Diary of a Yogic Mummy

ooofffff Well the Winter season has started and my classes are getting back into their nocturnal rythmn. The snow and rain have fallen hard the last few days & we have gone from -17 to + degrees in the space of a couple of days. Melodie has started back skiing with the club and for once seems to actually be enjoying it and Clementine is struggling with fll blown chicken pocks! We (not the royal but Christian and I) are stuggling with lack of sleep but somewhere in the midst of the general mele of work/season/girls/sickness I have managed to practise some great grounding sessions and cook up a stock of mincemeat, soup and seasonal biscuits. I have even wrapped and packed most of the Christmas pressies & have made a start on the cards for Christmas. So this afternoon I am about to treat myself to a great yoga session at home without the children climbing over me before they return anf the madness begins again!

Yoga practise - I'm finding the snow and wind energy quite vibrant but mentally a little disturbing so best to practise slowly, deliberately and use the breath to the full. Take refuge in the grounding poses and breath deeply and slowly. Use strong balance poses or even simple standing poses to strengthen and ground both body and mind.....warrior, triangle, tree, standing triangle balance......and complete your session with a lond-held halasana or legs up the wall. Enjoy and go deep! namaste

So as you can tell by the gap in entries the life of this yogic mummy is rather frantic with the run up to Christmas, the start of the Winter season for my classes, a workshop I held on Sunday in Val d'Isere and a very busy trip to Paris and London to help plan and sort out my new online projects....more to follow! The girls were glad to have their mummy back and me to see them - melodie has started back skiing and loves it and Clementine has finally started to enjoy the child minders - little Noami helps considerably! The girls are very excited about Christmas so amid yoga plans and accounts and of course my own practise I have found the advent calendar we made last year and will be getting it ready tonight for the first window tomorrow morning. No doubt there will a fight for who opens the window but we shall try and be loving referees as and when we can. Practise this morning at 6.30am was a little harsh but melodie is now walking to the bus on her own so that takes a little of

So India - quite an adventure and for sure an experience of a lifetime! The girls came to meet me with their papa at the station and since then we have been in a whirlwind of closing the summer house up, moving to the mountains where it has already snowed (quite a change from chennai and the 35 degrees we left only a few days ago) and now installed in Les Brevieres and back to teaching. Trying to keep up the level of practise I had in India but the lack of heat on the body takes it toll - also the girls need my attention often and I am glad to give it as and when work permits......I try and practise with them around so that they don't see yoga as something I do hidden away - in a flat that's not hard anyway as there are no hiding places so postures get used as a climbing framce very often.....Life back to normal I suppose. Classes started today in Ste Foy and Tignes and actually really nice to get back to teaching again....take care all namaste

Its been manic of late so no entries but off to India on Friday so you can follow my adventures on http://charlotteindiantravels.blogspot.com/

Well so much has been happening of late that the entries have slowed down a little - sorry for that! It is such an intense but incredibly creative time at the moment with many project underway - I am so excited about them all and continue to be inspired by this amazing yogic journey I find myself on. One of the project is I'm reworking the DVDs at the moment and they will soon be available in English for more people to enjoy - I actually did m own yoga dvd the other night to check out the order of play for rerecording the sessions and the lunar sessions are just lovely! I actually forgot it was me after a while! India is fast approaching and we are so looking forward to this amazing trip and all that it brings! The girls continue to inspire me and keep me on a humble and very real track of life watching with wide eyes life as it progresses and grows infront of us. The full moon energy at the oment is just incredible too - look out tonight - it is truly awe inspiring! Take care of y

Well the Autumn starting to pock its head out and get a little chilly in the evening and often a chill wind during the day then yesterday was magnificant - our courtyard was a total sun trap and very welcome to my and my cla as we are all struggling with colds so it was nice to feel the heat on our faces and enjoy the outside air! Major photo shoot of postures for lots of guide books and yoga projects a foot this week (a taster in the photos section) and some fun yoga with Clementine and the Wullabaloos (goodneess knows if that's how you spell it!) Enjoy the rest of your week namaste

and for once she is here in the Ardeche so we had a lovely breakfast in the sun and then tea and cakes this afternoon. So lovely to share moments like that together - the girls loved the smartie cakes too! Finally finished cutting the lavender too which is great as the hands really feel it afterwards. I saw a friend today who I hadn't seen for ages and she has just started finding her feeet after cancer and treatment but she is fighting back hard...huge hugs to people who have been struggling make you and them feel so good! Do it more often...and laugh outloud as much as you can it is so refreshing. Off to teach shortly so am going to prepare yogically .....have an amazing evening and enjoy those around you - hug them as much as you can!

Well we had so much rain yesterday I feel that the house, the garden and our entire beings have been washed and cleaned. I opened all the windows and dooes today and let the fresh air and sunlight into the house to refresh and renew. Its a new moon today so again its a great time to refresh, renew and take stock. This was a great days for that and thanks to my Blissful Gratitude mix by Bliss and Lucinda Drayton I flowed through an amazing chakra opening session a la Shiva Rea. The sun came out at the end of the session just in time for a cup of tea with Christian and then the girls came home from the play centre and creche......perfect!

What a week this has been - I don't think I could have worn more hats this week - cook, cleaner, Mum, business woman, yogaa teacher, masseuse, travel planner, gardener....the list goes on! But is haas been a magnificent week full of amazing conversations, beautiful sunshine, happy smiles from my girls, laughter, hard work, wonderful early morning dew and some fabulous yoga practices in my courtyard sunshine! Tomorrow is of course another day but this week and today have been amazing! Lots of gratitude to the universe....namaste

Beautifully sunny but freezing today - great ashtanga practise this morning before whizzing round the garden with the mower, tea with my husband and laughter with my girls and then off to teach this evening some Yin Yoga after the frenetic energy of the last full moon! The holidays in Gruissan were great fun and the yoga on the beach quite special.....wonderful moments with melodie too. The break down on the motorway on the way down just didn't bother us in the slightest! Have bikes, legs and a yoga mat will travel! Namaste

Well after a couple of days yoga course and macrobiotic diet (not too convinced for myself) and a VERY busy day yesterday cleaning and mowing lawns for the new arrivals Melodie and I are finally off to Gruissan plage for a few days of sun, sea and beach! Have good few days...namaste

So off to a yoga course for a couple days in the South of the Ardeche - trying desperately to catch up with a few things before I go and do a short meditative yogic practise before getting in the care again....busy market morning this morning before heading home and preparing the evening meal for the clan, cake, bread and of course taking the tent down in the garden in preparation for the camping trip this Sunday... busy, busy, busy...melodie so pleased today as not only did she get a new pet shop and hana montana tissues (if only life could be so beautifully simple sometimes) she also managed to swim underwater. Clementine on good from after a long sleep last night - no waking up and a sleep in until 8.15am - unheard of! - and a good sleep this afternoon too. Ahhh parents can catch up - its amazing what one or two hours extra sleep can do. Off to practise and drive to the yogic meet-up...namaste all.

Rainy, cloudy and sunny day but all is smiles down here The girls are on good form thanks to Erin's help and some good wholesome fun (as well as a bit of nanny mcphee this afternoon). Beautiful run in the woods and hills this morning and a great yoga session in my cabane (so no children climbing over me) listening to Deva Premal and the sound of rain on the roof. Doesn't get better than that! namaste

Cleaning gites all day today so no time for yoga asana practise but lots of karmic thoughts whilst ccleaning the loos! The girls managed to ge their session in though...check out the photo! namaste

Cleaning gites all day today so no time for yoga asana practise but lots of karmic thoughts whilst ccleaning the loos! The girls managed to ge their session in though...check out the photo! namaste

Well another busy day in the life of a yogic mummy.....wake up call at 7.00 after a late night with friends. Two year olds don't know about having a lie in! After brekfast & sorting elder child and our english babysitter ashtange yoga in the courtyard broken only to get lunch on the go! Christian (husband) then helped take loads of new photos for the dvd covers as they need revamping and a couple of videos - to be found on YouTube and the photos on my facebook album this weekend aas time has run out today) - then a change of scene and mowing the lawns with some weeding and gardening to boot. Now for once I am goingg out with my husband for a meal just the two of us - no kids! - thankyou Erin for babysitting....Namaste

Beautifully sunny and hot morning so after the general breakfast routine with Clementine's (now 2) new word of the week being voila! I went for a wonderful run through the chestnut woods and then cam back and practised yoga in the courtyard. Took Melodie (almost 7) and Erin (our enlgish guest staying with us to look after the girls for a few days) to La Plage in St Sauveur and then a few bits in town before dropping Melodie off at a freind's and heading home for dinner with Clementine and Papa. Clementine greeted us with open arms and a loud Maman - much appreciated. All in bed by 11pm exhausted!