I was lucky enough to spend last weekend on a yoga retreat in Cornwall, run by my yoga teacher. I knew the yoga was going to be brilliant, because Tina is an awesome teacher and I love the way she teaches. Being able to practice yoga two or three times a day was a real treat, and being on the receiving end of a massage was pure luxury! We did yoga on the beach and in the garden, in the sunshine. There really is something special about yoga outside. I took myself off for a coastal path run, on the Sunday during some free time, another 3 miles of the South West Coast Path covered! It is so important for me to have alone time, and this was ideal self care for me.

We did a great Yin yoga session before bed on one of the evenings (if you haven’t tried Yin yoga before, I’d highly recommend it, I’ll write more about this another time). Tina read an extract from a mindful practice book; and set a challenge for us to simply look up. To notice what is above you.  To spend a day looking up more than you do. It’s an easy and interesting mindful practice to try. In fact I challenge you to try it.

Since the retreat, I’ve been looking up, and really noticing. I watched the clouds clearing, revealing the blue sky on Monday morning; hopeful and pretty.  In town I looked up and actually saw buildings I’ve walked past numerous amounts of times. I saw a roof-top garden I’d never noticed before. I saw a bird of prey circling, maybe watching it’s prey. It’s a really lovely experience.  However, I have also noticed where I need to dust too!!!

I tried it when I was running the coast path on Sunday, when it was safe of course. Looking up sometimes filled me with a bit of dread, seeing the “mountain” I had to climb next!

 

Mountain!

Looking up can sometimes feel you with dread!

The point is though that you take the time to look, I mean really seeing and noticing. Try it today. Take a moment every so often to look up, and notice. I’d love to hear what you really see.

Thank you for reading x