My Yoga Journey
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Autism The Big Mystery
New Venture Mrs Graceys Mothers Help
Time For A Change
Appearances Can Be Deceptive
Cutting Back!

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My Yoga Journey

Autism The Big Mystery

Mention the word Autism and what does it conjure up in your head?

Ask someone you meet what they think about or know about Autism and what do they say?

I have always been shocked at peoples reactions to those that they view as different to themselves or the world at large. You see I never feel the same as the world at large. I never strive to be like anyone else. I am an individual and I long ago got over the feeling that I didn't quite fit and worrying about how I change to fit a mould that someone else, the media, school, social groups told me I should fit.

New Venture Mrs Graceys Mothers Help

At the beginning of the new year, with very few people having the money to book yoga lessons, and having tried a stint working back in an office, I knew I had to seriously reassess what I was doing as a living.

You see to me working for  living should also include nourishment for the soul. If you aren't enjoying what you do, if you don't end your day feeling tired but happy, then what is it all for.

Since I was a little girl I have thrived in looking after younger children. And each time I have ventured down this route over the years I have ended up working with children on the Autistic Spectrum.

Time For A Change

Business has been very slow recently and I had seriously considered putting Loulibelle yoga on the backburner whilst I went and worked for someone else.
 
As much as I love the work I do with Loulibelle Yoga, and I love working for myself, my family and I still have to eat and put a roof over our heads. My husband and I really want to buy our own home but we both need to have a regular, decent wage coming in to do this. So how do I balance doing what I love with making money.
 
I think my dilemma has come about because when I have no classes I start to doubt what I do.

Appearances Can Be Deceptive

I'm really excited.

Those of you that occasionally look at theLoulibelle Yogawebsite, or follow us on Facebook will have seen my recent posts about my collaboration withMonica Mitoli
.
My husband first introduced me to Monica about 8 months ago. He had spoken a little about her when he came home from his Friday nights training at the Training Studio,
but only to say that she was an Italian Ballerina with the most incredible posture he had ever seen.

Loulibelle Yoga had been struggling to find a home in which to base our classes for well over 12 months, all the spaces I looked at although lovely were either not big enough, unavailable at the times and days that suited us or just too noisy.

Cutting Back!

So I blogged about cutting back on my commitments and how I'd decided what was important and then....
Well today I went along to pick our allotment. We live in a flat, so no garden and I really miss being able to potter, grow herbs and veg, and just be able to be outside in my own space enjoying sunshine and fresh air. I walked to the allotments and met with 2 other families also signing up for the day.
I was going to get 2nd pick of the 3 available plots, so we walked around the whole site
which covers almost 23 acres, with 310 plots, the average plot size being 300sq yds.

A Universal Kick

Since I got married in December I have
been more than a little slap dash in my Spiritual Life.
Now this has nothing whatsoever to do with my amazing husband, he is one of the most Spiritual people I know. He is an oasis of calm and Being
and
he does very little navel gazing.
My reason/excuse/problem...has been that last year when still a single Mum,
I decided how my day began and en
ded, I read prolifically, I focused on what I wanted from life and I smiled from deep inside. Then life being what it is I had a series of events that meant I needed to work through them and grow Spiritually in the process.

Write Your Own Book

Let me paint a scenario for you...
You've with a group of friends, well they're acquaintances really, you like them, they're fun to be with and chat to, but the only time you socialise with them is in the pub or Christmas and New Year. 
Someone asks you what you do for a living or asks you about where your son goes to school, and then the fun begins.
It's at moments like this that I realise that my family and I are really not on the same page as everyone else, in fact if we're reading the same book I'd be very surprised.

Focus is the Key

I was speaking to my husband during our Sunday morning lie-in and debating what we wanted from life, what we had achieved so far and wanted to achieve in the future and what, if anything was holding us back from achieving the goals we had. And here was our conclusion.
You see, despite knowing that if I trust the Universe and if I am clear in my intentions to achieve what I aim for then it will appear, I still have moments where I question why something isn't happening.
For example, my business Loulibelle Yoga.

Frustration...is it necessary?

Today I had a class booked
with a very enthusiastic Mum. She called in the week and was really keen on coming to a class and for me to then teach a group of her friends 
at a venue loca
l to them.
I arrived at The Studio early to st up and make sure that it felt as welcoming to tiny ones as possible. This isn't really difficult. The Studio is a large hall, filled with plants and birds and with an amazing atmosphere of peace and happiness.
10am came and went 10.30 came and went, no sign of my new clients.

Are You A Homebody Or A Wanderlust Junkie?

Are you a homebody or a wanderlust junkie?

Me? Well I'm a bit of a contradiction. I would quite happily hole myself up at home, order my shopping online, only communicate with the outside world through the Internet or phone and spend my life reading, knitting and just being. However every now and again I start to feel dissatisfied, like I'm missing out, like I'm not fulfilling my potential. I question whether life is too easy, have I got it too good, do I deserve the life I have now?
I suppose that is why up until last year my son I have have had 9 homes in 10 years.

Realisation

Are you scared of dying? Do you worry what will happen to those you love? How will they cope? Will life not go on because you have gone?

This was exactly how I felt up until about 3 years ago. Then I had a life changing experience. I was severely depressed after the loss of a parent, struggling with the knowledge of cancer and the pressures of family and life. I sat at the edge of the river outside my house and wondered if I walked into the water and just sat underneath it, when death came what would it change.

To My Baby Girls

20 years ago tomorrow my youngest daughter, who is my middle child was born.

When each of my babies were born I felt exactly the same, at peace, unconditional love and fierce need to protect them.

I hope this poem conveys a little of how I felt.

I see you from across the room
And I can not stop the smile flittering across my lips,
Warmth spreading through my heart
Tingling of anticipation in my stomach.
On the day you were born my world became complete
A soul to grow with,
A heart to be loved by.
You see me from across the room

Should It Cost Money to Gain Enlightenment?

I had an interesting lesson in Spirituality last week.

I went to London to the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival. To be honest I was unsure what to expect but went with an open mind. I admit to being slightly nervous as I was visiting the festival by myself, however I was interested to see who I would meet and what new experiences I could have that would develop my Spirituality.

I wandered around the festival, and the first thing that happened was people tried to sell me things, from hair clips to pictures.

From Scratch

Have you ever done this?

I look at the contents of the fridge, I peruse the ingredients in the cupboard and I despair. There are 101 combinations I could prepare for dinner but which one will give the family a hearty, five a day filling, taste sensation...and more to the point what will I enjoy cooking most?

I discovered early on that me and ready prepared or packet meals do not mix. Heard of the woman who can burn jelly, well look no further! However if you give me all the raw ingredients, music n my ipod and time I love nothing more than preparing a meal from scratch.

Time For a Little Creating

Have you ever daydreamed about days gone by? Eras before your time, where life was full of simple pleasures and society ran on morals and rules?

This morning my son and I settled down to watchJust William, based on the books by Richmal Crompton. It made my son howl with laughter and set me to thinking, thank goodness this adaptation shows some of the realities.

When you imagine the time in which that the Just William books are set, you imagine a society where children were children, they knew their place, everyone knew table manners, and spoke with the upmost politeness.

A Lesson in Simple Pleasures

I woke up yesterday morning, the first morning of my weekend with no plans. What to do first...read..knit...study...sort...so much to choose from but all solo activities.

Two hours later after a text from my best friend and a text from my daughter I headed into the city.

I haven't seen my friend in months so we grabbed a glass of vino and sat in the sunshine on one of my favourite streets in the city, we chatted, relaxed and enjoyed.

My daughter text to ask me to meet her and my eldest Grandson, who is a giggly 2 and a half and full of joy.

"Suffering is An Attitude of How You Meet Your Experience" Mooji

Take control, don't be lead by blind emotion, stop look at the situation and decide DOES THIS REALLY CONCERN ME?

Have you ever had one of those days where someone tells you something, that makes you reaction with emotion, it sends your head spinning and a million scenarios  play out all ending in disaster

I had such a day recently. I have long been someone who steps back from other peoples lives, my rule is "It's your life, it's your right to do what you want with it and if life throws you a bum curve based on your decisions then it's you're right to make those mistakes".

Let's Change the World One Smile At A Time

Last night I visited a friend who had some amazing news, she's fallen in love.

She has known the guy since she was 15 years old and they last saw each other in 1993, but after a trip abroad to see him last week they have fallen for each other hook, line and sinker...and I couldn't be happier for her.

When my friend met my husband for the first time she said she wanted to "Meet her Paul", as you may have guessed "Paul" is my husband. It took us a year to work out the kinks in our relationship, but once we made a commitment to each other there was no looking back, we just fit.

Focusing Outwards

My Mum came to visit on Saturday, nothing unusual in that, although it's the first time she's driven here since her hip replacement, so a little unusual I suppose. Whilst chatting and catching up she asked me how I was, and as much to my surprise as to hers I burst into tears.

I've spent the past two months, well actually the past 5 months running from project to project, and filling my life with all the activities I think I need to make our home life happy and successful. As a result whenever anyone has asked me to help with a problem they are having or needed me to listen to their woes I've felt as if they've placed a ten tonne weight on my shoulders and that I'm buckling under the strain.

Out With the New In With the Old

Last night I realised I'm getting old. I came home from a night out very disgruntled and a little unhappy.

Now before you jump up and down, saying "No, no, of course you're not getting old", just hear me out, because it's amazing what a nights sleep can do for your vision on the world.

I don't feel like getting old is a bad thing. Yes I'm a little sad that I'm no longer with the hip and beautiful ones out partying at the weekend, but to be honest I was never confident enough to be out in the group of young pretty things that party all weekend.

If Life Gives You Lemons

I shouldn't complain. Life has been good recently.Things have been going my way, and then...

I woke up today, tired, like I've been all week, but it's that time of the month again, so no surprise there.

I woke up knowing that all the plans I'd made for the weekend had gone, due to my sons father failing to have him as arranged.

But still I woke with good intentions and with the positive thought of ignoring the date, Friday 13th May.

I woke up, cooked breakfast, blogged, did the things I needed to do.

Same Story Different Ages

This week I've taught a lovely age range of children, it still amazes me how quickly children develop physically from the age of eighteen months upwards.

On Wednesday I had a class of beautiful eight year old girls. Initially I had a slight moment of panic when I realised that there was no electricity for my Ipod speakers and I was going to have to lead the class without the accompaniment of music.

Music is an integral part of my sessions usually and a brilliant asset when it comes to calming down or livening up a class of up to 30 children.

Less is More

Reading a recent edition of Oprah Magazine today I realised how lucky I am. The main article seems to be all about De-cluttering your life. I realised that I really don't need to do this.

In my life so far I have rented houses, owned houses, lived in tiny rooms and huge 6 bedroomed country estates. I have moved a total of 9 times in 10 years and finally I'm settled.

I live in a very small two bedroomed flat with my new husband and my son. We have no garden and definitely no room to swing a proverbial cat, but we're happy.

A Lot To Be Thankful For

After my relaxation day on Saturday, where I did small but significant things just for me, Life has suddenly begun to feel easier.

On Monday although tired, I decided that if I sorted out all the things I'd been putting off I'd feel a lot better. So I called the Bank about some compensation they owed me, managed to fit in a telephone conversation with my Mum who I've not managed to talk to for weeks and finally sorted out my Tax Return.

Whilst organising all this a local venue called me regarding my enquiry for room hire.

Self Doubt, Self Belief

Some days I wake up and wonder if I'm going to make today a successful day. My idea of success can differ from day to day, depending on the type of sleep I've had.

If I wake up in a positive frame of mind I find that from the minute my foot hits the bedroom floor I'm on a mission to fill my day with as many activities as possible. However if I've had a lousy nights sleep, I can wake up wanting the world to Go Away.

Saturday morning was a morning in point. I slept really badly and woke up grumpy and unhappy.

My Obsession With Oprah

Yesterday I spent a good few minutes looking for reading material, and deciding that I need short, sharp bursts of information at the moment as my head is full of too much life, I decided a magazine would be the way to go.

I looked at work related magazines and bought one, and then thought I know lets see what's happening in the Oprah Magazine. Much to the hilarity of my family and friends I have been obsessed with Oprah since I was a young Mum of 23, and I would avidly watch her show on the cable channels.

The Universe Works in Mysterious Ways

Yesterday I posted a Status update on a Social Networking Site, hoping for a little support or some advise, be careful what you wish comes to mind. My question was about socialising my 10 year old who is Home Schooled, I seem to have been chasing my tail recently trying to find groups and activities he can join.


The first response I got was :-

"You could just send him to school like the rest of his peers, you asked for this comment, sorry if it's not what you want to hear, none of us live in an ideal world, but nevertheless it is the world we live in, we can still pass on our ideals whilst conforming to an imperfect norm

Forming, Storming and Norming

Ever notice how all of life is circle. My Mum, the Sage of our family has a saying "It's all aboutForming, Storming and Norming".

The basic idea behind this is that as social animals weForma group, (like a family) where we're polite to each other, delight in pleasing one another and generally enjoy the "honeymoon" period. After this comes this we stop being so polite, and try to decide who is "top dog", we realise how we differ from those we are in the group with and they start to irritate us.

Food Glorious Food

Since we got married in December our household has revolved around good food, beer, and wine. We spent lots of lovely evenings as a family shooting the breeze with a bottle of beer and a curry, but all those lovely bottles and delicious curries have resulted in my husband and I having to loosen our belts quite a few notches.

I decided after the May Bank Holiday I would get back into my habit of eating raw at least once a day. A couple of Christmas's ago my daughters bought me a book calledAuthentic Woman: A Guide to Beauty, Body and Bliss by Leslie Kenton.

The Bee Story


My lesson this week for my 5 to 11 year olds is about the Bee who helped with a case of hayfever.

Props for this class are very easy, a beautiful flower for each child to colour in
and a lovely bee for them to have on their fingers and buzz from flower to flower.
The final prop is a jar of local honey. The story is based ontheory that eating local honey can help combat hayfever.

I always do a mini plan of positions and a basic story for classes, like the one below. They don't have to be too detailed as I like the children to come up with ideas of what could be happening next in the story.

Slow Down

Slow Down! Try choosing the slower option.

When I met my husband, the first thing my son did was put on a cartoon he loves, my husband sat mesmerised and finally said "I have no idea what's going on, it'll all moves to fast"

This comment made me pause for thought, was he right. I thought about it hard and long and looked at the old cartoons I used to watch "Hong Kong Phooey", "The Pink Panther", "Top Cat", and then the cartoons my son watches "Ben 10", "

Veganism, a path to self discovery

My husband an I were having an interesting discussion this morning about a few people we know that are vegetarian with little or no knowledge of the nutrients their bodies need and have merely replaced the meat in their diets with pretend versions.

It made me wonder whether when you decide that your interested in something you dive straight in or you spend time researching the subject.

I always describe myself as a dive in feet first type of gal. And if you look at my life and the interesting choices I have made you would probably agree.

Time to regroup

If your household is anything like ours you'll have spent this glorious Bank Holiday Weekend with friends indulging in food, alcohol and laughs.

I love long lazy weekends with loads of chatter and the chance to catch up, I'm not so keen on the sluggish, tired feeling it gives my body.

This is when it's time to Regroup, drink more water and start to show your body the respect it deserves. Over the weekend I have done literally little more exercise than strolling with my husband in the Spring sunshine, or lifting my right arm to drink my Guinness.

Royal Wedding

I can in no way shape or form be classed as a Royalist and I awoke this morning with a little feeling of sadness for Kate Middleton that her day was being used by a Government as a ploy to deflect from the state of our Nation, and could not be truly called her own.

My husband and I got married in December, we had a quiet intimate ceremony with our families followed by an all day session in an amazing bar in the city with all our friends and family. It was laid back, we chose the music with friends and created an awesome playlist which played throughout the day, and the whole day reflected us as people, laid back and easy going.

Chill PIll

As women, mothers, business owners we all fill our days with so many activities we often lose ourselves in our roles, rather than in who we are. Even those of us who know how we should relax, meditate and chill out forget from time to time.

Life in the Grace/Carle-Brown household can be pretty busy.

We're a household of three, my hubby, my ten year old and me, with extended family of two older daughters and grandsons nearby. Hubby runs his own business, I run mine, we all do martial arts or yoga training up to five nights a week, I'm studying three courses and my son is home schooled.

Sometimes Things Just Fall Into Place

Have you ever had one of those days?

I'm not talking about the days where everything feels like an effort and life seems like hard work. I'm talking about the days when one event slots neatly into another event.

It happened for me today. I had an enquiry for a class. At first I felt a little panic, I've held off booking a venue for my classes as lots of people like home sessions. I like to hold classes close to where people live so they have as little disruption to their day by travelling for miles and struggling for parking.

Relaxation Sessions for Children

My idea  of heaven is a class of 30 2 year olds all participating in a 6 minute meditation.

Now some of you reading this will scoff and say "Impossible", but I assure you it is most definitely possible. I agree that when you first start to show children how to meditate it can be hard to believe that 2 minutes is possible let alone 6 minutes. But I assure you it is.

Like adults who are learning to mediate initially you fidget, everything distracts you, other people breathing, wondering what other people are doing, are you the only one with your eyes closed?

A Day of Smiles

Little pleasures mean so much. Sunshine, family, and a lazy day have given me a smile on my face today.

It made me wonder what are the little things that make you smile. We spend lots of energy in a day focused on our struggles, on the things that aren't working or the people that have made us feel bad.

How often do we focus on the little things that make us smile?

My day today started with my hubby bringing me a pot of coffee to share in bed. It gave us a chance to shoot the breeze before our day kicked in.

Slow and Steady

So I teach Yoga. So I'm studying Yoga. So I should know better?!Well you would think so!!

Apparently not. A week ago I was happily attending my third Yoga class of the week, where I study atHerbs and Yoga, I was really enjoying my first full week without aches or pains, (when you first start a class that differs from your usual the teacher will get you using muscles you didn't know you had, and boy does my teacher do that.)

I am usually very good at ensuring that my alignment is right, that when bending my knees they don't pass over my toes putting undue pressure on the joint.

True Beauty For All

This picture is me at 16. Looking now I see a beautiful young woman, so serious about life and where it was leading her. When she looked in the mirror she saw her bad skin, her big nose and imperfect teeth. She was too shy to speak in a crowd and stuttered over words when having a discussion one on one, even with her friends. She doubted her own judgment and failed to see her beauty.

Move on a few years and this is me at 24, a very young mother of 2. Painfully thin and desperately unhappy, and  still unable to see her beauty.

You Can Do It All, But Should You?

I was having one of those days last week. I had a million and one things to do and I felt really, really under the weather. My Mum bless her decided I needed a giggle and sent me this.

THE NEXT SURVIVOR SERIES
6 married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kidseach for 6 weeks.
Each kid will play 2 sportsand either take musicor dance classes
There is no fast food.
Each man must take care of his 3 kids,  keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

Baby Yoga...err What's that?!

I asked my husband what he thought a good blog subject would be, his answer was "why not blog on the first question everyone asks you...Baby Yoga...err What's that?!" So here goes....

Any little one up to the age of  two and a half I would call a baby. After that they are very independent and prefer to show Mum exactly what they are capable of. My baby classes start with little ones of about 6 weeks old. I would encourage Mums to take a Baby Massage Course with their little ones too, it helps you bond  and gives Mum a lot more confidence handling her baby.

You Can't Always Choose Who's in Your Life

Had a massive insight this morning. After yet another run in with the Father of my son, who I have not been in a relationship with since before I knew I was expecting my son, I realised that no matter how careful I am who I interact with I can't always choose who is in my life for life.

A Time to Grow

My bedtime books of choice at the moment are the autobiography in 6 parts ofMaya Angelou. I have railed and shouted, been frustrated and amazed at what she has done in her life. 

The early books are about her childhood and her early adult years. It's the early adult years that made me angry at first, then it was the 30 year old woman that frustrated me.

And then it dawned on me, we don't just appear on this earth as fully rounded all knowing beings, with compassion and love for all, we get there by jumping head first, marrying the wrong men, having babies too young and making all the mistakes that eventually go to make up the person who stands before us today.

Poses for Children, Poses for Adults

There's a definite distinction between the poses you would do in an adult Yoga class and the poses I teach to my under 5's. Your adult class will concentrate on breathing, form and slow movement. As an adult the slower you move into a pose the more effective it will be.

With under 5's the emphasis is on fun first and form after. Very few of the poses I use in a class for under 5's are slow, complicated or held for a long time. They tend to be poses that are adapted to allow a child to move within the movement.

Generation of Women

Whilst I sat in the April sunshine on Sunday chatting to my Mother-in-Law I discovered an interesting fact- I come from a very privileged position. I grew up in an almost exclusively female household with a Maternal Grandmother and Mother who bestowed on me the knowledge that "Womens Work", so frowned upon in todays society, is "skilled" work and knowledge that we as women should revere and pass to the next generation.

My Mother-in-Law grew up in a small family surrounded by male role models, she moved to England from Northern Ireland and had her first child away from support.

Honour your body

Ever have those days where you wake up tired, a sleepy a cup of coffee will fix tired, but bone tired, deep seated exhaustion?

We all get it from time to time. Usually when we've been playing and working a little too hard or over indulging in all the love delights of food and drink.

I've heard people trying to insist that if you get up and active it'll pass, or do a work out it'll raise your mood. To those people I say a big loud "SSSSHHHHHH!!!!!".

On days where you are tired, your body is telling you it needs a rest.

Inspiring the Under 5's

If you ask me what my perfect day consists of the beginning and the end my differ but somewhere in the middle will be teaching a class of Toddlers aged from 2 to 3 years old.

It's a magical age where an everyday task like cleaning your teeth is filled with wonder, excitement and a sense of achievement.

I've been extremely lucky in my life that I have always been surrounded by children, when I left home and had my first child my little sister was only 8 years old. I had two amazing girls in 2 and a half years and spent fun filled days playing with salt dough, painting, baking and generally learning with my children.

Breath Control In Children

I written in my blogThe Importance of Breath and it is just as important for children as it is for adults.

During a Loulibelle Yoga class, whether it be for a baby or a toddler I use various props to help breath control. By far the most popular with Mums and Tots are the Butterflies. They are made out of tissue paper, the children hold their hand flat, palm up and are taught to take a breath in and the breath out underneath the Butterfly wings. The aim is for them to get the Butterfly to float as high in the air as possible.

So what do we wear to a Loulibelle Yoga Class?


Ever been to the gym an noticed the beautiful people in the latest sports gear. Tight lycra leggings and teeny weeny tank tops?

Well at Loulibelle Yoga you won't find anyone dressed like this. My Baby and Mum, and Toddler and Mum classes are about fun, inspiration and relaxation. If you are going to run, jump and rough and tumble with the liveliest toddler do you really want movement restricting clothing or something that is going to make you hotter than you're already going to get? I know I don't.