It’s been a while since I shared. My biggest news that I want to share with you all is that I am now spending a few more months of the year on the island of Ibiza, a decision that I made last November. I had been spending time here on and off for a few years now as I love the nature and the beauty of the island and also it’s only a short hop over from the UK.
Last Summer I felt strongly that I was ready to leave London and decided to find somewhere quieter and in nature and this beautiful Balearic island, off the coast of Spain draw me in. The traveller in me always enjoys finding magical places in the world and at least for now, Ibiza feels like home.
I first discovered the White Isle in 1985 on a yoga retreat and felt a strong connection to it even then. I feel so grateful that I’ve landed back here to live all these years later. I have to say it’s been has been a fairly easy and smooth transition as I have still continued to run my retreats in different parts of the world, with Ibiza making a fantastic base to come home to.
Earlier this year, between the months of February and June, I taught retreats in 6 different countries - phew! It was a phenomenal journey incorporating some of my favourite locations, from the stunning Southern coastline of Sri Lanka to the splendid hills of Northern India, as well as to the North of Spain and gorgeous Kefalonia.
Travelling around the world, living and teaching in exotic locations is a big part of my life. I have always loved getting away to somewhere beautiful and probably always will, but I feel now that I am living in that beautiful place all year around! So I am planning some retreats and workshops from the magnetic island of Ibiza soon. If you haven’t experienced the real Ibiza yet and the stunning nature here then I hope you will take the opportunity to join me in the future.
This brings me on to say that during these last few months I’ve taken the time to be still and reflect on my work, the things that I love and that I offer. Something has become very clear and it’s that I really miss you, my friends and clients.
Over the many years of teaching yoga and mindfulness I have met some exceptional people and made some deep, long-lasting friendships. This has been an enormous support to me, especially as I have lived in several countries over the years, haven’t married and chosen not to have children. These connections are like family to me. So I’ve decided I want to start sharing more with you, including through my website and writing blogs again. Hence me starting with this one!
While I love teaching yoga, I feel I want to incorporate other aspects of well being into my work more too. Mindfulness, as always, will remain a strong focus as I find more and more how we need it for a healthy mind. Mindfulness has become increasingly popular over the last few years which is great to see and I am interested in working more specifically around mental health issues. I’ve also been doing some meditations out in the wild nature of Ibiza and I will be recording some of these to share with you in the coming months.
I’ve been a yogi for the last 25 years but one of my challenges recently has been that I notice my body isn’t as flexible as it used to be. I remember in the early days of my yoga practice I would spend several hours on my mat before breakfast, lost in my practice. Now I feel I need to spend more time gently stretching before I get into any actual yoga postures. I see that as I get older naturally there is change and its okay.
I am drawn to working more with women over 40 as this is what resonates with me now. So these are some of the areas I hope to start sharing and connecting about more. Topics around aging gracefully, menopause, finding your purpose, forgiveness and gratitude to name a few. As well as of course yoga, meditation and wellbeing overall.
Also coming up in the next few months is my next yoga and mindfulness retreat which is at the luxurious, heavenly Sri Devi Retreat in Sri Lanka from 25th January-1st February 2020. This is one of my favorite places, a stunning hidden gem where monkeys swing through the trees and the sound of wildlife in the mornings is pure paradise. This place is especially close to my heart as I’ve worked with the owners, Wim and Ulrika to develop the venue over the years as a yoga retreat and I’m proud to say the standards are exceptionally high.
I am offering a huge discount on this year’s retreat, as an encouragement in taking the plunge when it feels cold in England’s Winter. So, if you are able to book and pay your deposit before the 31st November, you will receive a £150 discount per person for this unforgettable experience.
On a final note I have just spent 10 days trekking in Nepal to the world’s highest lake at 5020 meters high, it was just incredible! Next October 2020 I will be collaborating to create an adventure retreat in Nepal.
This is so exciting as the Himalayas have been special to me ever since my first travel experience when I trekked across into Pakistan from India, at just 22 years old. So stand by for more details on this in the future.
I am really looking forward to connecting with you all much more in the coming months but for now, I wish you a wonderful Autumn and hope to see some of you in Sri Lanka!
