My thoughts on life & yoga…
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…
Hello Hope!
She has arrived. Hope is here. She has been patiently waiting in the wings. Giving darkness his moment front and centre. She waited for her queue and finally it came - the winter solstice, beckoning hope to the…
The Light Is Everywhere!
The light is everywhere! The longest day of the year has arrived. Summer is finally upon us. This powerful day brings with it a wonderful opportunity for us to use this light to take notice. To take notice of what needs our attention, inwards and outwards. The summer season acts as a giant spotlight on our…
Life Is A Juggling Act.
Life is a juggling act and to help us keep all the balls in the air we have to find moments of routine, of practice, of self care so that those balls of life don’t come crashing down. My morning routine gives this to me. At least five days a week I give myself a solid…
We Are All Mothers.
We are Warriors. We are Goddesses. We are Mothers. Women are all these things. It doesn't matter whether you have had a child or not. Watch this short video for a practice to release tension and stress from your body in just one minute!
Patience.
Patience - that sounds nice I thought while reading an article many years ago where Madonna described becoming a mother for the first time. She expressed how her daughter had given her patience. I went on to day-dream about maybe, one day, my beautiful daughter arriving and handing me the carefully wrapped gift of patience. I was very young and naive at the time - obviously. 😂
My daughter is now eight and the present of patience that she insists on giving me EVERY single day is delivered in many different ways. Thrown, tossed…
Energy Is Contagious.
The scene usually involves a long queue, a delay or a mishap of some sort sprinkled with tired, angry people demanding an explanation. The energy is heightened, thick with resentment that things are not going to plan. You can feel the vibration of disappointment spread through the room and the frequency drops. Then we find ourselves at the front of the queue and it’s our turn….
My New Love.
This year I have discovered a new love, a new friend, a new mentor. I feel a sense of foolishness in how long it has taken me to notice her but now that I have, I feel lighter and brighter. You’ve guessed it - it’s the moon. Did you see her on Monday night in all her glory? Not a cloud in the sky, just her and…