Homeward bound

So I am just about to pack up and head home to the UK for the summer.  It has been over 40 degrees for the last week of the school run, so it is safe to say that I am more than ready to go back to Blighty for a little light drizzle.  I honestly can't wait to spend some time with friends and family, take advantage of the long hours of sunlight, drop in to some of my favourite yoga classes, browse the aisles of familiar supermarkets and slowly eat my way through all the food I have missed.  However, I will also miss my new home from home here and know I will be glad to return. 

I have learnt a lot in the past 12 months about my practice, my values and my preconceptions which have been challenged on a daily basis.  Living in a multi cultural society opens up your eyes to so many new worlds.  I have met some wonderful people, made many firm friends and have already had to say goodbye to some of them.  The life of an ex pat is a transient one, but I will have to learn to be happy for the time we have spent together and not be too sad when people leave again.  

It has also been a joy to build up my yoga classes here and share my love of the practice with people from so many different backgrounds.  I have grown a lot as a teacher and had many laughs along the way.  I have also met some very inspiring and lovely teachers and I feel very blessed to be part of this growing community of awesome Abu Dhabi yogis. 

Namaste to each and every one of you.  You are all amazing.

Keep practising over the summer and I look forward to rolling out our mats again together in September.

X

The Heat Is On!

Welcome to the season of fire! With temperatures set to peak in the high 40s here this week it certainly feels like a furnace.  I have now been in Abu Dhabi for a full year, and whereas in Scotland, June was filled with anticipation for some long, warm days ahead, here it feels like we are all waiting for a chance to escape. There are just a few more weeks until Ramadan, then it's the school holidays, and then all the talk is about what jet plane we are leaving on.  Of course, some of my fellow economic migrants will not be as lucky as me and my heart goes out to anyone who has to work outside all summer in this baking heat, especially if they are fasting.  Even with shorter working hours this would be an extreme test of human endurance. So over the next few weeks, as I try and keep my internal fire (tapas) under control, and keep a lid on my frayed temper after a long year of living in this beautiful, challenging, strange world, I will open up my heart and send out some gratitude to all the people that make it possible for me to be here.

So how can we use our seasonal yoga practice to help with this? Cardio-vascular exercise is great in the summertime to get the heart pumping, but try to avoid burn out and exhaustion by doing your exercise in the morning when the internal and external temperature is cooler.  A practice with order or routine is good for keeping us calm and grounded, so the balance of discipline and power that you get with Ashtanga yoga is ideal. Try to include lots of heart opening poses and back bends in your practice too, as well as arm balances to stimulate the heart and small intestine meridians that run up and down the arms and shoulders.  Ustrasana (camel), Camatkarasana (wild thing, see below), Anahatasana (puppy), Threading the needle, Upward Facing Dog, Dhanurasana (bow) and Bakasana (crow) variations are all ideal challenging, energising and fun postures to get you laughing and sweating.  At the end of each session, take your hands to your heart centre (Anahata chakra) in Namaste and spend a few moments focused on letting in love and light, then send that love out to your friends, family, neighbours and the wider world.

Take rest in the day time when you can and cool the bodies internal temperature by including as much raw food in the diet as possible. Seasonal salads and juices with heat reducing foods like celery, lettuce, kale, cucumber, lemon, watermelon, mint and aubergine are ideal. All sounds pretty Middle Eastern to me - suddenly that Fattoush and Babaganoush makes sense! I am also currently obsessed with my new nutri-bullet which makes awesome raw smoothies and fills my tummy when I know I need energy but don't feel like eating in the heat.

If you're trapped inside in the air conditioning, nip to the nearest mall and buy an oil diffuser and some oils like rose, rosemary & ylang ylang to calm, balance and fill the heart with joy. The steam from the diffuser will also help humidify the dry air.

Finally, live like a local and save your socialising for the evening!  Summer is a time for laughter, joy, friends and family. Don't lock yourself away waiting for that plane, but wait till the sun sets, gather the people you won't see again until the autumn and laugh about all your adventures over the last few months. Then when we do leave we will do so with a full heart, looking forward to our return almost as much as we are looking forward to our departure.

Key Seasonal Points:

Season - Summer
Dates -  21st June -20th August
Organs - Heart & Small Intestine
Colour - Red
Element - Fire

Chakra - Anahata (heart)

Pranayama - Kapalabati (to build heat) or Shitalli/Seetkarin (to cool)

For more information on Seasonal Yoga check out Energy in Season: 5 Keys to Vitality by the amazing and inspirational Susan Woodd and Julie Hanson.

Early summer already?

So the first school run after the spring holiday here this week was in 42 degree heat, which made me think that perhaps I had better hurry the whole seasonal yoga thing on a bit and take the spring flow forward into early summer before we all melt away entirely. I've spent the last few days cleaning up my act on a mini detox, taking part in an Instagram April detoxing posture challenge and ignoring the leftover Easter chocolate, and now I feel ready to get started with the new challenges of the season, even if it is a little too much too soon for my liking.

Soak up the early summer heat.

This transitional time of year builds on the spring stretches and twists, holding them for longer, and bringing in more repetition to develop flexibility and work deeper into the muscles and connective tissues (fascia).  It also starts the preparations for summer by introducing more movement and back bending to the flow in order to build heat and stimulate the heart.  Finally, we focus on hip openers (pigeon variations, fire log pose, lizard, happy baby etc.) to help us connect with our emotions and release any tensions we have been storing away down there.  In each posture we focus on taking the stretch from the centre, right out to the tips of our fingers before re-gathering our energy back in.  For example, try flowing from Garudasana (eagle pose) to Virabadrasana (Warrior) 2 then back to Samastitihi.  Like this movement, the season should be a beautiful balance of energising effort and gathering in, using the internal strength we have cultivated to help us to put all the plans we have made for the year into action.

You can see a short video of some of these postures that you could combine with a few sun salutations each morning for the perfect mini early summer flow here:

MLH Yoga - early summer

Diet should continue to focus on detoxing, building in more raw foods and juices and keeping meals crisp and light. As always look for what is seasonal, even if it has been flown in from afar.

Early summer is also a time for socialising, joy and laughter, which suits the outgoing side of my personality perfectly.  In Abu Dhabi there is a real feeling of making hay whilst the sun shines (but not too much) as we are all aware that our days outside are numbered and soon the stifling desert heat will trap us back in a state of air conditioned exhaustion.  In the mean time stretch, flex, breathe & smile! 

Key Seasonal Points:

Season - early summer
Dates - 21st May - 21st June
Organs - Pericardium, Triple Heater & Connective Tissue (Fascia)
Colour - pink
Element - early fire

For more information on Seasonal Yoga check out Energy in Season: 5 Keys to Vitality by the amazing and inspirational Susan Woodd and Julie Hanson.

An Arabic Spring

Things have been feeling spring-like here for the last couple of weeks, so although officially the grass doesn't riz till the 21st March I've decided to get started early.  It actually reminds me of springtime at home.  There is a cool breeze blowing and there have even been a couple of showers here and there. In between the dusty sandstorms that signal the change of season the sun is shining, the air is clean and fresh and it's lovely, but I know that the days are warming up and it won't be long now before the brain melting heat returns so it's time to stretch out my limbs and detoxify as much of my life as possible whilst the going is good.  Here's my plan...

My spring yoga practice will be focused on grounding through the feet but keeping things flexible in the upper body with lots of side stretches and twists. In spring seasonal yoga focuses on cleansing out the liver and the gall-bladder.  The meridians for these organs run up and down the side of the body and inner leg.  Great postures to build into the practice to stimulate these channels include horse stance, side plank, triangle, revolved triangle, half lord of the fishes pose and wide angled forward fold to stretch the legs, wring out the internal organs and narrow the waist.  The liver and gall-bladder also connect to the eyes, so pay attention to your dristi points and build more balances into your practice.  Tree pose (vikrasana) is the perfect asana for connecting with the wood energy of Spring - grounding the standing leg for strong roots, stimulating the liver meridian by pushing the foot into the side of the leg, engaging uddiyana bandha to narrow the waist, lifting the chest to keep the upper body light, long and flexible and fixing your gaze to stimulate the eyes (and stop yourself from falling over!)

Time to make like a tree.

I'm also spending as much time as possible outside whilst I can and making an effort to try new things.  A walk along the sea-front, yoga on the balcony, camping, I've even tried my hand, or rather balance, at stand-up paddle boarding which I absolutely loved.  Whatever you do, set yourself a new challenge, feel the wind in your hair and the sun on your face and enjoy the rewards.

The other big theme of spring is detox, so I'll be focusing on a different area of my life each week to try and de-clutter and clean up my act as follows:

Week 1: the physical body. Have a home spa day with a detoxing bath and body scrub. Light some candles, burn some cleansing essential oils - grapefruit is a great one. Book a massage to get rid of your toxins and enjoy yourself. Spend some time in a steam room or sauna, use natural paraben-free beauty products on your skin. Remind yourself that detoxing can actually be quite nice!

Week 2: your surroundings. Don't fight the urge to spring clean, embrace it! Your Granny was right, a tidy house does equal a tidy mind.  I've already cleaned out my wardrobe, and by next week hope to be strong enough to tackle the kitchen cupboards! Do it bit by bit and it's not too awful and you will automatically feel less cluttered and stressed ready to get started on all your plans.  

Week 3: goal setting.  What do you want to achieve this year? Write a list, create a mood board, start a journal to track your progress, whatever works for you. Dream big or think small, whatever you would like to change in your life spend time pondering it and put some steps in place that will help you get a little bit closer to your goals in the year ahead.

Week 4: diet.  Throughout the month I will be trying to cut back on all things toxic and eating more vegetarian meals with plenty of spring greens. Caffeine, refined sugar, alcohol are all on my list of things to have less of and at the end of the month I'll go the extra mile and fully clean up my act for the whole week.  There are plenty of detox plans out there that you can follow but my advice would be build up to it, be sensible, don't expect miracles, and pick a regime that you will have a hope of enjoying.  You may feel rubbish for the first couple of days, but by the end you will feel great.  

Easy peasy.  By the end of the season I hope to be eating better, feeling better, looking better, sleeping better and generally have more energy and focus.  What's not to love about spring-time?

Key Seasonal Points:

Season - spring
Dates - 21st March - 21st May
Organs - Liver & gall-bladder
Colour - green
Element - wood

For more information on Seasonal Yoga check out Energy in Season: 5 Keys to Vitality by the amazing and inspirational Susan Woodd and Julie Hanson.

Lessons from Goa

Tim 'easy rider' Feldmann and his yoga groupies

I have just returned from two weeks of study at the beautiful Purple Valley Yoga retreat in Goa. What an amazing trip!  My teachers were Kino MacGregor and Tim Feldmann, ably assisted by the amazing Santina Giardana-Chard and Erin Morris, who gave their all to provide the perfect environment to delve deeper into our understanding and appreciation of the Ashtanga practice.  As always on a yoga retreat, the lessons I have learned are far different from the ones I had imagined.  No matter how much I tell myself to practice non-attachment and try to let go of expectations when embarking on something like this, the ego is always in the background, saying 'Yeah, but it would be great if you could come back doing handstands and wrapping your leg round your neck.'  Of course, this was not to be, and the universe was quick to remind me of that when I broke my toe on day two.  However, after I dried my tears, strapped my toe up and got back on the mat, here are some of the things I learned instead:

1.  I need to be more patient, with myself and with others. There is a reason that Pattabhi Jois was fond of saying 'Practice and all is coming'.  When I was forced to take my time, listen to my body and try to put in the effort where I most needed to, I got so much further.

2. I quite like being a vegetarian.  After two weeks of amazing meat free, raw food, I feel great and am seriously considering how to incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals into my weekly repertoire.  I snuck out to have fish a couple of times when I was feeling like my protein levels had dipped and I was low on energy, but I didn't miss meat and my body felt much lighter and happier as a result.

3. I may not be the bendiest, skinniest, most spiritual or most talented yogi out there, but I love my practice and want to commit more of my life to learning about all things yoga and passing that knowledge on to others.  I believe yoga opens up a whole new way of looking at ourselves and the world around us and feel very lucky to have this perspective shaping tool in my life.

Living the dream- headstands on the beach

4.  Ashtanga works.  My love/hate relationship with the practice continues and it was only on the final day of Mysore class that I felt my body beginning to open up and a little bit of light flooding in to the dark places inside me that don't work so well. This made me both happy and terrified - ashtanga yoga is an addictive thing, when you crack things open a little you are compelled to keep going for fear that they will shut right back up again the minute you stop. But...

5. ... For me there is still more than a little room for other types of yoga practice.  I believe that the body needs different things at different times, and sometimes you need to back off to work on a different aspect of your practice - physically and emotionally - to keep yourself healthy, balanced and on the right track.

6.  As one of life's natural sceptics I remain suspicious of 'alternative' medicine.  However, I like to try and keep an open mind and am always curious about such things, so I was first in the queue for an auyurvedic consultation.  I was told that I am Pitta Dosha, but that my Vatta was disturbed and recommended a week of massages and detoxing enemas to clear up my toxins and rebalance my body.  This sounded like an interesting experiment so I signed up immediately.  By the end of the week I was feeling pretty good, although I was unsure if this was the holiday, the food, the yoga, the treatment or all of the above.  I was still feeling sceptical until I stopped to read more about the typical Pitta person and it rang many bells with me.  I don't believe that Auyurveda is a cure all, but I am certainly now more of the persuasion that there is something in it that is worth exploring as part of the eternal quest for health and happiness.

7. India is the wonderful, mad, colourful place I hoped it would be.  Go with an open mind and an open heart and you will not leave disappointed.

8.   When you practice yoga you meet many crazy, mixed up people, and you very quickly realise that nobody is perfect. But you will be hard pressed to find human beings who are more generous in the way that they share all sides of themselves with you.  This trip reminded me that we are all multi-faceted creatures with different talents, flaws, imperfections, issues and personalities and we all have something to give that people can learn from when we stop to look for it.  I met some wonderful teachers and students from the four corners of the globe and I am extremely grateful for the inspirational time I spent with them.   Thank you to everyone who made the last two weeks so special.

Namaste xx

The gang in all their glory.

Down with New Year's Resolutions! A winter yoga guide to starting 2015.

2015 seems to be running away from me already, so I thought I'd better post a New Year winter blog post before spring is sprung.

The end of the festive season always brings a fair measure of guilt and sadness for me, as I contemplate the year ahead with clothes that are tighter than before, an empty bank balance and a long wait until we see our family again.  This year is no exception, although of course the family is even further away.  However, for the first time since records began the sun continues to shine on me in January and I am also about to go to Goa for 2 weeks of Ashtanga yoga, so there is even hope that my jeans may fit again before June!

What I dislike most about this time of year is the pressure everyone suddenly puts on themselves to make major life changes, shed weight through miracle diets and become instantly happier.  It is no wonder that everyone is depressed by February when it turns out we like wine and biscuits just as much as last year, our boss is still horrible and there are bills to pay.  I for one, have given up New Year's Resolutions, and instead try to relax a little bit.  I may take some time to think about a few goals I might like to achieve in the year ahead, but I will put the serious planning and life changes aside until I feel like my brain and body has got back into gear after all the late nights and over indulgence.  Like everyone I am trying to be healthier now that the celebrations are over, but that means cutting back on the rubbish without putting pressure on myself to give up eating entirely.  At this time of year we need to nurture and protect our bodies, giving them time to rest and recover, so my advice is to give up the detox for now and have an early night instead.  Read some nice books, dream some big dreams and let 2015 start to take shape around you rather than forcing it to be something it is not.  I honestly think this the key to beating the winter blues.

Time to hibernate in child's pose.

Winter yoga and Chinese medical theory supports this concept - probably why it's one of my favourite seasons to teach as I like when I am proven right!  Practice should be slow and flowing.  Hold postures for longer (indulge your desire to stay in balasana for as long as you need to - see picture on right) and incorporate lot's of forward folds and back bends to keep the spine moving whilst stimulating the kidney and bladder meridians that run up and down the front and back of the body. Try the following asana's to relieve stress and anxiety and beat fatigue: Uttanasana (standing forward fold), Pachimottonasana (seated forward fold), Dhanurasana (bow posture) and Bandha Konasana (bound angle pose)

Here's a quick 5 minute flow to do each morning to get things going:

MLH Yoga: Winter Flow

In your diet, comfort foods are fine as long as they are healthy! If you're in a cold climate keep things warm and hearty with stews and soups that include lots of spices, root vegetables and alkaline forming greens and avoid drinking too much, especially things that are cold to protect the kidneys.  Here, where it is cooler but still warm, I don't really fancy a shepherd's pie, so instead am trying to focus on eating more seasonal foods and keeping things clean by cutting back on too much sugar, salt and caffeine.

It's also a good time of year to try some meditation, so take 5 minutes each day just to sit and focus on your breath. Feel each inhale and exhale as it passes through your body; nostrils, throat, chest, ribs and abdomen. Let go of any stress or tension, relax and be at peace with yourself and the world around you.  To me this seems a much better way to begin 2015 and every new year.

Winter information:

Dates: 21st December - 20th March
Colour: Blue
Element: Water
Organs: Kidneys and bladder

For more information on Seasonal Yoga check out Energy in Season: 5 Keys to Vitality by the amazing and inspirational Susan Woodd and Julie Hanson.