Simply Yoga

In Moorea stroking a stingray! It was a little slimy but very friendly it was swimming around our legs. Amazing x 🇵🇫

Hello from Fakarava. So we’re at that age when we wanted to try our first cruise. 🥹 However, we didn’t want a huge ship with 5,000 people so we choice Paul Gauguin cruises. It’s a small ship with only 320 guests and 259 guests. A really good ratio we thought 😊 ands It’s been amazing! So if you’re reaching that age when you too are thinking about an intimate cruise liner, who specialise in the French Polynesian islands, take a look Paul Gauguin. The staff are amazing. Bon voyage… xx 🇵🇫

Hi.. I don’t post much these day but had to post this one.. we are in Bora Bora and went on an aquatic electric bike, we fed the fish by hand and cruised along under the water. It was amaaaazing. If you ever get the opportunity, you must try it x ❤️

This week has been ‘Mental Health Awareness Week 12th-18th May’ and to celebrate the forward thinking Syscom in Egham very kindly asked me to run a staff yoga session. The sun was shining so off to the park we went. Nothing better than having a yoga class out in nature and our focus was mindfulness! So what does it mean to be mindful! Quite simply it means to be aware, to be present. It isn’t anything religious it just means to focus our full attention only on the present, experiencing thoughts, feelings, and sensations but not judging them. How amazing is that. We can do anything mindfully. In fact yoga is a mindful practice, you are encouraged to focus on the breath you breath or the shape you make to stay present on the mat, but we can do anything mindfully. When we walk be present, be aware of the sun on your face, the wind in your hair and observe your surroundings. We can wash our hands mindfully, feel the temperature the water, the softness of the soap. Being present helps to quieten the mind from all the busyness. In yoga they call it ‘Chitta Vritti’ also known as the ‘monkey mind’ as we jump from one thought to another. When we are present we feel calmer, it helps us to de-stress and it frees up space in our heads to think clearer for when we think clearer we make better choices/decisions. I liken it to deleting files in our computer, because even our computers get overloaded, imagine what our brains are doing will all the constant information and stimulation of the modern world. So for the rest of mental health awareness week I encourage you to try and do something mindfully, actually here’s a challenge try and listen mindfully! Try and give your full attention as the biggest gift is to give our time and attention - hard if you’re not very interested in what someone is saying and off that money minds goes. 😊Here’s a tip to stay present - repeat back in your head what someone is saying, trust me it works. So please allow me to leave you with my favourite saying..
The past is history, the future is a mystery, but the gift is NOW - and that’s why it’s called the PRESENT!
Happy mindfulness…
www.simplyyoga.org.uk

My new hip is working well! I’m so grateful for my yoga and how it has helped me not just physically, by enabling me to get stronger and more flexible after my surgeries (ruptured slipped disc and hip replacement) but more importantly mentally as it was hard and frustrating after surgery having to start my yoga right back from basics, I did get a bit low as my body no longer did what I wanted it to, but I’m happy to say, 18 months later I’m able to do most of the poses I could do before (this photo is one of them), the others, I’m still working on them, but watch this space. 😊

People say to me ‘but I’m not flexible enough to do yoga’ and my response is always ‘It's NEVER too late to start’! And when you do start, I promise you that you will ONLY get better… not only will your body get stronger and more flexible, but if want to, you will be able to choose your thoughts and control that ‘monkey mind’. So, it’s a win win - please do give yoga a try. Like anything though you need to find not just the right class but the right teacher for you, but the wonderful thing is that there is an array of amazing styles to choose from with lots of fabulous teachers so please don’t give up! Keep trying until you find the right class/teacher for you, and you will be glad you did.

However, I’d obviously love you to try my class. So, if you’re looking for a teacher who takes her yoga seriously, but not herself too seriously, then I might be the teacher for you! The only way you’ll know is to give me a try! If you think you might be interested please visit my website; www.simplyyoga.org.uk or come along (please contact me for directions [email protected])

Monday
Hatha Yoga
1830 – 1930

Thursday
Yoga Flow
1830 -1930

Drop-in £15 (for a free or half price class please visit my website ‘discount & offers’.)
Block booking £60 for 6 weeks.

I hope to see you soon!
Namaste
V x

Binky, my little Cavapoo, showing me how to do down dog (adho mukha svanasana.

www.simplyyoga.org.uk