving paper and energy in production and delivery, not to mention filing space.

Most phone companies too offer paperless billing.  Receive your mobile phone statement via text and view online.

Close any unwanted/no-longer-used bank accounts etc that you never quite got round to closing and they’re still sending you statements for £0.01 (I’ve been there).  Do it now! You’ll be glad not to have that nagging thought each month it comes through the door.

  1. MEAT FREE MONDAYS

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that livestock production is responsible for 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions; other organisations have estimated it could be as much as 51 per cent.  Consider too that it requires 2500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, and deforestation that is taking place to farm animals for meat. Whatever your stance, there’s little doubt that eating less meat, and choosing local when you do, has got to be better, for the planet and our health.

The McCartneys run the Meat Free Mondays campaign and Jamie Oliver posts weekly veggie recipes for inspiration.  Pledge your allegiance!

  1. DON’T BAG IT

500 BILLION plastic bags are used EVERY YEAR worldwide.  They are not biodegradable and so it’s little wonder that they now litter every ocean floor on the planet and are finding their way into our food chains. 

  • Choose stronger, reusable bags;
  • Keep shopping bags in the boot of the car to have them to hand;
  • Fabric shoppers easily fold into handbags or pockets to have to hand whenever you need them.

Scout’s motto: Be prepared!

  1. GET A HIPPO

Around 30% of water used in each home each day is through toilet flushing.  Simple, easy to fit water saving devices can be added to toilet cisterns and save approximately 3 litres of water every time you flush.  These are often available for free from most water companies – check your provider’s website, or get a Hippo – easy, cost efficient and effective.  It’ll save you money too.

Going Green doesn’t mean daunting life changes.  It’s the little things every day that make the difference.  As yogis we tread lightly.  We trust in the collective energy of the human spirit to make phenomenal difference.

For more genuinely great suggestions to make a difference, check out 50 Ways to Help The Planet

Now go get outside and get some nature in your eyes!  Happy Earth Day everybody!

Power Balls recipe!

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Not the greatest title for a recipe, perhaps, but these little balls of power are so good – in all possible ways – that I couldn’t not share them with you!

I believe that what we eat is just as much a part of living our yoga as rolling out the mat to practice.  Food connects us in the most basic, primitive way to our very aliveness.  And we all know that what we put in, we get out.  Healthy body, healthy mind, vibrant spirit.

These little beauties are easy to make, require no cooking, are rich in nutrients and full of protein, fibre and good fats to give you a boost – perfect with a cup of tea for a mid-afternoon pick me up, or on the go when you need an energy kick (I carry them round with me for snacking between classes).  You can pretty much throw in any nuts or seeds you fancy and have in the cupboard  – mix and match. I promise they are delicious, satisfying and totally good for you!

To make 8-10 Power Balls you will need:

– Handful of dried apricots, prunes or dates (or a mixture)

– 1/2 cup (about a large handful) of cashew nuts

– 1/2 cup of almonds

– 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

– 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

– 1 tablespoon coconut oil

– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

– optional: 1 teaspoon baobab powder (a sherbet-tasting powder from the baobab fruit – high in potassium, fibre + vitaimin C)

– optional (and recommended): 1 teaspoon raw cacao powder (or some good quality dark chocolate chopped finely) – a great source of antioxidants, magnesium, protein, calcium to name a few good things.

– Desiccated coconut

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients except the desiccated coconut in a food processor until smooth-ish (you might need to add a tiny bit of water if it looks too dry or gets stuck around the blades).

2. Take a large teaspoons’ worth of mixture, roll into a ball and dip in to a bowl of desiccated coconut to cover them.

3. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes to harden slightly, and then pop a power ball in your mouth as desired! They’ll keep for about 5 days in the fridge.

Pop one in your mouth for an energy boost!

Pop one in your mouth for an energy boost!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adapted from Filmore & Union Apricot + Baobab protein balls recipe.  And more on the benefits of raw cacao and a nice alternative version of this recipe courtesy of the Mercola website.

With special thanks to my good friend Tracy, for inspiring my quest for more protein, less sugar!

 

 

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.

Meditation for Stress Release

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Christmas is here!! Are you ready?! Are you?!

It’s a beautiful time of year, but there’s no denying that it’s also the time of year when stress levels – for countless reasons – can rise. It’s the end of the year and let’s face it, it’s just time for a rest.  The mad dash to the Christmas finish line can feel, well, like the last thing you want to be doing.

So here’s my first installment of my guides to getting our inner-selves ready for Christmas and the end of the year.   Over the next few weeks, I’m going to give you different ways to soften and release.  Ways to help get out of our busy, thinking minds and into our feeling selves; a little bit of quiet and intention-setting amid the bright buzz of festive preparation.

This is a guided meditation for stress release, to bring healing to deep parts of the body and help ease you into a place of more centred calm. It takes just 15 minutes and hopefully will leave you feeling a little lighter and a little more connected on the inside – so your light can shine on the outside too :)

(Tip: This practice is great all year round, not just for Christmas!)

Enjoy, my friends, and let me know how you get on!

Stay tuned – I’ve got more festive practices coming up!!

With love, and jingle bells x

 

(point-to-point meditation based on a practice by Shari Friedrichsen of Yoga International)

10 Ways to Inspire Your Yoga Self Practice!

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Earlier this month I led the Developing Your Own Self-Practice workshop with an amazing group of yogis who left me feeling inspired to share as much as I can about getting on the mat more often!

I am the self-practice head cheerleader.  When I first began my own self-practice, I didn’t really know what I was doing, I just remembered what I could from class and practiced because it felt good.  So I kept going, I became more and more interested and before I knew it things…changed. Yes I became more toned and eventually was able to touch my toes…but something more…I felt different inside…I liked myself more, I recognised my own inner strength and I opened up to the rest of the world more too.

Yoga works in mysterious ways…it has a way of getting under your skin, without needing to know the hows or whys before you start.  You just have to move and breathe, and the rest will come. I truely believe in the transformational power of yoga – which shows us how to live in fully explored ways, with more love, more compassion and more joy.

BUT! I know too how hard it can sometimes be to roll out the mat…and then know what to do!  The motivation! The discipline! The pressure!  Another thing to add to that endless to-do list!  Vegging out – and zoning out – instead can feel irresistble.  But if you know yoga makes you feel better then  believe me when I tell you that it is not selfish or time-wasting to spend 10, 20, 40 minutes – whatever you can – away from the clammour of everyday life. This is tuning in, not zoning out, taking control and making a choice in how we think, feel and live.  The benefits aren’t just for ourselves, but eminate out to everyone we interact with and every task we turn our hand to.

So don’t wait! Here are my top 10 ways to inspire your yoga self-practice – both on and off the yoga mat!

1. Use class to inspire you: Take away one pose, a sequence, an intention that speaks to you and use it in your practice throughout the week. Get to know it and feel it’s effects (tip: sometimes it’s good to practice the poses we don’t particularly like!)

2. Make it fit your life: There are some traditions and teachers that might say you need to practice 2 hours a day, at dawn, preferably on a mountain top, and that would be lovely. But if you have a job to do and kids to look after and a house to maintain and a million and one other things and actually, getting a few hours sleep would be good too, then this just isn’t realistic.  I am passionate that this has to be a living, evolving practice which is relevant and useful to our lives now. If we stick ridgidly to rules that might apply to the ancient Brahmen in India, but have no relevance to our own lives, then the practice is dead.  Beautiful and admirable perhaps – but not really relevant. There’s a whole other article to be written there! My point is, don’t wait for the opportunity to have endless spare time, superior knowledge and understanding; start now. 2 minutes or 2 hours, do what you can and let the practice serve you.

3. A moment’s meditation: You may not have time to practice at great length every day, or sometimes to get the mat out at all. Drop the guilt! Notice throughout the day when you’re feeling stressed/spaced out/flustered and reground.  Feel your feet on the floor.  Breathe. Be present.  And then move on with the task at hand. Practicing yoga isn’t all about making shapes.

4. Intention: What has brought you to the mat today?  There are no wrong answers to this….and the answers don’t have to be lofty or grand.  ‘Just because’ is a perfectly acceptable answer.  ‘To get strong’ or ‘to feel better’ are also good.  Having an intention can be a nice motivator to get to the mat.

Be led by how you feel: Specific aches + pains or emotions can all be a great place to start your practice from. Look to address stress, or a headache, or stomach cramps; if you feel sad, which poses do you feel most supported and nurtured by? If you are joyful, how can your practice be an expression of that joy?

‘Move the way joy makes you move’ – Osho

6. Study: Svadhyaya or self-study is the fourth of the Niyamas (personal observances) as outlined in Patenjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.  This can be any activity where we are intentionally self-aware; but can also be a more literal form of study. Books, the internet, teachers are all there to help support and inspire your yoga journey.  If you have a question, feed that interest and find out more – there’s so much great information out there – a lot of it for free!

7. There are no rules:  If you get ‘stuck’ or are unsure what to do next, simply return to the centre – get grounded + return to the breath. Notice the fluctuations of the mind – are you panicking? Are you self-chastising?  See if you can let go of the grasping of the mind and allow things to be.  Get out of the thinking mind and let your body move you.

8. Music: Playing music whilst you practice can be a lovely way to inspire movement + flow, or as a nice way to add another dimention to your practice if you usually practice quietly.  Just beware that you are still actively present with your practice.

9. Stay playful: Getting on the mat is an opportunity to feel and enjoy living in this imperfect perfect body. Enjoy it!  We all have our limitations but we can all do so much.  It doesn’t matter if you fall out of a balance or if you don’t know the names of all the poses; just move and breathe for the sheer joy of being alive.

10. Anything can be yoga: Anytime we approach life with a sense of mindfulness and honesty of intention, it’s yoga. …Don’t let this become an excuse to not make time on the mat! But rather a way of making yoga a way of life, not just a part of life.

‘Practice, and all is coming’ – Pattabhi Jois

What inspires your practice and makes you roll out the mat?  What blockages to practice to you sometimes face?  Share your questions and tips – I’d love to hear from you!

 

Practice Love

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Love is such a grand word. A multi-facetted emotionally charged word. For me, it is an invitation for discovery of the depths of feeling. But exploring these depths isn’t reserved for grand gestures and world changing actions; it is a matter of each of us asking simply:

How can I be a better person?

How can I practice love today?

By making just a tiny bit more effort to reach out…to send a text message to a friend; send a postcard; leave a note in your partner’s lunch saying ‘hello I love you’. To reach out and connect.

Love and loving is a choice, not something that is bestowed magically upon us. Choose to be open. Choose not to shut down (and sometimes it feels so irresistibly easy to shut down). Choose to not hold grudges; choose to release anger.

There are times, of course, when it’s hard to crack open that shell, to peel back the bomber-jacket of a sulk; the hooded cloak of a dark mood.

This is the practice. To find that we have a choice in how we feel.

An almost physical cracking of that protective shell (I imagine it around the solar plexus…) leaving me unguarded. In vulnerability we also find space for  possibility – of joy, of reconciliation, of growth.

How can we open in small ways, every day?

As an example, politeness. There is no rush too stressful, no black mood so dark enough to ever warrant impoliteness! And while we’re at it, recycle! Don’t litter! Pick up litter! Show love to our environment, think wider than yourself.

To find that half-ounce of extra love and show it. To choose to open instead of closing down. To forgive instead of building an iron fence around our hearts. This is the most important message. To choose to grow. To offer a hug; to take his hand; to give your loose change. That half-ounce will come back in spades and bucket loads. And in it comes, in more energy, purpose and worth.

This is not to say to give yourself so freely that you are left depleted. Respect your boundaries and listen to your instincts. Protect your heart from those who are reckless.

Practice compassion.

Everyone has their stuff, things we can’t ever know. Each of us deserves kindness. Be kind to yourself.

When it comes down to it, we’re all looking for the same thing: to be loved and to love in return.

When we approach everyone we meet (and meet ourselves) with this understanding, the heart jumps out, the universe expands and love pours in.

Practice love. It is a muscle which needs to be used and exercised to grow strong. Don’t wait for a special occasion.

And this is where yoga comes in (because of course, it does): Every time we come to the mat is an opportunity to learn something new and listen to our hearts without judgement or censor.

As we practice, our bodies become strong and focussed; learning to listen to the whispers of our desires, the calls of our fears, our needs, our limitations. In listening we learn to understand. In understanding, we offer compassion. Our bodies strong enough, our minds flexible enough, to withhold emotion and endure change.

Kindness has become a bland word in our world of hyperbole, but it is kindness offered inside and without which will lead us to love, time and time again.

Find small ways to practice love, they are all around us. Begin now. xx