Nicki Gregson
I had the pleasure to meet Nicki a few years ago whilst working together at a local organic food shop. At this time I was juggling a number of different jobs and very confused about where I should be going and what I should be doing. Yoga practice was a key element of my life but being a teacher seemed so far away from how I could picture myself then!
Although she probably doesn’t know it, Nicki’s energy and way of being inspired me greatly. The way her love and commitment to a spiritual path seems so effortless yet focused and intentional. I was so interested in her yoga practice and the trainings she had taken. She is a brilliant example of true understanding and dedication to a personal practice.
An incredibly kind and generous soul you would be very lucky to meet whilst dancing in a field somewhere :)…Read about her daily rituals, her yoga journey and her way of living and loving. ALSO see her recommendations for how to celebrate this Summer’s Solstice!…
Please introduce yourself and what it is you so wonderfully do..
I am a student to life’s ever giving beauty and love, passionate about freedom and interested in compassionate ways of living and being.
What is your ideal way to start the day?
I like to start the day with my yoga and meditation practice. Yoga is about bringing light into the system and I like to light a candle symbolic of this and to give thanks for the new day. Giving thanks and showing devotion to god in all its forms, to my guru and all the teachers of my lineage and to my family and friends is extremely important to me. A new day is here, how blessed are we. I like to burn some frankincense which smells divine and has a very grounding effect whilst creating a clear connection for meditation.
Do you have any daily rituals / routines?
Ha ha ...are you sure you want to know my bathroom routine! Here goes- in the morning after showering ( cold/hot cold/ hot is best but I mostly just do hot) I use a couple of Ayurvedic techniques. I use a copper tongue scraper which is amazing and I cannot be without my neti pot. I have got to give a mention to Vicci Ayurvedic toothpaste and I use coconut oil for oil pulling. Sesame oil is also wonderful particularly for people with a vata in their constitution.. it can be used as body massage oil or just on the bottom of your feet and it is really warming to the whole system and gets rid of anxiety.
This weekend is Summer Solstice! In what ways do you celebrate this time of year?
Solstice is a powerful time and I am drawn to spiritual places of celebration such as Stonehenge. In 1985 the police made a violent attempt at preventIng the Stonehenge free festival from happening named the ‘battle of the bean field’. I landed there in 1987. This was to be a key moment in my life to glimpse both the amazing energy that is created when people come together to have a party or free festival but also to see the opposition to this and see that creating a life of freedom was not going to be as straight forward as I had imagined with more violent objection from the police that year. I remember returning to art college stunned by the reality of the bigger picture of life.
Fast forward to the present and summer solstice 2020 which is a solar eclipse this year and we are in full swing of birthing a new reality of freedom and total transformation of the planet ..but it’s not going to be easy and there’s going to be lots of opposition to that. Yoga and meditation have taught me to live in the moment and to activate a sense of calm and peace within whatever situation I am facing. I hope we can be brave and stand in our own true light. This is going to take every one of us.
On solstice I will be attending a women’s circle with meditation, kirtan and talking together about how we are going to create a new future.
Solstice festivals online:
The Soulstice Spirit Festival 2020
Virtual Stonehenge 2020 - the main stage
Summer solstice 2020 at Stonehenge : live!
Do you have any practices to stay healthy in body and mind?
My most important practice for body, mind and spirit is my yoga practice. Yoga encompasses everything ..it is a guide to life which magically wakes up your own innate wisdom and gradually takes your being through layers of growth from basic physical fitness, through moral codes and conduct to spiritually awakening and ultimately union with god. The practice techniques cleverly lead to different openings and awakenings in the physical, mental, energetic and etheric bodies. I love yoga and have practised many forms, each one part of the puzzle leading to the next ....after having a very physical practice of ashtanga and hot yoga I was led to the deep slow but extremely dynamic practices of scaravelli yoga (quite an institution in Brighton as there have been several teacher trainings here). This was great for opening up the body and starting to move blockages of energy in my system. Then I began practicing kundalini yoga which really starts to move energy and uses a very diverse range of techniques including mantras and meditation.. Ah..har.. this was all quite a long time ago now ..and then around 10 years ago I landed in India on a retreat with a teacher of kriya yoga ..Swami Purohit. He moved to Spain and I began travelling backwards and forwards taking his course. This has been my last seven years. It has been an incredible journey of awakening to my soul partly through daily practice and partly energy transmission from my teacher at the seminars. I could not have wished for a more incredible journey. My daily practices are a combination of a set of exercises which change monthly, very simple exercises which directly move energy and work on the body’s subtle energy system. These are together with a mantra and meditation practice. It is an ongoing journey.
When you need to get out of town where in nature do you like to go?
I love being in nature ..it wakes up the spirit and is so grounding too. If my life allows I like to be in nature everyday either sat in a field or on the beach even if it’s just for a short time. I think I like to ‘just be’ in nature ..not doing anything in particular ..just sitting or walking and it can be absolutely anywhere ..just on the earth away from the pavements and roads.(In Brighton we are lucky to have the beaches and sea and also the Downs and beautiful surrounding countryside. One location I love close to Brighton where I like to go in my van and hang out is the wild land between Peacehaven and Newhaven on the cliff tops. This is a place to blow away your troubles!!
How do you like to spend your nights and/or weekends?
Prior to lockdown my Friday evening ritual was an after work swim /sauna to unwind leading up to a devotional evening at the ‘Hare Krishna Fridays’. This is an ecstatic mix of chanting, dancing and discourse dedicated to Krishna with a mix of Hare Krishna devotees and others somewhere along a spiritual path.
Since lockdown I have been really getting into events using zoom and similar platforms. I am quite pleasantly surprised by how powerful events can be through this kind of platform. I have been attending a beautiful women’s circle on Fridays and various kirtan events. One event that has shone out for me has been the Sacred Sound Festival. It’s worth checking out and has a Facebook group and beautiful playlist on Spotify too. My yoga course has also been running through zoom.
How do you unwind, recentre and find balance?
Finding my centre is so important. Feeling grounded and connected. This happens when the sushumna channel is open. My whole yoga practice is all about opening this channel and when it opens meditation is available.
Sometimes though there is nothing more centring than a good chat with a friend.
What is your favourite way to exercise?
I love dancing. Brighton is a great place to find conscious dance events. I love the vibe of uplifting dance music and smoothies!!! Put me in a field with a sound system though and I couldn’t be happier.
Your favourite place to get dinner?
That would be out of cupboard in my van somewhere beautiful.
In Brighton I love the tiny little cafe called ‘Helm Ston’ near to the Metropolitan college. It’s such yummy vegetarian food and just the best gluten free cakes.
Your favourite meal to cook?
That would be a beetroot curry using a Riverford recipe that is online and a raw chocolate cheesecake made with avocados. Yum yum.
In what ways do you work to find balance in your life ? eg work , social, family, self
Priority and balance. It’s not easy. Sometimes I will completely give something up to fit something else in. My yoga practice is such a high priority for me that I really do have to work to fit all other aspects in. My two sons and two grandsons all live in Brighton. They are another top priority. My favourite part of the week is doing fun activities with my older grandson. I can re-live the child in me once again with him painting, cooking, swimming and going nature walks.
What/ where/ who do you turn to for inspiration?
I like to read or watch biographical books or films especially about spiritual teachers.
How would you describe your style?
I am going to ask my son this one! He said ‘easy going’.
What is your definition of beauty?
Beauty is a person’s light, their radiance...
In what ways do you care for your mind , body and soul?
I aspire to keep my life as natural and simple as possible.
What are you most grateful for in your life?
I am so grateful for this life, for everything. We are living in exciting, challenging and fast changing times. I am grateful to be alive. And I am grateful to be able to really feel joy in my heart constantly here beyond whatever is going on in life. This has been such a blessing at this time and i wish this for all beings.
Current favourite…
Book - The Journey Within…Radhanath Swami
Movie - Thomas Keating: A Rising Tide of Silence, Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the movement and the Swami who started it all
Song - Mose...Prophecy
Podcast - Buddha at the gas pump, Jai dev Singh
Clothing item - my earrings designed by my friend Bonnie and made from old watch faces. I love them.
Coffee shop - none but my favourite tea at the moment is Yogi Tea turmeric chai
I’m also enjoying:
Meditation and talks by Tara Brach, Life Force Academy for kundalini yoga, and my teacher Swami Purohit.
Despite our time in isolation, have you any current projects you are working on / any future visions?
I am learning to play kirtan on the guitar and sing. I hope to be able to sing and play with other people in the future.
Just letting go and letting god!
Where can we find you / follow you?
Watch this space.
Posted 20.6.20
- THE ART OF PERSONAL PRACTICE & PROSPERITY -
