Re-treat yourself

My French retreat is now fully booked for the year, but look out for other retreats including day retreats just outside London.

Here are some pics from last year's Rewilding weekend.  

Recharge and Unwind

A Soulful Summer Yoga retreat in FRANCE

July 18-July 22 2024

Who fancies escaping to recharge those inner batteries? Join me over a 4-night, 

5-day soulful Yoga and Meditation retreat in a converted medieval farm, deep in the beautiful countryside of the Loire Valley.

You'll be treated to a revitalising mix of warming, transformational yoga and workshop-style sessions to inspire and develop your personal practice, balanced with nourishing somatic awareness movement, yin and restorative yoga to allow you to go deeper and truly let go. Immerse yourself in the beauty of the practices and the amazing French countryside surroundings for a truly sublime summer celebration.

   

YOGA

Arrive on Thursday 18th – settle in, then enjoy a nectar-infused gentle flow to tease out knots in the tissues and aches from your travels, before a freshly prepared Vegetarian/Vegan dinner.  

Over the coming days you’ll experience a range of styles with a different anatomic and philosophic focus threaded through, but all dancing around the theme of boosting vitality, unravelling tension and recharging ourselves.  

Each morning, we’ll explore different forms of pranayama and meditation, including gentle flowing Yoga & Qi Gong inspired movement meditation outside and barefoot - if weather permits ;) – before a long flowing practice to invigorate and inspire. Enjoy a well-deserved breakfast and chill or play time before lunch. 

Afternoons are free to explore the beautiful area - take a trip to local medieval market towns and chateaux, including a gorgeous one just across the field! Visit the river or tour a vineyard, or just relax in the gardens of the converted farm, swimming in the heated outdoor pool, relaxing muscles in the new sauna, or reading in a hammock in the orchard.

Early evening yoga will vary between workshop-style sessions, flow and restore, or yin/fascia releasing movement and Yoga Nidra depending on the group energy.

During our time together there will be a full moon which we will celebrate with a full moon flow, gather for songs and stories around a campfire and meditation under the stars. 

ABOUT THE FARM
The 700-year-old farmhouse has been lovingly restored over the past 30 years. In total there are four converted barns which can sleep up to 15 guests. There are five bathrooms, all shared. There is also a brand new canvas stretch tent in the garden which makes for an amazing outdoor practice space, a yurt on site which is often used as a meditation space.

Hammocks are hidden amongst the trees in the fruit orchard. There is also a private 16m heated swimming pool, sauna, a games room with pool and table tennis tables. Wifi is also available.

PRICE

£699 per person (private room for one)

£599 per person (for friends or couples sharing double or twin rooms) 

Non refundable deposit of £200 to secure your space* Remainder eight weeks before start of retreat.
Payment plan available. *Unless you can pass the place onto someone else. 

INCLUDES 

Four night's accommodation, three freshly prepared vegetarian meals a day – vegan and other dietary requirements catered for, please ask, and please let us know of any allergies. Food is locally sourced, organic where possible — some salads come straight from the farm gardens. All of the yoga (8 sessions minimum) meditation and Nidra. Equipment provided, but please bring your mat if you prefer to use your own.

EXTRAS 
Your travel to and from the retreat is not included, or insurance. There will be optional excursions throughout the week so please bring additional Euros for extra drinks, meals outside of The Farm, chateaux entrance tickets, and any taxi fares. 
French wine and beer will be available, although at an extra cost (there is an honesty chart on the fridge which is paid for at the end of your stay).  

SPREADING THE GOOD VIBES
​The venue is a social enterprise – the owners set up a charity in 2005 to help those in one of the World's poorest countries to become healthy, educated and self-sufficient. A portion of each retreat will be donated to African Vision Malawi – a non-profit charity helping orphans and vulnerable people in rural Malawi.
For more info please visit ​www.africanvision.org.uk

GETTING THERE
The Farm is located in the picturesque Loire Valley, in between two historic medieval towns, Chinon, and Richelieu.
*By train
Trains go to Tours, where you change trains to Chinon 15 minutes away. We can help co-ordinate taxis /pick-ups nearer the time. 
*Driving - From Caen, Le Havre roughly 4 hours; 3 hours from Paris and about 6 hours from Calais. 
*By air: 

Tours or Poitiers Airport are equal distance and cab share is easiest. We can help co-ordinate. 

* All Yoga and meditation practices will be suitable for all abilities – with inspiration and encouragement to help you progress and deepen your practice wherever you are.  Modifications and alternatives will be offered for injuries and health issues, and challenges for those who want more.

​The daily routine will offer free time – with most activities in the morning and late afternoon before dinner. Afternoons will be yours to use as you wish. We will aim at keeping silence on wakening until after the morning meditation session. ​ 

MORE info or BOOK your space HERE  

and see https://www.retreattothefarm.co.uk 

Re-treat yourself

Soothe your soul

A yoga retreat is a chance to explore, expand and develop your yoga and meditation. It can be whatever you want it to be, deeply nurturing, relaxing and a chance to unwind and chill or space for you to really push yourself, taking your practice to a new level.

The word 'retreat' means to go to a place of safety and security where you can take stock, and that sums up the essence of a retreat in my view. A place where you can feel held by the teacher, the community of fellow yogis and the space, so you can be yourself, find out what you need right now.

On my retreats I love to offer more rather than less, so early morning meditation, outside where possible, before a longer session of asana, and then again a long session in the early evening before dinner. The time in between is yours though expect at least one gathering after dinner, whether to tell stories and sing around a campfire or take in the dreamy stillness of the surroundings during starlit meditation. And yet there has to be space, room for self indulgence, time for visits or chilling with a book in a hammock or by the pool.

For may people just the chance to breathe in fresh country air and feel dewy grass under bare toes transports them from the everyday cycle of life to the spaciousness of being able to listen in, think quietly and absorb.

My summer retreat this year is in mid July (21-25th) in the beautiful surroundings of the Loire Valley, across the field from a chateau - the retreat space itself was once outbuildings serving the chateau. It has belonged to the same family for at least 25 years, and over the years they have lovingly restored its creating a welcoming and beautiful space, with a choice of areas for practising :)

Get in touch if you fancy a chance to rewind, restore and perfect your practice whatever that means to you, with home-made vegetarian food (vegan options), in the company of a friendly bunch of like-minded souls. Bring a friend or join solo, you're welcome whatever you decide.

**There's an early bird price for this booking before end of April! £505 pp sharing; £645 for sole occupancy. All food, yoga and accommodation...

Read more about it and see more photos  French retreat

To book or other queries Get in touch

Yoga boosts the immune system

Tripod headstand, Garuda legs

Immune boosting yoga
Sadly amidst all the concerns over Covid-19, many people are missing attending their usual classes or fitness sessions whether it's football, swimming, dance or yoga.

Exercise of all sorts is important for humans - we need to move our body to stay healthy both physically and mentally. Movement also makes us feel better in ourselves, it releases endorphins, chemicals that trigger positive feelings in the brain, lowers stress levels and anxiety, especially if that exercise comes with built-in breath practice and mindfulness/meditation techniques - as with yoga. So remember to keep up exercise and especially yoga if you can’t get outside for other exercise for whatever reason during this time.

Any yoga? 
Tias Little of Prajna yoga, who I was training with in London just before the crisis struck, has sequences of floor-based sliding, gliding and rocking movements which create a pulsation throughout the tissues of our bodies, plumping up fluids, keeping us hydrated and improving the function of the organs. Importantly, they also stimulate the network of lymph vessels which lie under the skin, encouraging them to work harder, finding new paths, which helps lymphatic drainage. This is a vital part of our immune system, helping us to fight off viruses as well as bacteria that enter the body.

You can also do self-massage techniques, and rolling around on tennis balls. Sliding, gliding movements help to improve the elasticity of the fascia too, which in turn helps to develop and sustain neural plasticity improving our brain function. Slow, rhythmic movements calm the nervous system and support deep relaxation in the body's tissues, promoting resilience and health.

It can also be a form of meditation.

Whether it's moving or walking meditation, chanting or sitting quietly concentrating on breathing, meditation can have a positive affect on your mindset and thus, your health. Harvard University researchers used MRI scans to show how meditation positively affected and changed the brain activity and have found that meditation can change brain regions that are specifically linked with depression.

I asked my son to take a pic of me in a headstand ;)
Tias-style, using a block behind the head 

Strong, grounding poses
For all-round health we need both the gentle, contemplative side of yoga and some strong grounding poses.

When there was a viral outbreak in Pune, India, some years ago, the Iyengar Institute based there was closed and sent students a sheet of yoga practices to boost their immune system to keep them going at home. These are mostly inversions, Adho Mukha Svanasana, downward facing dog to you, Prasarita Padottanasana, a wide legged forward fold, backbends over a chair, lying with legs up the wall, and importantly, headstand and a long-held shoulderstand with variations. More of the same was recommended in the evening with headstand, shoulderstand and settabandasana (bridge pose), all propped, and Savasana – rest.

Of course for most of these, you would need to have an established yoga practice or have a teacher guide you through them, which I'd recommend :)

Tias Little sent out his Prajna students a list of asanas which also had a big emphasis on inversions... Why?

Tias explains that inversions rest and revitalise the body, stimulating the lungs to perform better and improve circulation. Shoulderstand "the mother of all poses" is nourishing for the throat and chest area. Placing the head below the heart is tonic for lymph vessels in the upper body, irrigating lymph through lymph nodes in throat, tongue and jaw region. An inversion could equally be a dog pose, ideally with the head resting on a block.

David Coulter, in his excellent book, Anatomy Of Hatha Yoga, says if you can remain in headstand or an inverted posture for 3-5 minutes, blood will drain quicker to the heart from the lower extremities, abdominal and pelvic organs, but also tissue fluids will flow more effectively into the veins and lymph channels, which will create a healthier exchange of nutrients and wastes between cells and capillaries. Sivanada, the yoga guru, was known for calling the headstand "a panacea - cure-all for all diseases".

*Remember inversions of any kind are not suitable for everyone, Pregnant women, those with high blood pressure and certain eye problems included, so check with your teacher or doctor before you go upside down.

Twists are also important to revitalise the spinal column and they are energising, which will help beat lethargic tendencies. Back bends lift the spirits, and they don’t need to be huge ones. Apart from bridge pose, you could lie down over a rolled blanket or rolled towel placed behind the heart area, which will also boost your lymphatic flow and energy levels, and counter the tendency to hunch forward over keyboards and other technology.

So whatever you do, keep up your yoga, even though you can only do it in your home! Obviously as social animals, humans also like to interact with each other or they can suffer from feelings of isolation. I guess that’s where social media comes in and the lurry of online yoga and other exercise sessions being offered (including by me!) see Online Classes

Iyengar's immune boosting routine

Teen yoga

Teen Yoga 
Teens were made for yoga! Those transition years are the perfect time to discover yoga – not just the asana but the subtle aspects, too: breathwork, relaxation techniques, mudras and meditation, all play of part in helping the teens develop a sense of self as well as improved self confidence and equip them better to face the variety of challenges and changes in a calmer more mindful way.

The asana – postures – are vitally important alone. Years (already!) of sitting slumped over desks, computers, hot games consoles and the rest, coupled with carrying heavy school and sports bags asymmetrically as well as that cowering inward posture of 'protection/distrust' adopted by so may teens, especially girls, as they try to avert their eye gaze from the outside world, needs to be addressed before bones calcify and it becomes more difficult to even out the kinks they create. Back and shoulder aches are so common among the youngsters I teach. Wriggling movements alongside alignment tips can help ease aches and protect the spine. Sometimes teens are totally unaware of what they are doing as they round forward and hunch their shoulders and dump into their lower back. It's lovely to watch them getting back into their bodies (slowly and cautiously for some of them) and re discovering the freedom of moving.

Many of the teens have poor or limited diets and gentle twists are great for getting sluggish digestive systems going - that's true for most kids! Simple sun salutations with lunges, and adding a gentle kneeling twist are easy for them to remember and do daily.

Pair and group postures can give a sense of support, help build teamwork skills, and create bonds. It's also great fun. I always bring in a few poses that can be done in pairs including a few easy acro yoga drills.

Pranayama techniques such as single alternate nostril breathing and the amusing sounding Sitali (pronounced with a 'Sh' at the start) and Bhramari (humming bee breath) practices are great for drawing teens attention to the feel, sound and general awareness of their breath. Then it's easier to help them use breath techniques to calm themselves as they need it e.g. before exams, or in the presence of someone they fancy! Similarly mudras have a great role in focusing the mind and also aiding dexterity, especially Hakini, Eagle and Fearless heart mudra which they all seem to enjoy doing.

Meditation? I often challenge the teens (and younger kids) to stay still and think of nothing for a minute.... try it yourself with a timer, harder than you think it will be! Trataka candle gazing is usually a big hit and gives them something to focus on as well as being good for the eyes.

Many have trouble sleeping so the idea of observing the breath as well as Savasana and yoga Nidra are always popular... in fact I'm sure some come for the "lie down bit" ;)

If you do yoga and haven't thought about it, try and practise at home with your teens, and teens if you do yoga, get the old folk doing it too. My public teens classes are currently Mondays after school, 4.30pm - 5.30pm at Yoga Junction, Crouch End, London N8. If you're in the area pop by.

GET OUTSIDE!

It's hard to beat the feeling of doing yoga and meditation outside, especially on sunny mornings or early evening when you can witness the sun rising or setting as you practice or sit.

I love doing yoga on the beach and for years I would only attempt it in the early or twilight hours to avoid crowds and embarrassing stares, but I've grown so used to it now, I just forget who's around, and sometimes the busier it is, the less bothered I (and others) seem to be! It's especially lovely to practice with family and friends.

My sons seem more bothered about stares of passers by, but even they are becoming less self conscious! Bank holiday weekend on a busy, sunny beach in North Devon with not much space between bodies and boards, one of my sons actually suggested a yoga session to help him pop-up on his board, and to make sure I was warm enough to entice me into the chilly waters!

He's game for experimental sequences and we were midway through a fun energetic flow when we noticed three famillies around us standing and staring and some of the younger family members copying us! I just projected my voice into busy class mode and changed the tone to suit their tender age adding lizards and frogs and puppy dogs so they didn't feel left out! Maybe they'll remember the beach yoga and keep it up at home!

SIT WITH ME

Morning Magic
Ever had one of those days when you wake up with a lengthy to do list and seem to be running from one job and place to the next, whizzing between chores like dealing out cards in a busy casino? Every day? Stop right now! That used to be me, and still is if I am lured off course! I have found that even a few minutes of silence and inner focus first thing, can improve my day immensely and make it a little more productive or at least give me thinking space and chance to put things into perspective!

I have always done some yoga when I got up, even if it's just 20 minutes of lying on my back and rolling around followed by a sun salutation or two. I know I can move more easily and genuinely feel better, more alert, afterwards. But for the past year or so I have been able to establish a meditation practice to go with it. This has been the catalyst, bringing much more peace to my mornings and hence my days.

It's not easy! Three mornings a week I am up well before everyone else in my home as I'm up between 5 and 5.30 am to teach early classes. I have always had a set morning ritual which is an essential part of those early morning starts for me (though at that time it cannot be long as I need to be at the studios where I teach in time and don't want to have to get up before 5 when I haven't got home from teaching evening classes til 10 pm sometimes).

The place is totally quiet and feels completely different in the magic of those early mornings. I can even go outside now it's not always raining and feel the early sun on my skin — if I have time to unlock all the bolts on the door! Sometimes I have to share my outdoor space with local cats or foxes, but often it's just the birds, insects and me!

The other days when I am up an hour or so later, the family are milling around and my other half switches on the radio even before his eyes are open — and does the same in every room he enters including the bathroom! If you have little ones jumping on you, you will find it very hard to start the day with silence. And you won't want to get up much earlier than you have to when sleep is such a luxury for most parents. There are ways to integrate silence and meditative thought into even the busiest lifestyles. Sometimes just concentrating on your breathing or chanting repetitions of a simple mantra can clear the mind and calm the nervous system, and little children may want to get involved in a good way! If they know what you are doing they will get used to your habit rather than thinking you are ignoring them ;)

You can start with just a few minutes of focusing on the feel of the breath flowing in and out - maybe as soon as you wake up, or maybe by the kitchen window or when you pop off to the bathroom. (I have a yoga mat rolled up in the shower room and often escape there even though I have a studio on the floor above.) Your practice will build gradually and become a comfortable and comforting habit. Many people consciously think of three good things to be happy about or thankful for the moment they wake up and that helps give the day a rosy tint, so they don't get out of bed with a sinking feeling in the belly. That can be a good starting point for meditation.

And once you have cleared the mind, it will be easier to work out which of those pressing chores need to be sorted first as everything gains a little more perspective!  The other time I like to meditate and always found easier, is in the evening. Sunset is supposed to be a magical time, though it's hard to be around at the right time. For me, meditating late at night helps to clear my mind, calm me down and help me sleep a little more easily.

If you want more tips and encouragement on meditation and breathing practices, go along to a class! I have three public Pranayama and Meditation sessions coming up in Stoke Newington. Saturday June 9th, June 23rd and July 21st at 5.15pm to 6.15pm at YogaHome, N16.

It would be lovely to have solitude and a quiet place to sit for morning meditation.... but the real joy is being able to focus inwards in the midst of the hubbub of daily life!

Sankalpa V new year's resolutions

Resolving – to do or not to do

I am not sure I am that fond of making resolutions. I think it can make us dwell on our bad points. So many people say: "I must give up cake/alcohol/coffee, lose weight, get a better job" .... Probably admirable but if you make a resolution like that it surely means you are unhappy about yourself and being overly critical.
Yoga students often "resolve" to try harder, attend more classes and beat themselves up about not being able to do a particular pose. Maybe that sounds perfectly fine, but again it is a negative way of approaching yoga practice.

Perhaps it is the languaging. Just phrasing the resolution as a positive intention — like the sankalpa (a brief postitive intention or resolve we make during certain yoga practices), can create a totally different mindset, reaction and ultimately a better outcome. Goal setting but without the aggression! Of course we are working towards a goal with a Sankalpa — it may be that your Sankalpa is  something like "I have a job I love", if you are seeking that, or " I am healthy" if you are suffering from a long term illness, but it could equally be "I am happy",  "I trust my intuition" or "I find my path in life". A Sankalpa is always brief, couched in positive terms and something that you feel will bring about a good change in your life. 

Formulating a Sankalpa that resonates deeply isn't always easy. Generally it is private, not shared with anyone and personal to you alone. A Sankalpa is generally repeated often, using the same words each time, and kept for a long time. When it comes to fruition you may choose a new one, if it was a short term goal. There are times when you might choose a short one, usually times of transition, as in pregnancy, a Sankalpa may be "I have everything I need to birth my baby', or  "I am a confident mum". Sometimes with teens, a yoga teacher might suggest ideas to help set them thinking, or they may end up sticking with materialistic "wishes" about the latest iphone or wads of cash! Theirs could be "I am successful", or "I know what I want to to", and a common one is "I am confident".

For kids and teens, thinking about and repeating a Sankalpa can help them take ownership of their thoughts and feel a little more in control of their life and future. Decision making and sifting through choices can be very hard for anyone, a chance to be quiet, listen to what your heart or inner voice is saying is a useful tool to staying calm.

Yoga Nidra, deep guided relaxation, is the best time to repeat your sankalpa but you can also do it before a yoga or pranayama practice, as you are settling into meditation, or first thing in the morning when the mind is a little less clouded.
When you repeat your sankalpa, especially in the deep relaxed state of Yoga Nidra, or meditation, you are planting a seed for something to grow and bear fruit, and hopefully it will. It seeps into your unconscious.

So back to yoga resolutions. There's a saying in yoga, to observe ourselves without judgement. Every individual and body type suits some groups of postures more than others, and we should all acknowledge what we are good at and choose to get in touch with the subtleties of yoga, observing the breath and how different postures, breathing exercises and styles of practice affect our thoughts and emotions, rather than strive to create what we think is a picture perfect pose. That said, I am very glad when people take up yoga and resolve to enjoy it more regularly ;)

When we are deeply relaxed in Yoga Nidra, we are more receptive,
the perfect time to plant the seeds of your Sankalpa

Looking in

Like most people I've been using the special energy of the passing into the new year to cultivate an intention for my practice in 2017. Many people see the time as an opportunity to examine their life and make a resolution or several. It's often to do with fitness or diet, health or energy related. Sometimes it's a blanket change or lifestyle change; sometimes a series of little steps, or just one thing that could make the difference to how they will feel in 12 months' time. Often it is the little intentions that are the most far reaching, not to mention achievable.

Yoga studios are buzzing as students new and experienced alike come along with a fresh vigour and are committed to doing more yoga, more regularly. Yay, keep it up; it's great for us teachers ;) Some have a list of postures they want to master, finishing the primary or second series in Ashtanga, mastering a headstand, or developing their meditation practice... All noble challenges, if that's where you are at.

But while still in this cocoon of nurture, with friends and family around, and with the world in so much turmoil, it's been a chance to stop and appreciate how lucky I am. And yes that feeling of being loved and held makes me want to extend that feeling to all my students and beyond. Don't worry, I won't invade your space and hug you mid warrior ;)

If as yet, you are still cultivating the perfect resolution for your yoga practice this year, how about making a collective resolve to appreciate, or notice what we are good at.
That each time we get on the mat — every morning or the start of each class — to check in with the body and mind and notice what feels good about us; where we are feeling good, where we are feeling space... and then breathe from there, expand that feeling of spaciousness.

It's interesting to see how it differs each day. Spaciousness behind the heart, the feeling of breath in the belly, relaxed limbs, a clear head... And start from there. Try it. Start from the point of pleasure, rather than pain and see if it changes anything about the quality of your practice.

Make 2017 the year you notice what is good about your practice and yourself and then, keep it up! And yes, take up meditation if you don't already, it really helps you check in with your mind and body and to feel that space.
Good luck.  

Self practice

Yoga teachers are probably the only people who aim to make themselves redundant! Or at least to encourage students to start self practising. Even really experienced yogis still come to classes for the social side or for inspiration, but a good teacher aims to encourage her (or his) class to do their own thing. So off you go then.

Not sure where to begin? OK, here’s a little checklist of things you need
to start self practice.
1 Will power!
2 Somewhere big enough, and clean enough, to practice.
3 Knowledge of what to do when, and how to do it safely…so postures to avoid at certain times of the month or with particular health conditions or injuries you have.

No 2 sounds trivial but is probably the most important in a way. Years ago in my BWY Foundation class, the instructor asked us to discuss the main thing that prevented us from getting up and doing sun salutations or some other yoga at home. One student sighed and said his flat was too small: “I can’t raise my hands above me or out to the sides, and there is no space to lie on the floor.” We all laughed at him… but I remembered that whenever I was in down dog at home I found myself examining the dust under the furniture and wanted to stop and vacuum. Clearly I wasn’t very adept at focusing within — or pratyahara — withdrawal of the senses, as it’s known in yoga!

 But you don’t need a lot of room. One of my students recently drove an ambulance to Syria and asked for some yoga sequences she could do, that didn’t require her to touch the floor as there wouldn’t be anything other than dust, and preferably things she could do in the confines of the ambulance cab! We worked something out (mostly seated twists, stretches and joint rotations). And as for the guy in the tiny flat — he took up meditation to create space in his life.

My kids were always good about letting me do yoga at home, though they would copy me, jump all over me or generally try to get involved. The only thing I couldn’t do with them around was meditate. But now they are teenaged, meditation has come into its own, to take my mind off the clock, wondering when they will be back from a night out!

Self practice can be just 10 minutes in the morning, seated twists at the desk, or pranayama before bed… and if you need some more ideas and inspiration, and you’re in London, funnily enough I am running a workshop Sunday November 10th at the Yoga Body Centre, E5. 12.30pm-2.30pm. http://www.yogabodycentre.co.uk/