5 of my favourite things!

Family, Friends, Pilates, Yoga & Holidays.

I’ve had a super year so far which began with celebrating New Years in Nerja, Spain in the traditional Spanish way and of course Pilates on the beach on New Year’s Day.

I love holidays. The mix of r & r, activities, sharing the experience with family and friends are what holidays are all about.

My friend Carol is my Yoga buddy and we are on our way to completing 500 hours of Yoga, we already have over 200 plus hours already under our belt! We are having so much fun learning, meeting new people and catching up with Yoga friends we have met over the years.

In April I attended my first British Wheel Yoga Congress. What a weekend! Super informative and fun teachers, made new friends, great venue, weather amazing and above all the weekend was planned with great execution. This was swiftly followed with a wonderful weekend of Yin & Yang with Simon Low at the tranquil Bore Place, Kent. Every day began with a yang style class to strengthen the body and awaken it’s rhythms and then the study and practice of restorative and Yin Yoga with supportive somatic movement enquiry. When I returned I shared what I had learnt and experienced with the 2.00pm Wednesday Yoga group that I teach weekly. They now love Yin Yoga.

Go Ape - Thank you to the PATS Pilates team for getting me through this challenge.

As BWY Buckinghamshire County Rep I hosted the first In Service Training Day (IST) event of the year at the beginning of May. Exploring the Energy Body and Self Inquiry with Billy Doyle. He provided us with an opportunity to listen to our bodies and experience it moment to moment with energy and space. In the relaxing environment, we all benefitted by exploring the difference between spontaneous and manipulation breathing and took great delight in the tea break to discuss our experiences. The day was informative, friendly and enjoyable. Everyone who attended came away wanting more! Thank you, Billy, and all who attended. 😀

Meet my new friends who live at the House of Bruar, Pitagowan, Blair Atholl, Scotland.If you are up in the Highlands do pop in

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Morecombe Bay, Eric and Gormley - I love walking, especially the Pilates way! 3 Kilometres later I saw the spectacular 100 cast iron life size figures of sculptures of Antony Gormley on Crosby beach they were spread out along foreshore, stretching almost one kilometre out to sea. I had a moment, stood still and breathed whilst looking out to sea. The serenity in that moment was blissful.

At the end of May, I had an inspirational week of Applied Yoga as a therapeutic tool to heal with Zephyr B. Wildman at Yoga Campus, Islington. The week involved an exploration of the structural alignment, anatomy, muscles and functions utilising yoga asana, pranayama, kriyas and basic massage techniques. The philosophical and practical approach to working therapeutically with people’s injuries, ailments, mental health, chronic pain and addiction. The additional knowledge I acquired I found it extremely useful in my teachings. You can never stop learning!

One of the greatest gifts of life is friendship. (Pilates, Palermo, Sicily – June)

Sri Lanka - July - A beautiful mesmerising, magical, colourful, vibrant, tropical island

A very special person told me that “happiness comes from within and is found in the present moment, by making peace with the past and looking forward to the future.”

I shall treasure the present moment and welcome what lies ahead with my family and friends.