Why I love Valentines!

I love to celebrate valentines. It means a lot to us both and here's why.

Year 2000 had just begun and my boyfriend and I was still living apart. I was in England and Murat in Turkey. Every winter once the summer season was over Murat would come and stay with me in the UK normally for 3 to 6 months. We had been dating this way for 6 years. We were very happy and had a good relationship and having this long distance relationship suited us really well. We had been through a lot together. Murat was by my side when my dad got killed in a car accident just the day after Murat meet him and then in 1998 we suffered and Ectopic Pregnancy all which was very tough at the time. We rode the wave together and came out the other side.

I was approaching my 31st birthday and I was trying to figure how we could commit more deeply to each other. I knew that Murat loved his life in Turkey and I really loved my life in the UK and couldn't see myself living in Turkey at that time. I also knew I wanted to have children especially after loosing a pregnancy and seeing how that effected us both. But how we could commit was still uncertain. I didn't see any signs from Murat to commit deeper like engagement/marriage at this time and for me it was becoming more important for me to know my future. So I devised a plan.

2000 was a leap year and anyone who know's me or reads my blogs no that what ever I dream or envision become my mission and start chipping away to make it happen. I started to make plans to ask Murat to marry me. Now I didn't know back then that this is said to best done on the 29th of Feb so I arranged for it to happen on Valentine's day. Although I was totally anxious and I guess fearful as happy and secure I felt with Murat I had decided that if we couldn't, wouldn't make deeper plans together then as much as I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him I was freeing him to follow his own path. I spoke with my close friends about my plan and where like 'go girlfriend' it was a huge move but one I felt was important to stay true to myself and live the life I dreamed off. 

So as the day approached, Murat had no clue as to what was going on. I had it all planed I had booked a table at a new restaurant in Bath that a lot of my clients had been raving about. I mentioned to Murat that I had booked the day of from work on Valentines day to have a nice day together. I was starting to get quite nervous, and this began to feel like a really big thing..

I don't no if any one reading this has ever asked someone to marry them but blimey I can really feel for all the men out there that have. It is a really big thing to.. You are asking for total commitment with the one you love and your mind is happily reminding you of all the negative things that happen like he says NO. You are going to be alone, you may not find another love like this one blah blah blah..But for me this day was really important. I wanted to know my future, I have an old fashioned outlook on marriage and wanted to be married and have a family at 31 time was slowly ticking.

So the 14th came. We set of to the restaurant hand in hand, I had lost the ability to look him in the eye and he did ask several times if everything was all right. I was like yes every things fine in a high pitched voice.. Haha. Anyway we arrived, lovely place just a couple of other people in the restaurant the waiter came and handed us the menu and took our drinks order. I then started to think well when will be a good time to ask him. Should I do it now or enjoy the meal then ask him. My glass of wine came I took a big glug to help ease my nervousness.. Our drinks came we clinked glasses my stomach was in knots. I just had to get it over with and done with. 

It's crazy I had been with this man for nearly 6 years we had a good relationship and I was so nervous but I went for it. I looked at him and said that there was a special reason for me to bring him here today as there is something I wanted to say, I mean ask. He looked at me with a frown as he had no idea. I took his hand in mine and that made him very suspicious he was smiling saying whats up and then it came out "WILL YOU MARRY ME"  oh my god I did it I looked down at the table and waited what seemed like ages he was still holding my hand so that was good sign. I finally looked up at him and he was really smiling at me. I was thinking well, come on and he said YES, Shit he said yes it took a bit to sink in and I was like Yes, Really and he said of course I will marry you... Whoop whoop. What a feeling of complete relief and happiness and empowerment I felt. I had did it I had the biggest smile on my face.

 We raised our glass and toasted our engagement In just that short moment of courage I was so proud of myself for really following my path and desires in taking my life in my own hands. We had a great meal with lots of smiling and excitement. My day had turned out perfect our relationship was going to the next level and I was getting married.

We married in April in Turkey that was 18 years ago :)

Living through your fears can always be done, nothing is to hard or difficult to work through, it is normally you that talks your self out of it or the thoughts of others that take you off your path or centre. Never discount what you know to be true in your heart. Follow your emotions, as they are your inner compass that will keep steering you forward to keep you living your truth, keep you safe and forever Joyous.

Enjoy your journey.

Namaste

Jo :)

www.yoga-holidays-turkey.com 

http://www.facebook.com/yogaholidaysturkey?ref=hl

Winter Yoga Goodness

I love the winter months, quality time with the family and lots of time for me to deepen my home practice and studies. I am currently doing an advanced Core Strength Vinyasa YTT and I cant wait to share it with you all this summer. I am teaching in the week but its great to give yourself time to do your own work, become a student and deepen. Yoga as you know can rock up and release knots and emotions all to unite us and connect us with self to keep us living from our centre for a long happy life.

This winter I really wanted to try to meditate for longer. When I am teaching I  can sit very peacefully with my group of students for a good amount of time but during my home practice my busy mind tends to make it short and sweet. So this winter I have been starting each practice with mindful meditation and I have noticed a big difference.. Things and feelings have been coming up for me and this has come out in my mood and skin and while it's not great to be trying to live your day being grumpy around your loved ones or having a nice big red spot on your face for me I see it as a positive of that things are shifting and clearing making new space for all what is to come. It's not great going through these rocky periods but you must remember that it will pass, go easy on yourself and let the shift happen. Or maybe the things that are coming up need assistance to really clear with maybe some coaching of therapy. Certainly if you are just starting a practice and you have deep seated emotions that are holding you back emotionally from past events or loss then counselling is a really great option. I can recommend counselling for the loss of a loved one as when I was 25 I lost my dad in a car accident. Losing my dad completely rocked my world. It took 7 years after his death for me to finally get some help. I thought I was coping OK with the loss but from my moods, emotional and physical state my body was screaming at me for help. It was the best thing I could of done. It was no where near an easy journey but with the great support of my husband after just 6 months I could feel a huge shift in my emotional and physical state and was the beginning to really wanting to let go and clear out all the stuff deep in my being that was holding me back to live a life that I dreamed of and to not pass all my emotional baggage on to my children. 

My Yoga practice continues to give me this clearance and tools to live a really fulfilled and happy life, everyday is a new learning day for me, my body and mind show me the way each day and Yoga gives me the space each day to think clearly and connect with myself. I feel lighter and more free from the conditioning we gather in our growing up years.

Take steps to free and break old habits and patterns that hold you back and stop you from living a full filing life you crave or dream off.

Giving your self time is such a gift you can give to yourself and when people come holiday with us this really is the first thing you notice, They dump there bags get on there summer clothes and hit the beach.. No routine, just the self to please and after just one week of inspiring yoga and sunshine and fun they are fully recharged and their direction seems a lot clearer for when they hit there busy lives back home. Whats fantastic is that a lot of our guests last summer have gone on to or signed up for Yoga teacher trainings. Just Brilliant! 

Sending you sunshine :)

Jo ox

www.yoga-holidays-turkey.com

SQUEEZE THE ANTIOXIDANT POWER OUT OF YOUR MORNING CUPPA!

This time of year the weather is cold & miserable and we get that winter cosy feeling of not wanting to do a lot,and sometimes opt for more comfort food our warm homes, sofa & TV.  Our bodies need more energy to beat the cold weather thats when we start reaching for comfort foods which can have a negative effect on the body.

Our bodies need more energy to beat the cold weather and thats when we start reaching for comfort foods which can have a negative effect on the body.
We a start reaching for stodgy carbohydrate foods that taste and are enjoyable while we are watching something on the box but can play havoc with our mood swings, energy levels and digestive system.

Here is my tip for a great way to kick start the body when you wake up to help eliminate toxins, relieve drowsiness, fatigue and increase your metabolic rate, brighten your skin and boost your vitamin C is,

A Nice cup of Lemon Tea.

I have 2 recipes.
1st Is the No time recipe. 2nd If you have time recipe

No Time recipe
1 cup or mug
A wedge of fresh lemon
Hot Water

Fill a cup or mug with freshly boiled water
Squeeze in the wedge of lemon
Add sugar of honey to taste (optional)
Drink whilst getting ready for work or your day.

If you have time recipe.
A cup or mug
1/2 tsp green tea leaves
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sugar or honey to taste (optional)
Steep for a minute and enjoy!

Its also nice to add a slice of lemon to your tea throughout the day.

#bodyboostinggoodness

You are your own teacher, listen and trust your Inner Voice.

 

I think we all have experienced our Inner Voice at some point in our life. 

You no the times when you get that feeling when you do something but your gut feeling is screaming NO.

Its like knowing something without knowing exactly how you no it, it feels right to you, this is trusting your Inner Voice.

And a simple great way to tune into your Inner Voice is to simply listen! 

A few minutes meditation is a great place to start. 

Many people think meditation is just about sitting in cross legged position for long periods of time with your eyes closed. What meditation offers is a time to learn to calm and still the mind, to acknowledge your thoughts that pass through but not to react to them in your time of stillness.

It can take a lot of time, patience and practice to allow the mind to be still and calm, especially with the busy lifestyles we lead today. But just a few minutes  can offer you amazing benefits. Sitting for a minute or few to allow/feel that flicker of calmness each time you practice will allow you the space and time to gently hear the whispers of your inner voice, waiting to guide you along lifes path. If you take the time out to listen so much in your life will become more clearer and easier offering great benefits on your stress levels and improvement of your overall health.

Our inner voice holds all the answers to ever question, fear, anxiety that may be holding us back from feeling fulfilled and living to our full expression. Its just a case of allowing your self the time to be still to Listen.

My simply tips to calmness.

Find a comfortable place preferably resting your back to sit to sit tall. Rest you hands on your lap.

Soften your shoulders relaxing your shoulders blades down you back.

Start by bringing your awareness to your tip of your nose and notice the breath as it enters and exit's the nostrils. Breath here for a few moments without strain or trying to hard.

Mentally say to yourself "I am going to allow myself to be calm and still" 

Gently close your eyes.

Let your thoughts float by without attachment, acknowledge them but take no action. If your thoughts drag you in simply take your awareness back to the tip of your nose to the breath entering and exiting the nostrils. 

Relax, breath and be still.

When you feel enough time has passed simply open your eyes and sit for a moment to see how you feel, from the time you began, maybe stretch the arms and the legs. Lovely how did you get on?

"You are your own teacher, listen and trust your Inner Voice".

Yoga Student Questions!

One of my students asked me about what she could do for a few minutes each morning to maintain the great benefits she felt from our class and how I maintain my daily practice.

So here are my simple steps My 5 tips. 

1. Set you alarm for 15 minutes earlier.

2. Go to the toilet.

3. Unroll you mat

4. Start your practice

5. Connect to your breath and start to move.

This is how mine started and still continues 5 years later. 

I hear lots of reason why people cant get to their mat, to tired, not enough time, to cold, I have children, and theses are all the reasons you should get to your mat to do just 5 minutes. If you have any of the reasons above then do your yoga in bed. It takes just a few minutes the amazing benefits your body will soon start craving more. You could start by connecting with your breath, full body stretching, knees side to side to gently wake up the spine, knees in to chest (right knee first to help elimination) all these simple movements will help aid digestion and gently energise the body and clear the mind for the day ahead.

Yes some mornings for me don't flow as well as others, but what I have learnt to do over time is to listen to my body (not my mind) and go inside and offer the body what I think it needs that morning, you will surprised that once you start to move and wake the body and connect with your breath the body starts to respond and sometimes these slow starters turn out to be the best practices. 

Making time for our selves is one of the hardest things people talk about when they come to holiday with us. For me it should be the first on the list each day to keep us healthy, connected and open for all the wonderful opportunities that come our way each day that most of the time we miss because we are so wrapped up in our daily routine, work or other peoples business.

Start today.

www.yoga-holidays-turkey.com

My few rounds of Sun Salutation A turned into the most awesome practice!

Saturday morning is normally a rest day from my asana practice but since I have spent the last week cleaning our apartment after a lot of building work my karma yoga practice has certainly deepened a lot over the last week as cleaning wouldn't be my first choice of how to spend my days but my asana practice has been few and far between. 

So this morning I thought I would grab a few asanas before the children woke. I took my mat onto the balcony and started to flow through sun salutation A. My first Ukatasana (forward fold) and my hamstrings where screaming at me. My mind instantly tried to take over with a negative 'Ow this practice is going to be tough'. I continued bringing my mind back to my practice slowly bringing heat into my body and loosening slowly. Flowing through 5 A's then through B with lots of variations I could feel my body sarting to suck up all the wonderful stretches. My mind was present and on the mat it felt great.

My ultimate adventure pose for some time has been Pinchamayurasana (forearm balance) and Astavakranasa (eight-ange pose). I had been flowing for an hour and no sign of the kids as yet so I continued to see how my 2 challenging poses would feel this morning. First one was scorpion (normally done against the wall for balance but this morning I tried it without the wall and I ROCKED IT and held the balance for a few seconds. I had a quiet YEY moment in child's pose just letting go with each breath before trying again to see if it wasn't just a one off and Up I went again :) My next pose eight-angel pose and again I rocked it! I went  up with lightness and grace found my balance and with a big smile on my face held it for a few moments and gently lowered.

 I felt such a difference in both poses so much lighter and fearless such a progression for me that has been slow in coming. The one thing my practice showed me this morning is that I really listened to my body and become present on my mat. Now this still doesn't happen every time I hit my mat as the mind still can take over me but this morning after my first forward fold I never would of thought my practice would have been so awesome… 

I think sometimes it is good to take a break from your practice especially if you practice every day allow the body to have a recovery day as the one thing I notice when I do is that my body becomes and feels stronger and that's when my practice deepens. This is why I love self practice even though yoga is not competitive in any way and you work to your own level of practice.

In class you can't help but take a glance over at your fellow yogis and think Owww I want to be able to do that posture, so you give it a try and nope your body is having none of it. What looks so easy and graceful to others can leave you feeling heavy and deflated. I know this should not be the yogis way of thinking but I can say I have felt like that in class sometimes. My home practice allows me to deepen and work on a pose without distraction. You can chip away slowly until Yes you're Rocking it!… Its all about your level and dedication to the practice that makes your practice your own.

Sometimes it is good to expect the unexpected. Back off! stop trying so hard, stop resisting. It's not about the difficulty of the posture its about how you feel in the posture and this is the same in life choices. We sometimes loose our direction and fearful and our mind chatter can easily take us off our path. As with your practice trust yourself and listen, go inside, take baby steps through all challenges.  All the postures are there for the taking just like all your dreams can come true in life just go with your own flow, keep present and have fun on the mat and like the famous quote by Sri K pattabhi Jois "Practice and all is coming" 

Self Practice! Where real Yoga Begins.

After teaching 9 yoga sessions a week and practicing with some wonderful teachers this summer, 
this morning was my first self practice in a while. 
It felt good to be on my mat to ease me into my week off since our students left. I love attending a yoga class its great being guided for an hour or so but having a home practice for me is were the real yoga starts. Yoga is a life practice and is not separated from our everyday life. Whats happens on the mat is a really good reflection of what our life is like of the mat. A lot can be said from your downward facing dog!
Having a self practice at home is not only good self discipline It's about having self-control and self-independence, which are found in our every moment of our existence and awareness. It brings us great health benefits and harmony to live and fulfil the life each one of us deserves.

Self practice away from a studio or class is the perfect way to connect and get to know yourself, as little as 15 minutes a day helps us to withdraw our senses and go within, we find stillness, silence and contentment we hold all the answers to who and where we want to be, and a daily yoga practice enables you to break through physical and psychological blocks, increasing energy, which will open the doors for new interest and opportunities to come into your life.
We will become more into the present moment and cultivate pure awareness allowing us the time to establish a dialogue with our Soul and tap into our inherent wisdom and divinity. You get to understand your own body and needs and see how your body and mind feels each day you step to the mat without distraction. 

Yoga wouldn't be yoga without the use of our breath. Our breath is the gift of life, using our breath to flow through yoga asana sends new prana throughout our body, we become more powerful and radiant, while at the same time becoming softer and more present.

If you have been to a few yoga classes a home practice can start very simply.
Stick to an overall structure with a beginning and an end. Begin with maybe sitting in easy seat and become aware of your breath to really connect and soften the mind. 
Breath in and out through your nose, lips closed gently. 

Warm up stretches (neck, shoulders, wrists). Sun salutations A to wake up the heart and re-energise the body.
2 standing postures maybe (warrior 1&2), balance (tree), seated forward bends, reverse plank, shoulder stand, plough and savasana. 
Do Not Skip savasana! This is not just for deep relaxation. It allows the body to re-group and reset itself After the exertions of the practice, if only for a few minutes. 

Let your breath guide you through each posture hold standing, seated postures for 5 breaths to really allow your body to except the stretch and release and let go. 

Please do not worry about messing up your flow, have fun with your practice and listen and trust the teacher in you! 

I'm certainly going to have fun with my Practice. I learn something new about myself on the mat and everyday my practice is different. It gives me time to work on challenging postures chipping away slowly and going deeper each day. I love the self-discovery and clearing out the old habits and emotions that we collect over the years to make space and openings for new beginnings and opportunities on our wonderful life journey. 

Enjoy Your Practice!

Namaste!

Jo ox

www.yoga-holidays-turkey.com

http://www.facebook.com/yogaholidaysturkeyside