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
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….
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.
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.
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
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
Spanish Lifestyle Tips
When I first moved to Spain, straight out of the ELLE HQ in Carnaby Street, London I was blown away by the contrast in lifestyle habits, sure I'd heard the rumours about the Mediterranean diet, doting mothers, siestas and blue zones but I honestly never thought it would be so... well, so true and so healthy.
I was accustomed to commuting on a busy tube for over an hour each day (loved it btw!) which was a complete contrast to Spain where people considered working more than 10 minutes away from the comfort of their own home an inconvenient lifestyle disaster; I was accustomed to eating little and on the go in-between cracking deadline after deadline and people here were taking three hours for a massive lunch followed by a nap and family time and while my weekends already consisted of plenty of yoga, nice food and friends here it was meal after meal, saving money by eating with your family (most people I know here receive food parcels from their Mamas way into their 40´s!) and totally rejuvenating yourself for your next working week. It took me quite a while to settle in, my nervous system still craved the hustle and bustle but now as I look back I can see that moving to Spain has probably added many years to my life, colour to my eyes, at little peace to my heart and beauty to my life. Here are my top five healthy Spanish lifestyle tips you might like to have a little play with...
1. Loving Mealtimes.
Spanish people love to eat, their entire life is planned around food but not in the fast food, obesity driven kind of way but rather the fresh fish, vegetables, lentils and high-quality meat kind of way. I remember my first Spanish family meal, everyone gathered around the table, drinking mini tumblers of Spanish white wine called Rueda from Valladolid, (if you want to style your next meal in the spirit of Spain try swapping your large wine glasses for some understated tumblers, I love these ones and buying a bottle of Rueda from ASDA here,) while dipping fresh bread into plates of anchovies from Bermeo, hand-picked red peppers picked, roasted in wood and jarred in Calahorra along with various seafood style canapes. Up next was an organic, free-range chicken born and raised on the family farm, there were no accompanying roast potatoes or veggies, everything is kept simple and excellent produce speaks for itself, the chicken is served alone covered in its own sauce.
This long lunch, rolling into its third hour was followed by coffee and mini cakes from the local patisserie and a long standing tradition called ´After Desk´ which includes sitting around enjoying a Gin & Tonic or liqueur and taking time, lots of time. Mealtimes are the highlight of their days and right there, hidden behind all that food and chatter is what I believe to be one of the biggest health tips from Spain, the appreciation of local ingredients, slow cooking, slow eating, conversation, community, family and taking the time to enjoy what is there.
2. Naps.
I didn't need to move to Spain to love a nap but since I arrived a daily 30 min rest in the afternoon has become one of my non-negotiables. The Spanish have relied on the trusty nap throughout time as a way to split their long days into two productive sessions, a siesta means they can have a productive morning; skip the intense midday heat and productively work later in the evening.
This moment of peace keeps my mind in a state of balance and harmony, I don't necessarily fall asleep but I allow my mind and body to relax and let go of the stresses of the morning routines and rejuvenate, I use a specific relaxation technique that is called Yoga Nidra, some studies have claimed that 20 minutes of profound relaxation can have the same effect as 4 hours sleep, you can try it for free here. And while it may be easier for people to nap in Spain with their long lunch breaks and close to home offices, everyone deserves a weekend nap as an additional snippet of self-care to look forward to.
3. Less travel, more rest.
Like I mentioned previously I was blown away by the fact people in Spain place so much importance on being able to walk to work and it's not just walking to work, it's being able to walk to your gym, your yoga studio, your hairdressers, your beauticians, your fruit shop, your fish shop – practically everything. Again, this was something I totally resisted; I loved travelling far and wide around London hopping from the Flower Market on Columbia Road to the vintage stalls at Brick Lane to the food markets in Borough Street and my yoga jaunt in Primmy Hill, I loved the diversity, the energy, the excitement... but how much energy was I using to do this? I was basically giving away all my physical/mental energy along with the energy of my time and money so that when it came to aspects of creativity, ambition and personal growth I was somewhat lacking. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Do I feel healthier, stronger and more vibrant now that my lifestyle is more restful? Absolutely. I guess it all comes back to that wonderful concept of balance.
Moving to Spain was never something I consciously planned, it came and stole me in the night on the wave of a romance but maybe, just maybe it was the answer to a higher calling for rest and health which I now have the joy and privilege of sharing on Bilbao Yoga Retreats. These two-day well-being retreats I host from my very beautiful Basque home are aimed at stressed -out city folk who are in need of a quick fix of health and healing. I also offer daily yoga classes and Teacher Training Taster events.
If you'd like to answer the call for wholeness I would love to see you someday soon. Kat x
Rustic charm.
Arroz Jugoso, that´s juicy paella to me and you!
Red Tuna is abundant in Cadiz and Tarifa.
Mealtimes are a celebration.
Everyone loves a nap, especially Jacob!
Walking distance please!
No need to buy a hairbrush this summer .
Hacks for health, beauty, fitness and longevity
I recently took a health master class with one of planets top health, longevity, beauty and fitness experts, Ben Greenfield who fundamentally views the world in a new amazing way and busts all the myths and lies of the health and wellness industry. I also embarked on a period of intense training with someone who I consider to be (Yoga Journal agrees too!) one of the globes best yoga experts, Simon Park, I wanted to get to the TRUTH about many things that seem to be hidden from us in a whirlwind of commercial headaches.
I can clearly remember how my Mum, just in her late 50's started to die slowly, she lost all her muscle mass and the skin just hung over arms and legs, her back was so sore and she could hardly walk and her organs slowly collapsed dying, finally at 61. I then took a long hard look at myself at 37, I was a yoga teacher who just assumed that my profession would keep me naturally healthy but I was wrong. I was working so hard with my body and putting far too much pressure on myself to constantly achieve and grow that I was loosing my natural energy and vibrancy, I could see myself ageing rapidly and I started suffering from sore joints and I thought ENOUGH. I closed my yoga studio, changed my yoga method, changed my lifestyle and followed many of Ben's health hacks - within just a few weeks I feel more alive, more youthful, more focused than I can ever remember feeling.
Not only does Ben teach that things like 30 seconds to 4 minutes of exercise a day is way more efficient than spending time in a gym or doing 1 hour intense sessions, that one of the best anti-ageing strategy is starving yourself everyday (while you're asleep and it’s called intermittent fasting!) along with good air, that super slow workouts are much better than fast ones, he also reminded us that as we age we do not have to become elderly, that we do not need to loose our beauty and ability to repair and generate new cells. Here are a few health hacks that I learned from Ben - and remember that this isn't a vanity thing (and if you think it is, you might seriously need to check yourself on that), instead this is your right to living long, vibrantly and joyfully. Essentially, this is your responsibility for being blessed with this precious thing called L.I.F.E.
HACKS
. Ten minutes of light movement as soon as you wake-up before any food.
. 5 minute cold and hot contrast shower.
. Have a coffee or green tea before breakfast to support fat burning.
. Fast for at least 12 hours a day / 16 hours is best. So you have you last meal at 8pm and don't eat again until about 9/10am.
. Cancel your gym membership and go out and hike in nature with the people you love.
. You have to have the RIGHT kind of muscle, it's not the amount of muscle you have it's the quality and it should be lean, tight and look amazing. This will give you longevity. Ben loves slow push ups and Simon Park teaches the most mindful, precise and intelligent yoga system I’ve discovered so it might just be worth slowing down on the mat too. I can’t bear fast yoga, it makes me feel out of breath and sore and those two things are not conducive to health, beauty, fitness and longevity, be brave enough to shop around for a new teacher in town yogis.
. Squat for 30 seconds before meals to set up an inner health system.
. REMEMBER your SOUL is the most important element of your being, keep your soul healthy with good ethics, kind behaviour, gratitude, contentment and service and I highly recommend mantra meditation - you HAVE to have a method to get out of the thinking mind.
. And my personal top tip from the bottom of my heart is to realise that you are already enough, you don’t have to be constantly achieving more, getting richer, getting more status or more popularity - that is the biggest load of bullshit society has been feeding us and it’s time to break that commercial pattern and simply live our lives with ease and joy. Yes, I feel that passionate about it.
Last week, at 37 on an intensive training with Simon Park I realised my soul was light and my eyes were bright!
You are SO worth it, you are so so so so worth it.
You can take Ben’s free masterclass with MindValley here.
Love Kat xx
Pebble Meditation for the family
Bella & I have started to do a short mindfulness meditation with pebbles or shells every night before bed, it helps Bella make sense of the stresses and conflicts that she sometimes faces at home/school/in her mind and it helps me to believe that I am capable of meeting my responsibilities with love.
We first discovered this meditation from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the modern day Apostle of peace and nonviolence, sometimes we practice using a video with one of his monks and sometimes we make it up as we go along creating our own version.
This meditation helps us to remember that we are part of the earth and we are made of many elements, emotions and moods. The meditation also helps us both to take responsibility for the way we are being in the world, allowing us to wipe the slate clean every night and enter the new day fresh like a flower, strong like a mountain, clear like water and full of space. This moment together also helps us to bond and love one another unconditionally.
What do you need?
4 pebbles, shells, stones, crystals - something that holds the energy of the earth within it.
Method.
1. Sit comfortably and try not to worry about your little one(s) fidgeting, just make sure you feel grounded and calm and that will have a soothing effect on them.
2. Ask the children to bring their hands into prayer position and repeat the magic yoga word together 'namaste'. If you feel comfortable, children love to chant OM 3 times and SHANTI 3 times, it is OK to laugh and have fun with this.
3. Explain that you are going to do a special meditation and that as human beings we have lots and lots of layers just like onions do; while sometimes we may feel very happy, other times we may feel very sad and this meditation will help us to know that every feeling is OK and natural.
4. Close your eyes and smile and listen to the silence.
5. Take the first pebble in your hand and imagine this pebble is a flower.
Suggested words- Sometimes throughout our day we get very busy and tired, sometimes we may feel dry but it is important for us to remember we are FRESH, just like a flower. Please repeat - I am fresh, I am a flower.
6. Smile and enjoy the silence.
7. Take the second pebble in your hand and imagine this pebble is a mountain.
Suggested words - Just like a strong and stable mountain we remember that we are strong and we are stable. We are strong for our families, our friends and so that we can do all our jobs well with love. Please repeat - I am strong, I am stable, I am a mountain.
8. Smile and enjoy the silence.
9. Take the third pebble in your hand and imagine this pebble is water.
Suggested words- Just like water we understand that sometimes the waves in the ocean can be big and busy but underneath the waves, there is always an eternal ocean of calm. Please repeat - I am an ocean of calm, I am water.
10. Smile and enjoy the silence.
11. Take the fourth pebble in your hand and imagine this pebble is space.
Suggested words- We all need space, our families need space, we need space, space helps us to remember who we are. Please repeat - I am space I feel space, space.
12. Smile and enjoy the silence.
13. It is really nice to end the meditation by saying a big thank you to the children for meditating with you and to tell them that they are loved unconditionally. Namaste.
Meditation Tips for Busy Parents
A few years ago while teaching on retreat in Greece I downloaded a book which came highly recommended by my favourite online teacher, Jo Tastula, the book is called ‘Make Me One with Everything’ by Lama Surya Das. Everything in the book spoke to me but there was one section about how we can create a sense of calm and connection within our everyday family lives and not only on retreats or our yoga mats that particularly grabbed my attention.
Lama Surya Das, a great Buddhist meditation teacher, recommends a practice called 'Inter-Meditation' which kinda means instead of thinking that we can only find peace when we are away from the world or when we are alone (of course we do still need this precious time to ourselves), that we can also find this sense of tranquility when we are in the midst of our busy, hectic and sometimes challenging family and working life.
At the time when I read the book life was pretty darn sweet, Bella our daughter was 4 and was just so easy and good, Ru and I had just decided to get married and everything was flowing like a breeze - and then our new beautiful baby boy came along. Jacob sure was a gift from God, one that lovingly and naturally took all of our spare time. If I wasn't soothing Jacob to sleep or feeding there seemed to be a 100 million other things to do with the yoga studio and our daughter. Slowly but surely I went from feeling like Mother Earth to a new Mum with seriously erratic energy and then I remembered the advice from Lama Surya Das.
Now I try to make snippets of time with the kids into my practice. For example, when I put Jacob in the bath and he's entertained with his rubber ducks I sit crossed legged on the floor watching him and Inter-meditating with him. When he's asleep I spend 10 minutes watching him and inter-meditate with him. I can honestly say it has turned mummy related chores into moments of immense love and gratitude, moments that light up my day. Of course I don’t manage to do this all the time and I accept that at times I am eractic and grumpy but it feels so good to have another path to walk along when I feel things getting on top of me.
If you fancy a go, here’s the technique:
. Inter-meditate by sitting in your kids room at night after they go to sleep.
. Let a feeling of absolute love and appreciation wash over you.
. Let go of all the things you need to do just and allow the tension to melt away.
. Bring your attention to the breath and the sensations in your body.
. Let the breath become very gentle and relaxed, maybe focusing on lengthening the exhale, keep looking at your gorgeous baby/child and allow your heart to keep feeling a wave of unconditional love.
. Watch your children’s chest rise and fall with every breath and begin to breathe with them.
. As you breathe with your child notice how everything feels calm, like there's nothing in the world as important as this very moment.
. Take this feeling into the challenges and the noise and remember to breathe through it all.
Blessings to all you gorgeous parents.
,
Effortless Detox
Throughout December it seems we all resign ourselves to feeling better in January and words such as ‘detox’ float around in future context, but the truth is you are always naturally detoxing - naturally and more effortlessly than we may have previously believed.
If there’s one thing I think it’s absolutely vital to understand when it comes to health it’s that your wonderful amazing body is the very best, most intelligent machine that ever has or ever will exist; it loves you unconditionally and is continuously working so hard to naturally detoxify and heal your system keeping you radiant, efficient and strong. When it comes to detoxification your body has your back and during the festive season it seems so fitting and wonderful to take a moment to support the body on its quest for health by following a few simple and free techniques (I’ve written my favourites below) or perhaps scheduling a Detox Date which is pretty much like reaching your arms out wide in gratitude to the spring of wellbeing that always flows within you.
Ways to support the natural intelligence of the body:
Intermittent Fasting (while you sleep). No, you don’t have to go without food for a week, you basically just need to NOT eat when you sleep - easy right? Nature is so clever you see, at night time she intended for you to fast and that’s why she blesses you with sleep. By giving your body a chance to do its job by not overloading it with food and drink late at night it cleans itself just like you might need to stop cooking in order to clean the kitchen, it’s the same theory. If you eat your evening meal at 20.30 just make a commitment to not eat again for 12-13 hours, until around 09.00 the next morning. It might mean cutting out the before bed snack but when that means more radiance - who needs that unnecessary snack all the time?
Water. It’s easy, nobody ever said you couldn’t enjoy a glass of wine or cup of coffee but make water your favourite drink and help the natural filtering systems of your body. I am trying to drink 2 ltr of water every day at the moment, some days I do and others I don’t but I feel so happy knowing that something so simple and FREE like water is helping me to glow.
Move. Your body is alive: the breath, the blood, the organs, your thoughts - they are all moving around doing their job, not one single part of your internal being is lazy and when we join them in this dance of health we support harmony.
Detox Yoga Dates with me:
Through yoga, as we move, breath and affirm we allow oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood to flow to the organs and positive thoughts and feeling to flood the mind, we also enjoy the added benefits of detoxing from over-thinking, stressing, planning, using technology, talking and noise. When you leave a yoga class you have a special feeling that other activities don’t quite match (for me anyway) - not only do you feel like you've worked your entire body you also feel lighter, happier, calmer, it's like you're just being the best version of YOU.
I have designed a few yoga options to choose from including a 2 hour workshop and a weekend retreat:
December Detox. Sunday 30th December 10.00-12.00 at La Casa del Yoga.
2. January Detox Retreat. One weekend on Bilbao Yoga Retreats from January 10th-13th, please note the program run over Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning. Thursday is a travel and settle day.
I hope this blog post reminds you how AMAZING you are and inspires you to support the temple of your being this christmas and forever.
If you would like to book the above events please go to the contact page.