Some Simple Ways to Take Care of Yourself

Our skin is a reflection of our inner ecosystem, so epidermis health ultimately comes from the foods we put in our bodies, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Those three things create the foundation for clear, glowing skin. But sometimes environmental and hormonal factors take a real toll on our skin and we need to give it some special care (especially during these frigid winter months).
As a health coach, I work with clients to heal their brains and bodies so they can step into their full potential, and skin health is a huge part of that. When your skin is healthy, it's a sign that all your organ systems are running smoothly. When you're clear and glowing, you feel confident and amazing things happen in your life.
I rarely follow a schedule unless I have to and consider myself very intuitive, so when I found myself moving through this skin care ritual and saw fantastic results, I knew I had to share it.
The issues:

• Dry, flakey winter skin
• Hormonal breakouts along jaw line
• Cogged pores as a result of living in a major city with exposure to environmental toxins beyond my control

The ritual:
Boil a pot of water and carefully pour it into a large, heat-resistant bowl. Add a few drops of lavender oil or another favorite essential oil. While the water boils, apply coconut oil to your face to remove makeup and debris, then wipe it all off with a clean cloth.
When your skin is cleared of makeup and oil, carefully place your face about six inches from the top of the water and cover your head with a large towel, making sure to position it so the steam from the bowl is somewhat trapped under the towel tent. Steam your pores for 1-3 minutes, breathing slowly and deeply, taking breaks if you need to.
Pat your face dry with a clean towel. Slice a fresh lemon in half and gently rub the flesh all over your face like you would a toner, being careful to avoid your eyes. The acid in the lemon acts as gentle microdermabrasion and is the most important part of this ritual.
Apply a natural clay mask and let sit for 15 minutes. Gently wash the mask off, pat your skin dry and apply coconut oil or another favorite moisturizer.
The results:

• Clear pores
• Visibly glowing, firm skin
• Instant reduction in size and swelling of any blemishes

You don't have to spend a lot of money on products to have the best skin of your life, you just need to take care of it consistently using simple, natural techniques and tools.

This Girl Can!

This week's post focuses on improving fitness and healthy eating. These topics are very relevant at this time of year when many of us are looking towards creating a happy and healthy 2015.  I'm starting with a video which has the intention to motivate women of all ages, shapes and sizes to get moving. I usually put the inspiring videos I come across at the end of the blogpost but this one needs to be up front!

This Girl Can is a new campaign by Sport England to encourage women to take up a sport or physical activity.

Research revealed the reasons why women, in the UK in particular, don't participate in sporting activities as much as men. According to Jeannie Price, CEO of Sport England, "Some of the issues, like time and cost, were familiar but one of the strongest themes was fear of judgement. Worries about being judged for being the wrong size, not fit enough and not skilled enough came up time and again".

The campaign encourages women to get up and get moving, whatever their age, level of fitness or level of experience and to participate and have fun whether they are good at it or not. The only issue I have with it is the line "feeling like a fox" which implies that the aim is to be sexy. I feel that it would have been preferable to leave that out and focus soley on the physical and mental health benefits of doing more exercise. What do you think? I'd be interested to hear your views in the comments below.

Increasing your fitness will help your yoga practice too - you'll get stronger and have more stamina - and your yoga practice will help you in your chosen sport or activity - you'll get a great stretch for those hard-working muscles, and a chance to relax and and become quiet after all that moving about. The two will complement each other 

Take a look at the video here - I hope it inspires you to try something new whatever your level of fitness and, as Nike says, "Just Do It". 

Although your motivation was probably high at New Year, as January draws to a close you might find you need a little boost to help you stay focused on your resolutions. As I mentioned in last week's post, the number one New Year's resolution is to lose weight and the second most popular is to get in shape. Both of these goals are very broad and just too vague. It's helpful to narrow them down and get clearer about the reasons we let our good intentions fall away. This next article might explain one of the reasons why our goals to get fit often fail. It makes interesting reading...


The Real Reason We Don't Exercise...and why you should get your body out of its comfort zone.

by Sherry Pagoto, Ph.d via psychologytoday.com

A friend of mine came back from one of those crazy obstacle races and commented, “I’m finally used to walking around with my shoes, socks, and feet soaking wet and cold.” He said that when he first started exercising outside he had no tolerance for cold, wet shoes and socks but now that he’s had to run through swamps and mud puddles, it’s no big deal: He hardly notices. 

This got me to wondering if the real reason we don't exercise is our desire to avoid any experience of discomfort. People often say they don’t exercise because they have no time, but in the same breath talk about how much they want to get healthy, and how much they believe exercise is the path to better health. It's a puzzling contradiction—or is it?

Theories of human behavior have long shown that immediate experience often outweighs future rewards. What this means is that it is hard to do something uncomfortable even if it earns us something good later.

Exercise is uncomfortable—uncomfortable relative to our typical reality, that is. We live in a society where we keep the indoor temperature adjusted to perfection all year round, wrap ourselves in soft clothing, wear thick-soled shoes to protect our feet from harm, lay on cushy beds draped in poofy covers, and shower and scrub with warm water and soap every single day. Is all of this First-World pampering making us intolerant to even mild physical discomfort? Maybe exercise isn't too uncomfortable—maybe our everyday lives are a little too comfortable.

Here are many of the discomforts I have heard people (myself included!) blame on exercise:

• I hate sweating.
• I hate being too hot.
• I hate being too cold.
• I hate being out of breath.
• I hate when my hair gets messed up.
• I hate sore muscles.
• I hate blisters and calluses.
• I hate getting wet in the rain.
• I hate getting out of bed when it’s dark and cold.
• I hate going out at night when it’s dark and cold.
• I hate getting dirty.
• I hate working out in front of people at the gym.

Yes, all of these things are uncomfortable. But as my friend realized, what is uncomfortable today may hardly be noticeable later, after you've experienced that discomfort over and over again. I challenge you to challenge yourself to confront a discomfort that's prevented you from exercising.

Are you trying to eat more healthily as part of your New Year's resolutions? Here are 10 tips for maximising the nutrients in your meals that will boost your health and help keep your intention to eat healthier food on track.  The emphasis on adding things rather than taking things away is helpful, so that you don't have to think of changes to your diet as a punishment. Number 4 is my favourite way to add extra goodness and flavour to my meals. What's yours?

10 Tips To Boost The Nutrient Density Of Your Meals

By Dr. Shawna Darou via Mindbodygreen

In a world where we are constantly looking for tips and tricks to boost our energy, mood and productivity, we can't ignore nutrition. Rather than focusing on what to avoid in your diet, I like to shift the focus to increasing the nutrient density of your meals. This way you are adding much more healthy proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, and as a result, some of the less-healthy things easily fall away.

Here are my top 10 tips to boost the nutrient density of your diet:

1. Drop the filler foods.
I would consider bread, rice, pasta and crackers as some examples of filler foods that are taking up a significant caloric portion of your meals, but are not giving much back nutritionally. If you replace these servings with more vegetables or starchy vegetables like sweet potato, yam, squash, beets and carrots, you are greatly increasing the nutrients in your meal.

2. Eat more leafy greens.
Leafy greens are a powerhouse of nutrition. Include these in salads, stir-fries, sautéed greens with garlic, or even in green smoothies for convenience.

3. Add a veggie snack every day.
One of the goals with a nutrient dense diet is to increase your vegetable intake to at least 6 servings daily. Adding a vegetable snack every day will help you to reach this. Try vegetables with hummus, celery with almond butter, or simply a small bowl full of colourful raw veggies when you need a crunchy snack.

4. Top your meals with nuts and seeds.
Another easy tip to up the nutrient density of your meal is to top it off with mineral-rich nuts or seeds. Consider preparing your favourite blend of hemp hearts, chia seeds, sesame seeds, slivered almonds or others that can be sprinkled onto your meal.

5. Eat ½ plate of vegetables with each meal.
Change the way you build your plate to incorporate more vegetables. This way of eating is optimal for your weight and metabolism, and will also ensure that you meet all of your vitamin and mineral requirements each day.

6. Add more power foods to your breakfast.
Breakfasts can be far more creative than toast, bagels and cereal! Start your day off right with an energy boost by drinking a green smoothie, topping your porridge with hemp hearts, chia seeds, cinnamon and goji berries, or eating a vegetable packed frittata to start your day off right.

7. Focus on lots of color.
Just as we remind children to eat all the colours of the rainbow, the practice of eating colourful meals keeps us healthy too. Bring in the balance of different coloured vegetables and fruits into each of your meals to reach the full range of plant-based nutrients. Some of the most colourful foods have extremely high levels of antioxidants — turmeric, pomegranate, beets, watercress, spinach and sweet potatoes to name a few.

8. Eat protein with each meal.
Most people struggle with some degree of blood sugar regulation issues, ranging from hypoglycemia to insulin resistance to diabetes. One of the best ways to maintain stable blood sugar levels is to eat protein with each meal. Depending on your dietary preference this can be healthy versions of fish, meat, poultry and eggs, or vegetarian sources such as beans or lentils.

9. Include healthy fats.
Thank goodness we are finally over the low-fat diets! Including healthy fats is essential for your mood, hormone balance, cognitive function, skin health and more. Some of the top fats to add for a balanced meal are olive oil, coconut oil, nuts seeds or avocado.

10. Don't forget the fibre.
Fiber will naturally come with the addition of more vegetable and fruits, so don't be tricked into eating lots of whole grains to meet your daily fiber requirements! You can further top up your fiber with the addition of ground flax or chia seeds, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds. Whole foods naturally contain a good amount of fiber.

In conclusion, as you are making nutritional changes towards a nutrient dense diet, don't forget about the joy and pleasure of eating. I always encourage my patients who are taking on a new diet to look at it as a cooking adventure! Your attitude will make all the difference in changing the way you eat as a long-term lifestyle change, instead of just a new diet.

And finally, a great picture quote to remind you that it's up to you..... :-) 

New Beginnings

I've been writing this blog for a whole year now! I am quite thrilled that I've managed to do it. I'm pleased that I've had the discipline to do it even when it was hard to find the time, the words, or the information I wanted to share.

At the beginning of 2014, it was my intention to use the Thrive Yoga Lifestyle blog to share inspiring ways to live life in a creative, fun and intentional way.  I hope you feel that I've delivered and that you were motivated to visit somewhere new, try a new recipe, create something interesting and beautiful or make some minor adjustments in your life so that it flows a little more smoothly.

I have the intention to continue the blog in 2015 as there's still so much good stuff that I come across that I want to share in the hope that it enhances your life in some way. I'm going to change the format slightly, and remove the "Visiting", "Making" and "Growing" categories to allow me greater freedom to share whatever I feel might be interesting and helpful.

Thank you for reading. Please share this with friends and family so we can all be inspired to grow towards living lives we love that support and understand each other.

So, on to the first article of 2015 ...

The number one New Year's Resolution is, apparently, to lose weight, and January is the time when many people go on a diet. But diets can be unhelpful for long-term weight loss as the following article in this week's "Waitrose Weekend" (Waitrose's free weekly customer newspaper) explains:

For the Body : Ditch the Diet

Quick-fix diets are likely to cause those who follow them to shed the Christmas pounds, then end up heavier than when they started, experts claim.

Fad diets encourage bodies to become more efficient at storing calories, according to Azmina Govindji, of the British Dietetic Association, which means weight is piled back on - and more - once normal eating is resumed. 

The claim, which comes as hundreds of thousands of Brits embark upon New Year diets, is backed by research. A review of 31 different long-term studies by the University of California showed dieters may lose 5-10% of their weight but most put it back on plus more. 

Instead, people wanting to lose weight for good should ditch diets in favour of healthy eating and balanced meals that include fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, low-fat dairy and lean protein. 

"When you go on a low-calorie diet for a period of time, your body starts to think, "I'm not going to get much food" so it becomes really efficient at storing fat," Govindhi said. "It goes into what we might call starvation mode. So when you start eating more calories again, because you've become so efficient at storing them as fat, you pile weight on. It's a really false economy to go on a faddy, low-calorie diet." And it's not just reduced calorie consumption leading to rapid weight loss. Some diets cut out entire food groups, such as carbohydrates or dairy, leaving those following them at risk of not getting enough necessary nutrients and minerals. 

In a feature on healthy eating in this issue of Waitrose Weekend, alternative approaches include eating Mediterranean foods and swapping meat for pulses. 

Among the most popular diets for the New Year are the Paleo diet, which emulates the food intake of cavemen, the low-carb Dukan, and the 17-day diet, which restricts food consumption in 17-day phases.

"Short-term diets don't really teach you much. You're not really learning about portion control or mindful eating," added Govindhi. "It's important that we maintain our long-term health rather than simply monitoring calories in and calories out. This means eating a balance of nutrients and avoiding foods which are high in salt and saturated fats."

You can pick up a free copy of Waitrose Weekend, which features recipes, articles and money-off coupons, each week at your local branch. You can also download the Waitrose Weekend app here.

For Your Mind : New Year, New Brain - 11 Exercises To Sharpen Your Mind

by Lisa Wimberger via Mindbody Green

CrossFit might be the latest fitness craze sweeping the nation, but there's one area of your body that historically hasn't received a lot of attention, although that's starting to change. Apps and games that are supposed to help you "train your brain" are becoming increasingly trendy as users try to maintain (or exceed) their capacity to learn and remember.

Well, you don't need a special app, book or program to train your brain. Some basic understanding about how the brain works — and how it functions at its very highest capacity — is enough to help you keep those wits sharp. If you're pressed for time and need a quick pick-me-up, any of these tips should help get you back on track (and the more you can manage, the better!).

1. Eat right, every day.
Sugar might give you a short bump of energy, but it won't help you think any more clearly and you will crash and burn after that bump has passed. Protein and healthy fats are much more to your brain's liking than fueling predominantly on sugars, and there's no more important time to feed your brain than first thing in the morning. So serve up eggs, blueberries, avocado and other "brain foods" for breakfast.

2. Stay out of the stress-response cycle.
Your brain excels at detecting danger — after all, if that weren't the case your ancestors wouldn't have survived very long! But in today's world, our brains are too good at detecting danger that isn't actually there. It's not good for you to live in the stress-response cycle where your brain and body are constantly primed for whatever "danger" is lurking beyond the bend, because that "danger" isn't real. Keep those stress hormones out of your bloodstream by refusing to become engaged when the cycle starts up.

3. Engage in problem-solving puzzles.
These puzzles help engage the prefrontal cortex, the area of your brain involved in empathy, higher learning and, of course, problem-solving. Spending a little time every day on a puzzle that requires you to enter your prefrontal cortex, whether it's a Sudoku or a simple jump-the-peg board game, is great for brain health.

4. Learn a new skill or a hobby.
It's the perfect time of year to start taking on new things, and learning a new skill or a hobby is a brain exercise in and of itself. When you're learning something new, different areas of your brain are activated and those areas will keep you out of the stress-response cycle simply by virtue of being activated! You're never too old to learn to play the piano, practice your keyboarding or take up gardening; in fact, you'll keep your brain young by teaching it new tricks.

5. Listen to new and different music.
You might have music lurking in your library that you've never listened to before and now's the time to dig it out and dig in. The prefrontal cortex adores music, especially new and novel music that it can't easily predict. You'll find you're more alert and focused if you mix up your tunes.

6. Use your non-dominant hand for daily exercises.
Practice answering the phone, brushing your teeth or performing another task you do every day without thinking about it, but with your non-dominant hand. By practicing like this, you're triggering your prefrontal cortex and building neurons that appreciate the new and novel.

7. Move items around in your workspace.
There are things you use every day, whether you're a banker or a stay-at-home parent; you probably just have to think about them and your body begins to remember patterns. If you move some of these items around, each time you reach for them you'll will be forced to pause and re-assess for a brief moment. This brings activity to the front of the brain and is a form of cognitive exercise. A sense of novelty can do wonders for brain performance.

8. Breathe deep in your belly.
There's a reason why this one always shows up on lists: It's effective! Breathe deeply, counting your breaths. By the time you get to ten, any stress response you've triggered will likely be dissipated and you'll be back in the learning and empathetic area of your brain once again.

9. Journal.
Write out one to three pages in a notebook every morning when you wake up. It doesn't matter what the pages say, but there's something about a brain dump first thing in the morning that clears your plate and cleanses your palate for the rest of the day.

10. Speak in the "I can" rather than the "I can't."
When you find yourself thinking about your limitations, reframe them as possibilities. For example, instead of dwelling on how little money is in your bank account, focus on the aspects of the situation you can control: "I can start shopping once a week from a list and make more meals instead of eating out." "I can ask the person from work who lives in my neighborhood if they want to carpool." "I can negotiate a lower monthly student loan payment." If you can't think of anything to focus on, then simply practice on using a statement of possibility: "I wonder what this situation will bring into my life."

11. Shake to bring your central nervous system back to homeostasis.
If you do slip into the stress-response cycle, give yourself a shake after you realize what you're doing and stop yourself. Ever been in a car accident? There's a reason why you literally shake after a high-intensity moment like that — it's your body's way of ridding your muscles and brain cells of the stress hormones that have accumulated from your real (or imagined) brush with death. You can replicate that effect by shaking yourself!

When you take time to do just one or two of these mini brain boosters every day, you'll be surprised by how much sharper and more focused you feel. Add more than one, and your brain just might be in the best shape of its life!

For Your Spirit : The Landscape Photographer of the Year Exhibition

If you're waiting for a train at Waterloo Station and need uplifting to get you through your journey home, check out the Landscape Photographer of the Year Exhibition. For the first time, this wonderful exhibition is being displayed on the recently built mezzanine at the station until 31st January 2015. And it's free! 

And for body, mind and spirit combined, here's a great video for you... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egxmSl6g8Uc&feature=player_detailpage

It features the exploits of 70-something Steven Jepson who keeps himself healthy (and extremely agile) in body, mind and spirit by playing and having fun. It is inspirational! Right.... I'm off to the park!!


Finally, remember that Amaryllis that I planted back at the beginning of December? ...Well it grew. A lot. And flowered. A lot!! Here's a picture:

5 Last Minute Christmas Gifts for a Yogi

Are friends and family still asking you what you'd like for Christmas? If you like the idea of receiving something that will benefit your mind, body and spirit, why not suggest they buy you one of these gifts that any yogi would love to open on Christmas Day?

A New Yoga Mat
I think yoga mats get better with age, but there will come a time sooner or later when you will need to replace yours. If you'd like a good grippy, eco friendly mat take a look at this one on sale at £22 from Ruth White Yoga Products:
http://www.ruthwhiteyoga.com/cgi-bin/rw_product_detail.pl?all|xpmat200|||||

Yoga Clothes
At last there are some interesting yoga clothes arriving on the High Street. After years of black sportswear being the only option, companies such as Reebok and Adidas are starting to produce garments especially for yoga. They are made from modern fabrics that are quick drying, comfortable and colourful. Hooray! Take a look at some of the following links to brighten up your yoga wardrobe in 2015.

http://www.reebok.co.uk/yoga-clothing

http://www.adidas.co.uk/yoga

http://www.johnlewis.com/search/yoga-wear/8000011414-women's+yoga+%26+pilates+wear=department

http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Yoga+Tops+and+T-Shirts/2361,default,sc.html

A Guide to Yoga
How about a book? It's useful to have a good guidebook to help you with your home practice, but there are so many available it's difficult to know which to choose.  "Yoga for You: A Step By Step Guide For Yoga at Home For Everybody" by Tara Fraser covers the basic postures, pranayama, meditation, diet and a little of the history and philosophy of yoga in a clear and easy-to-read way.  It also offers some sequences for you to follow. It's available on Amazon for £9.74 -  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yoga-Healthy-Living-Step---step/dp/1844835987/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418733233&sr=1-1&keywords=yoga+books#customerReviews

Yoga Extras 
For any little extras to enhance your yoga practice, such as incense sticks, eye pillows, blocks and belts, look no further than Yogamatters. This online company, dedicated to all things yogic, also sells clothing, mats, books and DVDs so you're sure to find something you'd love to receive to enhance your practice here.

Every Body Deserves a Massage
Massage is not only beneficial for your body as it melts away knots of tension, enhances the immune system by stimulating lymph and improves the condition of the skin, but it also sends a clear message to your subconscious that you are taking some time out to care for yourself. We could all do with a little more affirmation that we are worth it and that our wellbeing needs to be top of the priority list.

If you'd like a gift for your body, mind and spirit ask your nearest and dearest to give you a voucher for a massage. Click here for an article from WikiHow about how to choose a massage therapist, but if you live near me in the Leatherhead area of Surrey, I can recommend local therapist Penny Bedford. If you'd like more details, prices or to arrange a voucher before Christmas please contact Penny at penny.bedford@btinternet.com. 

This Week I'm Making... Glittery Tea-light Holders

Go dig out those jam jars that were going out to the recycling bin and give them another purpose. It's really simple and satisfying to make these sparkly tea-light holders to light up your Christmas.

You will need: a jam jar, some glue and/or some double-sided sticky tape, some glitter and a tea-light.

The outside of the small jar on the left was painted all over with a thin film of glue then sprinkled with glitter. When it was dry, I gently dusted off any excess glitter that wasn't stuck down. I wrapped the larger jar with 2 strips of double-sided sticky tape and also cut a little heart shape too. I sprinkled the glitter over the double-sided tape and brushed off the excess and voila!

Oooh! Pretty!

Warning: the jars get very hot, so do stand them on something heat-proof so they don't leave a mark, and, as always, take care when using candles.

This Week I'm Visiting... Organico, Epsom

1 King's Shade Walk, by the Clock Tower, Epsom

This photo's a bit blurry but it gives you
some idea of what the inside looks like

Juices and Smoothies menu

Organico is a health food shop situated by the Clock Tower in Epsom. Although it has been open for 7 months, it is new to me and I had a great time looking at what it has to offer. The shelves were stocked with a wide range of dry goods including the most varied range of nut butters I've ever seen (pumpkin seed butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter and more!). It also sells some fresh organic fruit and vegetables, breads and fresh juices and smoothies too. I filled my basket with coconut yoghurt, maple syrup, almond oil (to use as a body moisturiser), bread, chickpea flour and enjoyed a take-away apple, carrot and ginger juice. If you're in Epsom do pay them a visit and help get your 2015 off to a healthy start.

This Week I'm Growing...Amaryllis 

I buy my mum an Amaryllis (proper name Hippeastrum) for Christmas every year and thought I'd grow one myself too this time. These bulbs are seriously large, i.e. the size of your hand, and are therefore not cheap - I paid £8 each - but they make a fabulous spring display that will last for ages so they're worth it. 

Amaryllis like to be in quite a small pot, with good drainage, and planted with two-thirds of the bulb below the surface of the compost and a third sticking up above it. They like to be kept moist and are happy on a warm, bright windowsill. The stems grow rapidly and so tall that they might need staking with a cane to keep the heavy flower-heads upright.

The bulbs are available in the garden centres now. Plant them as soon as possible and you'll have amazing flowers in time for Easter.

Finally...

In my yoga classes last week we practiced a Gratitude Meditation, A number of people commented on it so I thought I'd share it with you here:

Practicing gratitude is a really useful tool. It can take you from difficult dark places in your life to the light and wonderful moments.

When you are in a stressful situation you can often feel ingratitude, resentment, anger and blame. These negative addictive thoughts activate the chemicals in the body which damage and depress the immune system. If you can become aware of these negative thoughts you can change them. It's not easy as they are a habit. But if you can create a new habit of being grateful you can switch your focus from negative to positive. It won't mean that challenging things won't happen in your life, but it will shift your attitude towards them. 

Remember how you felt when you were in a beautiful place on a beautiful day. Remember being in the company of good friends, remember the feeling of getting into bed after a long and tiring day. Remember when someone made you a cup of tea, when someone in your family gave you a spontaneous hug.

These little things are easy to overlook yet they connect us to the world and make us aware of and appreciate all the many good things in our lives.

Take a moment to bring to mind 3 things you have in your life right now that you are grateful for, then find 3 more tomorrow, and the day after and so on until you create a new habit.

Why Don't More Men Do Yoga?

Have you every wondered why there aren't more men in your yoga class? It is a strange phenomenon as yoga in its traditional form in India was practiced mainly by men. As a long-time yoga teacher I have pondered this often, so I asked a few of my male friends if they would consider going to a yoga class and what they think the experience would be like.

The answers I received lead me to conclude that many men think that a yoga class is either full of elderly ladies, lying on the floor practicing their breathing exercises or full of lycra-clad super-flexible girls contorting their bodies into pretzel-like shapes that feel they would never be able to attain. They also had concerns about not being good enough, farting and being bored!

You and I, as regular yoga practitioners, know that a well-rounded yoga practice is none of these. We know it is a great way to stretch and strengthen the body, improve posture and balance and quieten the busy mind. We also know that you don't need to be "good enough" to practice yoga - the postures can be adapted to suit all abilities, that yes, farting sometimes happens (especially if you haven't left enough time between your practice and your last meal) and that being bored is ok - we're all mentally over-stimulated anyway and need to get more familiar with being quiet.

If you feel that the men in your family could benefit from a few yoga poses but that they too have these pre-conceived ideas, take a look at the following articles (which were both printed in national newspapers recently) and pass them on. 

The first is from the Telegraph, an amusing account of a middle-aged writer who went on a 2 week yoga holiday. He overcame his preconceptions and wardrobe dilemmas, and has some wisdom to offer about how yoga can help men deal with stress http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11243824/Are-men-like-me-really-cut-out-for-yoga.html.

The second is from the Times, http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/health/diet-fitness/article4274698.ece?shareToken=ad26a192c178eee118e3a3576b381f24  about a former wrestler who has developed his own more "macho" style to encourage ordinary blokes to take better care of their bodies. Diamond Dallas Page has also become famous on YouTube as the yoga teacher who helped disabled war veteran Arthur Boorman back to full health - click here to see that amazing transformation if you haven't seen it before.

If joining a class seems a bit daunting for those who haven't done yoga before, maybe you could unroll your mat and share a few stretches with your family over the Christmas break, or put one of my short videos on if you'd like a bit more guidance. Any yoga is better than no yoga, so start small and simple and, with a bit of encouragement, we could spread the word that yoga is for everyone.

Spotted from a car window

This Week I'm Making... Spiced Ginger Biscuits (gluten-free, refined-sugar-free)

This recipe comes from the website of two sisters from London, known as Hemsley & Hemsley, who make whole, organic, nutrient filled, homemade foods which are free from grain, gluten, high starch and refined sugar. Their cookbook, also called Hemsley & Hemsley is on my Christmas list this year, even though there are some non-veggie recipes in there, because all the dishes look completely delicious and super-healthy.

The ingredients

The finished products

Click here for the very simple recipe  http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/holiday-spiced-ginger-biscuits/

My cookies didn't look quite as gorgeous as the ones on the website and I was a bit concerned that the mixture wasn't sticking together (a dash more maple syrup sorted that) but they tasted really good and only took a couple of minutes to make and 10 minutes to cook. They get my vote as a satisfying snack to enjoy with a cup of tea this Christmas - much healthier than processed mince pies and Stollen!

This Week I'm Visiting... Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition, at the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD

I've been going to this exhibition for a number of years now, and it's always a delight. Divided into various categories such as Birds, Mammals, and Natural Design, each image is beautifully back-lit and displayed with information about the story behind it. You can book tickets online to short-cut the queues and I recommend you try to go during the week - last year I went on a Saturday and it was very busy, but this year I went on a Friday afternoon and it was comfortably quiet.

Visiting the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition is always an inspiring way to spend an afternoon - the buzz of being in London, the amazing architecture of the museum itself, the skill (and luck) of the photographer and the diversity of the subject matter are a good reminder that we live in a wonderful world and that all life is precious.

This Week I'm Growing... Dahlias for 2015

The frost has finally blackened the leaves of the dahlias and it's time to decide whether to dig them up to protect them from the winter weather, or to take a chance and leave them in the ground. I'll probably do half and half so that I've got more of a chance that some make it through to spring. Over the past few years I've had good success leaving them in-situ but with some added protection.

If you have enjoyed some wonderful flowers from your dahlias this year, here's what to do for a repeat performance next year:

If you leave them in the ground, cut back the blackened stems, put a label in the ground so you'll remember where they are and place a decent sized mound of garden compost over the top. If you have an old teracotta pot handy, place it upside down over the whole lot, which will keep most of the winter weather off. 

If you decide to lift them and bring them inside you'll need to be very careful digging them up as it's easy to spear one of the tubers with your fork. Bring them into a frost-free shed, greenhouse or garage and turn the tubers upside down for a few days so any moisture drains out of the hollow stems. Then place them in a box on some newspaper or in a little bit of dry compost, remembering to label them so that you know what they are next spring. They need to be kept in a dry environment - I think my shed was too damp before and that's why they rotted, so this time I'm going to put them in the loft and hope I don't forget I've put them there.

Next spring you can bring them out and pot them up into moist compost where they will start to produce new leaves. They will need to be kept protected until all threat of frost has passed, so it's usually the end of May/beginning of June before you can plant them out or uncover the ones that are slumbering under their compost and terracotta pots in the garden.

It's a little bit of effort but when you think about the volume of fabulous flowers each of these tubers produce in the summer it's worth it. 

Carefully dug up dahlia tubers

Labelled and packed away until spring

And finally, following on from our meditations in class this half-term, this picture is a good reminder of how to be more mindful - I'm off now to do the last two :-)