The importance of R & R

When was the last time you gave yourself time for some real Rest & Relaxation? For many of us I think the answer will be "I'm not sure...". Somehow we've created a society where we're always busy, always doing, never just allowing ourselves to just "be". We feel we must always be seen to be filling our days - working full time, exercising before or after work (which overall is a positive thing, but sometimes we can take it too far), always filling our weekends with socialising, making sure our homes are unrealistically clean and tidy (again, not a bad thing, no one wants to live like a slob, but sometimes we should cut ourselves slack), and trying to keep up with the Joneses. In fact if we're not "doing" many of us feel guilty. The internal voice begins to say "I really should be doing something right now...".

Those of us who have found yoga, meditation and mindfulness often do find it a little easier to let ourselves just "be" from time-to-time. We make time in our week to practice "being", but more often than not it can be too easy even in these times of "being" to let our little internal voice start creeping in..."when I get home I must put the washing on...WHY did I say that to the boss today?!...what do I need to organise for tomorrow?..."

For so many of us our minds are always in the past or the future, often oscillating between the two, and we drag our bodies from A to B to C. We rarely, properly, RELAX and REST both body and mind. But what if we did? What if we took time for some real R & R? AND didn't feel guilty. In fact we loved every moment. Well, this was my challenge on my recent holiday to Crete with my boyfriend. In the weeks and months leading up to this holiday I had been working my ass off (big time!). I love my job, and I'm always teaching others to take time for themselves, but it's something that I rarely get a chance to do myself. It was time to practice what I preach. (And when you have your own business this is even harder!). But I knew I had pushed myself almost too far, it really was time to rest and relax...

The holiday could not have come at a more perfect time. In the first three weeks of June I taught as many (if not more) classes than I usually would in a whole month. I was happy, but exhausted both in body and mind. The journey to our holiday wasn't the most restful (thank you traffic and the stress / sadness of the referendum result...), but as soon as we got to our hotel at around midnight local time, our heads hit the pillow, no alarm was set, and I immediately settled in for a week of R & R....

It was pure bliss to wake up the next day in our own time, knowing that we had zero responsibility. We had no plans other than to enjoy each other's company, to lounge on the beach / by the pool, and to eat and drink whatever we pleased. Now I'm not going to launch into a long description of our week, this isn't a post about going on holiday, but what we did do was completely relax and rest. I did take my yoga gear and running shoes with good intention, but the most I did all week was 15 mins in the mornings of yoga in my pants, doggie paddling in the pool, and strolling alongside the ocean. We took one boat trip and ventured out of the hotel one evening to eat at a divine restaurant (if you go to Crete I HIGHLY recommend Votsalo in Gouves - best restaurant EVER!), but aside from that we did sweet F all and had the most wonderful week. I have never felt more relaxed, more rested and more happy (we laughed a lot!!) in my whole life.

And aside from picking up a cold on the plane home, I can tell that this week of R & R has been a much need boost for both my body and mind. It's like magic. I now feel more positive, more energetic, more full of love, and I'm bringing those vibes into my teaching and daily life.

But our holiday only comes around once or twice a year (if we're lucky, some years we must go without). And yet we know we need more of it. How else can we build R & R into our daily lives? Well lucky for you I've had a little think and here are some of my ideas...

SCHEDULE R & R

Actually plan it into your day / week / month / year. Maybe even write it into your calendar. And never, never skip it because you end up being too busy. If you really have to miss it at the time you had planned, make sure you move it to the not-to-distant future. It is essential for your health and wellbeing.

PLAN IT

So you've set time aside...but what will you do in that time? Some of us find it impossible to just sit and meditate, and that's okay, but what else can you try? I suggest the TV should be avoided as a form of R & R...this might be controversial but mindlessly sitting in front of a screen is not resting that will rejuvenate you (the same goes for our phones). Reading is a good option (but not anything to do with your studies if you're a student! This is time to rest!). Mandala colouring books have recently become popular. Taking a gentle walk. Spending quality time with a loved one over a cup of tea and really checking in with one another and listening to one another. It doesn't have to be complicated, in fact it's imperative that it's not, but just find a simple relaxing scenario and commit yourself to it for your scheduled time.

TREAT YOURSELF

Of course we'd all love to treat ourselves on a regular basis, and for some of us we can, but if you're a bit strapped for cash (as I am!) then it can feel impossible to justify spending money on relaxing... If this is the case then you must acknowledge to yourself that this time is integral to your wellbeing and you deserve to be WELL. And things don't have to cost a bomb. Some things are even free - e.g. going for a walk in the forest. One obvious way is to treat yourself to a spa day, and of course these can be super expensive, but they don't always have to be if you do some research... for example a Time Out Monday - Friday spa experience at Nirvana in Wokingham is only £35 for 3 hours of pure indulgence!

A less obvious option may be heading to a sound therapy session such as a Crystal Singing Bowl or Gong Bath experience. My good friend and fellow yoga teacher Chloe Watts does regular Gong Baths in the Berkshire area, you can check out her upcoming events here. They aren't pricey and are a really incredible way to spend an hour - on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, listening to beautiful and indulgent sounds. Pure bliss!

So these steps are all very, very simple, but sometimes all we need is someone to remind us that we are allowed to rest and to almost give us permission. So just in case you need it, permission from me: YOU are special. YOU are must look after yourself. YOU are allowed to rest and relax. YOU are worth it (sorry L'Oreal!).

Or course I fully understand that all of this gets much more difficult once children are thrown into the mix, but all it takes is a little more planning and some communication with your partner. Acknowledge that you both need time to rest and work out a tag-in tag-out situation where you both get your time. And if you can make time to also rest together - grandparents / Aunties / Uncles / older siblings and cousins are there for a reason!

Do you have any further tips on how to make sure you get your R & R? Or any other ideas for R & R? I'd love to hear them!

Love & light beauties!

Lucy x

25 life lessons in 25 years

Today I have officially been on this planet for 25 years. Two and a half decades. That's a quarter of a century. And yes, I know, that's halfway to 50 (yikes!).

25 is an age where you're not so young that you can get away with acting like a student all the time, but equally you're not quite old enough to warrant being an fully fledged "adult" all the time. It's very much an in-between stage - for most of us by this stage we've left education and have got our feet on the employment ladder, but at the same time we're still figuring out exactly where we want to go - constantly questioning our life choices up until this point and whether we're on the "right" path.

It can be quite a pressured time, the Quarter-Life Crisis seems to be a real thing nowadays, and it can be hard to know exactly what you should be doing with your life at this stage. Luckily I think I've prematurely had my Quarter-Life Crisis - over the last year I have completely transformed my life and changed my path - all that change is a little overwhelming, ridiculously exciting, and has given me the inspiration to be a little reflective. It encourage me to think about what I've learned over the years, and what's important to me now, so I thought I'd put together a little list of life lessons that mean something to me. I hope you enjoy reading them, and that they reassure you that age really is just a number, it's more about who you are as a person, how you feel in yourself, and how you interact with your world. So, without further ado, here are my 25 life lessons:

1. Love wins. This is my most important life lesson and I'm putting it as number one so that if it's the only one you read in my list I'll be happy! Love wins in every situation. It's always better to show love than any other option; whether it's with your family, friends, colleagues, strangers, enemies - if you love then you can't lose and you'll always go to bed feeling content. <3

2. Never stop learning. As geeky as that makes me sound it actually keeps life pretty exciting. Look at every new day as an opportunity to learn new things and you'll never be disappointed. We will never know everything, and that's okay, but I sure want to learn as much as I can in the time that I have.

3. Patience really is a virtue. Sometimes being patient is hard, but in recent years I've done my best to practice being patient when the urge for impatience arrives. I'm waiting for a bus and it's not arrived on time - the younger me would become agitated and annoyed that the bus is going to be late, but now I try to breath and to focus on the positive, such as it means I can stand for a few more minutes out in the fresh air. It's a really small mind-shift but it makes a massive difference to everyday life.

4. If you want to dance, dance. If you want to sing, sing. If you want to cartwheel, cartwheel. Basically if you want to do anything that is an expression of your happiness, of your true being, then do it! The other day I was finishing up a really good workout in the park, and I got a sudden urge to cartwheel down the hill on my way home - the sun was shining, I was feeling super happy, so I just thought f*ck it, did a cartwheel, felt even more happy. #noregrets

5. Surround yourself with people who genuinely care about you. Do not worry about spending time with those who bring you down. Life is too short to spend time with people who drain you - you deserve to have people around you who care, who make you happy, and who are there to help build you as a person. Do not feel bad for ditching the drains.

6. Family and friends first. They are the ones who raised you, who know you inside-out, who will always love you no matter how much of an idiot you can be sometimes. Love them, show them gratitude, and always put them first.

7. Always show compassion. There is always someone in the world who needs your compassion. You never know what people are going through, so be kind, be there, and be compassionate. If you do this for others I can almost guarantee that they will do it for you when you need it most.

8. Look after your body. "You only get one body, you better look after it" - Papa J has often said this to me, and as cheesy as it sounds, he is 100% right on this one. You really do only get one body - one home for your soul to live in - and so to me it's a no-brainer that we care for our bodies as much as we can. My rules are: sweat at least 5 times a week, eat healthily (but don't deny yourself the odd treat), always wear suncream in the sun, drink enough water, get enough sleep, and exercise your smile muscles regularly.

9. Embrace change. Nothing stays the same in life. It is constantly changing. Therefore it is always best to accept that nothing will stay the same, but no matter what happens in life know that you can and will adapt.

10. Travel as much as you can. One of my favourite sayings goes something like this "spending money on travelling is the only spending that will make you richer" (I'm not sure if that's quite right, but you get the gist!). It is so true that travel enriches our lives - it challenges us, it introduces us to new cultures and ideas, it excites us, it inspires us, and ultimately it changes us. I've yet to meet a single soul who has regretted travelling, and that's because it really is one of the most amazing gifts you can give yourself. This is an AMAZING world we live in, go and explore it!

Me, some of my beautiful yoginis & our mate on the phone in Kerala, India, 2015

11. Practice an attitude of gratitude. We all have many things to be grateful for: waking up each morning to a new day, having the capacity to breath, to feel, to live. Anything on top of this is a bonus, and I am so fortunate to have many things on top of this to be grateful for. Always be grateful and appreciate what you have.

12. It's okay to make mistakes. And boy have I made a few in my time! We all make mistakes - it's part of our human nature, and is essential for our growth. But the most important thing is that we learn from our mistakes, and use them as opportunities to improve.

13. Push your boundaries. Get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Only by doing this can we grow and learn that we are capable of much more than we ever could have imagined. Face your fears and beat them - I promise it'll feel damn good when you do!

Falling out of an inversion, Bermuda, 2014

14. Never take yourself too seriously. Life is too short to take yourself seriously, it only ends up causing anxiety and stress - so let it go, relax, and smile! If I mess up or do something totally stupid I used to feel so embarrassed and would close up, but now I've learnt that it's okay to look like a wally sometimes - after all if you can laugh at yourself in these situations, then others will laugh too, and you're bringing some happiness into their day.

15. Always look for the positive. And always be positive whenever possible. Bad things will happen in your life, you will suffer pain, you will feel grief, you will face challenges - but it's how we respond in these circumstances that will help to build us. Something positive can always be found in the negative, you might just have to work that little bit harder to find it. Buddha once said: "Every experience, no matter how bad it seems, holds within it a blessing of some kind. The goal is to find it." Wise words Big B.

16. Everything is OM. In non-yogi terms this means that everything, everyone, every being is inextricably linked. We are all one. Each and every little thing you do and say will have repercussions  on other beings. Throw a plastic bottle in the bin - you're adding to the waste we create, and ultimately to pollution. Smile at a stranger - you brighten their day and you never know what difference that might make. Give a friend advice - you may well change their course of action. It's the butterfly effect. We are all connected. We are all one. Everything is OM!

17. Be humble. But never undervalue yourself. Too many people in this world are either too proud or under-confident. It's very hard to find the right balance.  Being humble is super important - no one appreciates a boaster - but equally be quietly confident in yourself and your abilities so as not to undervalue yourself. You are important, but so is everyone else - we are all equal.

18. Take time for yourself as regularly as you can. To be the best version of you, you must take time for yourself. I do this through my individual yoga practice - I try to practice outside of the classes I teach at least 5 times a week - of course as a yoga teacher this is essential to help me deepen my own practice and to practice what I preach, but it also provides me with time to just BE. I spend time with myself, check-in with how I'm feeling, and show myself a little love. You are super important, so make sure you're looking after numero uno!

19. Follow your dreams. Do what makes you happy. I have learnt this lesson in the most incredible way - by actually following my dreams, and now I'm living them! If something brings you happiness then chase it, grab it with two hands, and don't let go. If you want to do something, do it. Life really is too short to be doing things that don't bring you happiness, so stop spending time on these things, instead use your energy to follow your dreams, and be happy :)

Dreamcatcher, Varkala, India, 2015

20. Don't compare yourself to others. This is one that I still struggle with, but whoever said that "comparison is the thief of joy" really did hit the nail on the head. There is always going to be someone who seems to be more intelligent than you, happier than you, prettier than you, richer than you, more successful than you - but by comparing yourself it's likely that you'll just make yourself unhappy. Try to be strong in the knowledge that there is only one you, you are totally unique, and no one can do you quite like you can.

21. Going out is great, but so is a night in on the sofa! Also under this life lesson comes: wine is great, but so is a cup of tea. Basically 25 is a great age because I still feel young enough to drink too much and go crazy on the dance floor, but equally I'm very comfortable admitting that I very much enjoy a night in watching Netflix and drinking tea!

22. Never accept anything less than you deserve. This is one I've learnt the hard way. For a long time I did settle for a situation that was less than I deserved, but the older and wiser I've become I've realised that I don't have to do this, and that I deserve something better. Too often people settle for less, and this will only result in unhappiness and bitterness, neither of which are healthy. So be true to yourself and know that you do not have to accept anything less than you deserve.

23. Try not to judge. You never know what a person has been through, so try not to judge them until you've walked a mile in their shoes. This is hard to do. It's our natural human reaction to make judgements on people, but actually who are you to judge them? You don't know what they've been through and therefore you cannot fully understand their actions. Have an open heart and make it your responsibility to love rather than to judge.

24. Let go of expectations. If you don't have expectations then you cannot be let down, but if something amazing does happen then you'll appreciate it even more because you didn't expect it! Again, this is hard to do, and I don't think I'll ever fully master this lesson, but it's something I'm going to work at because ultimately letting go of expectations naturally makes us more flexible, more appreciative, and leads to a more exciting and unexpected life.

25. 25 isn't that old! There is still time to enjoy being young, but also to enjoy being that little bit wiser than I was a few years ago...maybe 25 won't be so bad after all!

So there we have it, my 25 life lessons in 25 years. They're in no particular order and there are so many others I could have included. Life is about learning, evolving and adapting. It is beautiful, terrifying, amazing, challenging, unpredictable - and I plan to live it, to feel it, to absorb every single moment. You never know how long you've got so I'm going to make the most of it whilst I'm here, and I hope you do the same!

Thank you so much to all my beautiful family and friends who have supported me, loved me, and inspired me over my first 25 years on this planet - I love you all millions and am so blessed to have you in my life.

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Love Lucy x

You have gifts & talents. How are you using them?

Each and every person on this planet has gifts and talents that are unique. You might be a naturally gifted athlete. You might have a musical talent. You might have a gift for making people feel special. You might have a smile that instantly lights up a room. You might be able to make a really good cuppa. You might be a gifted communicator. You might be a talented scientist finding the cure to cancer. You might bring joy to people through dance. You might be really good with a hoover (something I pride myself on ;)). These are just a few gifts and talents that you might have - there are millions more out there. So take out a pen and paper (or your notes app if you're more digitally inclined) and make a list of at least 5 of your own gifts and talents. Go on. Do it. And don't be shy, we all have things that we're good at and I won't make you show your lists to anyone else, so you can be honest with yourself here.

Have you got your list? Good, you can carry on reading. (If not, go on, make that list - I dare you!). Read over your list. That's a nice little list you have there. You're a pretty awesome human being. Give yourself a nice little hug for your gifts and talents. It's more than okay to be proud of yourself and we all need to acknowledge our good points from time-to-time.

Read over your list one more time with a question in mind: how am I using my gifts and talents? If you're a naturally gifted athlete and you haven't put your trainers on in over a year then think about this. If you're musically talented but your guitar is collecting dust then something is up. If you have a gift for making people feel special but have spent the whole week in your living room watching catchup TV then something is wrong. You get the picture. If you're not using your gifts and talents then my first piece of advice for you is to change that. You have been blessed with these gifts and talents for a reason and your first duty in life is to use them to bring yourself pleasure.

But don't stop there. If you are already using your gifts and talents to bring yourself pleasure, then read over your list again and ask yourself: how am I using my gifts and talents to help others? If you're a gifted athlete but you're just going on that daily run to keep yourself fit then what's the point? If you're a talented musician but you keep your music to yourself then why bother? If you have a talent for hoovering but you only hoover your own bedroom then what good is that doing? Hopefully you get my point. Run to train for a race and raise money for a good cause. Play music in a public place to bring people joy. Help your housemates out by offering to hoover the whole house. Use your talents to bring hope and joy to others.

Use your gifts & talents to spread the love! 

I want to develop this point by celebrating some of my inspirational friends who are using their gifts and talents in extraordinary ways. I am blessed to know a whole bunch of people who use their gifts and talents to really make a difference to the lives of other people, often with little or no rewards. But they do it out of love, compassion and hope, and this is what we should use our gifts and talents to express. So as you read through this little list of inspirational people I am honoured to know, I encourage you to think about how you can use your gifts and talents to serve the world, after all, what's the fun in keeping them to ourselves?

• Vicky Ferguson who uses her gift of overwhelming love and inspirational personality to support the street children of Mombasa through her project Glad's House. 
• All of the team and volunteers at Street Child United - especially Joe, Jo, Karin, Jess, Alex, John, Elisa, and Ruth - who use their amazing array of communications talents, organisational gifts, and huge hearts to work day-in-day-out to ensure that street children are provided with a global platform to be seen and heard. 

Street Child United volunteers in Rio de Janeiro, April 2014

• Garth & Gill Hewitt who have used their talents of music and their gift of love to create support for various causes in Palestine, Nicaragua, and South Africa (to name a few) - you two are inspirational!
• My Mum who has used her gift of looking after children to volunteer for various toddler groups and Sunday schools over the years.
• All of the project leaders related to Street Child United who use their gifts and talents relentlessly and with unconditional love to help street children within their respective communities. You are all incredible.
• Tom Hewitt who has used his talent for surfing to create the inspirational Surfers Not Street Children project in Durban, South Africa. 
• Clarity Coddington who uses her creative talents to consistently inspire children in schools and on the streets from London to Rio de Janeiro. 
• Laura Youngson who uses her gift for science to support The Lightyear Foundation and her talent for enthusing others by making them feel like they can always contribute.
• Chloe Szakacs who is a gifted yoga teacher and is using her talent to provide free weekly yoga lessons for the homeless in her hometown in Canada. 

Chloe who is using her gift for yoga to inspire the homeless. Image source: http://tinyurl.com/nnvgnao

This list is by no means comprehensive of all the inspirational people I know, and how gifts and talents can be used to make the world a better place. But I wanted to share just a few examples with you to show how you can use your gifts and talents to not only bring happiness and hope to yourself, but also to others. Happiness and hope are not meant to be kept to ourselves, they are meant to be shared, and what better way of sharing it than using your gifts and talents to create it?

No matter how big or small your gifts and talents might seem to you, you never quite know how just by using them with love you'll be able to make a difference.

So I challenge you to look at your list one last time. Appreciate the gifts and talents that you've written down. The world needs you to use them. It is your responsibility to think about how you can use them to bring happiness, joy and hope to others. Know what you have to do? Go and do it. 

Namaste y'all!

Love Lucy x