I just knew 'something' was a miss.
And then as the Universe would have it, a chain of events led me to take a trial class at a new studio... BAM! REALIGNMENT!
From the moment I started that 90mins of one loooooong exhalation for my body I knew this was it, it wasn't that I was fighting yoga, it was that I was fighting myself and the fact that I needed to make a change and seek something new.
After just 2 days at this new studio I realised what it was I was searching for- heart. You see for me yoga is not purely physical and that is why certain styles appeal to me more than others. I will always remember the feeling of walking out of a rocking practice and noticing that the colours of the sky and the trees are actually brighter than they were before! And feeling so much love for everyone and everything around me I might burst! That is a rounded yoga practice and for the last few months although my strength has been building and I have certainly learnt and discovered many new and awesome things in my classes, that was no longer enough. I needed heart.
And of course when I got to this new studio my ego piped in with a seemingly friendly "well if you had just chosen this studio in the first place you could have had this all along" - WRONG!
The fact is that I didn't choose this studio to practice at 3 months ago, I chose another one and as with everything on this Earth, I chose it for a reason. I needed to go through that exploration and that time to understand what is truly important to me and to be able to articulate it.
And if I had gone to the studio with classes I was comfortable with straight away, I would never have tried and embraced all the different and varying styles available to me by being out of my home country and safety zone. I am glad it happened the way it did and I don't think I have lost out anything this way. If anything I appreciate the classes more now and am super amped to make the most out of my last 6 weeks here.
So, I have used yoga as my speaking ground but I truly believe there is an underlying tone that you can all apply to many aspects of your life - find your own 'yoga' and see how it works for you. We often tend to focus on the destination, the arrival point, the peak, but isn't it the things along the way that you remember? The destination may only last a few minutes before it becomes habit and melds into everything else in your life, and when you look back you remember the scenery of your life on the journey. The people, the view, the food you tasted along the way.
And speaking of food - here is a recipe for you to taste along the way! As many of you know, I'm all about fresh, organic, unprocessed food to nourish and nurture our bodies =)
Lately I have been craving Italian flavours and this is my go-to sauce - use it on greens, grains, or my personal favourite - raw zucchini noodles/ribbons mmm....
Marinara Magic
6 sundried tomato halves, drained
1 small red capsicum
6 cherry or mini roma tomatoes
1 tbsp tahini (makes it a bit creamy)
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried italian mixed herbs
1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, only if you have it)
a big handful of fresh herbs (I use basil, rosemary, oregano, but pretty much anything goes!)
Chop all the ingredients and then chuck everything except the fresh herbs into the blender. Blend til almost smooth, should not take long, and add a tbsp or two of water if you need to help it mix.
Put the herbs in and briefly blend only until herbs are incorporated and evenly mixed. No need to cook - keep it fresh and savour the goodness in its natural state!
You can store this in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container.
MUCH LOVE!!!!!
After just 2 days at this new studio I realised what it was I was searching for- heart. You see for me yoga is not purely physical and that is why certain styles appeal to me more than others. I will always remember the feeling of walking out of a rocking practice and noticing that the colours of the sky and the trees are actually brighter than they were before! And feeling so much love for everyone and everything around me I might burst! That is a rounded yoga practice and for the last few months although my strength has been building and I have certainly learnt and discovered many new and awesome things in my classes, that was no longer enough. I needed heart.And of course when I got to this new studio my ego piped in with a seemingly friendly "well if you had just chosen this studio in the first place you could have had this all along" - WRONG!
The fact is that I didn't choose this studio to practice at 3 months ago, I chose another one and as with everything on this Earth, I chose it for a reason. I needed to go through that exploration and that time to understand what is truly important to me and to be able to articulate it.
And if I had gone to the studio with classes I was comfortable with straight away, I would never have tried and embraced all the different and varying styles available to me by being out of my home country and safety zone. I am glad it happened the way it did and I don't think I have lost out anything this way. If anything I appreciate the classes more now and am super amped to make the most out of my last 6 weeks here.
So, I have used yoga as my speaking ground but I truly believe there is an underlying tone that you can all apply to many aspects of your life - find your own 'yoga' and see how it works for you. We often tend to focus on the destination, the arrival point, the peak, but isn't it the things along the way that you remember? The destination may only last a few minutes before it becomes habit and melds into everything else in your life, and when you look back you remember the scenery of your life on the journey. The people, the view, the food you tasted along the way.
And speaking of food - here is a recipe for you to taste along the way! As many of you know, I'm all about fresh, organic, unprocessed food to nourish and nurture our bodies =)
Lately I have been craving Italian flavours and this is my go-to sauce - use it on greens, grains, or my personal favourite - raw zucchini noodles/ribbons mmm....
Marinara Magic6 sundried tomato halves, drained
1 small red capsicum
6 cherry or mini roma tomatoes
1 tbsp tahini (makes it a bit creamy)
2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried italian mixed herbs
1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, only if you have it)
a big handful of fresh herbs (I use basil, rosemary, oregano, but pretty much anything goes!)
Chop all the ingredients and then chuck everything except the fresh herbs into the blender. Blend til almost smooth, should not take long, and add a tbsp or two of water if you need to help it mix.
Put the herbs in and briefly blend only until herbs are incorporated and evenly mixed. No need to cook - keep it fresh and savour the goodness in its natural state!
You can store this in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container.
MUCH LOVE!!!!!
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