You have to try this!

Do you have a list of coping strategies? I do. The one I LOVE, probably the most, is Yoga. I love love love it! This year I went on my first yoga retreat in beautiful Devon with an amazing teacher. It came the week after a big charity run that I did in May, so I was tired; mentally and physically, I needed rest and a reboot. It definitely provided me with that!

I’ve done lots of yoga classes in the past. My yoga teacher on the retreat was simply fabulous. I’ve always been afraid to do headstands and handstands. That’s natural right? As an adult you don’t go upside-down too often……it’s not normal! I was told by another teacher that being upside down can help you face fear! I like that! I’m up for that! So this is what I try and do at least once a week. I’m getting there. Still a bit banana-like, but practice practice practice.

I’m not quite confident enough to do it without the wall just yet. There is something quite invigorating about doing the handstand!

My absolute newest, brilliant-ist (I’m a massage therapist not an English scholar!) discovery is the lavender eye pillow. OMG. Amazing. It obviously doesn’t work with handstand. In Shavasana (corpse pose, the one at the end!) it’s divine.

So often in Shavasana your mind can drift, or you fall asleep. But having an eye pillow covering your eyes is something else. The comforting weight the pillow makes you relax, the scent of lavender makes you relax. It makes you feel grounded, safe, it lets you be totally in the moment.

I’ve recently found a new teacher, who is lovely. I love the way she teaches. She has introduced me to the eye pillows in Shavasana. At the end of each session she gives you a pillow to put over your eyes. She only gives you a pillow that coordinate with the colour that you are wearing though!  It feels so good. Honestly……try it….I defy you to love it.

I am thinking I might just try and make my own pillows. I have loads of lavender growing nicely in the garden. Its just rectangles of material filled with lavender and flaxseed. How hard can it be to make them? I’ll let you know how it goes!!

It has to be great for meditating too! Definitely try it out and let me know!

Namaste my friends x