LAUGHING WITH FRIENDS - GREAT FOR THE SPIRIT!

I am in London catching up with friends and enjoying a much needed break from the usual routine. In fact it has been great, easy going, just as it should be.

Friday I met Hayley at Victoria for a much needed end of week drink and catch up, before meeting Charles at "The Lost Angel" (you have to love it) in Battersea before he treated me to a lovely Thai meal at the famed "Blue Elephant". We then sat up having a great time listening to quality music and playing with the maracas to get the beat going, it is incredibly meditative and present moment experience, shame we weren't in some warmer country down on the beach, especially with the full moon on its way.

Saturday dawned a lovely day, clear and bright, I met Hayley late afternoon in Covent Garden before meeting my Uni friends - Sam, Jenny and Jo - for yet more lovely food, Tapas this time, before much laughter at a Comedy Club, so much fun. We ended the night with a pot of peppermint tea under the heaters at an outdoor Covent Garden cafe with the Full Moon overhead.

Sunday Hayley and I went to a lunchtime Bikram Yoga class in Soho. Oh my gosh, this was a struggle, I like to think I am quite fit with a regular Yoga practice and lots of swimming and walking, but my body struggled so much with the heat in the studio. Wow. I have gone to a few Bikram classes over the last few years and I can't say I have ever particularly enjoyed the experience during the class, but hours later I have always felt great.

Well H and I were incapable of speaking to one another for a good 10 minutes following the class. We were both ridiculously bright red, my clothes were literally soaked through with sweat and I was feeling incredibly restless. I am so proud of H for making it through the class, I thought I wasn't going to make it myself!

There are so many benefits of Bikram Yoga, but it is certainly not for the faint hearted. I struggle with the concept of practising Yoga in over 40 degrees, in front of a mirror without any windows or signs of the outside world. And when it comes to breathing, I struggle with the thought that there can be much oxygen and prana within the room. But there you go. The world would be boring if we all felt and thought the same.

We laughed our way to Hannah's house in St Johns, Hayley's eyes were streaming, all part of the Bikram de-tox process. It was great to see Han and being such a domestic goddess she had cooked us a wonderful meal, this French dish plus lots of freshly steamed vegetables, incredible asparagus - thank you so much Han.



H and I left together and caught the train to Charing Cross, this was so special as we were fortunate to enjoy views of the post-sunset London vista, lots of streaks of reds, oranges and purples in the sky, framing views of the London Eye. I love winter evenings like this, clear and bright skies, stars and the moon. Lucky us.

All in all a weekend of laughter, you can't beat it in terms of increasing the spirit and bringing a smile to the face.

Thank you girlies.

xxx