admin and best things

I am part way into a day of pure admin.  Man I am not a fan.  just spent two hours wrestling with receipts and various gadgets and an online app.  Doing it all systematically, but then bits not saving and having to go back through and double check everything.  surely there must be an easier way.  Still.  done now.  MORE to go though!  am using a timer.  I find it helps me concentrate.  25 min bursts of concentrated activity followed by a bit of this n that.  hence this post......

Second break.

The importance of practicing Gratitude

I have slacked off slightly of late, and I miss it.  I have a gratitude buddy and we email each other.  Sometimes everyday (I mean, that's the point).  And when I slack off, its because I have forgotten again how good a practice it can be.  Sometimes when I am gloomy the list gets really long, because I need to really focus on the positives that are out there to get me out of my rut.

And it is a practice.  Something to do often to get better at.  Its a total cliche, but it really helps.

I got a brilliant little book through the post yesterday.   Totally unexpected gift from my brother.

How to Steal like an Artist by Austin Kleon

It has lots of cool things in it.  But today the most cool thing was the idea of keeping a log book.  As a way of tracking the journey.  Not a journal, not wordy wordyness or blog writing.  Just a list of what was achieved.  But in particular the idea of just writing down the best things that happened.  Because often, if we just remember what happened, without asking ourselves what the best things were, we will remember the problem we had to face, or the person that annoyed us, or some such negative thing.  We are like that.  BUT if you instead, ask, "What were the best things" we will remember the good stuff.  And this will make us happier.  And I do love happier. 

So-  hum hum.  The BEST things SO FAR today (its only just past lunchtime, folks)

1. the homemade soup I just ate
2. getting a book I ordered online.  Am looking forward to reading it on the train tomorrow
3. a client who is working our system even though she is on maternity leave
4. Bub's mood this morning.  He is practicing his dance routine all the time at the moment
5. Bub got up and dragged his new sleeping bag into our bed.  He loves his new sleeping bag.
6. my office was tidy this morning.  yaay
7. I finished my expenses (finally!)


So off you go.  What's the best thing that has happened so far in your day?

final assessment. yoga. done.

Done but not yet dusted.  On Saturday I sat a written exam (wow, that's a first for many years!) swiftly followed by a practical teaching assessment.  Us 4 final year students chose a colour and were hence randomly assigned a list of postures to teach. 

I chose green and hence picked what was basically my worst nightmare selection of postures. 

Parivrtta Trikonasana
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana
Parsvottasana
'thread the needle' (??)
Halasana - Salambar Sarvangasana
Supta Virasana

If you know what they are.... even the ones that are 'easier' are my personal least favourites because my body finds them really tricky to do.  Some postures that others find tricky are fine with me and the way my hips bend.  But even Supta Virasana is hell for me. 

I got the poses and my immediate response was.  I think I am going to cry.  And then I did cry.  And it was hell.  Luckily I was third so I had 2 sets of teaching to actually do some Yoga and get myself calmed down a bit, stop freaking out and work out how the hell I was going to teach this, coming from any kind of 'right place'.

I have no idea how I did.  I went for lightness and humour.  To be honest, its not as if your average class is going to find these easy anyway. 

And the damn parivrtta aspect means that you have to work out how to teach it when at some point the class is going to be turning away from you, or you them.......

All I can say of this, is that I did not leave the hall.  I did manage to stop crying and pull myself together to teach wtih humour and lightness.  So much of what I learnt went right out the window as I just focused on  - well....... just doing it.  I really freaked out, in test time panic,  like those nightmare dreams where you have to perfom but you do not know the words.  It felt like facing a fear quite frankly, and if I don't pass, then what the hell.  I did get up and give it a good old go.  I don't think I did anything truly unsafe.  But any finer points of teaching, which I may have brought to the table in postures I felt more confident with, were not there.  At least.  I know how I can teach a posture I know really well, when I am relaxed and fully prepared.  And that wasn't quite it. 

We don't automatically pass or fail.  There is a follow up call, in which we must correct anything we know we got wrong and discuss to the assessors satisfaction any other areas which they feel need discussing.  And this is not immediate.  But...... sigh.  as in phew.  as in I am not facing it again (ha! at least I HOPE not - it can happen!!) I don't think I was consiously aware of how stressed I was about it until it was over.

We followed it up with the most amazingly delicious meal at Terre a Terre, and in the end I  did get a ticket to go see Sutra. I feel quite relieved.  Wow 2 years.  And its over.  Or, it has just begun. 

xxx Namaste xxx

Very excited by this! Empowered Portraits art workshop June 2nd 2013

I am teaching another Empowered Portraits workshop for Big Sunday on June the 2nd.  Just £15.  Big Sunday is a brilliant charity that sets up events to raise the spirits of mums, bearing in mind that if a mum gets to spend time doing something she really loves, then the whole family is lifted.  I love the motto: Fuelling your mothership!!  Its all about self care, putting the oxygen mask on yourself so that you can better take care of those around you......

Anyway. MY workshop delves into art journalling, mixed media techniques, mixing freewriting with collage, paint, and a lot of goldens medium.  We will get messy and engaged and create an artefact that embodies your wishes and dreams, calling what you want more of into your life.......I will be setting up a facebook page about it oh, OK check here for the fb page.

I would LOVE it if you could come.  You can book tickets here  and the other events look really cool too..... have a look at the main facebook page here


taking place on June 3rd 2.15pm-4.30pm

Officreche
52 Dyke Road BN1 3JB Brighton And Hove (click on the postcode to see the map and directions....)
United Kingdom

Sunday, 2 June 2013

Yoga study

I am immersed in study of Yoga. 

Abyasa, Vairagabhyam Tannirodhah. 

Practice and detachment are the means to still the patterns of consiousness. 

Tapah
Svadhyaya
Ishvarapranidanani 

= how to study yoga. 
with

Passion,
self study  / study of scriptures
surrender (to the Universal Spirit / god etc)

Here we go.  Exams next Saturday. 

cant sleep

I went out this evening, drinking wine in a noisy pub.  All a bit too shouty and hard to hear, especially with blocked ears.  But good to see my friends.   And now I can't sleep.  I think I drank just a tad too much wine.  I don't feel very drunk, but I do feel a bit, 'bloik'.  Not quite right in the tummy.  Perhaps it was bad wine.

NO.  no late night ramblings.  Feeling a bit stuck.  I have ideas floating around the corners of my focus at the moment.  I keep thinking I know what it is that needs to be done, and then it drifts off again, by the time I have found a pen or got the means to do some writing.

Not sure what it is I want to be doing.  Ah! one of them was to sort out Bub's room.  Its a right mess in there, through lack of adequate storage.

And I want the house painted.  And the curtains changed. And a new sofa cover.  Time for a bit of reshuffling and getting things done.  That's what. 

 ramling lists of a slightly drunken me......
bunk beds
house paint
lavender in allotment
clearer vision on christmas craft workshops
do I want a camera?
exhibition
do something that scares........
ramling lists of a slightly drunken me......

small things I am excited about

1. I am about to upgrade to an iphone 4.  exciting for me!! my last iphone has been getting slightly clunky and not syncing and blurry of lens etc.  I have scarily high hopes. 

2. I am going to Ibiza on 2nd June.  Late in the evening - eek.  And will be meeting up with old friends Paul, Amanda and Chris who now live there.  Also my brother will be there, and my friend Caroline and her feller JA.  There will be 2 birthday parties and I am going to stay in my time share hut!!

3. I am buying time shares in a hut in the garden of Hidden Bar Ibiza! (owned by Amanda & Chris) Meaning I just HAVE to go and visit more often!

4. Today I am off to visit The Ceramic House.  Part of Brighton Festival and Artists Open Houses.  My friend Kay lives there, decorated it and is curating an exhibition of international ceramic artists.   Exciting!

5. Brighton Festival.  Its always a bit exciting even if I never get to go to as many things as I think I am going to go to. 

6. My Yoga Teacher Training FINAL EXAMS.  Maybe 'excited' isn't exactly the right word..... but I am going to use it because i prefer it to any other that I could be using.  In one week and a few hours my official training will be over (bar any disasters!).  Whether or not I pass we are all going out for a meal at Terre a Terre and then to see Sutra.  A yogically appropriate Brighton Festival excursion.

7. Going to see Iron Man 3 in 3D tomorrow. 

Hi there

So.  Its been a few days.  I was up in London and working.  And now I am back.  And still working.  And still snotty as it happens!! ha ha! but feeling much much better.  Woo hoo.