HOLISTIC LOVE YOGA

Hey how you feeling? Body, mind, heart and soul? I’ve never been a feeler. I might as well have been a floating head these past three decades. It’s only recently I’ve been training myself to connect - really connect - to my body. It’s hard, too raw, too vulnerable, too real and present. It’s easier to stuff the anxiety and fear down with another glass of wine or tonne of chocolate, disconnecting and numbing out. Incredibly, the result of a consistent Yoga practice is a deep connection with our physical selves. Whatever is there is there - they’re just feelings and they’re yours. And it's not until they're seen, held and felt they can be released. I’ve spent years willingly disconnecting from myself and pushing through intense feelings - anxiety , stress, fatigue etc to keep a roof over my head and feel safe. It’s not just me. We’re taught that to be acceptable we must achieve great things, to grow and be seen as ‘successful’ is vital – for all of us but especially m...

My mood took a steep nose dive recently and it was intense.  Found myself shuffling round my flat head down, heart sinking unable to find appreciation for anything. Despite the gorgeous sunshine outside, a dark cloud was gathering over me threatening to burst all over my floor. Lockdown isn’t a breeze for any of us and just like ‘normal’ life we’re all experiencing it differently - each with our own challenges. Being in solo lock-down can cause extreme feelings of loneliness and a distinct yearning for human touch, yet on the opposite end of the spectrum there are probably people losing their sanity in a tiny space with a moody unsupportive partner.  These are just two examples of the infinite human experiences happening all over the globe right now. It is testing us to our max socially, politically, emotionally, economically on and on in every way, individually and collectively. What a time to be alive eh?  So it’s never been more important to look after, nur...

Where I grew up there wasn’t a language for self care and definitely not for self-love. In fact, it was really important you didn’t love yourself, if you did you better not show it or someone’d push you over in those ridiculous boots you’d gotten too big for. Being accused of loving yourself was a legitimate insult, it was hurled anytime you showed too much confidence, were too happy or too free in your self expression. The threat of being tarnished as a self lover loomed like an aggressive dinner lady, ever ready to catch you doing something you shouldn’t be and hauling you off never to be seen again. It meant many of us grew into young adults who didn't know what it meant to even like ourselves, let alone love ourselves – the concept was as foreign as moon rock. It created generations of us with low self worth, low self esteem, and no idea what it is to honour ourselves. But things are changing, as Ru Paul so honestly asks – ‘ “ honey,  if you don't  love yours...