Filed under: Personal, Starting our business, Therapies, Yoga | Tags: therapy, Yoga
I found my way to my first yoga class 10 years ago, whilst searching for some pain relief. Back pain was plaguing me and I was trying every treatment going. Initially I found my weekly yoga class very demanding and when it came to lying in savasana for relaxation, it was excruciating to lie on my back. I stuck with it and over time the pain eased. Or did it, I am starting to wonder whether practising a Iyengar / Sivananda / Astange style classes was actually detrimental to the long term health of my spine.
From that first class, something took hold that has not left me since. After a few years of attending yoga classes, I went on to do an intensive two week astanga teacher training course, followed by a Hatha yoga diploma, a pre/post natal certificate, a Sivananda yoga diploma, perinatal yoga diploma with Birthlight, kids yoga and yoga therapy training. Clearly it is not going to leave me alone. So, what about actually teaching in earnest?
Ten years on, being aware of my physical weak spots, my yoga practise has changed dramatically, I have gone back to basics. My recent learning on the Yoga Therapy training course has opened my eyes to how Yoga can help with certain ailments, whether that is back pain, high blood pressure, asthma or arthritis to mention a few. So this is where my teaching truly begins. Only now do I feel all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place, now I need to teach in a new way so I can continue to learn. I aim to reach out to people who can really benefit from a regular yoga practise who may think yoga is beyond their abilities.
Filed under: General, Personal, Starting our business, The calmness of life, The Farm | Tags: Bliss, calmness, Countryside, Dreams, edinburgh, farm, Manifestation, massage, Perth, Perthshire, scotland, Yoga
We have found ourselves visiting Perthshire several times this year and each time we are taken aback by its beauty. It is breathtakingly beautiful, its stillness is blissful. We are feeling ourselves being drawn there more and more. Is this where Hectors Farm will take root? It certainly feels right at the moment. Having loved the seaside since childhood, I find myself drawn more and more to woodlands. Maybe there is nothing to be blown away by the sea air anymore, but rather there is much to take root. It is a very exciting time, but also a little frustrating as we are wanting to shake off our old life, particulalry the work one and move away from working and earning to living and earning, NOW! Hectors Farm has taken form on a mental and emotional level and it is starting to slowly manifest into physical form too. Balancing the old life while the new one takes shape is our biggest challenge right now. It often feels like the old life has too strong a hold to be left behind and we find ourselves dragged back into it from time to time. Impatience and frustration are not helpful energies. Absoloute faith in our vision is our driving force. We are painting the picture of our future and bringing it alive, sending out a clear message of intent, so the universe can meet us half way.
“Divine love forsees everything and richly provides everything now” From The Divine Laws of Prosperity, by Catherine Ponders
Filed under: General, Personal, Starting our business | Tags: calm, edinburgh, gratitude, kindness, massage, Meditation, thai massage, training, treatment, Yoga
I’m in the middle of training to become a Thai Massage practitioner at the moment. I only discovered Thai massage about a year ago but was instantly hooked on how fantastic I felt after it. I find the calmness you get from a treatment is wonderful and the fact you also get the benefits similar to those from a yoga session is an added bonus.
As a part of the training I have to produce some case studies; meaning a free massage for friends and family. Being new to the area, I don’t have a huge circle of friends to offer this to so I posted an advert on the web to offer free sessions to anyone willing to be my receiver. I was quite happy to give the sessions for nothing since it is going to benefit me is the way I see it. I got a few replies, but not as many as I expected, I presume some people believe you get nothing for nothing. In the end though I have offered it two two ladies from the local area who seemed friendly and polite in their responses.
I’ve had a few sessions with them now, working through the parts of the treatment which I’ve learnt so far. They have both been absoloutely wonderful receivers and have given me great feedback, helping me to improve. What I think I’ve got the most out of doing this though, is how nice it feels to just give something like this. I went into this aiming to do it to help me with my training, which of course it has, but the feeling it has given me from offering this has been warming.
The meditation I personally get from performing the treatment is very grounding; I always feel amazingly calm and collected afterwards. The response from the people who are receiving though gives you a nice sensation , knowing you are giving them something which they completely enjoy and how they relax as a consequence really lifts me. Their gratitude afterwards is also worth any effort involved.
I’m really glad I’ve had the opportunity to do this. The learning I’ve had from the Thai Massage is great, but I feel like I’ve experienced something more as a consequence.
Filed under: Starting our business | Tags: edinburgh, Farmers market, Hectors Farm, soap, superfoods
Hectors Farm is starting to take shape, slowly but surely. The product list is coming together. Soap production has been a success so far, our Superfoods have been finalised and supplier identified, packaging supplier found, samples in the post. A pitch to the farmers market completed, the wheels are in motion.
So we are now stood at the bottom of the mountain, eagerly ready to start our climb.
Filed under: General, Starting our business, The calmness of life | Tags: calmness, edinburgh, fear, happiness, summer, sunshine
What a difference a little sunshine makes? Here in Edinburgh the sun has come out with a smile on its face today and is expected to work its magic over the weekend. We’ve had a busy week and taking a little time for ourselves over the weekend is going to feel like a very indulgent luxury, but worth every moment of it. I’m looking out of the window now and can see the early morning sunshine already covering everything in its happiness. The smile on my face reminds me of how good you feel when lovely days like this come along.
Some of the seeds we’ve planted began to sprout this week, which has been hugely encouraging. We are both feeling wonderfully confident in our new life but also recognise we have some work to do yet. Step by step though it is coming to life in front of us and we are both sure, more than ever, that we are doing the right thing. We talked last night about how it is difficult to leave the corporate world behind and see yourself living a life how you want to live it, how you feel you are meant to live it and not according to the way others condition you into living it. It feels liberating but also scary too, overcoming those fears of leaving behind what isn’t right for you is getting easier in small pieces, but it is still something there to be overcome. We are off into the garden now to enjoy the Sunshine together. Enjoy your weekend!
