Beethoven, Gong Baths and the Muppets!

52@50 no. 12 - Sunday Morning Concert at Wigmore Hall

30 years ago my husband used to go to the Sunday morning recitals at Wigmore Hall just behind Oxford Street in London.  Although I've been to other classical concerts in different venues over the years, I'd never been to the Wigmore Hall so whilst thinking about things I'd like to do in my 50th year I thought we sould rectify this.  

The Wigmore Hall was originally built in 1901 by a German piano firm called Bechstein next to its showrooms on Wigmore Street. The Hall was intended to be "grandly impressive while remaining intimate enough for recitals".

With the outbreak of war in 1914 the German company was forced to sell it's business - including studios, offices, warehouses, 137 pianos and the Hall itself - and it was sold to Debenhams for £56,500. A bargain considering the Hall alone had cost £100,000 to build. It reopened in 1917 under it's new name Wigmore Hall and became an internationally recognised venue with near-perfect acoustics. Today it hosts over 400 concerts a year and a weekly concert which is broadcast on Radio 3. It is also a centre of education, offering many family concerts and workshops, study events and masterclasses.

Inside the Wigmore Hall

and outside

Playing for us were the Danish String Quartet and the pieces we enjoyed were String Quartet in D major by Haydn, String Quartet in C minor by Beethoven followed by a traditional Scandinavian piece. I'm really not a classical music expert I just know when I like what I'm hearing and I did indeed. The pieces were melodious and the players energised and expressive. These Sunday morning concerts are short - just an hour - and coffee is served afterwards, although most of the audience (who were mainly of a much older generation) went straight for the sherry! We then enjoyed a picnic lunch in the sunshine (this event was the weekend before last) before 'Boris Bike' cycling back to Waterloo (see last week's blog). A very cultured Sunday.  

52@50 no. 13 - Sunday Evening Sound Therapy and Gong Bath Meditation

This Sunday I participated in another musical 'first' - a gong bath.  I've been in a sound healing class before where Tibetan singing bowls were used to create the sound, but I hadn't experienced the powerful tones of a gong before. Sometimes also known as a gong meditation, it's called a 'bath' because you are bathed in sound - it reverberates all around you and right through you.  

The class was held in Cobham Village Hall by a couple who offer sound healing around the Elmbridge district (The Alchemy of Sound: South West London and Surrey). The hall was set up with 10 yoga mats arranged in a circle, each with a blanket and cushion. In the centre was a big gong, various mallets, a crystal singing bowl, a drum and some bells. Intriguing! We sat to do some chanting - a few simple rounds of  'om', then we laid down and got comfortable, ready to receive the sound healing.  First some high frequency sounds from the crystal bowl - clear, single, ringing notes, then the duller thud of a drum took over. The small drum was being walked around the outside of the circle so each of us could feel the vibrations close to the head.  Then for the next 45 minutes or so the gong was played and waves of sound filled the room and resonated around and through me. It was very relaxing - I almost dropped off to sleep! I understand that's not unusual! 

Apparently, the brain can't predict or follow the notes of the gong so it doesn't try. It relaxes so much that the brain wave patterns change from Beta (waking state) to Alpha (relaxation state) to Theta and Delta (meditative states). This therapy is said to clear energy blockages within the body and release all the muscles, leaving you feeling completely rested with a sense of liberation. I certainly felt great afterwards and I slept really deeply that night. I'd definitely go to a gong meditation again and am curious to experience how other practitioners (if that's the right word for a gong player) offer the therapy and to feel and hear the various sounds that different gongs make.

Your Questions Answered... why do some yoga teachers play music in class while others don't? 

It really depends on the teacher and the style of yoga being practiced. Traditionally music is not played in yoga classes. If you attend a class from a particular lineage, such as an Iyengar, Sivananda or Ashtanga, then they will usually stick to the traditional way of doing things and they won't play music. Any form of distraction from the focussed attention is not encouraged. However, in recent years new styles of yoga have been created which offer a blend of the traditional methods. In a vinyasa flow class it is common to hear music and in a Jivamukti class there will always be a playlist, often containing contemporary chanting tracks, to accompany the class. The music helps to lift the energy at some points, and soothe and quieten busy minds at others. 

I did my training with Ruth White who had been a student of BKS Iyengar and as such followed his traditional methods and music was never played in her classes.  I have subsequently done trainings and taken many classes with teachers who are well-know for their creative playlists - Shiva Rea being the most influential to me. She plays tracks with a really good beat which always fit the rhythm of the sequence of postures. From her I learned how to match the rise and fall of the energy of the sequence to the music and therefore guide the flow of the class - upbeat but steady rhythm for Sun Salutations, melodic and ambient sounds for the more static postures and quiet relaxation music for Savasana. I rarely play tracks with vocals as I find them distracting but carefully chosen tracks with gentle rhythm work well.

Therefore, in my opinion, it's all down to personal preference. Don't like music in class and find it a distraction? Go to an Iyengar class. Like an eclectic mix of devotional chants and contemporary music, try Jivamukti. Enjoy music in the background to create a soothing ambience? Come to one of my classes where the music is chosen to match postures with minimal vocals for minimum distraction. When practicing at home, it's completely up to you and your mood whether you do your yoga to the tones of DJ Drez or Beethoven or just the sound of your own breath. And it's good to have the choice. 

This Week's Recipe... Beetroot and Apple Soup

It's soup season! The beginning of autumn finds me reaching for the root vegetables and cooking up batches of simple healthy soups to enjoy for a quick and easy lunch.  

I've never made a recipe with beetroot before. I've always been a bit unsure of it - how do I cook it, how do I peel it and how do I avoid getting pink juice everywhere?! A friend made me a delicious salad with beetroot last week and it inspired me to be a bit braver and use beetroot more.  So, here it is ... my first attempt at beetroot and apple soup... and very successful and yummy it was too. And easy - no peeling or pre-cooking required, and only a bit of juice mopping! And gorgeously deep pink against the white bowl too.

You will need:

• 350g uncooked beetroot
• 1 medium onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 eating apple
• 25g unsalted butter 
• 500ml vegetable stock (Marigold Vegetable Bouillon is the best)
• sea salt and black pepper
• a swirl of Greek yoghurt to serve if required

And here's how to make it:

• Peel and chop the onions and the garlic.
• Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally.
• Wash and trim the ends off the beetroot. Don't bother to peel it, just chop and then add to the onions and garlic. 
• Core and slice the apple and add to the onions and continue to fry for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Add the stock and seasoning, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. Allow to cool enough before whizzing in the blender until smooth, then return to the saucepan to reheat. 
• Add more seasoning to taste if required and serve (with a swirl of Greek yoghurt for added beautifulness!)   

So pretty and pink!

This Week's Musical Offering... For What It's Worth by DJ Drez .  A great steady beat for doing slow sun salutations to.  I play this in class quite often, but does it ring any other bells (pardon the musical pun) for you?.....

And finally, connected to the track above is this week's video....

When I first heard the above track by DJ Drez it sounded familiar. I knew I knew it but I just couldn't place how, what or where I knew it from. Then one day I was doing my practice (fortunately it wasn't in front of the class - that would have been funny!) and this track was on in the background and I just sung out "Stop children. What's that sound? Everybody look what's going round" and it all came back to me.... The Muppets!!!  I remember this sketch from the Muppet Show even though I was very young and I only heard it the once (no video to record it and no YouTube to look it up on back then). It had a profound effect - I remember I intensely disliked the noisy men with guns who were disturbing the lovely peaceful woodland animals.  Well things haven't changed! There are still, unfortunately, noisy men with guns in this world and I still dislike them! And in case you think you've heard it before even the Muppets used it, the original track was by Buffalo Springfield and it's called For What It's Worth.  

The power of music...  Enjoy.... it's fab...

Yoga and Cycling, and a September Salad

52@50 no. 11 - Riding a 'Boris Bike'

I've been meaning to try out a 'Boris Bike' (the unofficial name for the bikes that are for hire in London under the Santander Cycle Scheme) for ages but the idea of cycling in the city has always felt a bit daunting. However, today turned out to be the perfect day to give it a try. The weather was beautiful and for half of our journey from Oxford Street to Waterloo the roads were completely empty!  

The final stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race was taking place later in the afternoon so the roads around the route were closed to motor vehicles but not to bikes.  We rode down Goodge Street and Chancery Lane to avoid the busiest streets and then, as we passed the law courts on Fleet Street, we left the cars behind. We whizzed around the Aldwych and over Waterloo Bridge, pausing for a few minutes to look left and right to take in my absolute favourite views of London. We continued off the bridge and around the Imax roundabout without stopping (completely unheard of!!) and cruised into Waterloo station to park up our bikes. This fun ride gave me a new experience of London and took me exploring down roads I'd never been before. And it cost us the grand total of £2 each!  Bargain! 

  

The Law Courts in Chancery Lane

On Waterloo Bridge looking towards the City

This weekend I've done some yoga and I've done some cycling but I haven't done the two together, unlike the YoGoGirls.....

By James Greig via cyclelove.cc 

If you’ve recently added yoga alongside cycling as part of your everyday life, you might be wondering… “Should I do yoga before or after my bike rides?”

The YoGoGirls have created another possibility for you to ponder — doing yoga with your bicycle.

When I discovered these amazingly energetic photos of the YoGoGirls lifting bicycles with their feet last month, I was intrigued. How did they come up with the idea of incorporating bikes into their yoga practice? And wasn’t it a little… dangerous?

(Insert obligatory “do not try this at home” disclaimer here)

So I fired some questions over the Atlantic to Saint Louis, Missouri — and here’s what came back from Michelle and Debby, aka the YoGoGirls.

So what came first, the yoga or the cycling?
Cycling came first for both of us. We both commute by bike often. I race cyclocross and Debby participates in triathlons.

You met Debby on a bike ride… was it CycleLove at first sight?
Yes! We met at a triathlon training camp and had many things in common and some differences that complement, like yin and yang. We also have different abilities that work perfectly together. Debby is a writer/marketer and I’m a designer/photographer. Debby is 5’8” tall, and I am 5’0. She is very outgoing, and I am an introvert… somehow it just all works.

Was there a eureka moment when you decided to start incorporating the actual bikes into your photos?
I can’t totally remember the exact time we started incorporating bikes, because it was just a natural extension for us to have our bikes nearby. Sometimes we would go on rides then stop at a cool place to hang out and do some random handstands. There was one pivotal moment when we thought it would be funny to do a handstand with a bike on our feet, so we did that and called it the yogokickstand. As more and more people emulated the move, we got encouraged to try even more photos incorporating bikes.

What tips would you give to a cyclist who’s thinking about taking up yoga?
Do it! There are so many benefits for cyclists.

Racing as a competitive cyclist can be stressful. Yoga not only offers your mind a respite, but can provide your body the reset it may need to race again. Yoga is focusing on breathing and then linking it to movement. By focusing on the inhale and exhales of your breathing in a rhythmic fashion, you connect to a calming place where your central nervous system relaxes and your mind rests.

If you’re a non-competitive cyclist the benefits of a yoga practice abound as well. Stretching and strengthening combined with deep methodical breathing is good for everyone. There are as many varieties of yoga as there are brands of bikes and types of cyclists. Try as many as it takes to find the one that fits you. There are more rigid forms that dictate a format and more interpretive varieties, all the way to meditation and restorative classes.

It looks relatively effortless in your videos, but as anything ever gone wrong when you’re using bikes in your yoga?
Yes, all the time. We try not to have them fall, but they do occasionally fall over on us, or we drop them.

What have you got planned next for your Instagram photos? Do you feel pressured to keep upping the ante?
Debby has a new fat bike shipping to her now, and we are planning a Dr. Seuss themed video with it. We like to be silly and come up with crazy ideas that are unexpected, and the challenge of new opportunities for creating inventive images for Instagram.

What kind of cycling do you enjoy most? And have you been on any epic rides recently?
We both enjoy road cycling. I love cyclocross because of its competition and the fall weather. Debby loves the social aspect of going out on her fixed gear with friends. She recently rode in a century and has another planned on her time trial bike and is waiting on a fat bike to arrive to take on some local mole hills asap. I was recently in Marin, California riding the mountains and am going this weekend to mountain bike again. There are some amazing views there.

Find out more about the YoGoGirls on their website or by following them on Instagram


This week's recipe... Mixed Green Salad with a Twist

Although I'm looking forward to the autumn season of root vegetable soups and stews, I'm hanging onto summer and still eating salads. This one is crunchy and has some unusual ingredients and flavours...

100g rocket and spinach blend (or similar)
200g edamame beans, shelled
2 handfuls of sugarsnap peas
150g pistachios
150g golden raisins
1 tablespoon lemon zest
olive oil
lemon juice
sea salt
liquid honey

And here's how to make it...

• Put the ingredients in a bowl without mixing too much.
• Sprinkle a few remaining pistachios and raisins on top with a drizzle of olive oil, the lemon juice, some sea salt and a drizzle of liquid honey.

And finally, if you have a few minutes, do watch this relaxing and inspiring video about the joys of getting out into the countryside on a bicycle.....

In this week's class on the Thrive Yoga site there is a 'toe-to-top' gentle sequence that is perfect for a post-cycle stretch out. Join me 'on the mat' even if you haven't been out on your bike to loosen up tight muscles and joints.  Membership of Thrive Yoga is just £9 a month - join me and bring a little more yoga into your life with over 40 classes varying in length and intensity to choose from.

Stretching out the wrists and the chest in this week's class

Skin Food and Late Summer Fun on the Farm

52 @ 50 - no. 9 - Climbing a Tree

Although '52@50' was supposed to be for things I haven't done before, I think this counts -  I haven't climbed a tree for years!! I was challenged by the friend I was with to climb this wonderful tree on a visit to Petworth House. She shinned up the tree swiftly and easily but I was a bit reticent - as you can see from the photo of my ascent. However, seeing as there were 2 small boys and my friend already up there I couldn't wimp out...Simple pleasures of being outside, being spontaneous, challenging myself and enjoying the view from a different perspective.

Going up.... slowly!

Holding on tightly!

52 @ 50 - no.10 - Making Natural Beauty Products

It's easy to find healthy recipes so we can cook ourselves nutritious food but, although organic skincare products are becoming more and more available to buy in the shops, making them yourself is not so common.  On a recommendation I booked myself in for a 1 day course at Trill Farm near Axminster in Devon to learn how to make skincare products from natural ingredients.  

Trill Farm is a 300 acre organic farm in Devon that hosts a number of small independent enterprises who together produce a range of their own products such as salad leaves, skincare products, wool blankets, wooden products and herbal teas. The farm was bought in 2008 by Romy Fraser, the founder of Neal's Yard Remedies, and today it is a thriving mix of education centre, small businesses, b&b and charitable trust. 

The one-day course started in the farm's herb garden so we could pick the flowers and leaves that we would need to make our products, and then it was back to the classroom to learn how to make a simple body lotion, a toothpaste and a lip balm.  This involved lots of weighing, measuring, stirring and sniffing and it really was more like cooking than chemistry.

A beautiful basket of herbs

It was a wonderfully inspiring day in a beautiful, peaceful environment. The fact that I stayed the in the farm's b&b the night before and after the course added to the fun. There was good company with lots of lovely food too, and I'm coming back home wanting to learn more about how I can use the plants in my own garden to make more of my own lotions and potions.

Trill Farm

Salad leaves growing in one of the polytunnels

How Yoga Helps Your Skin

As well as using natural products to help keep our skin healthy on the outside, our yoga practice can also help the skin - from the inside out. During yoga we move the body and therefore the blood, breathe deeply, bringing fresh oxygen into the body and helping to clear out waste products. The mind quietens down and the parasympathetic nervous system (often called 'rest and digest') takes over, leaving us feeling rested yet energised.

Good circulation is crucial to our health because the blood needs to be flowing freely around the body to feed cells with oxygen and glucose. In the standing and sitting postures, the contraction and stretching of the muscles helps pump the blood to the heart. The inverted poses (such as shoulderstand and headstand) use gravity to improve the flow of blood to the heart (although these poses are not recommended for those with high blood pressure) and in the supine, relaxing poses, especially savasana, the muscles are relaxed and blood flows freely through the capillaries.  

Yoga helps improve the function of the lymphatic system too - the contraction and relaxation of the muscles improves the flow of lymph, a fluid that, on it's journey through the body, collects bacteria and delivers them to the lymph nodes to be filtered and destroyed. It's our drainage system and we need to help it flow freely so it doesn't get stagnant 

Your skin is also affected by the quality of your sleep. During sleep the body uses oxygen more efficiently. It produces less of the stress hormone cortisol, and less adrenaline and nor-adrenaline which allows constricted blood vessels to release and the blood to flow freely to rebuild the cells in your body, including skin cells.  The deep breathing and relaxing postures we practice in yoga help to normalise blood pressure and quieten the busy thoughts which often prevent us from falling asleep too. A few postures just before bed will help set you up for a good night's sleep.  This week's class for members of Thrive Yoga is a 25 minute Restorative Class which shows you how to make yourself a bolster to support the body, and takes you through 3 poses that will completely relax you.

This week's recipe... Asparagus and Avocado Potato Salad

Avocado is great for your skin as it contains healthy fats, vitamins and antioxidants. This recipe from Deliciously Ella uses avocado instead of mayonnaise so it's much better for you. It's really easy to make and looks very pretty in the bowl too.

  

You will need...

1kg of new potatoes
150g of asparagus (chopped into small pieces)
2 avocados
5 spring onions (chopped)
10g of chives (chopped)
5g of mint (chopped)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Lots of salt and pepper

• Boil the potatoes until just soft. 
• Add the chopped asparagus and cook for a further one minute, then remove from the heat. Drain and leave to cool.
• In a food processor, blend the flesh of the avocados with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When smooth, mix in the chopped chives, mint and spring onions.
• Stir the avocado mixture into the potatoes, sprinkle with the remaining spring onion and chives and serve. 

Note: this recipe produces a large amount - I did half-measures as I was only cooking for 3.

I didn't see a kingfisher while I was at Trill Farm, although I can imagine they do live around the peaceful ponds there, but I thought I'd share these photographs with you because they are so beautiful and are a reminder that patience and perseverance can help us reach our dreams....

After 6 Years and 720,000 Attempts, Photographer Finally Takes Perfect Shot Of Kingfisher

Alan McFadyen, who has been an avid wildlife photographer since 2009, just captured a photo that he has spent 6 years trying to get. By his count, it took him 4,200 hours and 720,000 photos to get a perfect shot of a kingfisher diving straight into the water without a single splash.

“The photo I was going for of the perfect dive, flawlessly straight, with no splash required not only me to be in the right place and get a very lucky shot but also for the bird itself to get it perfect,” McFadyen told The Herald Scotland. “I would often go and take 600 pictures in a session and not a single one of them be any good. But now I look back on the thousands and thousands of photos I have taken to get this one image, it makes me realise just how much work I have done to get it.”

McFadyen, who also runs a wildlife photography hide business, was inspired to love nature and wildlife by his grandfather. “I remember my grandfather taking me to see the kingfisher nest and I just remember being completely blown away by how magnificent the birds are. So when I took up photography I returned to this same spot to photograph the kingfishers.”

“I remember my grandfather taking me to see the kingfisher nest and I just remember being completely blown away by how magnificent the birds are. I’m sure my grandfather would have loved it, I just wish he could have seen it. All of my family contacted me when they saw it and said he would have been so proud of it."

And finally... this week's musical offering...

Fitting in with the theme of my visit to Trill Farm and offering you some accompaniement to your Savasana and restorative poses, here's a relaxing track from Rudy Adrian called Summer Fields....