I was 20 years old, living in London as a nanny, drinking more pints of beer than my body weight at the time and enjoying the freedom of being a foreigner, away from anything familiar with all the potential ahead of me. The Notting hill carnival is one of the biggest street parties in Europe (at least it was back then.) A carribbean flavored block party with a million strong crowd. It was all spandex, flair and big flavors. The streets of Notting Hill are closed off to the traffic and for the entire weekend all you hear is reggae, ska and calypso influenced music. I don’t know what the… Continue Reading
The movement is my yoga
Most of my life has been transient. We moved houses three, or four times, before I was five, I went to three elementary schools and my parents divorced when I was fifteen which meant I had to be in different homes, often. Besides that, I was born into a family, on both sides, who were adventurous and nomadic. It wasn’t uncommon to come home from school on a Friday afternoon to my mother’s insistence that we pack our bags because we were off to see some relatives; five hours away. Or, one year, she declared that we were going to spend Xmas (which was a week away) with my grandparents, and… Continue Reading
The biggest risk
“The most dangerous risk of all ~ the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet that you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later”. ~ Anonymous. I don’t know that I was given a very conventional handbook for living life, when I was younger. Travel and the unknown have always seduced me, more than the status quo ever has – although I have been known to dabble in it from time to time. I discovered, long ago, that I live for stories and connection and new friendships. I also understood, long ago, that life throws up a whole host of choices, and… Continue Reading
Throwing spaghetti.
I’m sitting with my back against the wall. Literally, not figuratively. I’m in bed, perched upright with my blankets covering my legs and my bare shoulders leaning against the cool wall. On the floor beside me, a pile of my clothes which I had left on my bed this afternoon to fold and put away are heaped; a denim jacket, a crop jacket, a brown top, yoga pants. Together they form a crumpled, weighted, lump. A reminder of another thing I have to do. It seems like every where I turn I have left myself little reminders of the next thing I have to do, alongside the other 10 triggers… Continue Reading
Concentrate on the positive in life
I just watched this video and, once again, I’m reminded about the power of imagination and possibility. Always creating possibilities means you’re always encouraged to imagine something bigger than what’s in front of you. And what’s more joyful than that? Before you watch the video, make a list of all the things you believe are holding you back from the things you desire in life. Just write them down in front of you and then hit play.….. What’s holding you back now? Continue Reading
Trust your practices
A few years ago, I attended an all day business conference with Marc LeBlanc. He was funny, insightful, relevant and the conference divulged some brilliant practices for running a small business. One of the nuggets of wisdom I took away was his insistence that we trust the practices that he was teaching us. He talked about moving to California, many years prior, and hearing the phrase “I just trust the universe,” when asking business owners about their businesses. It baffled him, as you could imagine. So, now, after more than 20 years of coaching and developing practices for his small business clients, he advises them to trust the universe, after… Continue Reading
Writing exercise: Word Association.
In my yoga/writing retreat I talk a lot about the importance of writing, without worrying about whether it is good or not. This isn’t wisdom that I made up all on my own, of course, it’s come from the likes of writers such as Julia Cameron & Anne Lamott and Mark Twain and, perhaps, every other writer who gives advice about writing. It’s Anne Lamott’s ‘Shitty first draft’ advice really. But still, it’s not easy advice to heed. So many nights I sit and agonize over the word I want to use or worse, I sit and scroll through facebook, waiting for inspiration to strike, not writing a lick… Continue Reading
Life Loaf – an edible love story.
**Please note, I am not a health coach, this is not a ‘food’ based blog, I don’t claim any expert knowledge on nutrition or nutrition based healing. However, I do inform myself quite a bit on food and its nutritional content and I am always curious about new recipes. Please click the links I provide for the real experts about this. I just wanted to share this – once you read the story, you’ll know why** About three years ago I was visiting my home town of Melbourne, Australia. My friend, Sonya, and I took a yoga class at a studio in the trendy suburb of South Yarra and she… Continue Reading
Love…..by Kristen Luther
Guest post by Kristen Luther. **I asked you want love meant to you. How it hurt you, healed you, taught you. Do you believe in it? Have your thoughts about it changed? The essay I publish wins a whole lotta love loot from my store. Thank you for the submissions. I’m happy to announce Kristen Luther as the author of the winning essay. Kristen is a jewelry designer, a yoga teacher and writes her own blog www.yogapathwithkristen.jimdo.com – go check it out! Love. Growing up, I used to think love was this ongoing, wildly romantic date that ultimately culminated in marriage and kids….the whole bit…..and that was it. It… Continue Reading
A friendship in 4 frames
I board a late night train from Bangalore to Kannur, Kerala. A young woman is sitting on the sleeper bed, underneath mine, feeding her baby. I say hello and inquire about her child. She tells me he us 6 months old and doesn’t have a name. They will name him when he is 8 months old. Her husband and 3 year old son would be boarding the train in a few moments. I hoist my luggage to the top bunk. Her family arrives and I look down, pleased at the company I will share a 15hr train ride with, and take a photo. FRAME 1. I settle into my bunk… Continue Reading
