The Street Child Games 2016: the volunteer experience

To anyone who is friends with me or who follows me on any kind of social media, it will come as no surprise that I have spent the last few weeks in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It will also come as no surprise that my purpose for the trip was to volunteer at the inaugural Street Child Games with Street Child United (which so many of you kindly sponsored me for - thank you so much!). Judging by my Instagram feed it was a jolly ol' trip and I had a great time. However in reality - as is so often the case with social media - there is a much deeper tale to tell. Yes, I had a really great time - it was hard not to working with such a wonderful bunch of young people, SCU staff members, and my amazing fellow volunteers. But it was also rather hard work and a very eye-opening experience.

Before I launch into sharing my experience, you may be wondering: "but why is a wellbeing blog talking about volunteering?". To which I would answer that volunteering your time and love to others is not only a very worthwhile use of our skills, resources and time, but it is also good for you (not that we should need this excuse!). And don't just take my word for it, according ICM research in 2004 nearly half of all volunteers (47%) they asked said volunteering improved their physical health and fitness. The research also show that volunteers felt less depressed (48%) and less stressed (63%) by taking part in their chosen volunteer role. Find out more here.

In terms of yoga, volunteering fits nicely into the karma yoga ideology: yoga of selfless service. And this definition leads me nicely on to introducing my fellow SCU volunteers. Each of them relentlessly, passionately, and selflessly carried out their volunteer duties throughout the whole ten day period. These are not people who volunteered to get something back - they quite clearly volunteered out of love and a sincere hope that we were doing everything we could to ensure that the former street children were the stars of show. We carried tonnes of water to and from various locations, we played volleyball in the pouring rain, we were the enthusiastic welcome committee, we cheered until our throats were coarse, we did our best to coach beach football, we got sunburn, we sweated (a lot!), we put up banners, we created flags, we served food, we clapped our hardest, we sung Shosholoza as loud as we could, we were high-five machines, we laid out hurdles, we timed races, we marched to samba rhythms, and we smiled the entire time. We had an amazing time, but my goodness was it tiring!

Some of my amazing fellow volunteers at Sugar Loaf, Rio de Janeiro

But did the tiredness matter? Of course not. We were there to support the amazing project leaders and SCU staff to create a platform for the voices of street child ambassadors to be heard. We were joined by 31 former street-connected children from 9 different countries. This event was theirs, and quite rightly so. For too long street-connected children have been routinely ignored and denied their basic rights. The amazing young people who joined us spoke eloquently and passionately about their rights, took part in some wonderful arts activities, and strongly competed in the inaugural Street Child Games at the stunning Urca athletics track (where we even got to see Fluminense FC train one day!). Most importantly they created the Rio Resolution  - a document in which the young people discuss the issues they face and the rights they demand, with particular attention to legal identity, protection from violence and access to fair education. On Friday 18th March, the young people presented this document to city officials, national governments and the United Nations. Please find out more about the Rio Resolution here. 

The Street Child Games at Urca. Image by Kylie Milne

Another huge part of this experience was staying in the community of Babilônia favela in the Leme part of the city. From the outset of the event it was clear that the community supported the SCG being based in their community - SCU t-shirts could be seen on taxi drivers, restaurant waiters, children, shop keepers and hostel workers - they wore our logo with pride and very quickly became part of the SCU family. We were split between 3 hostels - the young people and project leaders in the one at the entrance of the favela, and the volunteers in two nearer the top. We were made to feel incredibly at home. 

Babilônia is one of the safest favelas in Rio - along with Vidigal - very little trouble occurs there. The police and the community seem to coexist with little trouble. However whilst we were there we were faced with the unnerving uncertainty of the reality of living in Rio. For 3 consecutive days there were spurts of gunfire near the top two hostels. This is unheard of for Babilônia and it was clear that the community was shaken. No volunteers or anyone related to SCU were hurt, but there were sad reports of a few local deaths. According to one of our local sources, there are two well-established drug gangs in the city of Rio (each with their set territory), but recently a third has started to rear up and this is causing trouble in some of the most peaceful parts of town. Sadly it seems that Babilônia was their next effort. Despite everyone we knew of being safe and well, this was still a hugely eye-opening experience. I've never heard uncontrolled gunfire in real life. It was rather scary, but equally enabled us to see a glimpse of what it could be like living in some of the more dangerous favelas in Rio, helping us to understand just a tiny bit more as to what some of the young people may experience. 

Another eye-opening moment for me came at the famous Lapa arches. They are a Rio landmark, and are often visited by tourists. However it's also a prime spot for being smacked in the face with the reality of Rio's drug and homeless problems. Living under the arches are some of Rio's crack addicts. It is a heart-wrenching sight to see. We were there to support a local children's shelter, and they provided an amazing display of capoeira and samba for the SCG young people to experience and to join in with. Part way through the event a female crack addict joined the dancing. SCU is all about arms-wide-open, but it was such a sad thing to see. Her dress had ridden up and her backside was completely on show; she quite obviously wanted to dance with us, but her rhythms and movements were so disconnected and distant from the beat of the drums that she stood out for all the wrong reasons. Crack is a terrifying and nasty drug. 

To lighten the mood a little before I sign off, another of my duties at the SCG was to teach yoga to the volunteers who wanted to take part at the start of each day. It meant getting up rather early (sessions were 6-7am!), but it was the perfect way to start the day. As you may have noticed, there was a lot to take in each and every day, and yoga was the perfect way to start the day to ensure we had the focus and energy to do our best. And the sunrise was just incredible! Definitely worth the early starts!

Sunrise yoga overlooking Babilônia favela

I apologise for my whistle-stop account of the last few weeks, but there is so much to say and I don't want to bore you with an essay. If you are interested in learning more please do comment below or email me at lucyvicjackson@gmail.com. If you would like to support me further I still have a little bit of fundraising to achieve and I would be grateful for a donation of any size! This is my JustGiving page. 

The most important messages I would like to share with you are as follows: You are Somebody. You are important. Everybody is Somebody. Your words and actions are important. You deserve love and respect, and you should give love and respect. We are not in this world just to live separately from others, we are here to connect and to help one another grow. Show kindness and compassion. I'm not telling you to go and live in a favela, but what I would like to urge is that you show love each and every day in your own way, in your own community. Only then will the world be a better place. Love wins!

Love & light. Namaste y'all! Lucy x

Baby, you should go and love yourself

2015 was the year I became a Belieber. I didn't think it would ever happen, but as soon as Love Yourself hit the radio I knew I just had to buy the album...and now I'm hooked! But as much as I love that song (and I really love it!), the line "Baby, you should go and love yourself" highlights a big problem for me. It implies that loving yourself isn't a good thing, and reiterates how it's ingrained in our psyches that to love oneself can sometimes be perceived as negative.

If you read my January post you'll notice that I'm all about encouraging self-love. It's something I've struggled with for a long, long time (and to be honest still do), and I know I'm not the only one. So let's explore this further: why do so many of us find it hard to love ourselves? Or if we do why is it such a bad thing to vocalise it? 

LOVE <3 image source

It seems to be that self-hatred has become more socially acceptable than self-love. When we hear someone say "oh I look so bloated today", "don't look at my bad skin", "my hair is a mess" etc, our initial response is one of compassion and we instantly say something to build them up and put aside their self-criticism. We show empathy and we see them in a positive way.

However when we hear someone complement themselves or speak positively about themselves (a rare occasion), we are taken aback and often respond with thoughts of "wow, you must love yourself" - and this is often not meant kindly. It's not our fault. It's how we've always been. Perhaps it's a bigger problem in British culture as we are somehow programmed from a young age to over-apologise and self-deprecate (we do say "sorry" a lot!). And because we don't internally approve of this in others, it is no doubt much harder to internally approve of ourselves too. 

But this attitude must change. To love yourself is not the same as having an inflated ego. Inflated egos are not attractive, whereas self-love is. There is a huge difference between the two. Self-love is about knowing you are worth your love, being kind to yourself, and appreciating all your wonderful goodness. An inflated ego believes it is the most important person in every situation and that it is the centre of everything. I'm not here to put down inflated egos - we're all on our own journeys, working through our own messes, and I have no right to pass judgements - but I think it's really necessary to point out that there is a BIG difference. Realise this and hopefully you can begin to shift your thinking: it is okay to love yourself.

In yoga-speak I'd like to introduce you to one of the yamas (ethical codes) of yoga: ahimsa, meaning non-violence. Of course this means non-violence to others, but ahimsa also means non-violence towards oneself. The reason for this? Everything is OM. Everything is One. If you are violent towards yourself, you are indirectly being violent towards others. So really, according to yogis, it is your ethical obligation to love yourself ;)

You are enough. You are enough. You are enough. You deserve your love as much as anyone else does. Once you learn to love yourself, you'll find it easier to love others too. Love cultivates more love! It's a pretty good cycle to be in! And it's a crucial part of being Beautifully Healthy, inside and out. 

Need some tips on how to actually learn and grow self-love? Check out my January post to learn more. 

I'd be really interested to get your thoughts on why we find self-love so hard and your tips for combatting this thought process. Please do comment to let me know!

Love & light. Namaste,

Lucy x

Forget New Year New You ~ 2016 is all about New Year Love You

I am sick and tired of the phrase "New Year New You". It implies that the old You isn't good enough and needs to somehow be replaced. Not only is this damn silly it's also downright impossible. You will never be "New". You are a complex being that has been formed by your experiences and thoughts, you are constantly evolving and developing, each and every part of your body, mind and soul is a beautiful myriad of your life so far, and no matter what you do this can never be made "New". And why would you want to be? Why would you want to erase everything your body, mind and soul has learned and achieved over the years? When you really stop and think about it I'm sure the answer is that no, you wouldn't want to.

And please believe me when I say you do not need to be made "New". You are exactly where you need to be at this exact moment in time and you're doing a wonderful job. Yes, it is more than likely that over the years you've picked up bad habits and have neglected good ones, but this is no reason to believe that you need a "New You". So let me present you with a new phrase that I believe everyone should be using: "New Year Love You".

I believe that one of the main reasons many of us get into bad habits - smoking, eating unhealthily, neglecting to exercise, drinking too much, not sleeping enough - is because we don't have enough self-love to truly believe that we deserve looking after. Please don't misunderstand me when I say this - no, I don't believe that just because you smoke you don't love yourself, or just because you get drunk every Friday night you don't think you're worth it - but what I do believe is that more often than not we develop these habits out of carelessness. We think to ourselves "oh, I only have one crazy night a week, it's a treat to myself after working so hard, it can't hurt". But times that by 52 days a year (plus a few added days for birthdays and the festive season) and you begin to realise that actually, maybe it can hurt. There will be people who drink / smoke / overeat because they don't care enough about themselves, these problems are common and these people definitely need self-love and are most likely aware of that; but those of us who develop bad habits without even realising must also wake up and notice that we must show ourselves more love.

So what does loving yourself look like? In my opinion it is feeding the body nourishing and wholesome foods, drinking plenty of water, sticking to a regular exercise routine, getting enough sleep, allowing yourself time to rest, making time to play, doing your best in your school/work life, not being too hard on yourself, knowing that sometimes it is okay to treat yourself, and laughing on a regular basis. Yes, this list can seem a little long, so here are 8 simple steps I've put together to help you achieve this.

1. Make you own personal mantra and repeat it to yourself on a regular basis. This can be anything that is personal to you and that will help to remind you to cultivate self-love. For example: "I am perfectly imperfect. I'm doing the best I can. I deserve my love as much as anyone else". Put a few simple words together, write them down wherever you like (your phone, your fridge, your bathroom mirror), repeat them to yourself often, and you will begin to believe them.

2. Build in quiet time. Whether it's a quiet cup of tea at the start of your day, listening to your Headspace app on the tube, or making time for meditation, try to schedule in at least 5-minutes of quiet time every day. This time is for you and you alone. By spending time with yourself you learn what you need to look after yourself.

3. Set your exercise routine and stick to it. Now is the perfect time to set yourself an exercise routine. Check out your local gym, check out local yoga / Pilates / dance / boxing teachers, have a look at sports teams you may want to join, Google boot camps in your area - basically have a look at anything that might interest you, try a few different things out, and then commit to settling on a routine by the end of January. Once you have it set that Tuesday morning is yoga, Thursday evening is bootcamp, Saturday morning is Zumba, and Sunday you have a nice long walk, then you'll find it much easier to stick to your routine. Maybe even find a buddy for each activity to help keep each other motivated. Whatever you choose just make sure it's something you enjoy so that even when you least feel like going you'll still show up because you know you'll have a great time once you're there.

4. Be organised with your meals and snacks. Take a little time each weekend to plan your meals for the following week. Commit to eating a healthy, wholesome and delicious breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then make sure you that you have all the ingredients you need. There are so many pieces of advice I could give on this section, however I'll have to save it for a couple more blog posts else this will become an essay, but when I'm looking for healthy meal inspiration I find people like Madeleine Shaw, Mel Wells and Deliciously Ella particularly helpful. They take the attitude that diet is NOT dieting, diet is all about ensuring that your body is getting all of the nutrition it needs to function properly, and this means eating well, healthily and happily.

5. Schedule in water breaks. If you're like me then you'll often forget to drink water (I don't know why but I just find it so hard to remember!), and if this is the case be sure you schedule in regular water breaks (even put alerts on your phone if it helps!). Half an hour before each meal it is advisable to have a good glug of water, and the benefit of this is that you'll also eat less as we often over-eat when we're dehydrated.

6. Set yourself a bedtime in the week and allow yourself at least one lie-in at the weekend. I don't really need to explain this one as I'm sure you've realised by now how important sleep is. When you don't get enough sleep you feel rubbish. Both our bodies and minds rejuvenate and recover as we sleep, so why deny yourself of this? Sleep is amazing! Find your optimum number of hours and give yourself this gift each and every night.

7. Work hard play hard. When we work hard we achieve results, and when we achieve results we feel good about ourselves and realise our worth. But we also must give ourselves time to play. I know lots of people work so hard that they don't allow themselves enough time off, and this is also a sign that we need to show ourselves a little more love. A night in with friends, a trip to see our favourite movie, a weekend break in the countryside, going to see an exhibition, doing something really silly like bubble football or paintballing, taking a well-earned holiday in the sun - whatever it is, make sure you take time to do it and enjoy it. Life is short, you never know what's around the corner, so do the things that make you happy with the people who make you smile. You deserve it.

8. Know when to treat yourself. Yes it's good to stick to a healthy eating plan and regular exercise routine, but if you really fancy a few squares of chocolate on a Friday evening then eat it, if you enjoy a nice glass of red with your Sunday roast then drink it, if you've been doing too much cardio and your body needs a restorative yoga session then do that instead. It's no new notion that life is about balance, so be healthy but also know that this means treating yourself from time-to-time. Life isn't about rules, it's about enjoying the process of looking after ourselves so that we can make the most of our time here.

So out with the "New" and in with the "Love". You are exactly where you need to be right now, all you need is a little extra love. So forget being "New" and just focus on loving "You".

And of course, as a yoga teacher I believe that yoga can play a huge part in self-love, so if you live in the Berkshire area and are interested in finding out more about my classes then please don't hesitate to contact me. I can be reached on lucyvicjackson@gmail.com or you can check out my website.

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a love-filled 2016!

Namaste, love Lucy x

Delicious Autumnal sweet potato & carrot soup

The days are noticeably shorter, the weather is positively Autumnal, and the trees are shedding their gorgeous golden leaves. Autumn is definitely in full swing. And I'm sure you're feeling similar to me: lethargic, a little low on energy, and having to use every tactic possible to keep those Autumn bugs at bay. (They nearly got me earlier this week but I think I've managed to fight them off with good food, lots of ginger and lemon tea, and early nights!).

But fear not! Eating well and listening to your body can do wonders to help you stay fit and healthy during the Autumn and Winter months. One of my greatest weapons in helping me do this is soup! And in particular this gorgeous sweet potato & carrot soup. I can safely say hands-down that this is my favourite soup of all time. It's absolutely delicious, nourishing, full of vitamins, filling, and soup-er easy to make (sorry...terrible pun!).

I first stumbled across it on Madeleine Shaw's website about two years ago, and since then it's been a failsafe recipe that I've come back to time-and-time again.

Ingredients to make 5-6 bowls:

3 sweet potatoes
3 carrots
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 crushed garlic clove
1 chopped onion
500ml veggie stock
Chunk of raw ginger (I added this to the recipe for even more tummy-loving goodness!)
Flaked almonds & pomegranate seeds to sprinkle on top

To see how Madeleine does it click here. 

My method is pretty much the same:

1. Prep by peeling & chopping your onion, garlic cloves, ginger, sweet potatoes & carrots (I always leave the skin on my carrots for extra goodness!)

2. Pop the chopped onions into a pan with coconut oil & a pinch of salt for 5 minutes

3. Add the sweet potatoes & carrots and sauté for for 3 minutes (keep stirring!)

4. Add the veggie stock & chopped ginger and allow the ingredients to simmer for 30 mins

5. Once the sweet potatoes & carrots are completely softened the pan can be removed from the heat, and whizz the ingredients into a purée using a hand blender.

6. Sprinkle with flaked almonds and pomegranate seeds for extra protein, texture and taste

Serve and enjoy! 

I really cannot recommend this recipe enough, so if you're feeling like Autumn is doing it's best to bring you down then definitely give it a go. 

Also to help you stay Beautifully Healthy this Winter remember to keep exercising (I will be bringing you a special "firing up" yoga practice to help you heat up during the colder months...watch this space), drink lots of warm drinks & water, and keep nourishing your body with good quality food - plenty of vegetables and fruit! 

Let me know if you give this recipe a go :)

Love & light! Namaste y'all. 

Lucy x

You are BEAUTIFUL

Here's a (condensed) list of things I hate about my body:

My wobbly thighs
My bingo wings
My sticky-out tummy
That squishy bit between my armpit and my arms
My skin
My big boobs
My (sometimes double) chin
My unshapely bum
That muscle above my knee

The list could easily go on, but you get the picture. As I'm sat here writing this it's actually making me quite emotional thinking about all the bits I really dislike about my body.

But here is a list of things my body has allowed me to do over the years:

Endless hours of yoga
Running a half marathon
Swimming 1.4 miles in the sea for The British Heart Foundation
10 years of gymnastics
Skiing every year since the age of 2
Netball at county and 1st Team University levels
Representing my school in Athletics, Netball, Hockey, Tennis and Swimming

Again, the list goes on, but you get the picture. My body has been key to helping me do things in life that I love. I run regularly, I have an active job - sometimes teaching yoga 4 or 5 hours a day, I do my own self yoga practice, and I generally eat healthily. I am beyond lucky that my body is fit and healthy - it has allowed me to do so much, and yet I treat it with so much disdain, disappointment and hatred. I know I am far from alone in these feelings and IT MUST STOP.

My body allows me to do the thing I love most 

We must stop doing this to ourselves. We are all beautiful no matter what our body size, shape, skin colour, gender, disabilities, illnesses - there is not one-size-fits-all for beauty, and neither should there be. It is our differences that make us beautiful.

Body image is a hot topic of conversation at the moment even in the "celebrity" world. Everyone from Gigi Hadid to Robyn Lawley to Ashley Graham have all had something to say about it in recent weeks. Gigi defended herself against negative comments on social media, Robyn wanted to highlight her stretch marks just a few months after giving birth, and Ashley is tirelessly campaigning to show women of all shapes and sizes that they are beautiful.

So it seems that even the women who are known for being "beautiful" feel as though they have to fight such negativity. And the worst part? It's our own fault. We do it to ourselves. How many times on a daily basis do you put yourself down for the way you look? If you're anything like me you'll be up in triple figures!

Okay, so it's not all our fault. It has actually been this way for thousands of years. I was mesmerised by a recent YouTube video: Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout History. It shows that even in Ancient Greece there was an ideal body type for women, and although the "Ideal Body" has changed dramatically over the years, the poisonous sentiment that there is an "Ideal Body" sends shivers down my spine. How can we narrow down beauty to such few physical assets? The word shallow most definitely springs to mind.

And although it's something I know less about, this isn't just a problem for women. I know many guys who are tough on themselves for what they look like. They feel the pressure to be strong, tall, muscly. Often taking steroids and pushing themselves to extremes to achieve "The Body".

But please don't misunderstand me - equally, just because someone does fit into the ideal of beauty, does not mean that we should put them down either. No one should be put down. We should all be celebrated exactly as we are - slender, athletic, curvy, disabled - we are all beautiful both inside and out. Our bodies are walking miracles and we should learn to appreciate them as such. You can breath. You can think for yourself. You can do amazing things with your bodies. They allow us to experience pleasure, pain, fatigue, adrenaline, achievements - without them we would not be able to experience this crazy thing we call life.

We need to learn to open our eyes and our minds beyond the preconceived notion of a "beautiful" body. There is not one type of beauty. All types are beautiful. All types are equal. You can appreciate the beauty in all of your friends and loved ones - they don't look the same, do they? So why can't we appreciate the beauty in ourselves? You are beautiful too. I promise.

Image source: Pinterest

I know this hasn't been my cleanest piece of writing, but it's a topic that deeply upsets me, and when you're so passionate about something it can be hard to clearly communicate what you really want to say. You may be thinking "how can someone who sees themselves so negatively write about positive body image", and my response would be: that's exactly why I'm writing about it. I'm fucking sick of being so mean to myself, and something must be done. We must learn to see ourselves positively. Time is too precious to waste on negative emotions, especially when they make no sense.

I'll end by saying this: love yourself. Work on your relationship with yourself. Be kind to yourself. You are BEAUTIFUL.

Love Lucy x

A little update...

So I've been a little quiet this month...I had some really great posts planned, but it's been a ridiculous September so I've had to save them all up for October! (Good things come to those who wait ;)). It's been a test of endurance - I'm now on my 25th day straight of teaching! - but I've learnt so much and have taught so many amazing classes, so I'm feeling very humbled and blessed.

Here's a quick little round up of the progress and lessons this month:

1. I have a fuller teaching timetable with lots of exciting new classes added. Check out the Weekly Classes page on my website if you're interested in having a go at any of my new classes.

2. I'm super excited to share with you that I've had my first article published online!!! (At least my first one that isn't published on my own blog!). The piece is all about finding the right yoga style to suit you, in the hope that it will help to untangle the mystery around the huge array of styles on offer. The piece is called: Ashtanga or Hatha? Bikram or Yin? Which yoga style is right for me? And can be found on the VITL website here.

3. Persistence and hard work pays off. Despite this month being pretty exhausting I've absolutely loved every second of teaching and connecting with lots of new students and teaching establishments, and slowly but surely it feels as though everything is beginning to pay off...so keep going, keep working on your dreams, and keep working hard!

4. I've also added a new photo gallery to my website, and am developing plans to make some tutorial videos to create a video gallery and YouTube channel...! Stay tuned!

5. Always be grateful, especially when things get crazy! I'm learning to find those moments of peace in amongst all the craziness and to use them to rejuvenate and too look after myself. I've definitely not perfected this yet, but am aware that it's something I need to stay conscious of.

So...looking ahead to October...what's next? In terms of teaching I'm continuing to build on my new classes and am so lucky to be teaching some amazing students - thank you so much for your energy and support so far - please keep being as amazing as you are! But in terms of my blog I have a couple of articles in the pipeline that are really topical and I'm really excited about...the main one next month will be an article discussing body image and how we MUST change our perception of our bodies. 

Until then I hope you enjoy this beautiful sunshine we're having! Long may the Indian summer continue!

Love & light! Namaste y'all <3

Love Lucy x

Be fearlessly, authentically and unapologetically You

If you were anything like me in your teenage and young adult life you spent much of your time comparing yourself to others, wishing you were someone else. Someone always had nicer hair, was prettier, was skinnier, was better at sport, had a better singing voice. I wasn't good enough at anything. And not only that, I very often tried to change myself to be like those I thought were better than me. I'd try to copy their hairstyles, I'd try to lose weight to be skinny like them, I'd wear clothes that didn't feel comfortable, I'd adapt the "cool" words they used, I'd agree with opinions I didn't believe in - all because more than anything I wanted to be someone else. I didn't want to be me. And it was an exhausting and miserable time.

As a health and happiness warrior I probably shouldn't admit that sadly, even now in my mid-twenties after various sessions of Cognitive Behaviourial Therapy, countless yoga classes, and completing yoga teacher training, I still compare myself to others more often than I should. I don't have a high flying job, I don't own a house, I'm fatter than my friends, they're prettier than me, I'm generally not as good as other people...but I try to stop myself there. I try to stop the negativity and comparisons, and although this doesn't always work it does help to take control of my thoughts, to step outside of my own mind, and to mentally check in to what I'm doing to myself. Stay with me on this, it's not all doom-and-gloom - there is hope; I no longer change who I am or what I'm doing to fit in with others or to try and make myself feel better. I have learned that changing who I am is not the way forward. It is counterproductive and ultimately fruitless.

So although I still compare myself to others, and although I often wish I was different to how I am, I have learned to accept that I am Me and no matter how hard I try I will never be someone else. Since accepting this I have slowly learned to see that actually our differences can be our greatest assets. Imagine a world where everyone looked the same, thought the same, acted the same - I shudder at the thought. Our differences make this world interesting and varied. Your differences make this world interesting and varied. My differences make this world interesting and varied. Together we make up this crazy, beautiful, fascinating race we call humanity. You are part of that, I am part of that. And we should all learn to accept, love and be kind to ourselves for being exactly who we are.

There will only ever be one You. No one else in the whole entire world - past or present - will be You.  Only You will walk Your journey. Only You can do exactly what You do. Only You can be You. One of my amazing yoga teachers in India - Steph - was the first one to really get this message through to me. She was teaching us a gentle evening vinyasa flow overlooking the Goan ocean, and the intention for her class taught me more about how important it was that I was Me than any therapy session ever has. I don't know if it was the setting, the fact I'd been forced to turn a mirror to my soul during weeks of yoga teacher training, or simply that Steph has an amazing way with words and the world's biggest heart - but her words entered my wounds like none had managed to before and in child's pose I just burst into tears...

Despite having a lot of hurt in my past surprisingly this was the only time I cried on my teacher training (I had expected to cry loads!), and my reasons for crying at this particular message were simple: 1) I couldn't believe that I'd spent so much of my young life hating myself and putting myself down, and 2) I was utterly relieved that I finally understood that it was okay to be Me, and that I didn't have to waste any more time wishing I was someone different. I have been put in this world, exactly as I am, for a reason - and if I run away from that then not only am I doing myself a disservice, but I'm also not taking up my responsibility to the world. Only I can do what I am meant to do. Only you can do what you're meant to do. You just have to be brave enough to stop comparing, stop wishing you were someone else, and to fully embrace yourself exactly as you are.

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” 

~ Dr Seuss

The world needs you to be You. Not some version of you that is diluted by falsity and polluted by self-hatred. Yes, I am not perfect, you are not perfect, but NO ONE is perfect. And no one ever will be perfect. Why? Because we're human. And that's what makes us beautiful. Our humanity. Our differences. Our uniqueness. 

I'm not going to pretend that since that moment in Steph's yoga class I have completely accepted who I am - I still have my wobbles and moments where I compare myself to others (mainly nowadays it's all about how I look rather than who I am) - but on the whole I am much more accepting of myself, and when I find the negative thoughts creeping in I am much better at putting a stop to them. I remind myself that being horrid to myself brings about more harm than good. It is wasted energy. I'll then think about something positive I've done, or something I like about myself, or just a situation that's bringing me happiness. And following this cognitive pattern helps a lot (something I did learn from all those therapy sessions!). 

Even if you're in a headspace where you just can't be kind to yourself, try to remember that actually it is your ultimate responsibility to be You. If you shy away from that responsibility then you are denying the world of You. You are special. And you were made to be You, and to share your Youness with the world. We all know the phrase "No man is an island" from John Donne's poem. No matter how hard you try, you must and will impact this world in some way on a daily basis. Every action, every word, every moment you are impacting someone or something. So do it as You. Do it as your purest, truest self. This is your responsibility. 

And once you can see this I hope that you can reach a headspace where you can accept yourself, appreciate yourself, and ultimately love yourself exactly as you are. You may not believe me the first time, you may not believe me the second time, you may not believe me the millionth time, but I will make it my mission in life to show as many people as I can - and yes, that's You too - that they (and You) are worthy, are amazing, and are imperfectly perfect. 

So be Fearless. Be Authentic. Be You. 

Love & light. Namaste y'all <3

Lucy x