Spending Seconds Well - January 2017

Dear Everyone,

After the fun and feasting of late December, January can feel rather flat with the overbearing sense that we must set some sort of grand resolution, or make plans to do, eat, or work a bit ‘better’ this year.

Of course, positive intentions are a good thing, but sometimes it makes more sense to simplify things a bit and just go right back to basics at the start of the year.

My favourite tea shop has quote on the wall which reads, ‘Every second brewing tea is a second well spent’. Whilst you might prefer to substitute the word tea for an alternative beverage (!), the core idea remains – spending your seconds well.

A central tenet of all yoga classes is becoming very present as we turn our minds away from the busyness and complexity of our everyday lives. We set aside the long list we have to do at work, or the difficult conversation we have to have with a loved one and instead just focus on our bodies, our breath and the way in which we move.

This combination of practices means that we are able to spend every single second of the class ‘well’ and has the effect of calming and quietening our minds, as well as stretching and strengthening our bodies. As a result, we feel more focused, open and able to approach life’s challenges with greater ease, perhaps even allowing us to set an intention for the year that is more appropriate and achievable than our initial ideas.

Classes in January will do just this – go back to basics as we focus on our breathing, become very present and and open and release all the parts of the body that may have got a little tight over the festive season.

I also wanted to let you know that the next Primrose Hill yoga workshop, ‘Making Space for Spring’ is filling up fast – over half the spaces have been taken now so please do let me know if you’d like to come! On Sunday 2nd April I will lead a long, flowing practice designed to create space throughout the whole body. We will release the spine, open the shoulders, free up the hips, expand the breath and create clarity in the mind before enjoying a nourishing relaxation and tasting some yummy, healthy treats.

We have around 31 million seconds to spend in 2017 – let’s try and spend them well!

Caroline