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“We only have one body, one temple for our soul, one vehicle to journey through this life with”

Our bodies are these wonderful things that have been ingeniously designed to carry us through our lives. Evolution has given us so many gifts but so often we take our body’s abilities for granted.

Why is it that we keep doing a certain exercise even though it hurts? Why do we continue to eat (or not eat for that matter) certain foods even though they make us sick? Why do we ignore an injury and continue to push our bodies to breaking point?

After much thought, I still find it hard to answer these questions but I do think that one big reason is because over time, we have become completely disconnected from our bodies. So many of us are focusing so much on what is happening on the outside that we have lost that vital mind-body-soul connection. We have become numb on the inside.

This could be due to a number of reasons. Trauma, body dysmorphic disorder, technology, societal pressure and the big one I’m still trying to work out ~ our ego.

But whatever the reason, the simple fact is, is that if we don’t respect our body’s needs and limits, then eventually our body will begin to fail us. Sad but true.

Wow, I’m sounding like a bit of a downer right now, aren’t I? Ok, let me try and put it a different way.

 

Positive Limits

 

The word limit is not a negative word. It’s actually quite positive because limits can be explored and challenged and through regular practice, patience and kindness with ourselves, limits can be extended and increased.

In a way, to have a goal is to explore and challenge and increase a personal limit, to work towards something and once you have achieved it, it becomes a personal best.

However, if we choose to ignore the signals our body is sending us, whether they be fatigue or pain or stress, then our personal best will only take longer to achieve or we may not be able to achieve it at all.

I came across a beautiful excerpt in the book ~ Chakras Made Easy by Anodea Judith ~ which makes so much sense and is so relevant to this subject.

 

“Our body is the vehicle we’ve been given to take the journey through life. We only get one per lifetime, so it is important to care for it well. It’s the only thing we know we will have for the rest of our life. Far from being a place where we are trapped in physicality, it is the most exquisite vehicle – one that can take us anywhere we want to go with full sensory involvement. The mind may rationalise and believe things that aren’t true but the body never lies. It contains a grain of truth that is undeniable.”

 

This is a such a wonderful reminder that we only have one body, one temple for our soul, one vehicle to journey through this life with. It is probably the most important possession that we have and it is the only thing that we can be certain that we will have for our entire lives. From beginning to end. We so often overlook the needs of our body, the sheer fragility but overwhelming complexity of the machine that helps to make us who we are. Our body literally contains everything that keeps us alive and it’s really quite magical.

This is definitely something that is worth getting to know!!

But how do we do that exactly?

 

How to begin to reconnect with our physical body?

 

Well, I am certainly no expert on this subject as I am still in the process of reconnecting with my own physical body but here are a few tips to get you on your way.

Get on your mat. Begin to move. It doesn’t have to be any fancy yoga asanas or specific exercises, just movement. Standing, sitting, rolling around on the ground. Just get moving. And as you move, begin to feel into the parts that connect with the ground. Notice the differences you feel in different parts of your body, comparing your big toe to your elbow for example.

Slow down and become present in your body. The slower you move, the more you will notice different sensations. Start to scan your body from the ground up and bring awareness into your muscles, your joints and even your bones. Begin to breathe deeper as you move and feel your breath permeate throughout your whole body. Notice yourself becoming lighter with every breath.

Introduce your senses into the mix. So far we’ve been feeling and connecting with the ground but let’s also begin to touch parts of our body together, hand to hand, hand to foot, arm to arm and so on and so forth. Begin to listen to your breath and to the inner workings of your body, smell, taste and see yourself.

Move between engagement and rest. Again work from the ground up, tighten and tense your muscles for a few seconds and then rest and relax for a few seconds, starting at your toes all the way to your head. Notice the differences you feel between tensing your muscles and then when you let go and rest.

And if all of this feels like a bit of crazy hoopala, then use this as an opportunity to ask yourself why this feels silly or unnatural. What is blocking you from allowing yourself to feel into your body? What walls have you built between your physical body and your mind and soul? Be patient and kind with yourself, sometimes these questions are hard to answer and can take time. Give yourself that time. This is also an exercise in connecting with yourself.

 

 

Have fun with this and take your time. Everyday is different, some days we may smash it during our physical practice and other days we may not even be able to get out of child’s pose (I’m talking about me here!) but this is where we can really begin to listen to what our body is trying to tell us. There is no point in trying to make our body do something that will make it uncomfortable or cause pain, this will only get our nervous system into a tizzy (or at the worst, cause injury) and set us back on our journey of personal growth.

You are amazing and you are worth getting to know. You are worth your own love and kindness. Enjoy your body and this wonderful life.

Love Kat xx

“Practicing yoga is the ultimate form of self love and self care”

One of my greatest pleasures as a yoga teacher is to hear that my students have been practicing their yoga at home. Not everyone can afford to go to a class everyday so it is definitely important for your own well being and your bank balance to be able to cultivate and maintain your own yoga practice at home.

Now, I’m not going to sugar coat it; this is often easier said than done. We all live in a very busy and at times, stressful modern day society but this is the best reason to take time out during your day to show yourself some love and to attend to your personal growth.

What does it take to cultivate a meaningful yoga practice?

For those of us (me included) who sometimes struggle with organisation and motivation, a daily practice will take desire, time, commitment, dedication and discipline. I know, all of these words sound very heavy but it’s really not that scary. I’m not saying you need to set aside several hours in your day for your practice, it’s important to start small and work your way up to a practical and meaningful amount of time per day that works for you.

And the best bit about yoga is that it isn’t just all about the asanas, there’s so much more to it. Yoga is an all inclusive life philosophy with many different aspects. On a day where your body is not feeling up to practicing the asanas, take some time out to practice your breathing or meditation instead or if you are feeling like a superhuman, spend a bit of extra time on self enquiry or giving back to your community. The possibilities are endless!

 

 

There are a multitude of benefits that come from practicing yoga and there really is no better time to start than now.

Here are just some of the benefits of a daily practice –

• You will become physically fitter, stronger, more flexible and more mobile
• Can reduce or eradicate chronic pain
• You will become less stressed, have a much calmer state of mind and it boosts mental health
• It allows you to practice self love, self care and self acceptance
• Increases patience with yourself and others
• Grounds you and places you in the present moment
• You will be showing dedication and commitment to yourself – prioritising yourself
• Increases a positive outlook on life
• It allows you to get to know and learn how to respect your body and its limitations
• You will begin to use your lungs to their fullest capacity
• It can restore inner balance and connects your mind and body
• Everything we feel and experience on the mat and how we cope with those feelings can be translated to regular life and how we deal with different situations there also

 

 

Ways to cultivate a daily yoga practice –

1. Make a plan – decide what you want to work on, don’t overload yourself in the beginning, just approach one thing at a time. Decide how long you want to set aside each day, whether it’s 10 mins a day for mediation or 10 mins of asana practice. Decide what time of day you want to practice and be prepared to stick to it.
2. Start small – Probably the best bit of advice when starting out with anything new is to start small and build something big from there. Rome wasn’t built in a day and building a daily practice is no different. There is no point in taking on too much, becoming overwhelmed and then giving up. Begin with a realistic and manageable amount of time and goals and increase it gently over time until you are happy and content with your daily offering.
3. Find your yoga – have a go at practicing different styles of asana to find which you like best. Invest in an online  studio membership or join a group class in a studio or even invest in private sessions. Free online yoga classes are great too and can be easily found on YouTube.
4. Create a sacred space for your home practice, somewhere clean and quiet, without distractions. You may want to burn incense and surround yourself with crystals or you may just want your mat and some sunlight shining in.
5. Prioritise yourself – insist that your health, wellbeing and longevity is the most important thing and know that by maintaining your daily practice, you will be showing yourself the love and respect you deserve.

Ways to maintain your daily yoga practice –

1. It has been said that it takes a ‘minimum’ of 21 days to form a new habit. I have always found that a little ‘too good to be true’ and knowing myself, I’m pretty stubborn so 3 weeks is definitely not long enough for me. After some extra reading, I have learned that it takes on average 66 days to form a new habit but this can obviously vary from person to person. Basically the longer you persevere, the better off you’ll be. So make a commitment to yourself to practice every day, stick to it, even when you don’t want to and give yourself the gift of time, energy and self love.
2. Join a community and/or invite a friend. There’s nothing better than real actual humans to make you accountable. It’s pretty easy to let a day, a week or a month slide but when you go to group classes and/or invite friends to practice along with you, it can sometimes be easier to show up because not only do you not want to let yourself down but you don’t want to let others down also.
3. Be kind and compassionate with yourself. We are all human and sometimes we fall off the band wagon and that’s ok. Sometimes we are too stressed to think about anything else or we are just bogged down by too many commitments or life just happens and we begin to neglect our practice and ourselves. All of these things are ok. Be kind and patient with yourself and when the time is right, begin your practice again.

 

 

Practicing yoga is the ultimate form of self love and self care. When we begin to live a yogic lifestyle, subtle changes begin to happen and these small changes then naturally progress into big shifts. Shifts in perception; of yourself, others and the world around you. Shifts in your energy; with positive and dynamic energy shining through. Shifts in your health; mental, physical and spiritual. Shifts in your connection; connection of your mind, body and spirit, connection to other beings and connection to nature. And shifts in your presence; yoga grounds you and brings you into the present moment, it allows you to see things objectively and allows you the space to breathe in love and positivity and breathe out fear and negativity. 

Happy Yoga-ing!

Love Kat xx

“Yoga does not ask you to be more than you are but it does ask you to be all that you are.”

I’m just going to come right out and admit it. Finding balance for me is more often than not, quite difficult. I’m either going 100 miles an hour or I’m standing still. It’s the in between where I always feel a little lost.

When I was a full time traveller, I never had too many problems with finding balance, I always seemed to find enough time to do all of the things I wanted to do and I never felt overwhelmed. However, since coming home to the city, working in a regular job, setting up a business, hanging out with friends and spending time with family, moving house, going to courses, practicing yoga, and still trying to do all of my previous hobbies, it’s safe to say, I have started to feel a little defeated.

So it’s time to take a step back, assess my situation, make some important decisions and start moving in the direction of a happy and balanced life.

Practicing yoga has definitely enriched my life in so many ways. I feel like since discovering yoga, I am becoming the person I was always meant to be and I’m excited to see how my life will continually evolve. And since yoga is a complete lifestyle/philosophy rather than something you just do, I’m going to approach my goal of achieving balance in my life the same way I would achieve a balance posture during my asana practice.

Balance in life = Balance asana… And vice versa

First I would decide on which balance posture I want to focus on and practice and the reasons why. 

When translating this to my life, I would decide on which areas in my life I need more balance in, I would then decide on which area to work on first, only one at a time to avoid overwhelm. And I would explore the reasons why I am prioritising that particular area just so I can confirm that it is the right area to be focusing on. I would assess whether I am putting too much pressure on myself and ask myself if I have I set a realistic goal.

Find your focus

I would then prepare to move into my balance posture. Find my drishti or my focal point, breathe deeply, bring total awareness into my body and become fully present in that moment.

Then, I would consciously move into the balance posture. I would take my time, activate my entire being, feel each part of my body as I move into position, focus on alignment, soften the features of my face and release tension from my jaw and shoulders, continue to focus and breathe.

Conscious and intentional movement

As I am practicing to achieve balance in my chosen life area, it is important that I move and act consciously and with intention. I very often try to build Rome in one day and almost every time, Rome has crumbled to the ground. I don’t need to rush, I don’t need to get stressed. I do need to be organised and efficient. I do need to be patient and kind to myself.

Once I have settled into the balance posture, I know that my work has only just begun. There is a saying going around – ‘The pose begins when you want to get out of it’. Now is the time to ground down into the Earth, feel the energy rising up from the base of my spine, breathe deeply and consciously into my belly, maintain my focus and embrace the peace and stillness that arrives in my heart.

Put in the hard yards

Just because I may have achieved balance in the area I was working towards, doesn’t mean that the work has finished. In fact it really has only just begun. Now is the time to put in the hard yards and continue to practice this balance. Fortify my practice and turn this achievement into second nature.

Be present

When you are in a balance posture, you literally can’t think about anything else, the moment that you lose complete concentration and focus on what you are doing, you almost certainly begin to wobble and quite often fall out of the posture. It requires you to be fully present in that moment, it requires you to give all of your attention to that goal, it requires you to be strong, have faith in yourself and have a positive outlook.

Patience and self love

Last but not least, throughout all of this, I am aware that I am only human and that finding that sweet spot in my balance posture or finding balance in my life may not happen straight away. I may not be physically strong enough yet, I may become easily distracted, I may be setting myself a goal that is unrealistic. But with daily practice, patience with myself, acceptance of myself and love in my heart, I know I will achieve my goal and I will probably surprise myself at how quickly I will achieve my goal 

Yoga does not ask you to be more than you are but it does ask you to be all that you are.

Love Kat xx

“And to top it off, I have found that the more grateful you are, the more things you have to be grateful for!”

For such a long time, I really didn’t understand the concept of gratitude. I knew that it was polite to say thank you when someone gave you something or did something for you. I understood that if I had a job and worked hard, then I received compensation for that work, usually in the form of money. I knew that however much I didn’t want it, my parents were always there for me in times of hardship. I was aware that I was born and raised in a beautiful, safe and fairly stable country. And I knew deep down that as a white person from a comfortable middle class family, I never truly had to worry about anything to do with financial security or with being homed, clothed and fed. 

I knew all of these things but what I didn’t know was how to be grateful for them. I just took them for granted. It’s not that I expected these things in my life, it’s just that I knew no different and didn’t make any effort to look outside my little box.

How Travelling the World Changed my Life…

It’s such a cliche to say this but it’s true; I really didn’t start to open my mind until I started traveling around the world. Experiencing different countries, cultures, values and mindsets allowed me to broaden every facet of my being and for that, I am forever thankful.

Over the years and through my travels, I came to many realisations and picked up many bits of knowledge. One of the most valuable things I learned was to lead with my heart in all that I do. This in turn ramped up my positivity levels times a hundred and changed my way of thinking which was naturally followed by an attitude of gratitude.

I have found that in my life, sometimes bad things happen, sometimes these things are small and sometimes they are big. However, whenever I acknowledge and compare the bad things to all of the things I am grateful for, the good things; I always find that they outweigh the bad things ten fold.

Simple Gratitude

It’s that simple and to top it off, I have found that the more grateful you are, the more things you have to be grateful for! You become like a magnet for the good stuff! I also found that I had everything I needed and I didn’t need to fill my life with unnecessary ‘things’ anymore. Things like clothes, cars, gadgets, make up, anything that I tried to fill the empty spaces with. I began to value human interaction so much more and also to reconnect with Mother Earth and all of her offerings. I began to appreciate myself on a whole other level, I learned that I have a multitude of love to give and that I am loved.

To say that my life has been changed by practicing gratitude is an understatement. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of a situation, I change my point of view to a positive and grateful one and it literally turns the situation on its head. I have experienced this often with different workplaces. We’ve all worked in that toxic environment that seems to just suck the life out of you. And quite often we can’t leave said workplace straight away meaning we have to go to work everyday with a foreboding of what the day is going to be like. I have found that by focusing on the things I am grateful for about the workplace – for example, the fact that I even have a job, that weekly pay check, some of the great people I have met there, my physical health and ability to be able to perform the job – it has made getting on with the job so much easier. It has also brought to my attention all of the good things which has instantly put a smile on my face and changed the way I view the job.

These principles can be applied to any situation. Having an attitude of gratitude allows you to open your heart and live with love, empathy, compassion and happiness. It has actually been studied and proven to improve physical and mental health, your immune system and your sleep patterns. It can help to improve your relationships and reduces symptoms of depression. 

Endless Positive Benefits

I found this great flow chart which really shows the endless benefits of a daily gratitude practice –

Whether you write your gratitude down in a journal, think grateful thoughts during your morning ritual or actively show appreciation and gratitude towards others and yourself throughout your day, there are only positive benefits that will come from practicing gratitude regularly. 

Get ready to feel great!!

Love Kat xx

Here is where I found some info on gratitude – https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude

“Without even realising it, I had opened up parts of myself that had been shut down for as long as I could remember”

For years I thought yoga just wasn’t for me. I felt I wasn’t flexible enough or strong enough. To be honest, I found it down right hard. Downward facing dog was not fun. Reaching for my toes was not fun. I was flabbergasted to think that anyone could coordinate their breath and their movement.  But for some reason I was drawn to the practice and so continued to try very sporadically over the years. 

It wasn’t until I gave it another serious go whilst travelling through Mexico that I discovered yoga’s true and ultimately life changing benefits. It turns out I just hadn’t found my teacher yet. Not to say the other teachers weren’t good teachers, they just weren’t right for me.

Realising the true potential of Yoga

I soon learned through my practice in Mexico that yoga wasn’t all about how I could contort my body into different positions or whether I could lift my body into an inversion with ease. I had finally got a glimpse of the real reason behind a yoga practice. 

To find that quiet, calm and tranquil inner peace that was completely missing from my life, even though I hadn’t realised it.

At the time I was studying an intensive Spanish language course in Oaxaca. I hadn’t studied anything for around 13 years and was actually really struggling with the work load. A friend suggested I go to a yoga class taught by one of her friends. So I did. And I never looked back. Everyday I would study and then go to the yoga class feeling completely brain dead, frazzled and frustrated. And at the end of every class I would leave feeling as though I was floating on a cloud. It was like some kind of magic!

During the classes I was given the time to settle into each posture, find my breath, release built up tension and relax to the point where the brain fog just melted away. I began to use my lungs in a way I never had before and I started using muscles that had lain dormant for years. Without even realising it, I had opened up parts of myself that had been shut down for as long as I could remember, I had created space in those areas that were so cramped and stifled that I’m surprised I could still even breathe. I released and felt many emotions during that time, the catharsis was palpable. And it felt great, inside and out.

Needless to say I began to study and practice yoga everyday after that. I learned that it’s not all about the asanas and actually even more so about connecting the mind, body and spirit in conscious and loving union.

My fitness and flexibility didn’t matter

I realised that even though I was far from fit, strong and flexible, I was still able to practice the physical side of yoga. I didn’t have to know the postures off by heart and I didn’t need a special mat or special clothing to practice. I learned that even though I had previous injuries, I was still able to practice yoga, it taught me to listen to my body and never push it past its limits. I learned that meditation is difficult to master but even when you achieve it for just one minute, it can help brighten your day. I learned that yoga is a lifelong practice and that you are not expected to be able to achieve all of the aspects of yoga overnight. It taught me a new kind of patience; being patient with myself.

Yoga has taught me how to love myself. It has taught me how to love others better. It has taught me that there is nothing but love. And I just love that!

Yoga really is for everybody!

Yoga is for everybody. It doesn’t matter how strong or flexible you are. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how you look, if you have physical limitations or injuries. When most people think of yoga, they think of just the physical practice, the asanas. But regardless of what’s going on with your body, your mind or your life, there is a type of ‘physical yoga’ practice out there for you. And there is no reason to not be able to practice all the other aspects of yoga. Even if you only have time in your day to practice your love and gratitude. That’s ok. That is still yoga.

Love Kat xx