PRAYER FOR SELF-LOVE

Hello friends, I just wanted to share a beautiful prayer for self-love that I read last week to the participants of my recent, Serious Self-Love Webinar. The prayer is by Don Miguel Ruiz, a Mexican author of Toltec spiritual wisdom, and it just literally blows my heart open. Please read it, live it, breathe it in and breathe it out - it’s magical and so so true. Love you xx

Prayer for Self Love by Don Miguel Ruiz

Today, creator of the Universe, we ask that you help us to accept ourselves just the way we are, without judgement. Help us to accept our mind the way it is, with all our emotions, our hopes and dreams, our personality, our unique way of being. Help us to accept our body just the way it is, with all its beauty and perfection. Let the love we have for ourselves be so strong that we never agin reject ourselves or sabotage our happiness, freedom and love.

From now on, let every action, every reaction, every thought, every emotion, be based on love. Help us Creator, to increase our self-love until the entire dream of our life is transformed, from fear and drama to love and joy. Let the power of our self-love be strong enough to break all the lies that tell us we are not good enough, or strong enough, or intelligent enough, that we cannot make it. Let the power of our self-love be so strong that we longer need to live our life according to others peoples opinions. Let us trust ourselves completely to make the choices we must make. With our self-love, we are no longer afraid to face any responsibility in our life or face any problems and resolve them as they arise. Whatever we want to accomplish, let it be done with the power of our self-love.

Starting today, help us to love ourselves so much that we never set up any circumstances that go against us. We can live our life being ourselves and not pretending to be someone else just to be accepted by other people. We no longer need other people to accept us or tell us how good we are because we know we are. With the power of our self-love, let us enjoy what we see every time we look in the mirror. Let there be a big smile on our face that enhances our inner and outer beauty. Help us to feel such intense self-love that we always enjoy our own presence.

Let us love ourselves with judgement, because when we judge, we carry blame and guilt, we have the need for punishment, and we lose the perspective of your love. Strengthen our will to forgive ourselves in this moment. Clean our minds of emotional poison and self-judgement so we can live in complete peace and love.

Let our self-love be the power that changes the dream of our life. With this new power in our hearts, the power of self-love, let us transform every relationship we have, beginning with the relationship we have with ourselves. Help us to be free of any conflict with others. Let us be happy to share our time with other loved ones and to forgive them for any injustice we feel in our mind. Help us to love ourselves so much that we forgive anyone who has ever hurt us in our life.

Give us the courage to love our family and friends unconditionally, and to change our relationship in the most positive and loving way. Help us to create new channels of communication in our relationship so there is no war of control, there is no winner or loser. Together let us work as a team for love, for joy, for harmony.

Let our relationship with our family and friends be based on respect and joy so we no longer have the need to tell them how to think or how to be. Let our romantic relationships be the most wonderful relationships; let us feel joy every time we share ourselves with our partner. Help us to accept others just the way they are without judgement, because when we reject them, we reject ourselves. When we reject ourselves, we reject you.

Today is a new beginning. Help us to start our life over beginning today, with the power of self-love. Help us to enjoy our life, to enjoy our relationships, to explore life, to take risks, to be alive, and to no longer live in fear of love. Let us open our heart to the love that is our birthright. Help us to become Masters of Gratitude, Generosity and Love so that we enjoy all of your creations forever and ever. Amen.

Cinco razones para hacer de septiembre tu mes del cuidado personal.

Como el lento deslizamiento hacia el otoño puede durar semanas, a menudo estamos ansiosos por posponer nuestras rutinas de cuidado personal hasta que los niños hayan regresado por completo a la escuela o el clima cambie o cuando las cosas estén más tranquilas. Y por eso, a lo largo de los años, nos hemos comprometido a resolver este dilema y aquí están nuestros cinco mejores consejos para entusiasmarte por volver al estudio de yoga ESTE mes y no el próximo.

1. RELACIONES. Nuestras relaciones son la parte más importante de la vida, esto incluye la relación contigo mismo y con los demás. ¿Sabías que toda la ciencia y filosofía del yoga se basa en mejorar la forma en que nos conectamos y nos comunicamos entre nosotros? Entonces, si no puedes hacerlo por ti mismo, ¡hazlo por las personas que amas a tu alrededor!

2. DIGESTIÓN. Si bien no tenemos prisa por avanzar rápidamente a través de las últimas semanas del verano, es difícil resistir el deseo de poner en marcha nuestra digestión que puede haber sufrido un poco durante el verano con aviones, muchos viajes, cenas al aire libre, estrés y cócteles. Entonces, cuando necesitas algo más sustancial que el ocasional entrenamiento o una caminata rápida, el yoga, con todos sus giros, estiramientos, respiración y fortalecimiento, es la manera perfecta de estimular el sistema digestivo, hacer que todo se mueva y ayudarte a sentirte ligero y saludable nuevamente.

3. CONEXIÓN CON UNO MISMO. Hemos llegado a ese punto en el verano en el que todo lo que queremos es recordar cómo se siente estar realmente conectado con nuestro mejor yo, nuestras esperanzas, sueños, ambiciones y planes para el futuro, pero hemos olvidado en qué dirección vamos porque la falta de rutina ha pasado factura. Cuando se trata de yoga, realmente solo se necesita una sesión para recordarnos quiénes somos realmente, hacia dónde vamos, cuál es nuestro propósito y cómo permanecer conectados con nuestra verdad.

4. ALEGRÍA INTERNA. Esto es lo que pasa con la diversión del verano: nunca te arrepentirás de tenerla, pero si buscas sentir una alegría interior que no dependa de planes, gastar dinero o socializar, puedes contar con el yoga para ayudarte a bañarte en un flujo de alegría, una alegría que viene con las respuestas a todos los dilemas de la vida, la fuerza para convertir los desafíos en oportunidades. Lo más importante es que adquirimos la capacidad de vivir siempre con una sensación de alegría y buen humor.

5. COMUNIDAD. El yoga se trata de comunidad: la mayor parte del tiempo estamos tan atrapados en nuestra propia cabeza, que es encantador ver ojos amigables y sonrientes en el estudio, tener una pequeña charla y todos nos enamoramos de tener una comunidad en el estudio de yoga.

Así que ahí lo tienes. Realmente no hay mejor momento para volver al yoga que septiembre y tenemos tres clases más esta semana con Kat: jueves de 15.30 a 16.30, viernes de 18.00 a 19.30 y domingo de 11.00 a 12.00. Reserva tus clases AQUI, puedes pagar mediante Bizum, paypal o en efectivo. ¡Nos vemos pronto!

My angel Mother, laid to rest in the Mere 💕

Ashes. My mother’s ashes Well, half of them, to be precise; my sister scattered the other half last year sometime. She made a pilgrimage down from the English village we grew up in, Wadworth, towards a canal called Sprotbrough Falls in Yorkshire, a charming stretch of the Trans Pennine Trail that links the Atlantic Ocean to the North Sea, and sprinkled half of our mother in the rushing water that mixed with her salty tears.

Today, November 4, 2023, one day before Bonfire Night, is Mum’s final odyssey. I’m standing on the edge of Lake Windermere in the Lake District, ready to do the same—with my sister and her husband by my side—four years and three months since our little Ann passed. I’m not sure why I waited so long. Well,  that’s not strictly true; initially, I wanted to scatter half of her ashes in the River Ganges. The Ganges is the largest river in India with profound religious significance, and even though it has several names, my favourite is - Mother Ganga. It is said the river begins in heaven, emerges in the western Himalayas, and flows down across northern India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. It provides over 40% of water to Indians, and nothing can match the ever-lasting divinity of the holy River Ganga; the sacred river is a true mother by all means. 

 I daydreamed about how scattering my mother in the Mother Ganga would symbolically create a link directly back into the womb of creation, propelling her directly into her mother’s arms in the very epicentre of the Promised Land. I was romanticising. She was already there, not just four years and three ish months ago on July 12, 2019, but always. We are always being held by Mother Earth, and this is the Promised Land.

 Now, it makes me chuckle to imagine having had that conversation with Mum (a conversation we never had), my no-nonsense northern mother would have bitten my head off with her quick dry wit if I had even suggested such an outlandish idea. I never booked that flight to India, but I did wait for a sign.

 Last year, my sister moved to the Lake District. The sign arrived. The Lake District is England's largest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a magical place we used to go to with Mum. 

 Mum’s absolute favourite story, one she’d take immense pleasure in reminding me of, was the time when I refused to take off my white-heeled boots to trek an incredibly steep and lengthy incline. I was also wearing a mini skirt. I was in a very rebellious adolescent stage, and being fashionable was of the utmost importance. Even when trekking a mountain. 

Mum loved the story mostly because she said that even in the boots, I made it to the top of the mountain first. She thought I was mentally strong. She liked that. I don’t have that determination anymore, however, but I do love climbing mountains. In flat shoes. 

 So here we are. I’ve caught the train up from Doncaster via Manchester Piccadilly. I had a quick changeover in Oxenholme, set to arrive at Windermere station. My sister and her husband greet me on Platform 1 (there’s only one platform), and we enjoy a group hug—all naturally a little bit tense. We know why I’m here and what we are planning to do. 

 The first thing I notice is the air. It feels pure, fresh, and vital, very different from the night Mum passed away. That night, the air was running out, and now it’s flowing abundantly. The second thing I notice is the beauty, from the sturdy wicker baskets all the respectable-looking folk are using to load up their organic veggies in the supermarket that sits next to the train station; to the gothic and mediaeval architecture; to the plenitude of independent shops selling art and country walking clothes; to the lineup of elegant restaurants and bars. It’s pulsating with life, romance, and culture, and as much as I valued the opportunity to hold my mother’s hand when she took her last breath, death does not feel like this. Death is very cold; it possesses a penetrating silence, despite the loud gasps for air that I can not even try to explain with words; it’s so very silent and so very final. And yet, where I am with my mother right now feels unlimited, never-ending, and full of magic, just like her soul. I have studied enough Indian philosophy to know that the act of dying is separate from the soul. The soul never dies. 

 We get back to my sister’s house, cut some baguette bread and cheese, pour a glass of red wine, and discuss where we should ‘do it’. We have tickets to a fireworks display at 7 p.m., and then we decide that after this, we will get our torches and music and trek up to a viewpoint called Biskey Howe. We have a plan. 

 Biskey Howe viewpoint provides a panoramic view of the Mere (remember, that’s the correct term for the lake!) alongside mountains and a stretch of sky that represents the vastness of our hearts. And so, as the wind blows and the night sky is still alight with hundreds of spectacular fireworks, we throw her final ashes in the ether. She lands all over the rocks, the grass, and the earth, Mother Earth. 

 I didn’t think I’d cry, but I do. I begin touching the ashes that lay on the rocks and cry and cry and cry and I think I can’t let her go.

But then I stop, and it’s done, and it was nothing short of perfection. 

The next day I wake up early and walk down to the bay. I catch a ferry tour around the Mere and discover that the closest island next to Biskey Howe is named after a lady called Isabella: Bella Island, the name of Mum’s first and only granddaughter - my daughter, Bella. At that moment I truly realise she planned it all. 

Mum -  It will never be goodbye, you are an angel watching over us and even though I keep telling you to let-go and follow the light, I know you never will; that is what Mums do.

And to you: YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE ALONE - even when your mum dies. Smile, it’s all perfect.

Until next time.

My heart goes out to everyone in the entire world that will have already and have to loose a parent - my advice is to try and go with the flow, day by day and just know - there is beauty, strength, meaning, happiness… and nice boots afterwards. 

All my love, Kathryn x 

A Day Retreat with me in October!

Chakra Healing for Everyday Miracles and Energy Alignment!

GOODNESS gracious ME, It’s been thirteen years of colossal change, second-birth style healing experiences and wow, when I set out on this healing journey I never realised that the answer to my questions would be in my Chakras until one day after eight years of working with these wheels of energy I began to cry black, black fear out of my open eyes, my psyche began to acknowledge its right to feel, my leg channels began to open and my connection to earth grew stronger as my root chakra opened and stabilised, I was overcoming shame, opening to larger truths as my sacral chakra began to tune in my myself, my solar plexus chakra began to open to the power of love, rather than force, I was feeling an upward current of self-love and acceptance. No need to spend your life walking like socially conditioned trees, you can open your eyes and see the light that shines within you!  
  
I am thrilled to announce that on October on Saturday 21st I am offering a unique one-day chakra healing retreat here in Getxo Bilbao.   
  
This is no ordinary journey, expect to take action, expect to move your body, expect to bear witness to your own process and encounter yourself on a deeper level. Only through your committed participation can you make a choice and change your life.  
  
In this workshop, you will:   
* The Psychology of the Chakras.   
* The Science of the chakras.   
* Have a map for integrating all parts of yourself into wholeness.  
* Begin a process of healing in which the natural treasures are found in the miracles along the way and carry throughout life.  
* Uncover your chakra blocks at each level of your mind, body, and spirit and learn practical exercises and tools for healing.   
* Learn breathwork techniques for life.   
 
Schedule 
 11 a.m. Plant-based brunch is served at Grounded & Graceful HQ in a private location in Neguri.  
Noon A presentation on the psychology and science of the chakras by Kat in English with translations given in Spanish   
13.30 Map work and your work sheets is given with study time  
2.30 pm Plant-based lunch is served   
3.30 pm Break   
17.00-20.00 Meet at La Casa del Yoga and prepare to move, uncover your blocks, learn practical tools, create miracles and begin your journey to healing.   
  
Also included  
  
. Your workbook   
. Signed copies of both my books   
. Brunch, lunch, snacks and drinks  
. Supportive tribe.   
 
Places are extremely limited, contact me to discuss further.  Contact me with this email address… kathrynann.webster@gmail.com
 
Investment. €100, a non-refundable despot of €35 is required to secure your place, payment plans are available.

Lots of love, Kat!   

Last Message before May! 🏃

This is my final message, reminding you that the “MAY UNLIMITED YOGA FOR €35” offer is closing at midnight tonight, Sunday 30th April 2023. This offer is valid both, in'-studio at La Casa del Yoga in Getxo, Bilbao AND online (I know I messed'-up at delivering the online workshop online this Saturday but by Tuesday everything will be perfect so you can join from Tuesday, May 2nd if you want to!) AND the even better news is, it only takes about 2 minutes and 2 steps to get access, SEND me, Kat, a quick Whatsapp on 0044 7735730538 and after, sign-up for the classes you want to attend! Easy. If you are joining us in-studio, bring your own mat, show up on time and get ready to shine! if you are joining us online I´ll send you all the access links to the classes you sign-up to!
Why do I organise these incredible offers?
- It can be so lonely on your wellness journey sometimes and it’s nice to meet like-minded people in a friendly studio!
- We believe community is so important!
- We love to see you face-to-face and hear your stories!
- So many people struggle to care for their mental and emotional health whilst also taking time to workout and get their daily movement in - and yoga is a great way to do everything ❤️❤️

Sign-up for your classes HERE

Lucky May Time

Hello everyone!

Over here in Spain at my studio, La Casa del Yoga, I am getting ready to welcome our new teacher Caroline and begin day 1 of our Healthy May challenge!
This challenge is going to get us feeling happy and fit and of course, give us incredible mental, emotional and physical results. Caroline and I are going to be showing up every day to be our students accountability partners and supporting everyone in every class. 

YOU CAN - JOIN now and get an unlimited yoga offer for the month for only €35 (single classes €12), which will help to get you kickstarted for a summer full of wellness! No need to pay for an annual gym membership or a PT, at La Casa del Yoga, you can come for just one month, just one class or you can stay forever, it's your choice and you can decide as you go!

Get in the best mindset of your life! Mindset really is everything!

There are three days left to sign-up, do it today before the offer sells out! 

Also, Don’t get stressed or put your wellness on hold this long bank holiday weekend - We all deserve to be well and happy every single day... so I have these classes for you…

1. Saturday morning free workshop at 11 am 
2. Sunday morning class at 11 am AND 
3. Monday 1st May class at 14.30 

Everyone is welcome! The workshop on Saturday will be very informative, meaningful, accessible and diverse AND it will also be the last free workshop this year so make sure you come along if you can! Let’s get our movement in, meet some new friends and have an amazing, motivating weekend and May! Don’t be afraid to come alone lots of people do! 

And if you are not in Spain but fancy coming on a Bilbao Yoga Retreat with me this August, click HERE.

Love Kat x

A short essay from my new book, Finding my Light: The Sacred Pause.

A pause can be one of the most emancipating habits you ever choose to participate in, it will effortlessly draw new levels of dignity and integrity into your life. A pause can protect, uplift and even heal relationships, careers, families and hearts. A precious pause can ensure you begin to depart from all your interactions and meetings, void of any residual worries that you may have: over or under shared - again. The Sacred Pause.
The ancient yogis, who contemplated the universal question: how to suffer less, somewhat two thousand years ago, discovered that the interval between the end of an inhalation and the beginning of an exhalation or the natural interlude between thoughts, speech and actions was sacramental.
  In Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Hindu scriptures, the name for this Sacred Pause is Kumbhaka. The Kumbhaka, in its very elemental form is natural; you don’t need to think or try to pause in-between your breath cycles, that pause already exists. In its more advanced mode, Kumbhaka, with professional and wise pranayama guidance, can be held for longer, intentional periods of time. Pranayama is the yogic science of working with and focusing on the breath.
  We exist because we breathe. One day, when your breath leaves your body, your soul will leave too. The vehicle of your body will lose its vitality and disintegrate back into the earth. Your soul will continue. I believe the breath is connected to your soul, your mind, your body, your heart and everything and everyone around you. We all breathe one breath, and this breath is Life. Maybe therefore, it could even be considered that the breath, the very essence of existence, is a teacher. And if we are to listen to the advice from this divine source, possibly, this enlightened counsel would offer: The Sacred Pause.
When I studied at the Krishnamacharya school in Chennai, India there weren’t any fancy instructions, any assistance or adjustments made to the practitioner's body, no incense, no music, no time lapses or fancy yoga clothes. There was the pause. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Now, inhale, pause, exhale, pause. Pause. Pause. Pause.
After these stripped-back sessions I experienced my first taste of Samadhi; my body, mind, soul, and the object of my meditation, merged together into one. I didn’t have a name or any labels and I couldn’t feel my body, I was beyond space and time in the lap of the sacred pause… but I came back. I felt unchanged and where is the awakening in that. Where is the awakening in anything unless we become genuinely and categorically committed to our own evolution rather than just collecting cool experiences to post on our social media accounts, to teach others or create a sense of righteousness within. We have to pause and denude the greater lesson. We just have too.
What I unveiled during my abandoned moments on the mat, moments when I became suspended in the nothingness of pure light, was that - it is within this very pause that we can connect to an otherworldly source of light and wisdom. It feels to me as if, there is something very auspicious waiting at this doorway, ready to pounce and imbue our life with more ease.
In conclusion, the yogis offer you: The Sacred Pause. I think it’s a pretty good practice too. When I remember, gulp!

Turmeric Chickpea Curry

Everyone knows that we love One Pot Wonders on the table here at Bilbao Yoga Retreats and Grounded & Graceful and what with turmeric being the cool superfood of the moment, I also put it on my face a lot to be honest, I thought it would be a very sensible idea to put a turmeric and chickpea curry on the staple menu.

This curry feels very special but it’s equally super easy, freezable and sharable. All my students love it when they come to stay and my teacher, Simon, visited recently and he loved it - we all had dinner downstairs together and while Ru, my husband, usually gets a bit nervous when I serve him plant based recipes - he finished the plate and agreed to seconds! This week I served it with sautéed kale because that was what Ru’s dad brought us from the farm but honestly, you can do what you want with this recipe. If you make it, will you tag me on Instagram at Kat Webster Yoga so we can keep inspiring others to be a little bit more Grounded & Graceful! xx

You will need…

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated (we didn’t have any this week and made it without!)

2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, grated (you can also use turmeric from spice pots)

2 green chile peppers, diced (remove the seeds if you don’t want it very spicy)

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon each of ground coriander, turmeric and cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 14 ounce can of full-fat coconut milk

1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes

1/2 cup vegetable stock

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

1 bunch broccolini, thick pieces sliced in half

10-15 red pepper slices and carrots

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 15 ounce can chickpeas

1/2 of a lime, juiced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the spices and chilli, cook for 2-3 minutes until the spices begin to dry out and are very fragrant.

3. Add the coconut milk, diced tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Stir to blend and cook for 4-5 minutes.

4. Add the sweet potatoes and cook with the pan covered for 5-6 minutes.

5. Next, add the vegetables and chickpeas. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the veggies begin to soften but still have a bite.

6. Add lime juice, cilantro, Stir to combine and taste for seasonings. Remove curry from heat.

September Teacher Training Highlights 2022

Photos by Nuria

Simon Park Workshops!

Liquid Flow Asana Lab & Masterclass, October 20th at my studio!

About Simon Simon Park, international yoga teacher, acclaimed by Yoga Journal as one of the most influential and gifted Yoga teachers of the next generation, began his yoga journey with Shiva Rea in the World Arts and Cultures Department at UCLA, later learning his art from greats such as Richard Freeman, Maty Ezraty, Joan White, and Sri Dharma Mitra. With 20+ years of experience he leads workshops, teacher trainings, and retreats around the world, currently based at Kale & Cake, one of the top yoga studios in Munich Germany, alongside leading classes online alongside Yoga Girl, Rachel Brathen at oneOeight, and Yoga Today. Simon’s personal style, Liquid Flow Yoga, feels like a beautiful dance between classical and modern Yoga. Dubbed the "Flying Nomad", he draws inspiration from road legends such as Jimi Hendrix, who said, "the Earth is my home”. 

Simon will be travelling through Bilbao on Thursday October 20th and will be offering an incredible line-up at my Yoga Studio in Las Arenas. Everyone is welcome, please do sign-up quickly as places do often sell out, we would love to see you and Simon really is a very special teacher, here´s the plan….

1. Asana Lab, Thursday 20th 16.00-18.30 Develop a thorough understanding of the dynamic actions required to make each pose vibrant and alive. Through practice, visual assessment, and hand on assists, we will explore the principles that build the bridge from a foundational to advanced practice. We will begin the workshop by warming up with a vinyasa flow practice infused with physical and energetic alignment cues. Then we will break down key poses by intelligently reading the body, and learning hands-on assist that will refine our understanding of asanas and fluid movement.

2. Masterclass, Thursday 20th 19.00-21.00. A Vinyasa Flow practice that holds the structure and discipline of Ashtanga and Iyengar Yoga, infused with an immense creativity and dance-like flow.. a fresh and inspired blend of modern vinyasa with classical roots. Practice dynamic asana as a movement mediation in an open system with close attention to physical + energetic alignment and awareness of complementary actions. Also, there is an artful focus on creative transitions that add elegance and uniqueness to the flow of the practice. Throughout the practice, there is a keen observation upon the subtleties of the breath and how it affects the physical and energy body. Principles of Vinyasa Krama are utilized in a modern way to create an evolutionary practice that aims to awaken, invigorate and harmonize body, mind and spirit.

   I would be beyond pleased to welcome all, please contact my directly to reserve your place on either both or one session.
   Price: 1 session €40, two sessions €60.

   RESERVE YOUR PLACE HERE

Love Kat xx

Yoga concert 2022

Some days we stop at the clifftops of Barrika at dusk, that time of day when the suns aggression has faded and all that remains is the twinkling and loving light that cascades down on to the Earth like little kisses sent from Heaven, bringing peace and tenderness. Yesterday was such a day, and as the children and I sat barefoot on the rocks wearing fuchsia pink petals in my hair, we watched as clusters of smiling surfers left the waves and people gathered on the grassy terrain to chat and play with their friends and family. We felt a serene sense of happiness flood our nervous systems and adrenals, as if a great force of health was swirling in the schintillating air. During such magical moments, I always find that synchronicities and creative ides are born, they arise from the womb of Mother Earth and enter the hearts and minds of those who are willing to listen to her call.

The call came to me as I remembered my friend, Singer Songwriter, Adam Giles Levy, who is just back from touring Europe to promote his new album, loves to pull up at this very spot and sleep in his tour bus overlooking the ocean. Last year, Adam and myself played a number of Music and Yoga events on various beaches around the Basque Country, while Adam sings soulfully from his numerous albums I guide groups through a peaceful yoga flow which always culminates in a feeling of serene stimulation in the hearts of all and gratitude for life. Myself and Adam have been too busy to perform any events this year, Adam on tour while I have been directing Yoga Teacher Trainings… but next weekend on Saturday the 10th September we will be presenting a ONE and ONLY special event for 2022, there won’t be another one this year so please do join us. Adam will come on at 19.00 and after the crowds have settled we shall commence a yoga flow facing the sun as it sets over the bay, Adam will continue to play throughout the yoga class and serenade us all into a place of enchantment and europhia.

You can buy your tickets HERE and you will receive a confirmation email  detailing the exact meeting spot.

Be magic! Love Kat xx

How to be a Good Teacher

This morning while the current group of Yoga Teacher Trainees gathered for breakfast downstairs I busied myself with writing. I love writing in the mornings, I usually impose a strict rule on myself not to write about yoga in an attempt to give life variety and texture, endeavouring to keep my inner creative child happy and content. However, this very Friday morning as the end of summer’s atmosphere clung to us like a blanket of stillness, a natural invitation seemed to propose a moment of deep reflection on the subject.

As our current course draws to a close and the soon to be teachers prepare to present their very own class, my pen seemed to intuitively know what was needed, hovering above the crinkly white sheets of paper spontaneously scribbling, ‘How to be a good yoga teacher’.

I looked down at the words and felt my yogi voice kicking up a bit of a fuss, reminding me that It was not philosophically correct to be labelling things as good and bad, as right and wrong but then I thought -

‘Oh Sod it!’ and here are my thoughts on how to be a good yoga teacher, I didn't think too much about this with the intellectual part of my mind, I rather just allowed the thoughts and words to flow from a connection to my heart and I hope it helps in some way on your journey…

The art of becoming a good teacher is all about details, it all lies in little details.
Have I welcomed my students warmly, did I allow the genuine friendliness of my smile to cast a net of safety over the space that we currently share. Have I set them up for the very first pose as if I was building a sturdy house to hold my family for many generations, are the foundation of the very first pose a true representation of what will come, steadiness of our entirety, the entirety of all that we are and that we do. Have I taken just a moment to project my soft gaze over the room, ensuring everyone is seated as comfortably as possible, am I taking my time to enjoy those initial instructions, am I always resisting the urge to become robotic in my cues, not only to protect the creative fire that burns brightly within me but also to keep stoking their flame of imagination and delight - am I allowing the words to come from a place deep within myself that is rooted in my very own practice, can I feel the words percolating up from my vijnanamaya dosa, my wisdom sheath, that sacred corner of my being that discerns carefully, with poise and intelligence. Can I unearth a way to connect with the hearts of my students, so much so that they are filled with confidence and conviction to make meaningful intentions, brave revelations and enlightened upgrades to their mental programming, reactions and habits.

Can I know, just know - exactly what each part of my class is for, what I my aim as an artist of yoga, am I currently

• Grounding them

• Moving them into a meditative state

• Blossoming them

• Peeling them

• Awakening them

And am I not

• Zoned out

• Showing off my skills, trying to impress

• Moving them to the point of exhaustion or boredom

• Getting caught up in the negative self talk that might be playing out in my head

Am I intentional, am I teaching from my innermost core, have I truly decided and discerned why I myself love this practice so dearly, what it gives to me and what I can share from my own experience.
Can my knowledge of Self and Yoga be the mighty river that carries us to the shore - to land, to the place where we find liberation - paradise. Can I embody this compass that will help us sail to the promised land where treasure awaits, the treasure of you.

Namaste x

The Money Box

With his angelic plump cheeks that glistened like the petals of a morning rose he constantly found, saw, uncovered, salvaged and saved every single coin that crossed his budding path. Money wasn’t yet a commodity to him, money was a friend - a friend he loved to hold, to cherish, to visit, to count, to talk to.

One peaceful Sunday morning he bobbed into his mother’s bedroom at 09.05am, where his little, pink money box was safely guarded behind a pile of old jumpers and odd pyjamas. He’d rescued another 1 cent from the bottom of his dusty toy box; this tiny coin had just as much importance and value to him as the larger ones - it was the spirit of the money he loved, what it represented, the possibilities, the joy, the beauty and the fun it could create.

He turned his tin upside down and counted the coins with his mother, he naturally expressed excitement and awe despite the numbers and quantities washing over his innocent mind. After his mummy informed him that he had saved a whole €70, he just gazed at her and said,

¨But mummy, you didn’t say good morning to my money box today.¨

This is the way to be with money and this is the way money wants to be with you.

By Kat and Jacob x

Special June Event with Kat

Hello everyone, 

I am writing to you from the grassy, flourishing lawn of my sweet garden, receiving shade from our flowering family tree, receiving a sense of grounding from the earth beneath me and wisdom from a fab podcast with Fearne Cotton and Rhonda Byrne. 

I landed back into Bilbao yesterday afternoon after the most magical few days in Ibiza with Bella & Jacob. There really is no other place in the world that literally guides me back into connection with my childlike spirit and a feeling of Nirvana! It's an enchanting place that always peels away all my layers of ego of being serious and stressed - boosting me back to best. 

It's a universal truth that it really doesn't matter how many responsibilities we have, how much we get bogged down and foggy in our busy mind. We all want to have fun, well - we are fun, we are joy, we are love, we are Ibiza! Well maybe not physically Ibiza but you are that energy of fearlessness, magic. Creativity  and you can let go of all the other stuff and feel free. 

I am so excited to announce and invite you to my next event which is called 

The Power of Love 

The power of love is a beautiful mixture of SatSang, yoga, meditation, poetry, journaling, life coaching, music all followed by drinks and a classical British style buffet on the rooftop terrace in the new studio. 

When? It's next Saturday evening, Saturday the 11th June from 19.00 at La casa del yoga. 

Would you like to come and join our friendly community for loving moments on both the mat and within yourself. 

Reserve HERE

Love Kat! 

A special DETOX gift for you.

The thing about Christmas and the festive season is that it can be equally incredible and stressful.... and if we are honest, we all have a universal desire to feel just like they do in the movies: full of love and a sense of belonging. If we're lucky enough it can be full of all of our favourite people, all of our favourite places and all of our favourite traditions and yet we all know there can also be things that feel heavy, stressful and overwhelming. Whether that's the pressure we put on ourselves to make things ideal, the travel plans that we don't have full control over or maybe spending time with family who we haven't seen since pre-pandemic. The important thing, no matter how/what/where and when you have celebrated (or not celebrated) this year, is that you take some time for yourself and protect your space, during what can easily be an equally amazing and stressful time. Even though I couldn´t wait to see family and friends this Christmas and celebrate my birthday and yet, after all the excitement I equally couldn´t wait to detox my mind, my emotional world and my body. So many of us have experienced struggles with aspects of our mental health this year and although lots of us have shared and chatted about how we're feeling, suddenly returning to 'normal' as we seem to have coined it, will be a lot for many of us. With this in mind,
I have designed a very thoughtful and effective special DETOX day on January the 2nd at our new studio in Las Arenas. There are two classes (although you are welcome to only come to one if that is what suits your schedule) the first class is at 11 am and will be a very low impact workout class but one that will be sure to get you sweating (igniting your bodies natural way of detoxing) and help us to clean our energy and boost our mood. The second class will be in the evening and will be a full and comprehensive yoga flow class taught in a very mindful and conscious manner allowing you to both find space and stability in your mind and body. As always I will ensure you stretch every single part of your body and breathe into every cell - walking away feeling that tingle of wellness in every atom of your being. If you would like to come to one class it is €15 and if you would like to come to both classes it´s €20.

How will I keep you safe?

I'm vaccinated, planning my booster, have passed two negative tests in the last few weeks and trust that all our community that visits the studio is equally cautious.  Our studio is being professionally cleaned this week and disinfected and all students are kindly asked to bring their own mats to class and wear face coverings. 

If you would like to join me you are welcome to book online HERE or if you have any questions you can contact me HERE

Love Kat x

Big Event Alert at my New Studio: Mantra & Movement

Open your heart like never before, feel the happiness of your soul on 26th & 27th November in La Casa del Yoga with Johannes Vogt & Kat Webster Yoga!!

Mantra & Movement

Can I tell you an amazing story AND please, please, please allow me to introduce this wonderful event with Johannes Vogt, from the Black Forest happening this November in my new studio on the 26th & 27th!!

I first met Johannes a few Christmas times ago in Basel where I was attending a Vinyasa Immersion with my amazing teacher, Simon Park. Johannes was assisting Simon with singing mantras and devotional music (and I was crying in my downward facing dog as per usual 😅) I´d honestly never felt such a spiritual connection before, it was like Simon´s deep, challenging and beautifully crafted vinyasa yoga sequences and Johannes voice and Sanskrit words were opening my heart to a new level of consciousness and way of being, I felt like I was becoming love like I was becoming light and like the whole meaning of my existence was becoming clear. There was a little voice in my head saying: your purpose is to be happy because you are happiness, your purpose is to be love because you are love.

After the class, we all headed down to the Christmas Market and drank some mulled wine and THEN they invited me to a Kirtan concert that Johannes was hosting with his Thai Massage friends in an old warehouse looking over the city. I'd listened to Kirtan before (you can think of kirtan as the songs of yoga, it's derived from a Sanskrit root meaning to call, recite, praise, or glorify, put simply, kirtan is the act of praising and glorifying some form of divinity. Kirtan is exceptionally powerful and can crack you wide open) but I'd never had the opportunity to attend a live event, you can view an example of a kirtan concert in the video above. The whole experience honestly changed my approach to yoga forever, everything just seemed to have more meaning, soon after I joined the Ram Dass Fellowship and my whole life just turned into a bit of a vehicle for trying to live in love. A year or so later when I was pregnant with Jacob, freshly back from India, Johannes visited again and we co-taught a retreat in Bilbao, it was so sweet. Shortly after this my family and I were driving to Portugal for our summer holiday and we were playing Johannes new album on repeat in the car. Feeling so happy and in love, we started to talk about what name we would like to give our son who was at that moment 4-months old in my womb. We started to talk about how we loved the name, Johannes!! and a few moments later we decided on the name Jacob - so yes, you could say Johannes has had a big impact on both me and my family in a very subtle but beautiful way!

And then life happened, we lost contact and then life happened ALL OVER AGAIN and Johannes shall now be arriving into Bilbao on Friday, November 26th and we shall be co- hosting an event on both Friday evening and Saturday morning called MANTRA & MOVEMENT

Alongside guiding you through an exceptionally holistic and beautiful vinyasa yoga class you will also be serenaded with live music from Johannes that will crack your wide open. We will also talk about how you can transform your yoga practice into a holistic and prayer-like ritual, you will learn mantras, tips of Ayurveda and Thai massage and enjoy time in Satsang. I would love to see you there everyone, love!! Here´s the full schedule for the 2-part programme and you are welcome to sign-up for one session or both - I would seriously recommend coming to both if possible as the full experience will be designed to make great inner transformations.

Mantra and Movement
📅 When: 26th & 27th Nov⠀
💫 Part 1: Friday 26th November 19.00-21.00
⏰19.00 Arrive to a musical masterpiece of mantra and devotional acoustic music live from Johannes ⠀ ⠀
⏰19.15 Enjoy a short talk about bringing the element of love and happiness to your life and yoga practice. Learn some Sanskrit mantras and sing along.
⏰ 19.45-21.00 Relaxing vinyasa yoga taught by Kat accompanied by magical music from Johannes. ⠀ ⠀

⠀
💫 Part 2: Saturday 27th November⠀11.00-13.00
⏰11.00-13.00 Time to shine your light ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
⏰11.00-11.30 Kirtan and Satsang including a short talk about how you can use massage, Ayurveda and sound to uplevel your self-care routines. ⠀ ⠀
⏰ 11.30-13.00 Devotional live music with a holistic vinyasa yoga flow.
⏰13.00 Leave with a personally designed holistic vinyasa sequence to practice at home from Kat and a mantra from Johannes.

1 session €30 or both sessions for €50. Places are limited. Please reserve your place with Kat via WhatsApp, email or Instagram: 652910987. @johannesvogt @la.casa.del.yoga

Big Changes with a Happy Soul

"Life is about change. Sometimes it's painful. Sometimes it's beautiful. But most of the time, it's both." —Lana Lang⠀

Bella was pretty pleased with the move to Spain from London.

My then new boyfriend, Ru! Now he is my hubby.

Bella´s new abuelo, Jesus!

I can clearly remember the month leading up to my pre-30´s Total Life Change. I was 28 at the time and the inner waters of my body were boiling over, I couldn´t sleep very well and when ⁣I did manage to get some rest I would wake up in a total panic, I lost a lot of weight and started partying extra hard to try and mask my ickiness, little did I know at the time that my soul was literally grabbing every fibre of my being desperately trying to awaken me to the fact that my life wasn´t on track.
Funnily enough, life seemed pretty desirable from the outside, I was living with a nice guy in a cute flat on Highgate Hill, I had an amazing job at ELLE magazine and was working with a fab group of teamies on Carnaby Street in London, I received plenty of free PR gifts like Mulberry handbags and top face creams along with invites to cool parties at places like Shoreditch House. And yet despite all this it was clear from the intuitive nagging feeling present in my gut that something was not right, I was being pulled by an invisible force of nature and I think that force is called God.

I am a big believer that life is a co-creation between you and the universe and we are constantly magnetizing people, situations, places and opportunities towards us that match our predominant energy in the form of thoughts, emotions and actions - and as the universe delivers what is vibrating at your frequency it is then your job to make the correct decisions and take the best route.

Life is literally a sum total of all the decisions you make and therefore they should always be made from the innocence of your heart; the part of you that wants to dream the sweetest dream, live the happiest life and spread the deepest love. The path is absolutely not easy, the best changes in life make you cry and feel afraid but when you are fighting for happiness and fulfilment, common sense and fitting-in have to be lovingly tossed out the window and replaced with the inner knowledge that the pull you feel is the spark of divinity saying…

"Come on, we can do better than this please! Don't forget YOU are divine! Aim High!"⠀

Some more advice from me would be, when this inner compass comes tapping on your shoulder it really is worth taking a few steps back from life, maybe stepping out of your current tribe and habits, making some space for self-reflection and inquiry. This can be done in a number of ways, for me it was through yoga, I would literally go to my Primrose Hill studio, unplug for 90 blissful minutes a day and it was during these precious moments of self-care that I was able to listen to the voice within, becoming aware of what I needed to do and where I needed to go, repositioning myself in greater alignment with who I was born to be. You might find it helpful to go on a yoga retreat (I host yoga retreats in the north of Spain that are specifically designed to help you come home to your true self, you can read more here) or on a solo trip island hopping around Greece, journaling, walking in nature, reading inspirational books, listening to inspirational podcasts - there are many different ways to touch base but what is of vital importance is that you take the time to listen and don´t just push on through creating a sense of disharmony, stress, anxiety and deep sadness and longing within.
Look, you know YOU and you need to do YOU and while it might not be plain sailing please always remember that what you want, wants you to.

After about 3 months of intense yoga in Primmy Hill I met my now-husband Ru at a music festival that I was covering for work, I soon fell pregnant with Bella and moved to Spain which was equally thrilling and daunting. I suffered from depression when I left my life behind and cried nearly every day and yet every time I practised yoga and got still enough to listen to that voice inside, It was still there encouraging me, ensuring me that this was exactly where I was meant to be, so I stuck with it, I chose to trust and wow, I am so glad I did!! I now have a life of my wildest dreams - which is what I allowed myself to find.

Be brave, change often and always aim for the absolute highest you possibly can... Love you 🦋⠀

Visualising your perfect life into reality

Last week for the first time in a very long time I didn´t get dressed, I hardly left the warmth of my bed and I most certainly didn´t head out of the house, you guessed it I had COVID. It wasn't quite like it used to be when I was a child when my Mum would secretly organise my poorly prize to be rewarded at the end of my illness, whether it be a new Toy House or Barbie, yet I was determined to try so hard to stay positive like so many of us and my personal way is to always try to have something to look forward to, I racked my brain for a life-affirming route and it was then that I realised that I hadn´t proactively upgraded my life in a few years. When I say upgrade, I´m not touching on all the external upgrades such as a new phone, a new skincare regime and so forth, I am referring to the silent upgrades, the ones that happen deep within the coherence of a mind-body-soul connection and I was excited to get to it using my favourite tried and tested method: lucid dreaming, otherwise known as creative visualisation.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with completely unplugging when you are sick and being content to rest (trust me I did a lot of that too as I understand this is exactly what our bodies need to heal) but if the last 12 months have taught me anything, it's very important to combine your natural desire for peace and contentment with an honest appreciation of your inborn need to thrive. The constant career progression
(I do honestly feel that everyone should always be aiming to progress and not simply settle and stagnate in honour of their future selves: "Please think about ME in five years from now!" shouts your soul from just around the corner), the growth and maintenance of friends and social circles, the new kitchen/garden furniture/design project, the next financial goal, long hugs with a lovely and supportive family, new restaurants, new wardrobe and just being brutally honest - I can't wait to hopefully have them all this year! And yet if I have learned anything from the inner teachings of yoga it´s that within the power of your very mind's eye you have a magic portal to creating and designing your future, we have all heard endless quotes that claim you are what you think about the most and life indeed is a mirror and it reflects back to you exactly what you offer it.

What does Yoga say about designing your life? For anyone who knows me even a teeny tiny bit, they´ll know I¨m a yogini with a big interest in the workings of the mind and my holy grail book is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali is known as the father of yoga. He decoded the impact of yoga practice on the human mind, helping to shine a light on how yoga practice can help us to emerge from the muddy waters, from the false imaginations and dramas created by the mind and rather learn how to see life in the best way possible. So instead of getting stuck in all our ´Stuff´, he suggests that we commit to the management of our mind, redirecting our energy onto things we DO love about said person, what we do love about ourselves, what we do love about our unique skill set, what we do love about our homes/jobs/relationships, what we DO love - DO, and from this place we can successfully visualise in the mirror of the mind what we want more of, where we want to go, what we want to achieve and yes like yogic magic, it will appear.

And I can totally back this up and say - YES, it works beautiful people, it really truly works and I don´t know how to promise you this other than telling you one day about where I have been and where I am now - not only physically but mentally, emotionally, spiritually and soulfully.

So, with this promise in your pocket why not make a daily habit of closing your eyes, feeling gratitude for your life right now and then imagining your life exactly how you want to be as if you are playing a film reel over in your mind´s eye, just like you when you were a magical child and you could create entire universes, princesses, spaceships all within your amazing mind. This is how I do it:

1. First of all, I need to know I can slip into a bit of a dream-like state (this is when it works best as you transverse to specific brain wave states that are optimal for both creating coherence between your heart/mind & soul and for manifestation, so I usually do my lucid dreaming after my daily yoga nidra practice in the afternoon when I am super chilled and just before bed.

2. I start to breathe feeling my life force and my connection to God, I feel gratitude for the life this universe continues to fill me with and I imagine light filling me in all directions.

3. I imagine how I look in my dream: shining eyes, big smile, radiance, love and joy and from this place I imagine all my interactions with my husband, family, friends, community and world. I imagine myself conversing and communicating with everyone with great light and love.

4. Now I get to the future upgrades, I imagine like in a film reel the new things I want to happen in my business, in my home life, in my social life etc. I imagine what I´m wearing, saying, feeling, doing and just enjoy the high feelings that arrive.

5. Finally, when I have really allowed my imagination to run wild I feel a sense of completion like it´s all been done. Like my dreams are moving towards me and then most importantly, I let go of it and get on with my everyday life being the person who I saw in the mirror of my mind.

Yogic powers aren´t only reserved for men in caves, you have all the power you could ever dream of right inside. Keep it simple, close your eyes and dream.

Love Kat xx

GROUNDED & GRACEFUL

Why finding fulfilment in life does not look the same for everyone and how to start

If you´d have come to one of my yoga retreats a few years ago you would have found a more naive Me teaching, as a hardcore yoga philosophy girl who clung to her battered copy of the Yoga Sutras like a clutch, that yoga was all about the mind, that yoga was all about service sacrifice and ethics, that yoga was all about this and all about that and it literally took years of practice, study and working on myself to realise that fulfilment/happiness/joy/ spirituality/peace isn't a one-stop-shop for all. It doesn't look the same, it doesn't feel the same and if it's truly fulfilling, it should be beneficial for every aspect of your life, not just one sector of it. But why is that? Why is the definition of true fulfilment, not the way we all traditionally see it and experience it? Surely those strict, judging and extreme yogic attitudes never garnered much success? After all, isn´t that why the Buddha coined the term The Middle Path. So here's why fulfilment shouldn't and can't look the same for all of us…

I guess for the majority of us, at least at one time or another, our first instinct in defining fulfilment, likely would have been the classic working in a job you love, finding true love, balancing your work with your home, owning a beautiful house, maybe having a few cute children or pets - all while being surrounded by a supportive circle of friends and being able to find time to focus on your healthset too. I know as a mama, business owner, wife, teacher, house owner, friend, daughter, dog mummy and wellness lover I did just that and I struggled when I thought I should then have been totally fulfilled... and yet I wasn´t. It's an experience that has defined how and what I now teach as a yoga teacher, retreat host and woman, it´s clear that the classic model of fulfilment is starting to feel outdated in our society, especially one that has endured a certain level of suffering over the past year. Not only are the effects of the last year shaping our ideals in lasting positive ways but as the opportunity to take on far different concepts has expanded - the definition of fulfilment has had to change accordingly with It and the word SOUL is on the tip of everyone's tongue.

I can only assume the first thing that would come to mind when many people hear the word soul, would be what an enlightened being embodies/nurtures and probably a far-out concept we can´t get to grips with. One thing you certainly wouldn't hear often is people exclaiming is how their soul feels - but for me now, it is almost as productive and balanced as life can get. What makes your soul sing? What makes your soul cry? What makes your soul grow? Have you ever really sat down and asked yourself these questions. Your soul is the real part of you, it´s not your body or your mind or your ego or stories, it´s YOU. A soul needs to be filled with purposeful work, it fundamentally needs to serve and give generously to others, creates good actions and kind words, fun in the sun, fun in the rain, organic friendships, great food and drink, time to recharge and cuddles with your sweethearts, hobbies, creativity, dance, music, laughter, tears, pain, transformation and ultimately love galore. If your soul likes shopping for pretty dresses or the latest technological gadget, fine, if your soul wants to live in a camper van - great, if your soul wants to live in a big house by the sea, great… do you get where I am going here. I learned a long while ago now that fulfilment looks, and feels so very different for every single one of us. I also realised it's so very easy to see how one person lives and in turn decimate our own interpretation of fulfilment. Yet what could be fulfilling for one person could be wildly unproductive for another, but that's something we have to learn, accept and act on.

During my hardcore yoga days when I thought suffering was the fast track to get my yogini brownie points, I lost my sparkle and now I've found that with the emergence of my truth, it's become very easy to feel that sense of inner joy if I honour all parts of myself. It´s so easy for people to insinuate that fulfilment comes before hard work or that it is something to be achieved in the future when you have acquired this/that/things and yet with that comes a certain amount of intrusive thoughts and yet what I have discovered is that fulfilment is a labour of love, a day to day journey that should be unapologetically unique to you and your soul, as well as benefitting all the facets of you that exist. Fulfilment can look as different as you'd like it to look and don't let anyone else sway that for you - you do you.

Maybe you´d like to take a few days this summer to touch in deeply with your Soul and REMEMBER who you truly are, if so I would love to invite you on my unique Soul Rememberance retreat this August in Spain from the 22nd-29th. You can read more HERE.

PS: I´d love to know: What things make your soul sing?

Love Kat xx

L

The Importance of Remembering Who You Truly Are

I guess the alternative and ironic title of this post could perhaps be ´The Importance of Just Doing You´ and yet I've sometimes found it seems so contradictory to share such an easy-going approach to this kind of teaching. If you're anything like me and you struggled in the past with the invisible yet tangible expectations placed on you by both yourself and all the people who have entered your life as the years rolled by, you'll know it feels hard to take a step back, notice and admit that you may have lost your True Self in the midst of trying to get it right.

I recently shared about my personal experience of remembering who I am via my online accounts, if you follow along you maybe have seen I seem to have diverted from a super calm and understated yogi back into my old Self in pink hot pants, dancing on the beach, asking my students to scream ´YES´up into the ether and turning up my productivity rate from about 5 on a good day to an easy 8 every day. There are so many things that I simply can't put into words about how I gradually began to abandon myself, in fact - did I ever really know myself is a question that sits heavy on my heart at the possible truth behind the inquiry and yet the penny has finally dropped quite loudly and suddenly for me.
My transformation into the RIGHT kinda girl started when I had left London and moved to a very beautiful and prestigious (for want of a better word!) area in northern Spain (I honestly say all this with the greatest level of respect, gratitude and love for the town I live and for the various places where everyone lives, I honestly love ALL places, I´m simply laying down my personal facts) and so I unconsciously shaped myself into a person that I believed would be more suitable, a girl that would find it a little easier to fit in. It almost feels like the equivalent of when you're a teenager and you feel like you need to blend into every social situation offered to you, it´s both a survival mechanism, there is definitely a level of maturity and sensibility to this approach, I mean it´s a desirable quality to be able to adapt to a variety of social situations and be considered as at least likeable; the problem is after the show most of us go home from said social jaunt and slip back into our Soul coat and be ourselves - yet I never did, I kept on the mask I was wearing and forgot to take it off.
Of course, there are so many ways the same type of self-abandonment can happen, you name it, you´ve probably heard about it: from people losing themselves to their job, to a messy divorce, new relationship, a new group of friends, an old group of friends that they forgot to upgrade, grief, depression, disappointment, miscarriage, cancer - the list really is endless but the cure is actually quite simple. The only problem is: we don´t often seem to like simple.

But one day suddenly you realise that in fact there are only so many years in a lifetime. And you know what? There are still only so many days in a week and still only so many hours in a day - making it completely our choice and privilege as to how we spend them. And the more I purposefully shine my authentic light every day, ensuring that when do I still show respect and love for the benefit of myself and anyone who chooses to be a part of this community, the more I start to find the joy in life again. The new voice I´ve found, the opinions I´ve been dying to share, the very loud laughter I have, the days I dance and breathe, scream and chant in my bedroom, the chats with new soul friends, standing barefoot in the garden with my coffee, hugging my magic tree and not caring who sees, even remembering how I love fashion, beauty and clothes - things that always bring me some bursts of joy but they bring me more joy that is in connection with the very truth with who I am at a soul level, without also feeling like I have to filter myself to fit in.

One of the traits I have that's seemingly very common as a Capricorn (I'm a Christmas day baby if you believe in the star signs which I always suggest is a good thing to at least look over) is being very ambitious, quite extremely and finally, I feel I can take a deep breath, relax my shoulders and not let my ambitious nature overwhelm me and instead say: “OK, this is who I am, how can I honour my nature?”
We always say with a deep sigh that it's the small things that mean the most, well who knew it was actually your soul that really mattered the most? The importance of remembering who you are will never be lost, even if those small things don't always coincide with a massive revelation, it´s a small day by day process of coming back home to your true self - but it´s a journey I highly urge you take.

Love you community, hope you feel the flutter of your truth, even if it's in a small thing x