80’s/90’s awesome sauce mega yoga,pilates,aerobics, dance party

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It’s the mega party to kick start 2019 with a bang. A combination of yoga, pilates, old skool aerobics, some choreographed danced moves (that you’ll pick up easily).

This is the event we’ve been waiting for – the trilogy of the last two events held at Semi Pro Brewing Co, and yes they’re hosting us again and it is going to be RAD!

So grab your leotards and leg warmers coz this event is dress up my friends, and there is even a prize for best dressed.

Date: January 12 2019

Time: 10:15-11:30

Dress Code: 80’s or 90’s awesomeness

Where: Semi Pro Brewing Co – 69 Manilla Street East Brisbane.

Cost: $30

(includes – a rockin 80’s/90’s fitness party. I’ll provide the moves you just need to show up smile, follow along, and add your own flare. A take home memorabilia for all guests. A small magnificent beer from Semi-Pro. A cheese & fruit platter to finish. A whole load of fun).

No yoga, pilates, dance experience required. This is a super fun event for all ages and fitness levels. Do a little or do it all, it is up to you.

Sorry no refunds for the event but you are welcome to transfer your ticket in the super sad occurence that you are unable to attend.

MOVE – MEANT

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Movement!

Our bodies are meant to move, they are designed to move well and they are supposed to move often.

The next time you get up from your desk after a prolonged episode of sitting – feel how tight, stiff and sore your body feels, then sit back down and look at the angle of your legs.

It is no wonder when our legs are in a 90 degree angle for the majority of the day; at a desk, in a car, on the couch – that when we get up to stretch our legs…..

….. our calves feel tight, our hammies are tight, the glutes are sore, your back aches and your shoulder and neck hurt from being hunched over all day……

I get it – I have been where you are, and I have been there when I went back to a desk job after teaching – which was 100 times worse, after moving so often to being stationary.

Our bodies are meant to move.

If you don’t move often you will cramp up.

If you don’t keep moving your joints through a full range of motion as you age you will lose the ability to use these joints – sounds scary doesn’t it?

Well it is!

I used to do some remedial work with an elderly lady as years of inactivity had literally rendered her muscles useless, she couldn’t open her hands and could not get up out of bed without assistance.

If you want to be able to open jars, reach things up high (unless you are a short ass like me) squat down to pick things up or even do up your shoes, you need to move before it is too late.

I know for some people (heck even me sometimes) the thought of going to a gym is as desirable as watching paint dry – so find what you love, dance in your loungeroom, try something new, or try a different instructor.

Not to toot my own horn (ok just a little honk ) I recently had a lovely comment from a man new to my yoga classes, telling me that he hated yoga before, but loves it now due to the unique way I teach.

Now do not get me wrong – my style is not for everyone, and that’s ok.

Find an instructor you click with who makes you feel joyous about what you do and you will want to do it more often.

Work out what it is you love, and if it is dancing around while you cook – then do it – boom – make your meals and burn calories  – that’s a double thumbs up in my books.

Think outside the box and don’t be afraid to try out some new things, but most importantly move move and move some more.

x

 

Make it happen!

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Simple yoga flow to release old trapped energy and let in the new, including open heart poses and comfortable seated poses to allow for stillness & visualisation.

The event will incorporate movement and stillness and is suitable for all fitness levels.

We will move the body, challenge the brain by focusing on visualising our goals for 2018 and coming up with simple plans to put this into practice.

Rest the body and brain with some relaxation.

Cost includes yoga, notebook, pen, coffee or tea and a bliss ball and there will be some fruit and chocolate to keep the energy levels up 🙂

This is your time to make it happen!

Buy your ticket here 

Tranquilskies keep cup holders enter code coffee for $5 discount

A celebration of Fitness

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Join me for a night to remember.  As we celebrate all things fitness. Combining yoga, pilates,  and a few power moves.
Held at the historic & heritage listed Springhill baths, where brightly coloured doors encircle a crisp & inviting pool (and we have the whole venue to ourselves).

Behind each coloured door is your individual change room – inside each door is your goodie bag (valued at over $20)

But it’s outside where the magic will really happen.

I will be guiding you through a series of exercises (both in and out of the pool), a fun journey through the ages of fitness.

Before social media was a beast of comparison, ladies wore pantaloons for swimming & lollies were a sixpence.

Just as Arnold Schwarzenegger was pumping iron, Jane Fonda was high kicking her legwarmers onto our TV’s we will be moving  through the times, in a most special way.

The choreographed shenanigans will get the heart rate up, we will splash our toes in the pool with reckless abandon, before jumping in and cooling off.

This is all about movement, laughter and fun.

This is a celebration of fitness and joy.

This location is one of Brisbanes best kept secrets – now the secret is out – don’t miss your spot!

This is an event not to be missed!

No refunds on cancellations less than 24 hours before the event!

Ticket purchases through Shop

Are you balanced?

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Are your workouts balanced?
Take a moment to stop and reflect on the way you work out; how often and the intensity.
Do you stretch often?
Do you stretch at all ?
To get the most of your fitness it is important to have a well-rounded and diverse range of movement.
If you want to avoid things like hip replacements in the future you have to put your body full its full range of movement.
Quite often we tend to just move our body in the same way, and don’t get me wrong, any movement is better than no movement, but our bodies are meant to move through a full range of movement and this is often overlooked.
Take a moment to think about the way you move, and take a moment to ask yourself honestly – do you just focus on the things you are good at, and avoid the things you struggle with?

Hands up – I am guilty of this!

As we age, we seize up – sorry but it is true – move it or lose it !

We need to lift weights to help with our bone density.

We need some cardio to get our heart rate up.

We need to stretch.

Think about what you focus on and what you neglect.  Where do your priorities go?

It’s not too late to add in some extra things to your routine, or change your schedule a little to give yourself a more holistic and well-balanced healthy fitness lifestyle!

Step one – taking that honesty check in –

Step two – we’ll focus on this shortly.

x

Capture the daylight – find the magic

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The last few months I have been juggling a communications job, while still teaching yoga, pilates and body balance.  It has been hectic and I have felt tired and stressed.

Finding the time to write with a clear mind has been challenging to say the least.

My communications job and teaching job could not be two worlds further apart.

Instead of writing (even though it pains me to have put it on hold) I have been focussing on finding beautiful moments in the edges of my days.

Capturing moments of fresh air and daylight.

 

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I have discovered that when I can live outside these two worlds, when I can sit and enjoy the edges of the day, that is when the magic really happens.

Where possible I will get ready for work even three minutes earlier and using those three minutes to sit outside and just breathe.

What has been getting me through is taking a ten minute walk at lunch time, or leaving the office in time to see the last fifteen minutes of a sunset.

In the edges of the day, surrounded by nature, my brain is momentarily clear and focussed.

I can write my class plans, I can reflect and I can re-energise.

In the edges of the day that is where all the magic happens.

To those of you who have been reading my blog when I have not been updating nearly as frequently as I should, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

x

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I am a yoga instructor and here are my truths

Sometimes I awake at silly o’clock at times to teach a class, I boil the kettle and jump in a quick wake up shower.

Occasionally I internally battle with my NEED for morning coffee.

Occasionally hearing my yoga teacher in my head (let’s protect his identity and call him Mr M)  telling me how bad caffeine is, I have read the studies and he is an intelligent guy so I am pretty confident the studies and he is right.

Yet that voice is always quickly quieted by the louder “get out of the shower so you have time to slam that morning coffee down” voice screeching at me from under the soothing refreshing water pouring over my head, calming me from the evil alarm that made me want to forget about the Ahimsa Yama and instead of being a non violent person, sometimes I just want to punch that beeping alarm in its beeping face.

I lapse into a happy serene daydream under that shower, momentarily forgetting the world, blissfully euphoric under a cascade of soothing water, until the screeching coffee need inner voice returns with a jolt yelling “now you idiot- get out now!”

So I reluctantly get out of the shower I throw on my yoga gear, I almost never do my hair, yogis don’t do hair and makeup right – we are natural and beautiful and content with our natural beauty.

Riiiiiiight?

Hellllllooooo????

Anyone?????

Now don’t be too shocked I do smear a bit of moisturizer and sunscreen on my face –  I’m not an animal.

Anyway where was I?

Coffee/Yoga
Yoga/Yamas
Yoga/Coffee

Anyway coffee…..

That beautiful liquid that allows me to regularly practice Ahimsa and be non violent to myself or others 🙂

See I also practice Satya as you can see my the many truths revealed in this story.

Yes I slam my coffee down – I say slam as I couldn’t possibly set my alarm 5 minutes earlier to allow me to sip my morning coffee like a civilized human.

I eat a tiny bit of toast normally with peanut butter that nine times out of ten I am wiping off my pants during the journey to class – Don’t ask I am as baffled as you are!

I race to my class feeling tired and slightly disheveled.

I am sometimes still angry at my alarm for making me wake so early – I have forgotten all about the 4th Niyama – non judgement.

I arrive at class, I roll my mat out and a strange peaceful calm transcends over my body.

I step onto my yoga mat and sit peacefully awaiting (secretly hoping) (sometimes worrying) that someone will actually turn up at this ungdly hour.

The people file in they are subdued, undoubtedly as tired as me.

I smile at them knowingly, I smile at them compassionately.

I smile, as being a yoga instructor is the most rewarding fulfilling job I can have imagined myself living. It can also be a lonely world as a self-employed instructor so I smile for me, for the simple fact that I am sharing my space with another human.

I smile in appreciation that they too got up early for me or for themselves, they choose my class out of all the many classes and I feel honoured.

I smile as for that next hour my life exists purely for them – my thoughts are no longer my own, my being is a vehicle to inspire others, to motivate, to exist for them and them alone.

My thoughts, doubts, fears, insecurities, excitement, preoccupied dreams can be mine again maybe ten minutes after class but for that moment and for every class that I teach, my thoughts are not my own.  For during this time, I practice and I honour all the Yamas, the Niyamas, prana, I honour my teachers, I honour myself and I honour each and every person in that room.

I am an instructor I am watching people grow; mentally, physically and emotionally.

I momentarily feel silly for my alarm induced rage.

My feelings of tiredness have vanished.

I am ok with my decision to drink coffee (sorry Mr M) I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink excessively, I don’t even eat a lot of meat I am mostly a vegetarian without even being vegetarian.

I am kind to others and I try to always be kind to myself.

I believe in energy and I vow to beam all the positive energy I have inside out of my heart and into my students.

I am a coffee drinking yoga instructor I sometimes have crazy hair and I always have awesome yoga pants.

I am a loving yoga instructor who loves life, who loves to help others and chooses to hate nothing except for alarms.

I am a walking contradiction of mayhem and calm.

I am a yoga instructor and these are my truths.

 

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Breathe in, Breathe out and escape

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When life starts to become hectic, as it always will; sometimes we need to just stop!

Stop and find solitude.

Inhale  new peaceful calm energy.

Exhale the drama, the negativity, the pressure, the tension.

Sometimes you just need to let go and escape.

After what can only be described as a hectic crazy year, I am doing exactly that, I am escaping for 2 short weeks to London.

I am running an event there to help others escape so if you live in London and you need a little break, then check out the events page of this site and let me help you escape through yoga and mediation to relax, to take some time out for you.

For those not in London, I hope you can find some time in your busy lives to find some inner peace, to find solitude and happiness.

You owe it to yourselves.

x

 

The storm before the calm

~ excerpt from a journal written last month on a 4 day yoga retreat~

I am currently into day 4 of a 4 day yoga retreat. I am currently into 2 or so hours of a 4 hour requested silence.

It is morning, it is cold in the shade, so I sit in silence with the sun warming my skin.

All around me are tired little yogi’s reflecting, struggling to be quiet, loving the silence; I don’t know.

All I know is how I feel, and how I feel is emotional.

What I can’t figure out is why.

Being alone is nothing new, being silent and alone with my thoughts is a frequent and welcomed practice for me.

Yet being amongst 50 other people moving about not saying a word is definitely something new for me.

These past 4 days have pushed me mentally, physically and emotionally – I can’t even say why, but I can say that I feel we all need to step outside of our comfort zones several times in life, in order to feel more, be more and achieve more.

We NEED to experience some storms before the calm, the storms help us to appreciate the calm times in life.

We need to push the outer limits of our learnt and habitual behaviors.

As one of my teachers said (and is a favorite quote of mine) ‘if we keep doing what we have always done, we will keep getting what we have always got’.

I believe that nothing great was ever achieved by sitting comfortably, and not stepping outside your comfort zone.

After every storm the dust settles, the rain clears and new life is felt. You can literally feel it in the air, that change,that freshness, that vitality.

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Could we perhaps not say the same of ourselves; we go through hardships, the dust clears, the metaphorical storm clouds disappear and we survive and feel re-born, re-awakened.

We emerge stronger, more resilient.

If we are constantly surrounded by chatter, can we ever find our own words?

If we are constantly filling the silences with noise, will the noise in our heads continue to grow?

If we don’t embrace the storms, will we ever be able to appreciate the calm?

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As I said, this was written in my journal over a month ago now, and without really knowing why, I opened my retreat journal this afternoon, and as I read over my words I am amazing at the timing.

Last week was a bit intense and emotional for me, and it would appear I was not alone.

Sometimes we really do receive and read things at the exact time we are meant to, and even though these words came from me, they have helped me by re-reading them today, and my heartfelt wish for anyone reading this who is also in the midst of a storm is to trust that this will pass, the calmness will re-appear and know that you will emerge stronger than ever before.

Xxx