Building my Yoga Blocks 4 – Living in the here and now

Through a moment of mindful sitting at the close of a recent yoga class, breathing with focused awareness on inner quietude, I had a fresh realisation.

​It was this – I realised that I have been "Living in the Here and Now" for a very long time.

As a teen, with summer holidays approaching, after my 'O'Levels, my Dad was offered a job in Scotland, and so at 16yrs, our move from Kent, required me to become a student at the Aberdeen College of Commerce.

I had no choice, but to get on with my new environment, meet new friends and immerse myself in studying until I found a social life!

A couple of years later, we moved back 'down South' and I found myself entering the world of Publishing.

Had I chosen this career path?

NO.

But I loved reading so it was an ideal start to my working life.

I continued to be in the present moment, living day to day, which meant that even by my late 20s, I had no savings; no mortgage; no real 'Big Life Plan'.

Of course I had to make schedules at work, meet constant deadlines, under pressure.

Yes there was masses of stress at work. BUT I did not overthink "My Future" or even "My Past". 

In my 30s,  married with 2 small daughters and thrilled with a 2nd career in the Wine Industry (always work with your passions) a departmental move to Hampshire forced me to rethink my work/life balance. 

STRESS of a different nature had arrived when I became a Mum. 

Yet YOGA – another keen interest of mine - was on my horizon.

Stress arrived in many guises; sleepless nights; increasing work demands; physical & mental fatigue.

Parenting Worries.

Financial concerns.

Training to become a yoga tutor was my new path, but I had to fit in the study, the essays, weekends away and manage a tight budget.

Friends, family and my parents were giving me advice, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear.

My husband Tim was beside me, supportive and encouraging.

Regular Weekly Yoga Class was still an essential part of my well-being; providing me with body-mind-breath support.

As I learned more, on and off the mat, experience helped to shape and broaden my approach. 

Then, the Spiritual Connection arrived, deep within me.

The practice was becoming WHOLE.
Separate parts of the yoga tradition were threading through me, like a fabric of inner support.  I was no longer Doing Yoga, I was Being Yoga. 


"Most often, people are doing yoga for some simple reason and they progress into more involved, step-by-step practices. Each step can be enjoyable, fitted to the reality of where each person is now."

TKV Desikachar, The Heart of Yoga.


Asana, Limb 3 – is a real true love of mine.

It is at the heart of yoga and I am an Anatomy and Alignment FAN. The Breath – Limb 4, Pranayama – intrinsic and so often challenging, is a constant source of inspiration to me.

Meditation provides time for stillness – YES I am able to SIT STILL and enjoy pauses in between the mind traffic and find clarity in the chaos cloud.

As I continue to Live in the Here and Now, my present moment life experiences inspire the practices. 
Your Journey is just as interesting and special to me.

Let's move better together.  See you on the Mat!
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"When the compulsive striving away from the NOW ceases, the joy of Being Flows into everything you do. The moment your attention turns to the Now, you feel a presence, a stillness, a peace. You no longer depend on the future for fulfillment and satisfaction. Neither failure not success has the power to change your inner state of Being. You have found the life underneath your life situation."

Eckhart Tolle The Power of NOW