What's the easiest way to fail in making a change to your movement habits? Biting off way more than you can chew (in my opinion).

Sure I can say that I am going to be on my mat at least 1.5 hours every day, seven days a week. But the best way for me NOT to achieve that, is by trying to do it in the first place, from a base line of doing very little.

For something to really shift, to really form new habits, you should devise a plan that actually fits into your life. In this stage of my life (ie. with business commitments plus the responsibilities of having kids and being in a relationship) something that fits into my life relatively easily, I'm more likely to stick with it. And when we have a solid base / foundations that we are doing automatically, it's far easier to then up the ante.

My big goal is to once again have a significant physical practice every day. But that's not feasible for me right now. So rather trying, getting three days in and then missing two and then giving up cause I've already failed, my initial goal is getting on my mat for 10-15 mins every morning, without fail. Firstly 'cause it feels damn good to stretch out your body after you've been sleeping and secondly, it's an achievable change that I can stick to, to ensure I start my day (every day), with some intentional breathing, poses and a calm mind.

So here are a few poses that I base my practice on every morning. Sometimes I add a some that are more complex and I'll practice longer if I have the time and am feeling open or strong. And if I don't feel like getting on my mat at all, these are the ones I do regardless. There is no sitting out when being in the work. And we can all find 10 mins.

I invite you to try these out every morning for seven days. Get your journal out, write down how you feel about it on day one, and again on day seven. The changes might surprise you in that short time.

1) URDHVA HASTASANA (STANDING SIDE BEND)

* Ground down through your feet with even weight

* Take you right wrist with your left hand

* Contract the legs so there's stability

* Draw belly button into spine

* Shoulders down the back, even though you're reaching high with the fingers

* Take a breath in and on your exhale reach over to the right, slightly drawing the hips to the left

* Avoid rolling the top should forward

* Stay for a couple of breaths and com up on an inhale, then repeat other side

2) UTTANSANA (FORWARD FOLD)

* Seperate the feet hip width

* On an inhale sweep the hands up over head and then exhale swan dive all the way forward into a forward fold

* Keep the tummy drawing up and away from the legs (if it touches, no biggy but keep the core muscles and drawing away)

* Grab opposite elbows with opposite hands and allow the head to melt towards the floor

* Keep your knees bent if you are tight and avoid locking out the knees

* Notice how you feel each time you come here and opt for stillness or a little sway side to side, or even a gentle bounce

* PS. Here you also see the reality of my home practice; a 4 year sneaking in and my dog's bum to camera. Enjoy!

3)MARJAIASANA (CAT) / BITILASANA (COW)

* Come to all fours with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees

Gaze begins at the floor below you so your neck it nice and long

* On you inhale, drop your tummy and lift the crown of the head and the tailbone towards each other, imaging you could touch them

* Stay buoyant in the shoulder joint (so no dumping) and reach the chest through the arms

* On your exhale, start to draw the belly up towards the spine, tuck the tailbone towards your chest and look up towards your belly button

* Let the shoulder blades feel like they are wrapping around you in a big hug so there's a little space between them at your back

* Repeat as many times as you like, moving with each breath

4)ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA (DOWNWARD FACING DOG)

* Tuck your toes from all fours and grounding your hands

* With your weight even in your hands and feet, lift your hips up nice and high to create an upside-down V

* You can keep as much of a bend in your knees as you need, there's no need to make your hamstrings scream at you first thing in the morning, just gently work your way to straightening them if you have the space

* Feet are hip width with the heels hiding behind the ankles (that creates a little bit of rotation further up the leg so your pelvis widens)

* Avoid dumping in the shoulders with a strong press into the mat with your hands

* Try turning the armpits to face one another a little but keep the hands where they are ie. don't turn your hand position as you rotate the shoulders. You're aiming to get the sensation of broadening the back

* Hips stay lifted but you don't want to unnecessarily arch the spine, so with your hips lifted try to reach your tailbone to your heels. That should help you find a neutral feeling in the spine

* Tummy is hollowed out like you've taken a scoop out of your belly (so draw tummy to spine and hold it there)

* Your gaze is back behind you so the neck it long and neutral

* Hang out here for as long as you like; either peddling out the legs, or in stillness with big deep breaths

4)ANJANEYASANA (LOW LUNGE)

* From down dog, step one foot forward and place the back knee down

* Check out your front foot and have it underneath your front knee with even weight through the foot

* Keep your pelvic floor engaged and slowly draw the hips forward and down until you feel the edge of your stretch

* Keep your legs engaged to avoid dumping all your weight into your hip joints

* Stay for as many breaths as you would like and then swap sides and hold for the same amount of breaths

* If you are tight / tired keep the hands on the floor, but if you feel like you want to bring a little more heat to the pose, lift the arms and chest up

5)PARIVRTTA ANJANEYASANA (TWISTING LOW LUNGE)

* This is an addition to the pose above

* From low lunge, place the opposite hand on the floor to your front foot (depending how open you feel you can leave you hand under your shoulder or take it wider off the mat - this allows you to open up your front body a little more)

* On an inhale, lift the opposite hand to the sky and you can turn your gaze to follow your hand if your neck feels spacious (sometimes in the morning it doesn't so be mindful!)

* Keep reaching as if to create space in your shoulders

* On your out breaths you can twist a little deeper if it feels good

* Keep your legs engaged and grounded with your tummy drawing in

* Hold for as many breaths as you like and repeat for the same duration on the other side

* Sometimes I like to move a little in this pose to feel my way around my hips and shoulders so have a play if it feels inviting to you too

6) BALASANA (CHILDS POSE)

* I like to finish with this one to ground my forehead as I feel really centred afterwards and ready for the day

* Come to your knees, big toes touching and knees wide apart

* Sink your hips back to your heals and melt your chest towards the earth while you try to soften your inner thighs down also

* Walk the hands out nice and long so you feel a stretch / spaciousness in your arms, shoulders and back

* You can choose to stay here, or walk your fingers over to one side to get more sensation into your side body. Just make sure you repeat on the other side too

* Grounding the forehead is super important; if your head doesn't hit the earth on it's own, no biggy. Instead make a little pillow with your hands to rest it on

* Ps. I forgot to take a photo of this pose, so here's a drawing I found online :)

Christie xo

So here I am; 11 weeks after having my second baby and staring down the barrel of (what feels like) a long road to recovery. I say 'recovery' because that's a word that reminds me that my body has gone through great measures to be in this place and I need to honour that and take my time.

My story starts with how yoga found me 11 years ago. I was a super active, athletic, gym junkie with a mind that raced 24/7. I was coaxed into my first yoga class by a friend who would not leave me alone until I took one class. So I did, entirely to shut her up with zero intention of ever taking another. I wasn't a "tree-hugging-hippee" (yes that dribble actually came out of my mouth!) and (here's another ripper quote) "I actually sweat, I don't just sit around and chant".

Little did I know.

My friend took me to a heated Power Flow class and it was the hardest thing I'd ever tried. And because my strong competitive nature kicked it, after that one class, I decided I was going to be the "best at yoga" that I could be.

Little did I know.

I share this with you, to express how my practice in years gone by was a strong one. Over time I learned way more about the practice of yoga and how it's not about being the best. And my practice, whilst still a strong one, was much more like moving meditation with the challenging poses teaching me about my life off the mat.

So here I am, two years since really practicing in the way that I love to (2016 was riddled with 4 miscarriages and the death of my dad - all of which derailed my physical practice and then being pregnant for most of 2017 did the same). And stepping on my mat now is tough. I feel clunky, tight and weak. I find it difficult to concentrate and focus and the hardest thing for me is being ok with where I am at.

So I am sharing this journey back to my strong practice as a way of keeping myself in the work, and also hopefully encouraging you to do the same. There are loads of yogi's online with flawless practices and incredible strength, but we rarely get to witness the journey to that place.

Each month I'll be working on one of the eight limbs of yoga. Yep, there are actually eight key elements and the poses (the asana) are only one of them.

But before I can deep dive in, there are a few little changes that I need to bring to my life, to shift my perspective on where I am at and some tips (that you can do to) to create the right mindset to consistently be living my yoga:

1) Get a journal, take it with you as often as you can. Even to class! Being able to jot down when something hits a chord or you feel something shift is key to retaining that info. It can act as a reminder to what you want to work on, a tool to release negative thoughts, a place to keep your intentions and so on.

2) Make some sacred space. Find a little space at home that you feel truly comfortable in. You may have a few spaces that serve different purposes. A place that you can sit quietly for a few moments, or even do some morning stretches in. You don't need to create a home studio because that might not be realistic, but if you have a regular spot that you can retreat to when you need a few deeps breaths or a few moments in down dog, then you will use that space if you know it's there.

3) Define 'enough time'. So often I say to myself "I don't have enough time for a full practice now". But what the hell is 'enough time'? There are no rules for how long you need to practice. You just need to DO IT. So instead of trying to carve out big chunks of time in my day to spend hours on my mat, for the next month, I making little changes but many times a day. When we really get ok with what 'finding time and creating space' means in our current lifestyles, we realise there is so much time in our day to make small changes. And those small changes will turn into big changes as we move through the year.

4) Pick your weekly studio classes in advance. Now you might not be able to stick to them, but a little pre-planning can help keep your week on track. And if you schedule YOUR time in advance, you're placing importance on filling your own cup and you might just plan what you are able to commit to outside the studio, around your classes. And like Kerri said in her blog a few days ago, we can't effectively help others when we aren't serving ourselves first.

I'll be working on these above 4 things this month and will share little bits and pieces with you. If you want a little encouragement along the way, feel free to tag me in anything or chat to me at the studio. Together we are stronger.

See you on the mat xo.

We all know we need to look after ourselves. The fitness industry is booming because of this.

There are 'active wear' brands appearing everywhere and we have huge choices when it comes to the style of training we want to do. We are constantly hit with messages encouraging us to sweat as often as we can.

But what happens when we make that time? Well, we can be hit with heaps of criticism (especially if you're a women with a family) about daring to pay yourself attention before addressing the wants and needs of others.

I see it time and time again, people are thought to be 'selfish' for dedicating time to themselves despite all of us knowing how beneficial it is to our health.

And whether that 'selfish' label is real or in our minds (mother's guilt anyone?!) why do we feel the need to be critical of others (and ourselves!!) when we are taking time to look after ourselves? We are all guilty of that judgement and it's about time we stopped. We don’t all have the time to dedicate to ourselves AND everyone around us 24 hours a day. We have to juggle things to keep our lives and households functioning. So when we juggle, let's remember to MAKE time for ourselves, without judgement (like we would for an appointment with the doctor). And if we stop judging ourselves, then maybe we'll stop judging others and then maybe, we'll stop worrying about others judging us! Dealing with your own needs first should always be a priority in life. It’s not that your particularly being 'selfish' but it is your responsibility for getting your personal, emotional and physical needs met because when your energy cup is full, only THEN can you effectively help others. And that's a fact.

See you at the studio!

Kez xo

It's the 2nd of January, how's that optimism of a new year treating you?

We head into the new year so excited by possibility, so renewed by the idea of starting a fresh, so motivated to write the story of our year with so many high vibes. But often a mere weeks in, we've fallen off that train of optimism and have already slotted back into 'life before new years eve'.

And if I am being 100% honest, I am already there just 2 days in to 2018.

My story goes a little like this:

* New year comes

* I get all goal and intention oriented and map out all the freaking amazing things I want to tackle this year.

* I sit back and sip on the nectar of my sweet plans 'cause you know, 2018 is going to be big. Like really BIG. So big that my list of goals is rather sizeable.

Flash forward 48 hours and my totally energised feeling has been replaced with overwhelm and disappointment.

First came the overwhelm: "how the hell am I going to fit in all these things?" and "I still need to manage my real (and boring) commitments that need to come first?!".

Then came the disappointment: "What was I thinking?! I am never going to do these things. I should have done them years ago before kids / life got in the way".

And in a brief moment, all the high vibes were sucked out of me as fast as a 13 year old sucking on a helium balloon... Only the result was not as fun for me, or for those around me. Instead, I sulked.

We see so many motivational posts on the internet about 'living a life you love' and 'being the architecture of your own life' and 'do more of what makes you happy' etc. (Hell I've even posted a few of those to the Innovate social media accounts). But is that really feasible? Can we just list our goals for a new year and then make them happen?

Yes and no. Yes because we will make stuff happen if we really want to - that's human nature. And no, because we also won't make any changes if we don't really want to. Again, that's human nature.

Danielle LaPorte (is totally amazing and you should check out her work!!) is a goddess when it comes to creating a plan for your year that will NOT have you overwhelmed or disappointed. Her tool 'The Desire Map' identifies why we fail our goals, why we get beaten up about not achieving them and why we don't make them happen. And it boils down to a very simple point: those goals didn't tap into our true desires, instead they were a list (probably a long one) of things you thought you should do (for ego sake, to look good, to do what others are doing, cause it sounds fun / cool/ hard etc etc), but not what really lit the fire inside you.

So I'm going back to the drawing board tonight with a pen, some paper, the Desire Map book and a bottle of red wine (who doesn't do there best work with a nice red?! Am I right?!!) to figure out how I want to FEEL this year. 'Cause I want that new year high vibe feeling to last a little longer that 48 hours. And when I nail my desires, I'll set some goals that will enable me to feel that way. And THOSE are the plans I am going to make this year. It might not be a long list to rival my last one, but it will be far more authentic and when we are being truly authentic with ourselves, we will move mountains to achieve our goals and stay true to our intentions.

Happy new year!

Health, fitness and being active has always been a big part of who I am, but somewhere along the journey of life a few years ago I’d lost that passion inside.

And when I lost that passion, I felt like I had actually lost ME!!! I was in a period of life where I had no self-confidence, no self-worth or self-belief. But I knew that something had to change for me to change!

2014 was the start of that BIG year of change in my life... I went through some massive ups and downs and personal challenges that made me realise. it was time to do something for ME! I needed to set some goals to focus on.

Strangely enough, the thing that I’d lost my passion for, became the thing that made me strong again!! I needed the mental, physical and emotional challenge to regain my health, fitness and active life (even though it scared the hell out of me).

So in November 2014 I made a decision to start prepping for my 1st bodybuilding bikini/fitness competition. I found a coach and got ready to start. We set April and May 2015, as my 2 competitions for the season.

At the time, I had no idea the next 25 weeks where going to be the hardest, most physically and emotionally challenging time in my life!! There were tears and doubts, lots of them. Some days I just wanted to give up....

But I didn’t because I knew that girl inside, the one that was so lost, needed to prove to herself that she was capable of anything that was put in front of her, anything!!

In April 2015 at Newcastle I stepped on stage to compete. I’d never been so nervous in my life! But deep down I knew this was already a massive achievement and whatever happened on that day, I’d be proud of myself and my kids would be proud of their mum for achieving something I set my mind to..

And I was overwhelmed to be crowned ‘Bikini Mumma Champion’ of the NABBA night of Champions!!

But the work wasn’t done! I had 4 weeks till May competition and I was determined to give it 110%! So I did! 4 weeks later in Sydney I stepped on stage and came 3rd in Bikini category! My 10 year old daughter and parents watching in the crowd. My daughter holding up a handmade sign that said “that’s my mum and she’s the best”. Words can’t describe the feelings I felt that day!

In January 2016, I decided to prep for stage again on 17th April, INBA North Coast Classic in Newcastle. I was a very different person this time, the challenge wasn’t about finding ME, but more about challenging ME.

I look back on this journey now and realize that everything that happened made me stronger. All the people who doubted me and made negative comments (that hurt and made me doubt myself many times) it didn’t matter what they thought because this is my life and my journey.

I gained so much more than anyone will ever understand from this journey – good and bad!! I’m still a work in progress and I’m 100% ok with that. I have good days and I have bad days. I still haven’t found ME yet...but I love that I’m constantly moving forward in my life, setting goals and the future is now what I MAKE IT!!

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle”

Kim XX

And what I am about to say might sound a little harsh, not very "yogic" and not seem like it's oozing with love and light as all "good yogis" should yeah?

But I am going to say it anyway. Because I'm not a "good yogi", I'm a yogi on the path like everyone else and I find the "it's not very yogic" line a whole lot of BS anyways. So you've been warned....

But here's my gripe; if you spend any amount of time on social media lately and are marginally interested in yoga, then you will have no doubt been flooded with sponsored posts from various yoga studios / online providers etc with headlines screaming "21 Day Yoga Body", "Yoga Poses for a Cute Butt" or my fave "21 Day Yoga Shred".....

Like what the actual f*ck is that??

A yoga shred????

I am angered about this because as a yoga teacher I believe our role is to offer tools to our students to encourage them to release attachment to a host of things that are plaguing modern life, one of which is 'looking good'.

I believe yoga teachers are here to encourage individuality, acceptance and personal and physical growth. I want people to feel something from their practice, to learn something deeper about themselves than how good their triceps look in their 85th Chaturanga...

And in my opinion the physical practice of yoga is not about developing a bikini body, but instead it's about physically challenging yourself to learn about who you are and how you handle life's stresses so that you can transform your stress responses off the mat and live a happier, more content life.

Now don't get me wrong, I love how I feel physically when I have a strong practice. (Notice I say FEEL ??). And sure, when I am practicing every day, I am fitter, leaner, stronger and yes, I like that.

But it's not what drives me and I certainly don't need a Instagram picture of me post '21 day yoga shred' frolicking naked or in my underwear with some deep spiritual comment on it to hide the fact that I am doing nothing more than sharing a spanking hot pic, cause guuuuuuuys I'm spiritual remember?! Can't you tell by nakedness / underwear?! It's an expression of my freedom?!

Insert judgemental eye roll here.

You can see I have well and truly unleashed... And one could argue (and some yogi's probably are when reading this) that my judgement of those above mentioned 'yoga shred / naked instagram' yogi's is my own self criticism being projected else where. Or maybe I shouldn't be so judgemental because if naked hot yogi being "spiritual" (aka naked and hot) is actually inspiring others to develop a yoga practice then that's a good thing right?

Sure. If you consider taking up a yoga practice to fulfil your desire for external compliments from 100K random followers to make you feel complete and whole, then yep, great outcome.

But here's the thing; that hurts my soul. Because in the process of all these yoga shred content there are so many people being totally alienated by this. And the beautiful practice and teachings of yoga (finding union, stilling the fluctuations of the mind, us being connected by the same life force etc) are being lost in the desire to develop a 'yoga body'.

The teachings of yoga talk about five layers (kosha's) of our being. Yes FIVE. The physical being only one. When we attach to the shred, we are neglecting the rest, and whilst it might seem like I am being a jealous, judgement cow who's actually lashing out cause I hate my own body (insert another eye roll here), I am actually saddened to see the real teachings slowly being diluted by the Western worlds desire to look better than everyone else.

And above all, I want to scream from the roof tops: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "YOGA BODY" despite what Instagram will have you believe!!!!!

If you have a body, then you have a yoga body. End of story.

And yes, there are amazing physical benefits to a yoga practice. Yes, you can lose weight, yes you can tone up, yes you can grow stronger and leaner. But above all that; you will FEEL AMAZING and you will improve your mobility and your health as you age and you will be HAPPY and less stressed and feel MORE ALIVE. And that my friends is the point.

So if you want to "shred", go to a gym. Because my class is not the place for you and I say that with sincere love and kindness.

In my class you will absolutely gain physical benefits, but having an objective of attaching to your physical body is not the goal of my space and I am not the teacher for you. And that's ok, I wish you well.

But if you want to let go of those attachments to your making your thighs not touch, then come on down to Innovate. Let's spend a little time on the mat together.

Namaste.

I quite often get a student in class who has wrist or hand issues that prevents them from practicing Downward Facing Dog (Ardha Mukha Svanasana), Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), Plank (Dandasana) and Low Plank (Chaturanga Dandasana) with ease or at all. Sometimes this is a permanent issue other times just temporary due to overuse or injury. You can still practice yoga by skipping these poses at home or by modifying your practice in a class. It is best to let your teacher know of any injuries you have briefly at the start of class so they are aware of the injury and so that they can give you ideas to modify the poses during a classroom environment. There are a few different ways you can work around wrist and hand problems. Following are some ideas to try if you have this issue now or in the future with your practice:

Practice on your knuckles - by making a fist and come onto your knuckles for their vinyasa (plank, low plank, upward-facing/down-ward facing dog). Practicing on the knuckles can help increase elbow and wrist stabilisation, and strengthen the connective tissue of the lower arms (if done correctly). To reduce the risk of injury, always use a padded mat when practicing in this way. Your balled fists are on the same horizontal line, palms facing each other and thumbs pointed straight down so that they contact the mat. Press the weight on the flat face of your fingers rather than the knuckles themselves. Practice on your forearms - this can take the strain off the wrists but can be tricky when you are in a fast flow vinyasa class as there isn't a lot of time when you are moving to a pose on an inhale and another on an exhale. This is better for poses held for a couple of breaths at least. Use props - you can roll up or fold the top of your yoga mat to give some cushioning to the palms in poses requiring you to be on your hands. Foam rolls or a wedge can be used to minimise the angle at which the wrists are placed in loaded (weight bearing) positions. Build core strength - poses and exercises to build core strength and endurance will ensure a more stable torso that may lessen the load on the wrists.

A good thing to remember is; whenever your palms are placed on the mat use hasta-bandha or 'hand lock'. Hasta Bandha is the technique where the hands are on the ground, with the fingers spread and the inner palms slightly lifting in a cupping or tented manner (picture a suction cup). The term comes from the Sanskrit hasta, meaning “hand,” and bandha, which translates as “lock,” “harness” or “tighten.”

Hasta bandha prevents strain and wrist injuries, because the body's weight is spread evenly through the hand, employing the palm's natural arch to balance the body's weight and connect the body with the earth through the fingertips.

And if you're ever in doubt about how to practice with an injury (wrist or otherwise) just ask your teacher. There are plenty of ways to modify your practice.

This delicious treat will have you licking the bowl and going back for seconds! And not only that, they are a great 'treat' that's full of the good fats and feels totally naughty but waaaaaaaaaaay better for you than Malteasers...

*Time - aprox 30 mins *Ingredients- 2 x cup of Oates. Protein powder (of your choice - no more than 1/4 cup) I used chocolate flavour for this recipe. 1/4 coconut oil. 1/2 x cup hot water. 1/3 rice malt syrup. 1/4 organic peanut butter. 1/4 organic almond paste (I like crunchy for texture). Chia seeds (as many as you like) Raw cacao 1/4 cup 1/2 cup dessicated coconut (For rolling mixture in) *Method - Put all ingredients into a big bowl and mix well. In another bowl- add the dessicated coconut. Roll a teaspoon full in your hand and make a well for the almond butter. Place butter in the centre. Roll another teaspoon of mixture, roll, flatten and make another well with your thumb. Place the mixture with no almond butter ontop of the mixture with the almond butter and smooth the sides. Roll into some coconut and done! This process took me aprox 20mins to complete.

This week in my classes we've been playing around with the theme of 'aligning thoughts and actions'. A much easier task to say than do, let me be very clear on that....

But I ask; how many times have you begrudgingly finished a meal at a restaurant that you didn't like and yet you politely smile at the waiter and nod in agreement when she/he asks how everything is?

Or how about when you are really not into something but you agree to it just to 'keep the peace', or worse 'keep up appearances'?

How does that work out for you? Short term, maybe it's fine. Maybe you are totally ok with stuffing your own desires and needs to the back of your mind for a bit. But time after time, how does that serve you to live a life that you love?

And how does it serve the restaurant owner who is never receiving the constructive feedback he/she needs to make some really positive changes to their business so they can sustain a healthy income for their family?

It doesn't.

What it might do, is make a situation easier for you, for a moment. But is that truly achieving anything? Are situations meant to be easy? Or are they meant to profound? I vote the latter. Easiness doesn't lead to positive change. Easiness leads to mediocrity... And seriously, who wants a piece of that?! Not I.

On our mat, when we are out of alignment with thought and movement we can feel the struggle. Yoga asana (the poses) can feel hard or forced. When we use the power of visualisation to assist our body to move and change in ways that are more beneficial for sustainable movement, we see improvements in our form. Tight hips in long holds? Align your thoughts to the desired outcome of your pose; think of softening. Imagine anything you like (colour, textures, sounds) that you attribute to softening and see what happens in your hips... You'll like it, I promise.

When you align thoughts and actions off the mat (with kindness I might add!! There is ALWAYS room for kindness even in constructive feedback!) you give with your whole self. You aren't cheating yourself of truths. And the physiological manifestations that we can sometimes feel when our behaviour isn't true to our thoughts (heavy chest, icky stomach) are eased. It does take practice. That's why yoga is called a practice! And the fist time your align your thoughts to your actions you might feel a little uncomfortable. But hang in there. Try again. Because we are meant to be in alignment. We are meant to feel steady, balanced and at ease and in doing so, you might just positively impact someone else too. And isn't that a cool thing to do??

See you on the mat.

-Banana, walnut and coconut Loaf-

Who said you can't have your cake and eat it too? Even if it is for breakfast! I love this dish because it's quick, easy and it keeps me feeling full and satisfied!

Pre heat fan forced oven to 18o deg.

Ingredients- 175g dedicated coconut 2 x cups of Oates (put into blender to refine) 4 x over ripe bananas Rice malt syrup (to taste or 1/2 cup) 1/3 cup of coconut oil Vanilla beans x 2 (or extract) Cacao nibs (optional) Walnuts (1/2 cup) Sprinkle of cinnamon to taste Combine the above ingredients in a bowel and place into an oven on 180 deg. Cook for 35 mins or more depending on the depth of you dish. Viola! Yummy, healthy

Not too long a go a friend of mine uttered the words "well if you feel that way, what hope do the rest of us have?".

He was referring to me as a yoga teacher. I was in a moment of savage self judgement, the old ego was taking a hold and we were talking openly about where I was stuck.

When he said these words it reminded me that sometimes, there are expectations of emotional stability that come along with the 'yoga teacher' job.

But here's a secret; I am human. Just as human as everyone else.

Sometimes I judge others, despite yoga teaching me not to.

Sometimes I speak negative words about myself, despite yoga teaching me not to.

I sometimes wish time away, despite yoga teaching me to live in the moment.

I can even get attached to results and things, despite yoga teaching me not to.

And this biggy; sometimes I get self conscious, despite yoga teaching me not to.

I am a work in progress. I don't know everything and sometimes, I really really lose my shit and the 'totally got it all sorted yogini who's happy all the time' notion is not on display, because I don't have it sorted all the time.

I chose to teach yoga to guide others as a partner, down a path that has brought so much peace, balance, kindness, clarity and health to my life. I am passionate about sharing yoga, not to say "I know the way, I am more yogic than you", but more to say "let's walk this path and learn together" because we are all in this.

Now I know my outlook may not be the same for other teachers. Perhaps some teachers like to keep the 'yoga teacher mystique' alive and well so that students feel inspired and curious to learn and follow. And that's great too. Whatever style / outlook / vibe a teacher can speak most authentically too is (I believe) one of the key elements that makes a great teacher.

So this is who I am. No mystery or pedestal involved rather an intention is to show approachability and vulnerability. I hope these attributes inspire others to feel that yoga is accessible for everyone and you don't have to fit a certain mould to give it a go. And maybes my openness about where I am learning (cause we are always learning) creates a desire in others to deepen their own practice or at the very least, look at things a little differently.

I promise if you come to my classes I'll occasionally get my left and rights wrong, I might swear, we might interrupt the zen with a few laughs, we might listen to acoustic tunes one class and chill out beats the next. We might challenge ourselves with a highly energetic practice, we might slow down and go inward for a gentler one. But either way, we'll learn about who we are when we are in the poses. Because that my friends is yoga. Not whether or not you can touch your toes or whether or not you feel your teacher is a goddess of purity... Because let's be honest, no one ever solved a world issue by having perfectly open hamstrings...

But we will learn a little yoga philosophy every single class. We'll dedicate our practice to becoming more familiar with our body, more aware of our true self, our connection to others and this crazy thing called 'life'. And most importantly we'll learn to chill homie, so we can let that shit go.

Namaste.

We all know the importance of training: it’s great for fighting depression, it keeps your weight down, it boost your brain power and so on and so on. But at the end of it all, even if you FEEL like you’re getting nowhere with it (and let’s be honest, we have ALL felt that way from time to time) why do we keep coming back to it?

As a trainer, I can honestly say that some days when I have taught multiple classes and trained people all day the last thing I really want to do is train myself. It’s hard to motivate yourself when you have been motivating others it all day. You sometimes feel like you have nothing left to give and instead would prefer to reach for the easiest quick pick me up (usually loaded with sugar or caffeine) you can get your hands on, instead of sweating. Truth.

So how do I stop myself from doing that?

What motivates the motivator?

I am motivated because I love my body. That’s it. And I’m not talking about 'taking 100 selfies in the mirror love'! I just truly love my body. Simple right?

At the end of the day, I believe everyone is “under construction” and regardless of the outcome that exercise provides, you do it because you want to look after yourself and live a healthy life. You exercise for the love of your body and the desire to nourish it!

So, I’m sorry to tell you (and some of you may never talk to me again…haha) but you MUST keep moving for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!

Exercise isn’t a quick fix - you don’t stop moving when you get to your goal weight or when you reach “those” numbers on the scale. This is a lifestyle choice to keep you healthy all through your life.

And when your motivator can't be there, you'll need to motivate yourself to keep moving. To do this, I want you to do one thing; look in the mirror and tell yourself this-

“I love my body. I love the imperfect imperfections that make me, me. I love my thighs, butt and stomach even though they may wobble or not look like the pictures in the magazines and you know what? That’s ok. I’m not exercising because I hate my body; I exercise because I LOVE it!”

Kerri xo

Have you ever gone for a jog and returned home a little over 5 minutes because;

a) You felt like your lung's were about to burst?

b) You had an invisible audience cheering you on... wait, or was that your thighs clapping?! Or

c) You had a car load of people make fun of you because you were greatly over weight and trying badly to better yourself?

Well, I have. All of the above.

I can honestly say unless you've been that person you have no idea what it is like to feel weak and defeated, only to run....wait, walk..... back to the only thing that made you happy.... food.

But did it really?

For me, food has been one of my best friends for years. It started at the age of 12 thanks to a healthy dose of (damn you) HORMONES. Paired with the fact that I come from a very dysfunctional family (to say the least), the only comfort I ever felt during those years was when I was alone with food.

I didn't have any role models growing up, no one to look up to or ask for advice when I didn't know anything or just needed some guidance. And it only got worse as I started packing on the kilos when I entered my teens which made high school hell for me.

The only cheer squad I was a part of was the cupcake squad, which consisted of me pretending not to be hungry at school so I wouldn't be picked on, then gorging myself when I got home with what ever I could get my hands on. The only fitness I had was walking to the fridge to get food and getting myself up from the couch.

I very quickly started to grow (wide not tall!) and I just wanted to be left alone with my food and that was it, I was done with the world and everyone in it.

The turning point came for me when I was 16 years old. One day while putting on my size 18 jeans and turtle neck sweater, I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I remember looking at myself with disgust. What future would I have If I didn't even have the confidence to look at myself in the mirror?

By this stage, my mum was in and out of psychiatric hospitals with the promise that she would get better, only to repeat the same cycle as before. One night, something traumatic happened and it shook me to the core. I had to get out of there for my own mental heath and my own safety. By this time I felt defeated in every way you can imagine, physically and mentally I was a complete mess.

But something in me changed that night, and I decided joining the military was my ticket out of there.

So I started running and started to eat better as I knew the military have strict guidelines on the level of physical fitness required to be accepted. Soon enough, I lost 30 kilos, was feeling fantastic AND I got into the Navy! For the first time in my life things were looking up. And I was responsible for making that change.

During my time in the force, we did plenty of training. We weren't allowed to walk anywhere at recruit school, we had to jog. It was tough, but no matter how tough it was, I kept reminding myself that I had been through worse at home.

Fast forward a couple of years on returning from my first deployment I decided to go home to see my parents. By this time, I was fit and healthy and ready to take on the world. Sitting at the table with my mother, we had a disagreement (about what, I cant even remember) and she went to hit me. I caught her hand with mine and glanced at her, "you wont be doing that anymore" were my exact words.

This was the first time in my life when I had the confidence to stand up for myself.

Why am I telling you this? Because my message to you is that being physically strong isn't about being able to lift 100kg weight over your head, or beating your best PB. Instead it's a journey you choose to start, that will lead you to inner peace.

Through my journey I have grown physically strong, yes, that's a given. But when I'm physically strong, I feel mentally and emotionally strong too. I have more confidence in who I am and my purpose in life is super clear. My purpose is to pay it forward and help people who were just like me, on their own journey.

So next time you put off going for that run or going to that class, just remember that be being active, you're not only gaining benefits physically....

You will grow mentally stronger than you can ever imagine.

“Let go of something that no longer serves you” .

If you went to any of my classes last week, you probably heard me say that a few times. And you either sat in one of two columns; column A where peeps probably said “Amen sister. Let’s shake that shit off”. Whereas column B peeps may have been a little “WTF does that mean? Serves me? Like as in gives me a latte?!”

This post is probably more for the column B people. And it’s totally ok to be there. I remember the first time I heard that line in a yoga class, I went into shut-down mode where all I wanted was the teacher to stop talking this sentimental dribble and just tell me what the next pose was. Oh how times have clearly changed, but that journey is a whole different blog post…...

Let something go that no longer serves you. SERVES you.

When something serves you, it is of benefit. It is helping you in someway. So yes, someone serving you a latte is definitely benefiting you (let’s be honest, caffeine makes the world go round).

If for example, your latte is no longer doing the job you want / need it to; maybe it’s not tasting as good as it used to, or maybe your third one of the day is starting to make you feel sketchy and not so satisfied, then it is no longer serving you. And when something is no longer serving you, you would be better off without it in your life. ie. do yourself a favour and don’t order your third one for the day.

But let’s take this up a notch and think about this idea in terms of something a little deeper, past the caffeine satisfaction layer of your being and down a little deeper where the emotions reside.…

For example: I lost my dad recently. He died just over three months ago.

I know I am not the first person to have experienced the death of a parent, nor can I say this was tragic (he had an amazing life innings) nor completely unexpected (there were health issues). But for a fair bit of the past 3 months, a niggling tension would sneak it’s way into my chest. In one sitting, this niggle would build to a sensation that felt like a heard of elephants trampling on me.

That sensation was a physical manifestation of guilt.

See the day before my dad died, I was having a 'day off' from hospital visiting and he called me. He told my mum that he really needed to talk to me. But I missed the call. Not for any great reason, I was simply and very unimportantly, hanging out the washing. I called back, but only spoke to my mum as dad had other visitors. So him and I never spoke that day.

Hours passed and the afternoon turned into night, and I remember looking at my phone and saying to myself ‘I should call dad back again’.

But I didn’t.

I put my phone down and went back to watching My Kitchen Rules. Again, something so so so very unimportant. But I was going to see him the next day anyway, so I thought I'd let him rest.

He died (somewhat unexpectedly) at 5.30am the next morning.

Why didn’t I call back again when I thought about it?

Why didn’t I make more of an effort on that particular day?

Why did I choose My Kitchen Rules over calling my dad?

Why did I put the washing out at that exact time?

Why didn’t I take my phone with me?

And the thing that plagues me the most is, because of all of the above why's, I'll never know what he was going to say....

These thoughts and unanswerable questions are what kept creeping into my mind and body (remember the elephant stampede on the chest thing?!) and they were eating me alive from the inside out.

But for what purpose?

Those thoughts, questions and feelings of guilt were like that third latte - they were doing nothing positive for me, only making me feel sketchy and unhappy. Thinking that way couldn’t possibly change what happened or the choices I made back then, so poisoning myself with guilt and regret was not going to change a thing. Why bother treating myself that way for no good outcome?

Let go of something that no longer serves you.

Sure you might read this and say ‘oh yeah, like it’s that easy just to let it go’. And I hear you, it’s not easy. I didn’t just wake up one day and say ‘abracadabra I am free’. But I can assure you 100% that the elephant stampede of guilt on my chest is long gone. Sure, I am still really disappointed I didn’t make that phone call. But I can’t change it and no amount of burdening myself with shitty emotions is going to make a difference. Instead, I decided to do something that would serve me. I decided to make a commitment to both myself and my dad to learn from all this. So;

I’ve learnt that life is unpredictable.

I’ve learnt that putting off until tomorrow, what you know you should do today, is not the right option.

I’ve learnt that what’s happened, has happened.

I’ve learnt there’s nothing I can do to change it, so being at peace with how a situation played out is the only option.

Because any other option is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die.

(Ps. that’s not my line, I pinched it from Buddha who is clearly way wiser than I am).

Fitness; being fit, looking fit or feeling fit..... they are all the same right?

WRONG! So wrong it makes my head hurt. But before I start my ramble I want to make one thing absolutely clear, I am far from perfect.

I'm not here to judge but I'm really concerned that I am seeing more people being obsessed with the way they look, agonising over their food intake and posting gym selfies online for likes and what I feel, are self indulgent comments. You know the ones: "hey girl, you look SO hot!" and "#bodygoals" etc etc etc (Ahh let's not forget she probably took 100 shots to nail just one). So I ask, vain much?

This might sound odd coming from a trainer right? Who's profession is based on helping people to lose weight and trim down. But before you think I'm a complete b*tch, hear me out.

I believe the fitness Industry has taken a complete 180 degree turn in the way we approach fitness. And whose fault is it? Well I would love to blame social media, magazines blah blah blah But to be completely honest it's all of our fault.

We are in a place where we need others approval to make ourselves feel like we are worthy. Why? How did we ever survive before when gym selfies weren't so vital to our 'personal brands'?? (And by the way, just because you look fit doesn't mean you are).

When did our egos get so big as trainers that we care more about the way we look then actually helping people that really need our help?

And what messages are we sending to younger people?

Honestly, what's wrong with a balanced meal, moderate exercise and living a happy, healthy lifestyle where you can go out on the weekends and have a glass of wine or two? I mean hey, they did it in the 50's and they were fitter people then, then todays generation will ever be.

So why in todays society have we got people suffering with depression, self esteem issues, obesity and eating disorders?

WHY oh WHY do we look for quick fixes for a problem that took so long to create in the first place? A "quick fixes" doesn't educate us about what we should be eating and how we should be training for the rest of our lives to maintain a happy, healthy lifestyle.

You know what? The answer is so easy but without actually noticing, the fitness Industry is making MILLIONS off everyone it touches in a less than desirable way.

Right. Under. Our. Nose's.

How?

Diet shakes, pills and potions..... Instagram feeds that show a young gorgeous lady or man half naked with a quote "want to get fit, ask us how!". Glossy magazine covers that tell us what "fit", "sexy" and "feeling healthy" look like all to make a quick buck for whatever they are selling.

I'm not selling you anything but the truth. I'm not getting paid to write this blog by some brand sponsoring me to convince you of something. I'm voicing this to encourage you to question the status quo. To reconsider the shakes, pills, powders that we are seeing more of. Yes, you and everyone around you.

Because the answer to living a healthy life is so EASY. And all we need to do is take our minds back a little bit.

Remember when we didn't have social media (GASP!)? Remember when we didn't need the approval of others on our abs selfie? Or when we didn't care what fitness 'looked like' (side note: if you're obsessing about your weight, get off social media!).

And maybe you remember a time when people grew their own vegies, made their own bread and fruit was their sugary treat. Maybe you remember a time when cooking was making food from scratch and there wasn't a fast food shop on street corners left, right and centre. Maybe you remember when kids played outdoors, not on an xbox, not on a tablet.

A great example of this balanced lifestyle is my husbands grandmother. She comes from that era, where, rarely ever would you see her sitting down. Grew her own food and eats a moderate diet with a sweet every now and then. Not to mention, doesn't need any assistance when walking.... so, how old is she? 94!!!!!!! (See what I am saying??)

So how you want to live out the rest of your life, is entirely up to you.

Do you want to constantly battle with the stress of yo-yo diets, powders and fake potions and beating yourself up about the way you look only to end up having a heart attack by the age of 60 and not really living? Only existing to be what you think every bodies "ideal" person should look like? Buying into ALL the bullsh*t people are trying to sell to you so THEY can make a buck?

It's time to step out of your shadow and take responsibility for your health and wellbeing. Think for yourself, go against the norms, eat a balanced healthy meal (don't starve yourself!), enjoy moderate exercise and keep active.

And yes, it really is that simple and your choice. Make a good one.

At this week's sessions, Kerri and I have been talking about the practice of 'sense withdrawal' or in Sanskrit; Pratyahara.

When I first shared this 5th limb of yoga with Kerri she was like "dude, give it to me in straight forward English cause i have no idea WTF you are saying"... Bahahahaha. So here it is simply put; Pratyahara is letting go / shutting off / non-attachment to external stimulus in order to turn your focus internally.

It's a pretty cool practice. And a hard one. Hard to define and also hard to practice. Especially in this modern era when we are so reliant on what's happening around us and are always connected. This is the era social media afterall.

So how do we put this ancient practice into practice in these modern times?

Well here's a little list of ideas sourced from all over the web, books, blogs and other teachers that I think are pretty cool ways to get yourself a little tuned out, so that you can tune in.

Take a read, have a go at the ones that reasonate with you and I'd love to hear how you went:

1) Turn off your phone and any other device and sit in silence for a few minutes. Then next time, try an hour. Then perhaps reflect / become aware of how much time each day leaks away on mindless social media activity.

2) Stop reading the news. Most of it is bad and we know new sources share the worst in order to shock and upset us (that's why we watch it). So just tune out every now and again. There's not much you can do about it and it pulls your senses and emotions outwards.

3) If you're desk bound at work, every hour or so, get up and take a quick walk away from the screen.

4) Turn off the TV at night. Spend time in your living room focusing on your breathing instead.

5) Close your eyes for 30secs every half an hour. Each time you do this, your body will automatically take a long deep breath (so good!).

6) When you are aware of your exhale, at the end of it, exhale a little more. Iyengar says this is a way to eliminate toxicity (of both mind and body) from your life.

7) Taste every little bite during your dinner. Focus on each flavour.

8) Eat one meal a day in silence.

9) When walking outside, see if you can not name anything you see. Instead just look at it, notice it and experience it.

10) When practicing asana (poses in your yoga practice) or other types of physical training, see if you can internally connect with every single cell in your body; the soles of your feet, the skin on your back, your jaw, your hands etc and notice how they feel.

11) Clear the clutter around you. Perhaps start with one room at a time. A clear environment helps with internal focus.

12) Remove people and situations from your life who drain your energy. Stop the energetic leakage.

13) Create a financial budget so your monetary flow is more effecient and clear.

14) Go to a meditation retreat.

15) Get into nature as often as possible. And when you're there, take off your shoes.

16) Play chess. Games like this require a lot of single minded concentration.

17) Practice Pranayama (breath work). This is the bridge to Pratyahara.

18) Before you go to sleep, try to shut off one sense at a time.

Warning: I'm writing about something that might make you uncomfortable. You may look away now, or keep going and find yourself getting a little more comfortable in your discomfort. So, I've had a fairly epic week. Memorable for an experience I'd rather not have had, and eventful for being critiscised for how I chose to handle it. Which has got me thinking.....

See within the 8 limbs of yoga (yoga lifestyle roadmap if you will), there is a practice of Satya or truthfulness. This practice is typically an external guideline but it can also be reflected internally. So here's my big internal truth: since the start of Nov last year, my husband and I have been trying for baby #2. Since then, we've fallen pregnant twice and miscarried twice. The second time, being only a few days ago.

And as I was lying in the early pregnancy unit at the hospital this time around, thinking there must be something wrong with me for my pregnancies to fail twice in a row, the doctors were reassuring me multiple miscarriages are more common than I realised. Common?! If it's so common, how come I didn't know that? If multiples happen often how come I've not heard about it through friends? I'm a fairly social person and I think I know a lot of people, but in that moment and all this week, I felt like I was totally alone in this situation. But then a light bulb moment. I know why I'd never heard of others in a similar situation; it's because we are cloaked with 12 weeks of early pregnancy secrecy. We make up excuses for choosing scrambled eggs instead of poached, we opt for a peppermint tea instead of caffeine claiming we've had too many coffees already today and we state we're detoxing instead of having a wine. All in an effort to keep our early pregnancy cards so close to our chest for 12 weeks "in case something goes wrong". So when a miscarriage occurs, we don't have to share it cause no one knew we were pregnant in the first place. And because of this we are by default, making a miscarriage seem taboo, seem like a failure, seem like something to be ashamed of. Which if it's so common, why are we so secret? Why are we ashamed? Why don't we feel ok with it? Why don't we just accept that shit happens sometimes, our body knows best and still maintain faith that it will work out another time? Because we are all conditioned not to share it, because something "has gone wrong". Well I'm calling it. That's all bullshit. And my practice of Satya (or truthfulness) is to say: I'm not ashamed. Something didn't go wrong, my body for some amazingly perfect reason knew that my embryo wasn't 100% healthy. And I'm thankful that my body knows that better than I do. At this point, it just hasn't worked out a couple of times in a row and I'll keep trying until it does. And if it doesn't again, well then I'll cross that bridge when I get there. But for now, I have faith in the fact that despite not knowing people in my situation (cause no one has ever mentioned it) I know they are out there somewhere and this is all normal, albeit unfortunate and definitely disappointing, but somewhat normal. Now don't get me wrong, I won't be updating the old Facebook status at the first sign of my next positive pregnancy test, or calling every member of the family to spread the word. But if you see me ask for my smashed avocado minus the feta or I order a soda water not scotch on a Friday night and you ask me about, then I'll happily share it's because I'm 6 / 8 / 11 weeks pregnant. And if it doesn't work out again, then I'll happily share that as well. I won't involve you in the whole process or share all my emotions and experience with you (family or friends alike) because it is a personal thing but I will be open to say that it's simply happened.

Please understand my intention of this post is not to devalue the upsetting experience a miscarriage can be for some. And if you've struggled through one (or many) please don't think I'm telling you to say "oh well" and suck it up like its no big deal. Far from. We all should be able to move through the experience however we need or choose to. (And don't let anyone tell you how it should be or what you should do or how it impacts them. This is your experience!). But let's not be ashamed about it or hide it away in secrecy and silence. It's merely something that sometimes happens along to road to becoming a parent.

And even penning these words is like a weight off my shoulders, because sharing it promotes broader conversation and broader conversation brings something out of taboo territory and into the comfort zone. And when something is in the comfort zone, we're intrinsically building support and a community of similarly experienced people so others feel reassured that they are actually normal and all this is ok.

Because it is, totally ok.

There are a few things I have a marginal obsession with; real estate and Instagram surfing (read: jumping from one account to another until I am so far entrenched in it I don't know how I came to be looking at someone's profile) are two of them.

Last night both those worlds collided in a truly mind boggling way that I am certain was nothing short of a kick up the arse from the universe. Let me explain.

A few years ago I came across "the" house. I saw it twice a day, every day on the drive to and from work. It was beautiful and I fell deeply in love. Each time I drove past, I'd envision my life there and in all honesty, I would be filled with ravenous envy of those who actually had "made it" in life to be able live there. It was my dream house.

Fast-forward a bunch of years, to last night. I'm chilling on the couch, surfing through Instagram, jumping through my friends of friends of friend’s accounts and perusing happily away until I came across a particular photo.

It was a photo a friend of a friend had shared a while ago and it was an 'I still miss you RIP' kind of post. I was instantly saddened because this young women looked so vibrant, fresh faced and full of life. I couldn't help but look at her profile. As I was scrolling through her photo's thinking how sad the passing of a young person is, I saw ........

"The" house.

To her, she had simply shared a photo of her house, in a gesture of bidding farewell to the family home, as they were moving on. Nothing unusual about that; it was the house she had grown up in.

But to me, a random on looker, I was stopped in my tracks. That house was one that I drove past every day on my way to work and stared enviously at, whilst wishing I were in there.

My dream house. She had lived in my dream house.

And here's the thing, all that time I was driving past, in my healthy body, glaring ferociously with the green eyed monster at that beautiful home and wishing I had all the things the people inside had, there was a young woman in there, losing her health and probably wishing she had what I had.

So whilst I don't have that dream home, I am so fortunate not to have felt the pain of loss that those inside it had. And what a kick up the rear end that is.

I was yearning for something that I knew nothing about. I was yearning for what I believed to be 'greener grass'. How foolish.

There are no greener pastures next door. Your pasture is your life and how you tend to it is up to you. Every one of us has blades of grass beneath our feet that are full of growth possibility. So the question is not how are we going to get over to someone else's lawn, it's how are we going to grow ours to the fullest?

Sometimes we all need a little reminder that yearning for the things of others (lives, possessions, money etc etc) is nothing but a fruitless exercise geared to only result in one thing - unhappiness. And when you perceive things to be a certain way, what beautiful lesson to learn that things aren't always as they appear.

Thank you universe for the amazing reminder of the practice of Santosha - Contentment, satisfaction.

I am where I am meant to be and all that I have is perfect.

I have always been someone who relates scent to a place or a moment. If the wind blows the right direction on a crisp winters day, suddenly I am magically transported to my childhood family holiday destination in the Rocky Mountains. I can smell the snow in the air as I shut my eyes, even though I'm thousands of kilometres away.

I even have a teddy bear (yes, I am 35 years old with a teddy bear. How's that for exposing myself to you?! Vulnerable much?!). Anyhoo, what I love about this little bear is how he smells. He smells like 'home'. Which is not really a tanglible place or address. It's more emotional. He smells like comfort, safety, security; my happy place.

Scents are so powerful to unite your mind and body, to transport you emotionally to another place, or to detox stress and anxiety from your system. And with something like 80% of all illnesses having roots in stress, I am a massive fan for exploring the power of aroma's.

"How do they work", you ask? Great question !! ;)

When you breath in, molecules pass into your olfactory system, which sends signals to your Limbic System and Amygdala. These puppies do some cool shite; they manage your mood, control your basic emotions (fear, pleasure, anger), are responsible for your emotional behaviour and motivation.

And there are so many truly amazing "products" Mother Nature has provided that when extracted into pure grade essential oils, do incredible things for your mind body connection and health and wellness.

They play a huge role in my self care routines, in the management of mine and my family's emotions, and in deepening my yoga and meditation practices. Not to mention they make some epic non-toxic cleaning products. You'll never buy supermarket chemical cleaners again, I tells you!!

I love sharing info on how I use essential oils and how they can provide tangible benefits to you and your loved ones. They have changed my life and not a day goes by where I don't allow the oils to positively impact myself in one way or another.

I would love to share a little of this knowledge with you. My goal is to encourage others to explore their health and wellness options or to have enough information to make informed decisions about their choices. There truly is an oil for everything, and they are freakin' amazing.

I hold super casual Essential Oils 101 classes were we chat, learn a little somethin' somethin', drink a little vino and sample the oils. Cause there is no better way to fall in love with these bad boys than to try them out yourself.

Drop me an email here: innovateyoga@gmail.com if you're interested in hosting a class. The wine is on me.

Now excuse me while I go and breathe in some Frankincense (the Three Wise Men were def onto something way back when) and meditate to calm myself from a mummy vs little Miss.Toddler epic battle of 'go the f to sleep'....

Ahhhhh thank you universe for providing my oils. Grateful beyond words.

We would all be totally allowed to think that the world is one really fucked up place right now. I don't know about you, but I am really sad about it.

I'm sad for everyone experiencing such unimaginable things. For those witnessing things that only belong in horror movies.

I am sad for those who are thrust into the limelight unwittingly by having their last moments in this life blast across the Internet.

I am sad that I chose to watch it.

I am sad for the forgotten ones. For those whose senseless murder goes unnoticed because their part of the world isn't as romantic, memorable or relatable than others.

I am sad for those who pull the trigger. What has happened to them in their short lives that make them feel this is their only option?

I am sad that life goes on for most of us. We stop in shock for a moment, and then later go back to sharing cat memes and ordering lattes.

I am sad for the anger that all this mess fuels. Watching the outpour of hate (and even experiencing my own) churns my insides.

I am sad that I understand the desire for revenge; “nothing spared”, “kill them all”, “drop the bombs”, “show no mercy”. When grief, shock, pain and the death of the innocent is all too much to accept, I get that we go to anger and hate. I too hear myself saying, "Shut the borders. Let's keep ourselves safe".

But is anger and hate that the answer?

One of the first things I learnt when studying yoga was the practice of Ahimsa. Translated this means 'the practice of non-violence'. At first glance, it seems an easy one because of course I'd never purposefully injury someone. It's laughable to imagine me ever physically assaulting someone. I wouldn't know where to start. But I was challenged to dig a little deeper back then, because ahimsa covers all types of violence; thoughts, desires and even words. And when you put it like that, it's far more of a challenge.

It's even more of a challenge and perhaps even an impossible task for many, when we are faced with the type of atrocities that we are witnessing around the world right now.

But the truth is, this is when we need it the most.

This is when we need to search deep within us, allow the hurt, the shock and the disbelief to sit there for as long as we need. But then, find a place of calm. For throwing a log on the fire only does one thing; it fuels it. And anger, hate, violence and fear are the biggest logs we have.

I don’t want to come across as some righteous soul telling everyone who’s been touched by something I can’t even begin to fathom, how to ‘suck it up’. Far from. Because I too am angry, hurt, sad and shit yes, I am totally scared of where this could all go. And I will openly admit I struggle with the practice of Ahimsa in my thoughts at times and especially now.

But I can only offer you (my friends who are reading this) a suggestion that maybe, just maybe we all try with every inch of our beings to think about that beautiful practice of ahimsa and just even for a minute or two today, let that be our focus.

And tomorrow, maybe it’s 5 minutes, and the next day, maybe it’s 10. Because who knows what might happen if little by little, person by person, we were able to positively impact someone else in a kind and compassionate way?

As Gandhi said “An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind”.

I'm writing this after my my 10th morning in a row of a 6am physical yoga practice. I am not usually a morning practitioner, but every now and then when life gets a bit crazy and I run out of hours during the day, I bring a morning practice back.

Let me be very clear, I'm definitely not writing to tell you all how amazing it is and how awesome I feel and how this is the best thing ever so all of you set your alarm clocks NOW and get up tomorrow and do the same.

Because in truth, I hate a 6am practice. Hate, hate, hate it. And yes, they are very strong words for a "yogi" right?! Well here's another for good measure - I HATE IT!

The yoga traditionalist's remind me that a physical yoga practice is "meant" to be done first thing in the morning, after your digestive system has been cleared (overnight) and before you eat again, so your body is light and your digestive system is not sapping all your energy breaking down your weetbix mid chaturanga. That's also why a typical vinyasa flow is called a 'sun salutation' - you are saluting the rising sun.

But here's where I struggle - I have zero energy in the morning. And the odd thing is, I am a morning person. I am mentally alert as soon as the alarm goes off. But the old body just doesn't feel the same way. And for someone who loves a strong, dynamic and energetic practice, the internal dialogue I have during a 6am yoga practice when my mind wants to go and my body wants an hour of balasana (childs pose), moves from a chatter almost to an inner rage.

I beat myself up to no end, resisting the whole experience. Cursing my stiffness, lack of muscular power and fluidity of graceful movement.

But with everything life throws at us, this experience is teaching me. And here's what I am learning:

* To adjust my expectations. Just because I want my yoga practice to be a certain way (eg strong, dynamic and energetic), 6am is not going to allow me to do that. It's not what my body wants. And time and time again, the body is saying the same thing to me "slow down Christie, let's just chill this morning".

So true for life too right? How many times do we force something to be a certain way that is never going to happen?! So many times we ask ourselves questions we are never going to get the answers for, yet we continue to beat ourselves up.

My 6am yoga practice is teaching me to allow myself to reset expectations - it will only be resorative yoga for me at the moment. So there is no point in fighting it to be something else. Instead I am practicing to accept what it is with grace and contentment.

* Slow and steady wins the race. Ahhh the old Turtle vs the Hare analogy. And it is so bang on for me in this 6am yoga practice.

A few mornings ago, I decided to toss the Hare aside and bring some turtle into my practice. I started with 15mins of meditation before I got the body moving.

The changes in me were instant. My body was a little more receptive to moving after spending some quiet time grounding. And my mind was a little kinder to my warming up body. I felt like they were working in unison and embracing being awake together. Which is a nice reminder that magic happens when we deminish our resistance to things. Harmony truly serves us.

* Water is always important, but it's a magic liquor at 6am. A full glass of h2o before even attempting to move is like something from the heavens. Even if I'm not feeling thirsty, after 8 hours of sleep and zero hydration my body is in need of a thirst quencher. And I'm learning that what can feel like exhaustion is actually dehydration. Water is the winner my friends, drink it up!

So here's the part (after contemplation of my learnings) where I will suggest you set the alarm tomorrow and get up for an early practice. Because it's true what all those motivational instagram quotes say about learning far more from getting out of our comfort zones than we do from staying within them.

Oh instagram, you are so wise.

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

I was fo shiz, that kid. Must have driven the old parentals nuts. Probably as much as it drives me nuts now. And not from my own child but rather from my own head.

I am a sucker for the internal dialogue of "when I get that done, everything will be perfect" or "if I only were at that stage already" etc etc. And no more is that evidenced within me, than right now; branching out into yoga teaching and building my tribe in my new town.

Start-ups are hard. It's a roller coaster of highs and lows, fueled with intense passion and drive to succeed, followed closely by fear of failure and lack of motivation when you hit a road block. Things can go from powering forward at lightening speed to an absolute standstill in half a second. Your heart and soul is on the line, hanging out there for all to see. You are vulnerable.

And I keep hearing "once I get a good location, it'll be so much better" and "once I get a proper timetable I'll feel more comfortable" and this pearler "next year it'll be way easier"...

Well guess what Christie?! It won't be better, easier, more comfortable tomorrow, the next day or even next year. What it will be, is days and months down the track and I'll have missed the best part about all this - the freaking journey!!!

Now don't stop reading cause you think I'm going all 'it's about the journey not the destination' on you. Cause I happen to think the destination is just as sweet. But the thing about the journey is; it's your only true teacher.

The destination teaches you F all, but the journey is where you learn what you need to, to make sitting at your destination with a mojito in hand all the more sweeter. Cause you've worked and cried and cheered and grown and been challenged the whole way. And there is nothing sweeter that letting all those learnings resonate.

Yoga teaches us about Santosha or contentment; being completely comfortable and satisfied with where you are right now. But this doesn't mean complacent. Quite the contrary. When we are comfortable in our discomfort, we choose to be there, and choice is powerful. There's no resistence to our discomfort and we are able to learn from it, act on it and move through it; creating truly rad shit as we go.

So when I get a little panicky wondering if students will show up to my classes, or I yearn for a time down the track when I have a thriving studio; I remind myself to check in, close my eyes and consider the practice of Santosha --> I am right where I am meant to be and that is absolutely perfect.

Because what good is it to have a bustling studio with 100's of students if you've never sat in a new space with just a few?

Namaste.

Oil me up baby, cause damn I love me some natural grease.

I've recently become a complete addict to essential oils. Now I know that addiction, excess and grasping on to things is far from 'yogic' but I can't help it with these bad boys.I've found a whole new world that is empowering me to make smart choices about my health, wellbeing and mood, and I feel fantastic about it.

Have you ever stopped to think about what is in that kitchen bench cleaner you so liberally spray all over everything? Or what about that fabric softener? Got a slight headache but are super quick to reach for the pain killers? Or what about the glass of red when you've had a shit day? (ok I can't be 100% truthful there, the glass of red may still sneak in... but there are amazing oils to lift your mood that go wonderfully with your pinot!)

I've learnt that there are so many natural essential oils Mother Nature has literally handed to us that are ready, willing and able to fulfil so many of our lifestyle needs. And I was a skeptic at first, let me assure you. But the proof was in the pudding (and I've been told that a few drops of wild orange essential oil to chocolate brownies make that pudding even better!!) and after three months of playing around with oils, I've replaced most of my toxic synthetic household cleaning products and I am diffusing all sorts of oils blends to maintain emotional balance in my home. And with a toddler, that is a big freakin' feat!

The clincher for me came when my husband, who's an asthmatic, told me he has not touched his puffer since we've been diffusing oils. I shit you not peoples!! Isn't that totally incredible???!!!

So, I just want to share these bad boys with EVERYONE and am setting up some yoga + oils classes here in Port Macquarie.

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for an event invite. There is no cost to you; just bring a yoga mat, a water bottle and a note pad. We're going to sweat, bend and learn about essential oils (what are they, how to use them, where to get them) so we all can make informed choices and get our bodies functioning in the best possible way.

Christie xo

I came across this picture when floating around the internet last night and it rang so true for me.

See there's a portion of my life that's well behind me now, but in truth I still freakin' cling to it. I cling to people and past experiences, but mostly the people... And I'm not sure if I cling in a good or a bad way, but I cling.

And because of that, I'm hyper aware of when they aren't 'clinging' back. I know I comment / like their social media posts more than they do mine, I text them and don't always receive a response. All of this only makes me crave their attention more. It's like when your mum would tell you not to touch the dessert before dinner and because of that, all you want in your whole damn life is to eat that chocolate cake right then and there and there is nothing else that compares?! Yes, it's kinda like that.

Anyhoo, I am basically yearning for some kind of validation that my existance in their lives was impactful. As if that would make me be some kind of better person if I got that?! Like it would prove that they still remember me or I was important?!

But isn't that the way things often go for us mere mortals?! When relationships of any kind run their course, we cling to any sign that we meant something. We replay things over and over in our heads searching endlessly for proof that it was all not wasted and we haven't been erased from someone's life. How can you just forget about me?! we say over and over again.

But here's the thing, we already have the proof we search for. The very fact that we were in someone else's life in the first place is the 'proof'. TRUTHBOMB alert!!

What happens after we both choose a different fork in the road is completely irrelevant, because how you both impacted each other during your time together, shaped one another to be on the path you are today. And THAT'S the real answer we seek. No one gets to where they are without people influencing us along the way.

I am where I am today, because of the people I have met and the choices I have made. Those people, whom I crave attention from, are where they are today, because of our time together in some way or another.

So why continue to yearn for something that is pointless?

Ahhh this is the biggest lesson and one that needs a lot of practice. Repeatedly yearning for something to validate a past experience or for an answer you are never going to get nevers works out. In fact the only thing it does is makes you feel shit.

The big cheese - Buddha, tells us that that all beings suffer from two key things: desire and aversion. Aparigraha is the practice of non-desire (or non-possessiveness, non-hoarding) and it's the way to combat the 'I want, I want, I want'. It's a real doosy and a tough one. Buddha also says that our desires are never satifised - the more we gratify them (eg. the more I feed the clinginess and search for validation), the larger my desire gets.

Basically, I need to hit the old 'relax and let it go' button and I also need to realise that I was impactful. I did make a difference in one way or another, because I was in their lives in the first place. And that really is enough.

So don't keep that portion of your heart empty and yearning for those who do not make an effort to stay there. Fill it with good vibes of the positive things you shared with those people of the past, and save a space for the good vibes yet to come. Cause there is so much more right in front of you.

Forks in the road are there for a reason and the only thing you get from repeatedly looking back is a sore neck.

xo

What is your life purpose?

WHOA TIGER! That seems kinda like a heavy question, yes? And I wouldn't blame you for thinking it's probably easier just to not answer it. I mean, taking some time out to truly think about what you are here for, when you have no idea what that might be, can be a really uncomfortable, confronting thing.

But I feel like it's worth doing. And my reasoning comes purely from personal experience, so by all means; take it or leave it. I am certainly not a professional in ditching out this kind of advice but I do believe in sharing experiences, so here goes....

Sometimes I have a really nasty gut feeling. It's a heavy feeling that extends upwards from the pit of my belly to my chest - right in heart centre. I used to ignore it and carry on with whatever I was doing. The feeling would sit there and almost cloud my vision and thought process to the point I'd get shitty at people, my responses would be full of a 'this is so damn hard' or a 'der' attitude. I wasn't eager to tackle my tasks or to make cool shite happen. I'd feel like I'd lost my mojo and creativity and be riddled with doubt and 'is this really it?' questions. And of course every time I felt it, I'd run to my yoga mat like a crazed beast seeking food, yearning for yoga to 'fix' my lousy attitude.

It was a never-ending cycle.

So I took a leaf out of the old yoga book and brought some awareness to these feelings. I asked myself things like: when did it arise? What was I doing at the time? Were there any consistencies each time I felt it? What was I holding on to? Etc.

What I learned when I took notice is that it happened every time I was doing something that didn't feel like it 'fit' and this 'not fitting' feeling was completely sub conscious.

Now I don't mean it appeared when I was doing things that I didn't like doing, or enjoy doing, because that's a part of life. There will always be things we need to do that perhaps don't make the top 10 list of life's greatest moments. Instead I really studied what it was about these times that felt like they didn't 'fit'. And what came to me, was they were 'career' type things, career paths if you will. And they felt like I was on those paths for other people, and not for myself. So there was this resentment that was circling around my insides.

This was a lightbulb moment fo shiz!

I might not have known then what my life's purpose, my Dharma is (and I still don't know) but by bringing awareness to my current life, my moods, my physiological vibes, I can use the power of deduction to realise those particular choices / paths aren't what I was put here for. And that's been a really cool thing to become aware of.

Because although I am still on some of those paths, I am more upbeat and positive about what lies around the next corner. As opposed to being resigned to the 'this is it' mentality, I can look at what's upon me with curiosity and think "ok this isn't it, but what can I learn here to set me up for when I am there?".

Because really, life is all about trusting the process. Everything - even those shitty feelings are experienced for a reason. It's just what you do, or don't do with them that counts.

xo

If you frequent the net or social media it's been hard to escape seeing the tragic images of a little Syrian boy's body washed up on the shore of Turkey.

As a mum of a little girl not dissimilar in life stage, I found it really confronting. And like many, I tried to avoid it and look away. Until I read another a friend's post about forcing herself to look to really take in the enormity of the cruel situation much of the world is facing. And then I saw this quote also shared on Facebook, so I could no longer look away:

See it's very easy for me to sit on my balcony, with the gorgeous sun touching my skin, enjoying a cuppa (no doubt with a side of a delicious treat), watching my little girl playing peacefully in the backyard - safe, secure, and exploring the beautiful world that is laid out infront of her in this "fortunate country". But the thing is, we did nothing special to earn this right to be fortunate. I am no better than a 34 year old Syrian women. My soul was just lucky to be born here. My little girl was also lucky.

And it saddens me to think that there are families just like mine all over the world in predicaments that I can not fathom. And they did nothing to 'deserve' that situation. They are no worse a person than I.

I don't know the solution to ceasing wars, nor 'fixing' the global refugee issues. It is so complex and I am by no means well enough read on the subject. I'm just a mum, who's heart hurts at the cruel realisation there are mums and dads out there, every minute of every day, living on the edge of life vs death and doing whatever they can to protect their children.

But I know that yoga teaches us that no one life is more valuble than another. So I encourage us all, to spend today and tomorrow looking at others through the eyes of compassion. We are all one and the same.

Namaste.

I am a firey character. I have strong ideas and ways of seeing things. And I will openly admit that I struggle when people don't see it like I do.

And I don't mean when someone has a different opinion. I love that, in fact I think differing opinions make the world a fun and interesting place.

But I really struggle when someone doesn't have the same thought process as I do. I hear myself saying (and unfortunately I'm often saying this out loud) "how can you think like that?!"

Tonight I totally lost my cool. I was faced head on by someone very near and dear who just doesn't think like I do. And I pushed and I pushed, trying to get them to be as involved in the conversation as I wanted them to be. The more I pushed, the more they retracted. Needless to say the outcome was far from favourable. I got up, left the room, slammed a door and sat sulking in my negative thoughts for a while.

Which of course didn't really work out all that well. All that resulted, was that I felt like shit and after a while my strong angry vibes were dwindling to a 'is it really that important?' vibe, which is then followed by a sheepish guilt that I was so forceful.

And every time I am in this situation, I am reminded of the practice of Svadhyaya (self study). This practice teaches us to turn the mirror on ourselves to see those not-so-pleasant parts of our personality. And when we see them, we can practice taking responsibility for them.

It's a tough task this little one. I can't imagine anyone likes to look upon the shadowey parts of themselves and own it. It totally sucks. But the beauty of it is really knowing that you've been a total shithead and being able to say (without need for the other person to say something nice about you) "I was a total shithead".

Once you are aware of it, it's easier to see when it's rearing it's head again, and perhaps, select another course of action when it does.

Now I've been in the 'other room and sulking' situation more times than I can remember, so I'm not saying just being aware of your shitty side is a quick fix to the negative behaviour that follows. But it's a step in the right direction.

And if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other, then one day, when faced with resistence to how you think, you'll simply breathe and let it slide.

Practice, practice, practice.

You know those times when you really need to think up something intelligent to write but the cursor just keeps blinking at you, willing you to type almost sarcastically?

But you've got nothing?! Not one creative / interesting thought trickles from your right brain and into your fingers?!

Well that is me tonight.

Here I am, keen to put my first blog post into my new site and nada. I got zilch. No pearls of wisdom, not an interesting 'here's what happened to me today' nor a even a decent 'welcome' paragraph.

It's like my brain and fingers are simply saying "Not tonight Christie. Tonight we'd rather play Candy Crush and drink tea with a side of Malteasers".

So as it's Sunday night, I am going to dial into myself, listen to what the old fingers and right brain are telling me (via their stubbornness) and that's exactly what I am going to do.

But I do thank you for stopping by. Next time, I'll bring some intelligence.

Goodnight xo