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Beltane practice

Posted on by mandy

Beltane blessings, wishing you all the support and nourishment of this time of year.

A guiding support in my life and in my practice and sharing of yoga is seasonal rhythms. It helps me to stay connected to nature, to the more-than-human world, to a sense of awe and reverence, and helps me to feel supported and nourished. Over the years, we have attuned to this way of being in the world as a family and enjoy making our own celebrations and rituals to mark the seasonal shifts: Samhain/Hallow-een, Winter Solstice, Imbolc, Spring Equinox, Beltane, Summer Solstice and Lammas.

In creating and sharing yoga practices I draw upon this support and influence of the seasons – sometimes I speak to it and sometimes not. It depends upon who I am working with and whether I feel it is helpful and relevant to them. But the influence is always there.


This morning I recorded a Beltane practice. It is a simple movement meditative practice. The first 6 minutes of the video I speak a little about Beltane and the practice we will do. Click below to receive the recording for free.


TODAY´S BELTANE VIDEO PRACTICE
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Freedom day

Posted on by mandy

Yesterday was Dia da Liberdade (Freedom Day) here, a day when people celebrate the end of the dictatorship which happened on this day in 1974.

The revolution, known as Revolução dos Cravos (Carnation Revolution), marked the end of dictatorship in the country.

Unlike many revolutions elsewhere over time and space, Portugal’s Revolução dos Cravos was very peaceful, with few shots fired. Carnations were placed in the muzzles of guns as a symbol of peace.

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A potent time to reflect upon the role that authority plays in our life. Who do we give authority to and why?

I think it is safe to say that we surrender much of our own authority, consciously and unconsciously, to others.  Too often and easily that then gets manipulated for people to gain and retain power. People in positions of power should always be there to serve  – the communities, the land, the potential of life. How far it seems we stray from this. Now we live in a world where people seek power for powers’ sake – to control over, rather than to serve. We all need to ask ourselves why that is. And perhaps rather than use most of our energy seeking to replace those in power we could give more energy and attention to different ways of being and doing. 

You never change anything by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete”

Buckminster Fuller

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Practice has enormous potential.  We come together and practice and have an opportunity to be together outside of the normal social constructs. Being quiet together, connecting through the language of the body, sharing the space of meditation. We can see and hold space for one another, with the felt resonance of everyone’s heart potential; raising our energy individually and collectively. Shifts can happen both on an individual and a group level. The practices we do help us to feel back into the fullness of being human, of being a human being. We know how to be like this together but it gets covered over and forgotten by the way we are cultured to be in the world.

I practise to…

Posted on by mandy

In a world of information overload, fascination with technology and its increasing dominance, it feels almost rebellious to pause and literally smell the roses.


If the winter months have meant you have spent less time outdoors than you would like, I hope the enticement of Spring eases you back to more nourishment and support from being outside.


It doesn’t pass me by that often those that need it the most – the sick, the less affluent, those living in war zones, have the least access to nature. Imagine if hospitals were more like greenhouses? Imagine the priority was greenspace in town planning? I  cannot understand cutting down trees to make way for cycle paths, or solar “farms”. 


I have been a long term “Earth Protector” supporter of making Ecocide an International Crime. When I joined a few years ago there were a few hundred of us and now we are 22007 worldwide! It is still barely a drop in the ocean. Yet, Ecocide is making strides and beginning to be talked about and taken seriously. Maybe you will consider joining us?


I think that being receptive to beauty and to be willing and able to pause and enjoy it is one of the benefits of practice. In a whole body~mind way. No amount of technological “advances” can replace or even come close to the actual lived, felt, breathed, sensed -in- so- many- ways- we- are -only- just- beginning -to -fathom, experience of being in nature. Of being with another human being.


I practise for this.


I practise for peace.


I practise so that I can be more resilient in the midst of the stresses and strains of life.


I practise so that I can remember life has cycles and phases, ups and downs, twists and turns, light and dark.


I practise so that I can love and feel more.


I practise so that I can be more authentic and true to who I am.


I practise so that I can laugh when I fall back into the trap of “trying to be the best possible version of myself”.


I practise so that I can be accountable and also forgiving when I behave in ways that cause harm or hurt.


I practise to have empathy.


I practice for fun.


I practise to be a better hugger.


I practise so that I can feel good in my 45 year old body and do ninja with Ostara, my 6 year old daughter.


I practise to be better able to let go. 


I practise to be more creative.


I practise to thrive and make the most of this miraculous gift of life. 


I practise to stay awake to the injustices of the world.


I practise so that I might be more graceful in so many ways.


I practice for…so many reasons.


Why do you practise?