I'm self-employed so through necessity, I have to fit a lot into my daily routine. This includes time physically spent at work or teaching, time at home doing the admin side of my business - social media, accounts etc, time for myself, including working out, spending time with my friends, family and pets, and time for those boring but necessary daily chores. This does sound like I have a lot of plates spinning and in all honesty, I do, but it's just what works for me. Now, I'm not writing this post because I want to suggest I am some kind of superwoman (really, I'm far from it), but because people ask me how I manage it all and I wanted to share my secret for finding a good work/life balance... LISTS! Ok it's not that exciting or innovative but stick with me on this... I write a weekly to-do list, as I'm sure loads of you do too.  I start with the things I absolutely have to do that week. If things are time sensitive, i.e. I need to pay that invoic...

On World Peace Day, I wanted to take some time out and think about what the idea of peace really means to us on a day-to-day basis. The dictionary definition of peace offers us two versions; firstly it means the freedom from disturbance or a state of tranquility; and secondly, it means a state in which war is non-existent or has ended.  It is not my area of expertise to discuss the second meaning and although I wish that version was a reality for us all, sadly at the present time it is not. Instead, I'll focus on that first definition. Freedom from disturbance - well that sounds rather lovely doesn't it?  Peace and quiet, the mental space to do what we want without being annoyed or distracted by any outside interferences.  How realistic is that really? This week, I spoke to some of my yoga students about how sometimes we have to craft that space for peace and tranquility even in the most difficult of environments.  When we are stressed or in the midst of a ...

I am quite aware that people secretly think I'm a 'crazy guinea pig/rabbit lady' and if there's any bunny or piggy memes on Facebook or Instagram, I know who's going to get tagged in them!  Like many of you out there, my pets are family to me. Ever since I was tiny, there's always been a pet of some kind on the house - guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs, hamsters, chicken, ducks, fish - even had a pony as a kid but obviously, that didn't live in the house!  Before you think it, no I haven't/don't live on a farm either! Aside from all the wonderful aspects of their personalities and the hilarious things they do, my pets are a way of helping manage my mental health.  Knowing that there is a small creature that is completely reliant upon you to get up every day and ensure its basic needs are met, is a great way to keep yourself motivated and on track.  The companionship and unconditional love you get from a pet is also invaluable; they don't c...

Last night, I addressed the theme of  ' ahimsa ' in my yoga class. Ahimsa is derived from Sanskrit and essentially means "not to injure" and to behave with "compassion".  Whilst most of us (me included) are very good at being compassionate to others, we often fail to accord ourselves with that same level of compassion and love (again, me included). I had a very frank conversation with someone this week about their perception of me and how it differs from my own.  I feel that I am a very independent person - self-reliant, resourceful etc. - but they said that whilst that is the case, there is also a side of me that does tend to ignore or discredit my need to be nurtured.  It wasn't the easiest conversation I've ever had but it was certainly one that I am finally ready to hear and to accept. Acting in accordance to the principle of ahimsa means allowing compassion and nurturing into all areas of our lives. It could mean living in a way that is ...

It's been quite a while since I posted about running and in all honesty, I think it's because I didn't have any races in the pipeline so I was feeling like I'd lost my running mojo. I was still running but instead of going out 3 or 4 times a week and following a strict plan, I was just running as and when I felt like it.  I have to say, I am definitely one of those people who needs a goal or something to focus on.  I really like have a training plan as it means that I can quite literally tick off my training and get a sense of accomplishment from that...I do love a list! After all the marathon training, I was genuinely worried that I might lose my love for running.  I had heard horror stories of other marathoners who, after accomplishing the marathon, just completely fell out of love with running and stopped completely. I went out on the Sunday after the marathon to run the 3.7 miles for Matt Campbell, the man who sadly died in this year's London Marathon. ...

Before you skip past this post because you don't go to the gym or do any form of fitness training, ask yourself these questions: Do you spend around 8 hours of your day sitting at a desk or driving? Are you required to perform repetitive movements as part of your job? Does your body feel achey most of the time but you've come to regard that as ‘normal’? If youcan answer ‘yes’ to even one of those questions, there's a very strong likelihood that you will benefit from a regular sports massage. Modern life is becoming increasingly more sedentary, with many people working in desk-orientated roles for up to 8 hours a day.  When you combine this with long commutes driving, and recreational time spent bent over mobile phones, games consoles or books, our bodies are coming under increasing stress and strain, without even factoring in any exercise.  One of the most common issues I see - and I mean on a weekly basis - is people suffering from knotty shoul...

It's easy to look at social media and make the assumption that everyone else is literally 'living their best life' and that you are somehow lacking because in comparison, your life doesn't look so shiny and perfect. However, this is simply not the case.  Social media is a filter; we generally only share the things we are proud of, or that we know will paint us in a certain kind of light. With my job, there comes an expectation that I am superfit, am always doing deep and meaningful things like meditating, eating healthily, smashing out complex yoga poses in awesome locations etc. etc.  The reality is that yes, I do do most of these things, but it is very much within reason!  I do eat healthily but I like a doughnut or chocolate; I go to the gym, run or do yoga 6 days a week if I can because it keeps me balanced; I meditate most days but sometimes I forget; and I do sometimes do a random yoga pose but it's very rarely somewhere cool! Most importantly thoug...

Unless you've had your head buried under a rock or something similar, you've probably heard something about 'Law of Attraction' or 'Cosmic Ordering'.  I first heard about Cosmic Ordering years ago when Noel Edmonds discussed how he had used it.  I paid it some attention and actually had some minor success - 'ordering' a seat on the tube or a parking space for example.  However, when I failed to win the lottery after 'ordering' it, I just gave up! Law of Attraction is something that I suppose I've subconsciously been aware of but only recently started to embrace into my everyday life.  The basic premise behind it is that like attracts like; positive thoughts attracts positivity, whilst dwelling in the negative leads us to experience more negative behaviours and incidents.  This does not mean that every time you have a 'down' thought you'll suddenly be inundated with terrible occurrences but it really applies to how you actual...

This week I have been doing some work in the corporate sector, helping workers find some peace and calm in their busy days... Stress, anxiety, depression...sadly, they are all on the rise and finding ways to relax and recharge appear to be getting harder and harder.  Being busy becomes a kind of currency or badge of honour - how may times have you said 'sorry, I can't I'm just TOO BUSY ...' in the last few weeks, days, hours? If all the things consuming your time and causing you stress were to be miraculously stripped away right now, what would you fill your time with?  What would your passion in life be?  Would you travel? Would you spend more time with friends, family, pets? Would you take up any new hobbies or just dedicate more time to the ones you already have? Would you look after your health and wellbeing by exercising more or starting a meditation practice? Just consider for a few moments what your answers would be to these questions...and then conside...

We've all been there....you're training for a specific even and at some point you just think 'what the hell am I doing?' and want to jack it all in... This week has probably been my hardest week in terms of staying motivated throughout my marathon training.  I've felt knackered every day and all I've wanted to do is eat and sleep.  It's made me question how much I'm putting my body through.  However, coming out of the other side of this mindset, it has also made me very grateful and proud of just how much my body is capable of. I have had IBS since I was 18 and when it flares up, which it does and often unpredictably, it can be incredibly painful - inconvenient at best and debilitating at worse.  It gets worse when I'm tired or stressed or not sleeping well.  As I've been suffering from all three of those triggers the last couple of weeks, its not been great. However, rather than giving into it, it's got me thinking about how to sta...

Today is the Spring Equinox where, theoretically, we experience equal hours of daylight and darkness. It is a wonderful time to ditch the things in your life that no longer serve you.  Consider the notion of spring cleaning; traditionally, this is a time to sweep away the clutter and accumulated 'stuff' from the dark, winter months in readiness to welcome the lighter days and warmer weather. This notion of cleaning could, and should, be extended to our bodies and emotions. By removing the habits, thought processes and behaviours that are no longer working for us, we make way for those that do. We often hear people talking about going on a detox diet and, whilst it is very important to consider what we are putting into our bodies, this is something that we shouldn't see as a short term fix - a week of following a juicing diet will not miraculously solve all your problems!  Being more mindful about what we eat, what we think and what we do is a more realistic and hea...

It’s quite typical to spend your weeks and even your weekends, rushing about trying to get loads of things done and feeling utterly exhausted at the end of it all.  Even our exercise routines can be so fast-paced that they place added stress upon our bodies.  Restorative Yoga gives you an antidote to this fast-paced way of living and encourages you to slow down, rest and recharge. What is Restorative Yoga? Restorative Yoga is about working with your parasympathetic nervous system.  This is the nervous system responsible for, amongst other things, slowing the heart rate, digestion, conserving energy and allowing the body to recharge.  Its role is the complete opposite of the sympathetic nervous system (our ‘flight or fight’ response), which is a state that many of us find ourselves constantly dwelling in, whether due to work or lifestyle stresses. Restorative Yoga is a practice designed to help reduce stress and anxiety, and to help promote relaxation, ...