My thoughts on life & yoga…
The language we use matters.
I fell in love with my husband of thirteen years Dominic instantly - he was and still is the bee's knees but in the early days of our relationship I noticed he had a quirky habit that I was going to have to confront. He had a tendency to overuse the word “disaster”.
If the bus was five minutes late it was a disaster. If it was raining it was a disaster. If there wasn’t enough garlic to cook with it was a disaster!
When I drew this to his attention he was completely unaware that he was doing it. We had a good laugh and decided ...
Thank you India.
Not going to lie, it hasn’t been an easy week.
We all have them - weeks that leave us feeling emotionally battered and bruised.
So I would like to share the three things that have helped me lift the veil of confusion, overwhelm and exhaustion that has draped heavily over me this week.
NUMBER ONE
You’ve guessed it, my yoga practice. I have literally heard my yoga mat calling to me this week. So I have intentionally made time to get on to my mat. Just moving your body is enough to lighten the load of emotion weighing down on your shoulders.
NUMBER TWO
A very simple way to help me shift my thinking before bed to allow sleep is...
Have your cake and eat it!
I have a question for you.
What’s your favourite part of a cake, the sponge or the icing? And do you eat your favourite part first or save it to last?
Can you believe that the way you answer this question could be related to your levels of discipline and procrastination?!
We can all struggle with discipline. It can be seen as a bit of a dirty word, causing our tummies to tighten with unease.
But in yoga it is viewed as an important self care ritual that if practised, can create a happy and healthy life. Yoga calls it tapas and describes it as a...
“The day you start yoga is the day you stop ageing.”
“The day you start yoga is the day you stop ageing.” My ears pricked up as I heard these words faintly drifting through from the radio in my sister-in-law's kitchen. I hadn’t thought about yoga for a good few months now and these words hit a nerve.
It was 2014 and I was heading towards my mid- thirties with my beautiful ten month old daughter at the centre of my universe.
And I was a changed woman. A woman who had gone from dancing in heels for a living to struggling to walking up stairs because of aching joints but as I said, I was heading towards my mid thirties and that’s how your thirties should feel, right? Bloated, achy, soft round the edges, tired. It was okay that my body creaked and ached because...
Are you a good listener?
I walked into our kitchen this week to a barrage of noise coming out of Dom’s phone. This is very unusual but the lure of politics with the upcoming “you know what” has grabbed our attention.
I say a barrage of noise because a journalist and politician were pretending to have a conversation, neither of them listening to each other. Both were on broadcast mode only concerned with their own point of view. It makes me wonder what’s the point if there is no listening?
Listening is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other. Not advice or how to do something better. Not our opinion or why they are wrong. Just listening to understand.
I noticed myself not listening the other day to...
Nature Calls.
It’s a double whammy this week - nature is calling! We have had the summer solstice and the big, beautiful strawberry full moon.
The last time we had a full moon on the summer solstice was 2016. So light is everywhere! These powerful few days bring a wonderful opportunity for us to ...
“But I just can’t.”
I remember standing on the sidelines watching and thinking that looks so much fun but I just can’t.
It was a beautiful summer day 15 years ago on a French beach. I was there for a long weekend celebrating my dear friend’s wedding. A group of us headed to the beach where everyone ran screaming into the ocean. Laughing, playing, splashing. Everyone except me. I didn’t want to get cold.
I look back on that memory and wish I...
Lessons From The Elements.
We all know that nature is a soothing balm for most ailments. We may not always feel like embracing the element’s but when we do our bodies literally tingle with energy as we encounter earth, water, fire, air or space.
Shetland is the perfect place to experience…
I’m for Ahimsa. How about you?
Yoga encourages practising non-violence - ahimsa. That's why I switched off my daily habit of BBC Breakfast News eight years ago and never returned. My two year old daughter at the time was in the room when violence was splattered across my screen at 8am. It was a wake up call for me as a mother and I decided…
Stomach Tight. Jaw Clenched...
As a parent, bedtime can sometimes be the most stressful part of the day. Mostly because the feeling of running out of time sits heavy on our shoulders. Running out of time to finish work, to tick off our to do list, to wash the dishes, to get ready for the next day.
Then you get that shout from the top of the stairs. “Mum, can you come here?!” “Have you brushed your teeth yet?” “No, but can you come here?”
I start at the bottom of the stairs, my stomach tight, my jaw clenched…
You're Not In Charge. I am.
Mother Nature decided to stand up and be heard this week. She huffed and she puffed and she blew down anything that wasn’t strong enough to bear her brunt. She swept the wind across our lands wielding her power as a reminder of who’s really in charge.
So on Tuesday evening I stopped to listen. After a long soak in the bath after a busy day I retreated to my bedroom, opened the windows and…
Practicing Letting Go...
Something truly wonderful happened last Sunday - Nell tidied her bedroom! Well, actually, Dom and Nell gutted her bedroom. This has been way overdue and we decided as a family it was best for me not to be involved. You see, I have this tendency to be a little overly sentimental. This has improved over the years thanks to my yoga practice but when it comes to Nell my ten year old daughter I want ….
Waking Up With A Smile…
We find ourselves in a brand new year so my mind has been wandering to what 2024 is going to hold for the Colenso clan. If you are like me, the words “New Year's Resolution” fill you with dread. So I have changed my thoughts around this age-old tradition with the help of my yoga practice. I now ask myself what would I
How To Speak With Kindness.
We've all done it. We've all said something that we shouldn't have said. Luckily, having a yoga practice can help us minimise these painful moments. Here's a 90 second video on…
How To Deal With OverWhelm.
Do you ever have that feeling of "being behind" desperately trying to catch up with life? Here are two simple steps that yoga gives us to deal with overwhelm. Two simple steps in just over two minutes to…
Let It Go!
Nell, my nine year old daughter had a good cry last night, letting all the stress of the past school term slide down her face. Sometimes we need a good cry, to release and to let go. The build up of working hard, concentrating, being well behaved and disciplined needs to be released like a whistle from an old fashioned boiling kettle. As a parent, I cherish these moments. I watch out for them - the solemn face appearing before bedtime, her slumped shoulders and quivering lip. I ask her if she's okay and the tears come. It usually happens at the end of a long school term, when the tiredness takes over. I give her my full attention and I listen, making sure that …
Spring Equinox - Welcome!
I feel like I have just clambered out of a very dark, damp cave after months of a heavy, long winter. I don't know why this winter has felt particularly hard. But today, I'm relieved that the Spring Equinox is finally upon us.The light is…