July 2020
RITUAL.
RAW HONEY. My skin is very very picky about what I put on it and I have come to accept that the more natural and simple, the better. Using honey as a mask in the mornings, keeping it on as long as possible then rinsing off in the shower has been incredibly soothing! If possible I suggest buying local, Hisbe and Infinity Foods sell Brighton & Hove honey.
ARGAN OIL. Massaged into my skin after some rosewater, it’s best to apply to damp skin. As I said, my skin is very fussy, but it seems to tolerate this oil well.
Since having more time at home and not having to rush out of the house in the mornings I have been able to put more time into the Ayurvedic practices that I love, including dry brushing & oil pulling daily.
NOURISH.
MATCHA. My on and off relationship with caffeine has been a long one. I took part in a cacao ceremony back in March hosted by @loveyohart which was a beautiful experience with beautiful people, however the incredibly high caffeine levels meant I seemingly couldn’t handle it again for some time! I have a deep deep love for matcha and I have began consuming it again this month. From the preparation to the last sip, it’s a favourite mid morning ritual.
NETTLE TEA. Also a staple for me…it’s very rich in silica and other minerals which promote long, healthy hair and nails. Drink two cups a day for maintenance, but it’s safe to have more if you want to boost hair growth.
SELF PRACTICE.
CAT COW. It’s taken me a long time to really appreciate Cat Cows, but for a year now I have been practicing and studying Kundalini yoga and they are an important step in warming up the spine before kriya. Through Guru Jagat’s book Invincible Living I have been able to understand more of their benefits. This movement along with breath awakens the chakras and stimulates the glandular system to balance hormone levels. Speeding up the movement will also boost blood flow to the face and scalp. Try for at least 3 mins to get the Cat Cow glow!
SOBAGH KIRYA. Since 1st July I have been taking part in a group 40 day sadhana with The Prosperity Club. Committing to a practice for 40 days will rewire your mind and body, clearing old negative subconscious patterning and reaffirming new positive patterns. There is a kriya for everything!
Have you tried a 40 day practice yet? You can follow the full Sobagh Kriya here. Or book a 40 day prescription from me- a personalised sadhana based on your goals and current circumstances.
SELF STUDY.
Admittedly I am the sort of person who is constantly looking for the answers to life’s questions. When it comes to yoga, I have always been fascinated by its origins and finding out its ‘secrets’. This book however, caused a little controversy with its findings. It’s research implies that Asana (physical yoga practice) may not be as old as we have been led to believe. Yoga is indeed an ancient practice, but the yoga postures we now associate yoga with according to Mark Singleton’s book may instead have it’s roots in European gymnastics, specifically the Swedish ‘Ling System’(what are the chances?!), taken up by Indian yogi’s- ‘building up their physical abilities, strengthening themselves to begin fighting back against foreign control’. In fact the book states that some military training may have disguised itself as yoga training for this reason.
Like many other people I’m sure, I was originally a little disheartened to learn this information, questioning if that made my yoga ‘real’ anymore. But continuing to dive deeper, in my opinion it is actually a liberating idea. Of course practices are continuously evolving, something doesn’t need to be ancient to be authentic. This knowledge perhaps removes the strict boundaries of wrong and right in the yoga world that I have questioned so often. It opens it up to allow the nature of change and evolution of a practice, trusting that we are evolving in order to fit into our ever evolving world.
It’s quite heavy, not the easiest read in my opinion. But if you are a fellow yoga nerd I highly recommend.
There was also a feature on BBC Radio 4 which gives a summary of it content, which you can listen to here:
The Magic Square.
KATONAH YOGA.
In December 2018 I was visiting a friend in Paris and came across a little studio hidden away called ICI Self Care. I’d contacted Sam who ran it and taught there, she said there would be a class the next day and she would be teaching it in, in her words ‘Frenglish’. I didn’t really know what style to expect but I knew I wanted to experience it. We used a number of props and there was a focus on ‘softening the knees to nurture the kidneys’ which was very different to what I was used to at that time. After class I took time to wander round the area and found a cafe Glow on the Go (sadly no longer running) which turned out to be also owned by Sam! In here, as well as delicious matcha lattes they sold beautiful natural beauty products and a selection of books. I picked up a grey ring bound book with the title ‘Home Practice’, as I looked through I noticed it illustrated the postures we had covered during class, plus a lot of theory on home practice. I bought it and worked from it on my own for around a year until I begin feeling pulled to look deeper into taking a training.
I was booked to attend Abbie Galvin’s Berlin training in April this year, but of course all of our plans at this time were changed! An online training was then arranged for June, for me it was the perfect lockdown activity and I was fully immersed in it’s teachings and theory. I have been continuing taking classes via The Digital Studio and will be taking part in further trainings through August and September, working towards completing 200 hours of Katonah Yoga training to be a certified teacher of this lineage.
During lockdown I have also enjoyed all of the online workshops Triyoga have offered, and are continuing to do so! A much more affordable way to learn from some of the incredible teachers they host. I enjoyed taking classes by a number of highly respected teachers including David Swenson, Leslie Kaminoff and Jo Phee.