 “Are you feeling bloated and sluggish after Christmas?”
“Thinking about setting a New Year’s Resolution of starting or getting back to a fitness and diet regime to “get into shape” and "lose weight for good"?” ”This year will be YOUR year!!” I cannot stand these post-Christmas marketing ploys that make us feel all kinds of negative emotions towards ourselves and our bodies. Now that we are approaching January, the noise of the diet and fitness industry will be deafening. Fitness apparel and equipment will be hitting the shelves with gusto over the next few weeks, and everywhere we turn, businesses (including, sadly, yoga-related ones), will bombard us with promises of quick fixes, weight-loss miracles, and ways to “get into shape” after all of our Christmas “indulgence”. The diet industry has and will always play on our insecurities and feelings of low self-worth based around our physical appearance. It permeates everything we do, think, feel and believe. And what better time to drive sales, than just before the New Year when we might be experiencing those unwanted feelings of guilt around how much we have consumed over the holidays, and wanting to start “afresh”. How did I know that you would open my newsletter based on the subject line, and land here reading this post? Because you are probably not immune to the messages the diet industry ingrains into us on a daily basis - that in order to be worthy, accepted and loved in this world, you must be slim and aesthetically pleasing! You are human. And I am playing devil's advocate here, I know. But here’s the truth: feelings of guilt around food and "Christmas indulgence" stem not from what you actually ate or how you look, but from societal pressures and a mindset shaped by diet culture and unrealistic standards. These feelings are a product of messages that equate worth with “self-control” and appearance, rather than recognising your inherent value. Without addressing this mindset and understanding that you are enough exactly as you are, and that health goes far beyond your physical form, the cycle of guilt and self-criticism will repeat year after year. True freedom lies in challenging these beliefs and embracing a more compassionate view of yourself and your relationship with food. Enter Yoga… Contrary to what the industry might have you believe, yoga isn’t about chasing a “perfect” physique, squeezing into a mold defined by numbers, and punishing your body to see results. It’s about transformation that goes far deeper. When we step onto the mat, it’s not about “getting into shape” in the diet culture sense - it’s about literally getting into shapes! Downward Dog, Warrior II, and all the playful postures, sequences and movements we explore, connect us with our bodies in a joyful, pressure-free way. Beyond that, yoga shapes our mental health, fostering clarity, self-compassion, and inner strength. So this New Year, I’m inviting you to reject the noise. Come and join me for a practice that focuses on creating space for what really matters: movement, mindfulness, and a sense of belonging. A practice that cultivates gratitude (not shame or guilt) for our full bellies at Christmas time, and encourages us to rejoice in the fact that we are lucky enough to live in such abundance. See you on the mat, Namaste xxx
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 The word "Yoga" means to "yoke" or "bind". In ancient yogic texts, it is said that the thing we look to yoke with through the practice of yoga, is the true or ultimate "Self", our "divine essence", or "atman".
We might also think of this as the soul. Ancient yogis therefore said that the ultimate purpose of yoga is to achieve liberation - freedom from the ego (the small ‘s’elf). One of the most influential yoga books of all time, and the first written text to provide complete guidance on the practice of yoga was the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Patanjali outlined an eight-fold path leading to “Samadhi” (liberation), known as the "Ashtanga Yoga System" or "8 Limbs of Yoga" (the word "ashta" means "eight" and "anga" means "limb"):
The word "asana" itself actually translates as "seat", and in the sutras, Patanjali gives only one description as to how this should be performed - "sthira sukham asanam" - steady, and with comfort and ease. Over time, asana has evolved to encompass all of the poses that we know and love - but it should still not be mistaken to refer to the ability to perform a handstand or an aesthetically impressive backbend. Asana is not about "achieving" a particular pose, or reaching enlightenment because we can stand on our heads! The ultimate purpose of asana practice is to promote physical strength, flexibility, balance, and stillness of the body with the aim of preparing it for deeper meditation and spiritual practices. When we create a stable and comfortable body through strengthening and lengthening, open up our energy channels through deepening our breath, and ease our aches and pains, our minds won't be so distracted by any little physical niggles when we come to sit for meditation. As B.K.S Iyengar said, "the study of asana is not about mastering posture. It's about using posture to understand and transform yourself". So the yoga poses we practice are again, simply another opportunity to look within ourselves and help us recognise our tendencies, habits and reactions. The space we create in our minds and bodies through asana, cultivates a deeper state of relaxation, and it is only when we are in this relaxed state that we are able to journey inwards. Ultimately, the practice of asana enables the practitioner to progress toward the higher limbs of yoga. Asana prepares us for yoga. This is why yoga is so much more than what we do on the mat during our practice. We start by laying the foundations with our yamas and niyamas, then we move on to the body, and then from there we begin to access all of the other magic yoga offers. So the next time you think that you can’t do yoga because you are referring to the asana practice - remember that this is only one aspect of this incredible journey. Yes, starting a yoga practice takes a lot of courage. It does feel hard (particularly if you are not naturally flexible or co-ordinated), but over time it does become easier. And I promise that you will eventually begin to reap the rewards both on and off the mat. Namaste xxx  Whenever someone says to me “I’m not very good at yoga”, I wince a little and a fire lights up in my belly!!
This idea that we can be good or bad at yoga stems from our misunderstanding of what yoga actually is. In our goal-orientated, modern-world-view, which places emphasis on outward appearances, and prefers measurable “progress” based on mastery of techniques or physical ability, we lose the deeper essence and purpose of yoga. So the next time you use not being “good at yoga” as a reason to not practice, please remember these fundamental things:
So let go of your limiting belief that you have to be "good" at yoga in order to practice it, roll out your mat and listen deeply to what your body is crying out for! Namaste xxx  Today is National Acts of Kindness Day (Saturday 17th February).
What does it mean to you to be kind to yourself and others? Kindness for me is at the forefront of everything I do. I strive to always be kind towards anyone who comes into my orbit. You never know a person's story and what they might be carrying with them that day, week, month, year, lifetime! But, we must also be careful that our kindness towards others doesn't come at the detriment to the kindness towards ourselves. It's important to find a good balance. I will confess, that self-kindness is something I have to work extremely hard at on a daily basis. This might be the case for you too? Think back to the last thing you said or did to yourself that was unkind - how recent was it? Now, imagine saying or doing that to someone else... 😬 The first Yama on Patanjali's eight-limbed path of yoga is Ahimsa. This means to live a life where every thought, word and action is rooted in nonviolence and kindness towards ourselves and others. When we think, speak or act unkindly towards ourselves, we are causing ourselves harm. Most of us wouldn't dream of doing this to others, so why do we do it to ourselves? Here are some ways we can cultivate a little more self-kindness and therefore ripple that out more authentically and effectively to others ❣️
Stay kind Yogi! Namaste xxx  As 2023 draws to a close, you might be reflecting on the past year, and looking ahead to 2024. Perhaps you are beginning to think about some New Year’s resolutions, or setting intentions to attract more of what you want and need next year.
But what if you were to take a step back, breathe deeply and hit the pause button? What if you gave yourself a brief moment to remember that it is OK to be exactly where you are right now - because where you are is precisely where you’re meant to be! I’m not saying that you shouldn’t set New Year’s resolutions or intentions. Of course it’s great to have an idea as to what you want the landscape of the following year to look like. It’s good to release what is no logger serving you, and to carry forward what is - to create new healthy habits and figure out ways of making your life better, and living more contentedly (because that is the ultimate goal, right?!) But, I wonder, are you being kind to yourself about your intentions for the year ahead? Are your resolutions realistic and achievable? Or are you striving for the unattainable (in the here and now), or feeling stressed and anxious about “achieving your goals”? (Again, that’s not to say don’t dream big… but just make sure you’re giving yourself a fair chance!) Can you find a way to make your goals, intentions and resolutions more joyous, exciting and fun? Do they come from a place of love and respect for yourself, or a place of insecurity, fear and a sense of lack? Us Yogis are always harping on about living in the moment, being content, and practicing gratitude for where we are and what we have in any given moment. And the reason we do this, is because we truly believe that we are always exactly where we’re meant to be in the present. Of course Yogis are also human, and it is normal for us to reflect on the days, weeks, months and years that have passed, and look towards what is yet to come. But it is through the practice of yoga (and I don’t mean in the physical sense!) that we come to the realisation that it is the accumulation of our past experiences that have brought us to this present moment. And if we can cultivate acceptance and gratitude in the present, then this will set us up for the future. Perhaps you have no New Year’s resolutions - good on you too!! You might not be interested in starting a new hobby, or investing in yourself by beginning a new or revisiting an old healthy habit (like yoga), and that’s totally cool… … But, even if you are absolutely ok with where you are in your life right now, you still might want to consider enhancing it further by dusting off and rolling out that yoga mat again, or taking it out of its packaging for the first time! And I would love for you to let me guide you on your journey, and discover (or re-discover) this amazing practice, with its incredible ancient wisdom, and endless list of benefits, that can be applied to our modern lives. Starting something new, or returning after a break, is really scary - I completely understand. Our brains are hard-wired to both shy away and love novelty at the same time (more on this at a later date). But as I said earlier, if you look at (re)starting your yoga practice as something exciting, fun and joyous, and if you start small (maybe practising a session online at home or trying a free class first?) then you won’t have anything to lose, and only everything to gain - I promise! Namaste and see you in 2024! xxx  This one might be a bit of a conversation starter and I’d love to know your thoughts…
A popular yoga magazine sent me an article this week about yoga and weight loss, and I couldn’t even bear to read it. Google “yoga and weight loss” and you will find a stream (nay, an OCEAN) of articles, blogs and YouTube videos explaining and demonstrating the ways in which yoga can help with weight loss. Quite frankly, it makes me so mad! Of course I know why it happens - you can’t be a multi-billion pound industry without being deeply intertwined with the diet and beauty industry, which permeates just about every single thing in our western culture! Promoting weight loss sells. I get it. But this just doesn’t sit right with me at all. And personally I feel it goes against the whole ethos of Yoga itself - which is ultimately about introspection NOT extrospection. As someone who has struggled their whole life with body image and disordered eating (up until about 2 years ago!) it saddens me to see an industry that I am a part of, still fuelling the narrative that you are not OK just as you are, and that you need to change your shape and size in order to be… what? More successful? More integrated in society? More worthy? More loved?! Yes, I know a lot of us come to yoga because we feel it will make us stronger, tone us up, and give us a more aesthetically pleasing, sculpted physique (this is the mindset I started my yoga journey with as a self-conscious 14 year old girl) - we are all products of that permeating diet and beauty culture after all. But I hope that, like me, what you actually find along the way is acceptance of, and love for yourself and others of all shapes and sizes. By practising Yoga with me, I hope you have reached the realisation that the physical form we take on in this life is simply one that houses our beautiful soul - our unique essence. This body that we reside in is merely a vessel for our inner light, and will therefore change with the ebbs and flows of life itself. who we are at our core doesn’t change - and that’s all that matters. And before you start thinking, “yes but Aimee, to be slimmer is to be healthier, and I just feel better that way”…. Size is not an indicator of health or fitness level, and whilst it might feel better to be in a physically smaller body, I would love for you to think about your true motives behind wanting this, and ask yourself where they come from. Are you driven by a place of love, or a place of fear? I know what it’s like to want so desperately to lose weight. To fit back into those jeans. To feel lighter and not so self-conscious about that little fold of skin or wobble when you move in certain ways… I also know that feeling of “having control” over something in your life. But, think about all of the energy we waste obsessing over these things, when that energy could be channelled more positively. Since having my boys my body is very different. I am no longer in a smaller body (side note - I wasn’t any happier when I was!). I have had to do A LOT of re-learning around my body and my relationship with food and exercise, and I am still working hard on rewiring my relationship with myself. But motherhood has changed me in such profound ways, and I now know that I no longer identify with who I was pre-babies. And my physical body reflects that - and that’s totally OK. I still have my core values and am still the light within. So this is why my yoga classes are all inclusive. Meaning that they are a judgement free zone and are accessible to everyone - of all shapes and sizes. They are not designed to encourage weight loss, nor will they ever be. They are designed to help you see your true beauty, and to understand who you really are underneath and inside your outer appearance. In a society obsessed with physical appearance, will you join me in being a maverick and use your Yoga practice to stick a middle finger up to a culture that makes us feel less-than because of how we look, and to turn inward and let our inner beauty shine. Namaste xxx  I think most of us at some time or other have experienced the feeling that we just want to shut out the world.
During times of intense negative emotions, it can feel as if you want to curl up into a ball, pull a blanket over your head, and hide from everyone and everything! It might seem strange a yoga teacher confessing that she sometimes wants to hide away - but part of what called me to the practice of yoga was a deep need to work with and understand the wounds that make me feel this way at times. When these sensations of wanting to hide rise within, it can be really difficult to stand up in front of a group of people and guide them through a yoga session. But showing up and doing so anyway is all part of the process of releasing those beliefs and inner voices that try to hold you back and make you feel like you’re “less-than” or not worthy of love and acceptance because you don’t fit some BS criteria. Our yoga practice is not about getting rid of these intense emotions. The idea is that our practice holds up a mirror to ourselves - one that enables us to witness our thoughts and feelings, work with them, and begin to realise what it is we need when they arise. Sometimes we need to succumb to our intense emotions, and allow ourselves to be fully immersed in what it is we are feeling at the time, and other times we need to face them head on and do the thing that makes us most uncomfortable anyway! This is the hardest part of yoga. It feels uncomfortable, and often we don’t want to face what’s reflecting back at us in that mirror - again, we just want to hide from it. But the more we can look inside ourselves to figure out what on Earth it is that is making us feel a particular way, the better we can understand ourselves… and the better we understand ourselves, the kinder we can be to ourselves. This is where we can begin to form a connection that transcends our physical and mental being, and once again we come to realise that we are a beautiful soul put on this planet to give and receive love. It really is that simple. Autumn is well and truly upon us now and so begins the season of hibernation. The pull to stay indoors, hunker down and get cosy is strong, and as much as I don’t advocate going against our natural inclinations, sometimes actually getting out and being amongst people (especially yogis!) can be the best thing for us! So even when you don’t feel like showing up, when you just want to hide, remember that you are not alone in feeling this way. Pull up that mirror, notice what it is you truly need, and allow yourself the time to process, release and come as you are. Namaste Yogi xxx  As we move into this last part of the year, we might start to think about the intentions we want to set for ourselves throughout Autumn and Winter. Part of the intention-setting process is to consider what it is we might want to release or “let go” of.
This act of releasing or letting go, is about clearing space to open ourselves up to engage and connect with our inner wisdom. From here, we can access a deeper connection to who we truly are, and what we really want for ourselves and our lives. Ultimately, by being able to release, we can begin living from a place of truth that is all our own and not someone else’s. You will often hear Yoga teachers (myself included) use the phrase “let go” a lot throughout your yoga class. But do you know what it really means? Perhaps it causes some confusion, or even irritation towards your Yoga teacher for asking you to do something that feels so difficult, or that you’re just not ready for right now. It can feel as if it diminishes or simplifies what you might be experiencing or feeling at the moment. But it is not intended in that way at all. The instruction to “let go” is designed to encourage you to feel a sense of release - be that physically, mentally or emotionally. To help you towards a sensation of shedding and ridding yourself of those thoughts and feelings that are no longer serving you. This might not mean to ‘relax’, but rather to completely surrender to your emotions or thoughts in full. Being 100% present with what you’re experiencing, and diving deeply into yourself so that you can understand what is happening for you, and what you need to do to release it. For example, I had a moment a few days ago where a comment from a stranger about the size of my baby bump just tipped me over the edge. I felt so heavy with uncomfortable emotions that I’ve been working to heal for some time, that I just needed to release how I was feeling. I posted a long, personal story on Instagram, and got so many replies of love and understanding, and also admiration for speaking out, that it made me feel so much lighter and enabled me to let go of the stickiness of my negative feelings. I think we have all experienced that feeling of heaviness at one time or another, and often we step into a yoga class carrying that sensation with us. Our mind might be racing with thoughts about finances, work, relationships or something else that is just weighing us down. So we find ourselves simply going through the motions while distracted, stressed and unfocused. But we also know that Yoga is so much more than the physical practice, and that we are not just the skin, bones, senses and thoughts we’ve stepped onto our mats with. The whole point of yoga is to unite us with one-another, and with a “higher-consciousness” or “the Devine”. Understanding this can provide us with the realisation that our physical bodies and our thoughts do not define us - we can therefore more easily release the things that we cling to and believe to be true, when in actual fact they are not. When we are able to realise that we are part of something bigger, we are no longer held back by limiting beliefs, repetitive thoughts (about work, to-do lists, what we look like, etc.) or even desires for our practice to look a certain way. We can simply just “let go” and allow ourselves and our practice to unfold in the way they’re supposed to. Releasing and letting go are not something that will happen instantly. Part of releasing is the process we take to get there. Think about a challenging pose you suddenly managed to crack - when you finally “get there” it is often because you’ve learned to see the exploration aspect of asana as equally valuable to the goal itself. You’ve released the need to “achieve”, and surrendered to the process. In this way, I know full well that releasing and letting go is easier said than done. Being able to surrender to the process means becoming vulnerable, and allowing yourself to be open, raw and unedited. Context and timing of course matter - for example, when you get caught up in a heated “discussion” with a loved one, you may say things you don’t really mean, but when you approach things in a calm manner and sit down and have a conversation, it can be much easier to release what you need to without causing hurt to the other person. So be mindful, stay calm, and remember that there’s no rush when it comes to releasing “stuff”. Take one thing at a time, remembering that being in a state of physical relaxation will bring you closer to a clearer mind, and it is from this place that we can start to realise what it is we need to let go of. Namaste xxx  Do you remember that scene from Friends where Chandler freaks out about marrying Monica and runs away? Ross eventually finds him and helps him overcome his fears of marriage by breaking everything down into “baby steps”. He guides Chandler by getting him to do the easy things, like showering, getting dressed, etc., taking it all step-by-step, so that getting married doesn’t feel so overwhelming.
There aren’t many things in life that cannot be likened to an episode of Friends! This episode shows us how breaking things down, taking one thing at a time, can be a wonderful way of dealing with any anxiety we might feel over something that seems scary in our life. When thinking about setting our intentions for the day, week, month or year, often we only focus on the bigger picture. We all tend to project into the future, which can cause a sense of worry about situations that haven’t even happened yet. This takes up a lot of time and energy in our lives. But if we know one thing for certain, it is that we cannot control absolutely every single thing when it comes to making plans and desiring certain outcomes. What we can do though, is compartmentalise things. We can take things slowly and break the big things down into little, more manageable things. Our Yoga practice helps us to do this by giving us an opportunity to break our poses and sequences down steadily, getting us to focus on our breath every step of the way, and notice the subtle changes in ourselves both during and after the pose or sequence. Often we are so focused on the final pose itself, or the outcome of our practice, that we forget to enjoy the moment when we’re in it. We forget about the component parts that make up the pose or sequence, often missing that feeling of freedom in our bodies as we move through the transitions between them. What then happens is we tend to create more tension in areas of the body where we don’t need or want it! So when you’re next on your mat, ask yourself these questions: Where am I holding on unnecessarily? What am I feeling physically in this pose? Should I be feeling tension in my neck, face and jaw, when I’m actually opening the hip? How is this pose making me feel emotionally? How did it feel to move through that transition? Smooth and easy, or hard and clunky? Am I using my breath to help guide me through this? When confronted with something that seems daunting or overwhelming in your life, this practice can come in really useful. Our yoga practice can help us to see the bigger picture for what it really is - a whole, made up of smaller parts. We can ask ourselves what it is we need to focus our energy on in that given moment, rather than using it all up thinking about the final outcome. Namaste Yogi xxx  Last week we practised yoga for “settling in”. The intention was to give us a bit of time and space to settle back into our Yoga practice after taking a long break over the Summer Holidays.
Getting back into the swing of things after taking an extended period of time away from our usual routine can feel a little difficult. But if we take it slowly and be mindful about not overdoing things too quickly, before we know it our usual routine has resumed, and we’re back to normality again (sometimes without even noticing)! Settling in during our yoga practice - assessing the landscape of our physical and subtle bodies, taking some time to watch our breath and notice our thoughts, and figuring out what it is we need in that given moment - provides us with a fantastic opportunity to learn how to slow down and settle in gently to whatever situation might be presenting to us in our lives off the Yoga mat too. It could simply be adjusting to the change in the weather again, starting a new routine, or perhaps it’s even a major life transition - whatever we might need to settle into, our yoga will provide us with the tools to learn how to be with what is, and take our time to navigate the waters again. I mentioned in our sessions last week that as we enter into the new academic year, it feels as if we are not only settling back into our previous routines, but we are also given a chance to pause and reflect upon what’s already been and gone since the start of the year. We can then begin to settle into a new phase of our lives by perhaps making any necessary changes to our routines, schedules and ways of living/being. September brings with it a new season, and this helps us to begin to release what is no longer serving us and figure out what we want for the last part of the year. This is where our intention setting comes in particularly useful. We set intentions for our Yoga practice every week so that we can find a purpose behind what we do on our mats - and this makes our practice so much more than just being about the physical shapes we create with our bodies. This week, I would love for you to think about your own intentions as we head towards the last part of the year. Consider the questions: what is it that I no longer need in my life? What can I let go of to create space to invite something else in? What am I experiencing right now and how can I sit with those feelings? What can I do to make things easier for myself? I know that more often than not, what brings us to Yoga is largely based on a physical intention - we want to increase our flexibility, feel fitter and healthier, more toned, help a bad back, etc. Or perhaps we want to feel more relaxed, reduce stress and anxiety and work on our mental well-being. These are all fantastic intentions to set for your Yoga practice. But they are actually the icing on the cake, and just an added bonus of what our Yoga should be doing for us! For me, the practice of “Yoga” goes much deeper than this. Can you start to make it a deeper experience for yourself too? Set your intentions based on what it is you TRULY need right now. Here are some ideas for you: “I intend to treat myself with more kindness and compassion” “I intend to spend more time in nature” “I intend to let go of what I no longer need” “I intend to focus on more of what I truly need” “I intend to live by my own beliefs and values, and not those of others” “I intend to use my yoga practice as a means to get to know myself better” “I intend to be of more service to others”... And so the list goes on! If you are struggling with setting intentions, give me a shout and we’ll work through this together because I would really love for you to start getting the most out of your yoga practice! Namaste xxx |
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