Autumn approaching

Well is seems as if the season is really beginning to change, not only are the children back to school today, but my Mum has been making apple and blackberry crumble, there are red berries filling hedges and trees (the orangey-red berries on the Rowan trees are just incredible) and the sea was remarkably pleasant yesterday!

I guess - if I am honest - there is a sadness about the loss of summer, and yet, equally, a joy about the beauty and crispness of autumn. And I certainly can't complain, I have just experienced an incredible summer what with all the trips away and the adventures here on Guernsey. I feel truly grateful and blessed, sometimes it is easy to forget how privileged our lives are over here.

We spent the afternoon of bank holiday Monday down at Cobo listening to the live music and chatting with friends. It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was shining, the tide was rising and it was lovely to see familiar faces having fun.

Tuesday and I started teaching up at St Peter's again. It was lovely to see so many children in the first class and so many familiar and smiling faces in the adult class - I really appreciate the support. I believe my teaching style has changed a little. Over the last 3 months, and in an attempt to heal myself, my own practice has changed, I have been incorporating more Kundalini Yoga exercises and lots of forward bends and inversions in an effort to rest my central nervous system, take the pressure off my kidneys and enhance my immune system.

Relieving stress, depression and anxiety seem to be my main focuses right now. We live in such a fast paced, pressured and demanding world and it is incredible the effect this has on our bodies as much as our minds. Having gone through it myself (and still so to an extent), I am keen to help others to find a way to manage it. Yoga can help, there is no doubt, and Reiki too, plus a good diet, aromatherapy oils, swimming in the sea, getting out into nature, turning off the phone and email, learning to say "no", spending time and laughing with good friends and family, to say nothing of just taking a few deep breaths, lying down and resting for a good 10 minutes or so!

Teaching has given me more energy. I was actually awake for sunrise this morning. And what a joy, the first one up on the house (we have Chris staying in the wing at the moment in between his travels), so I made a cup of green tea and sat outside, over looking the quarry, appreciating the stillness to the air and that autumnal crispness.

I am off to London tomorrow for a Yoga workshop at TriYoga on Primrose Hill with Bo Forbes - "yoga as a mind-body medicine: a weekend of integrative yoga therapeutics". As luck and indeed timing would have it, this course is all about using Yoga to help to balance the nervous system, deepen the relaxation response, soothe the emotional body, reduce anxiety and stress, improve depression, stimulate restful sleep and enhance immunity. Perfect.

So on that note I shall take myself to my mat for some relaxing breathing and asana with Ylang Ylang burning in the background and Jami Sieber playing on the stereo, it doesn't get much better than that!!

Have a great weekend.

xxxx