What’s your super-power?
How often do we rely on external factors to bring us joy? Think about your 5 senses and how often we are stimulated by them. After all, it’s how we obtain information – through our eyes, ears, tongue, skin and nose. Now what if you removed as much stimulation of your senses as possible -…
Hardships make us grow in compassion
Hardships make us grow in compassion. When we experience difficult times, we come out of them with greater compassion for others. I was raised in a home where we didn’t take our life for granted. Family in Lebanon were living underground due to war. We would exchange videos via VHS and I would watch in…
Practice, Practice, All is Here
Practice, Practice, All is Here.. We often hear the famous yoga directive, “practice, practice, all is coming..” What is it exactly that is coming? Or is it already here? We often see our lives as very goal-directed. We plan future short term and long term goals (which of course are very good to do) and…
How do we still the mind in meditation?
Meditation is often referred to as the stilling of the mind. But what does that mean? How do you make your mind still? When I describe meditation, I often liken it to a moving train. Our thoughts are our thoughts – they will always be there. Coming and going, doing their thing. To cultivate a…
A Proven Yoga Technique for Better Sleep
A common complaint that I hear as a yoga teacher from my students is that they have trouble sleeping. I am going to show you a proven yoga technique that has helped so many improve their ability to fall asleep as well as improve their quality of sleep. Keep reading to find out more. Often…
Which Guna are you in your workplace?
This is Tuan, Luuly and their daughter Olivia. Tuan and his wife run a gorgeous little vegan Vietnamese cafe in Melbourne, Olivia Spring. It is my absolute favourite place to eat lunch when I have some child-free time. Sometimes when you go to a busy café or restaurant, the people working there are rushing around…
It’s Growing on me, mum
A few months ago, we started our kids on Taekwondo lessons. My son wasn’t overly keen, but obliged. After a couple weeks, he started complaining and said he no longer wanted to go. He said that Taekwondo lessons were his least favourite thing to do in the entire week (probably because it required the most…
Having fun in the day to day…
I went ice skating the other day. I haven’t skated since I was probably a teenager. It brought back some fond memories of my childhood! I couldn’t believe the fun I was having. I felt this lightness in my body that I haven’t felt in a long time. I realised that this overwhelming feeling I was…
Silence the mind to hear the voice within
Silence. Have you tried it? I mean, really tried it? You’d be surprised how much we fill our days up with noise. Music or radio in the car. Podcasts or audio books to stimulate us while commuting or cooking. Phone calls or text messages to catch up with friends when we have some space in…
A small amount of gratitude… changes your world
Do you ever find yourself getting into a habit of self-talk that is not beneficial to you and what you want your life to be? It can be so easy to fall into the trap of complaining about things that we don’t have, that we want more of, or complaining about things not going to…
Be the spark of light within the darkness…
There is darkness all around us. War. Pain. Suffering. Things we have no direct control over. People die in an unjust way. People die with terrible suffering. People suffer daily with grief for the loss of a loved one – a child, a partner, a parent. People hurt others. Physically. Sexually. Emotionally. People start conflict…
If the opportunity doesn’t arise, build a door…
I’m a firm believer in going for your dreams. Creating goals and building stepping stones to achieve them. I have seen in my life opportunities arise and I have almost always taken them! It’s a great feeling to be able to recognise when an opportunity ‘lands in your lap’ but it’s even a greater…
Today is my birthday…
Before I was a mother, birthdays for me were about me, myself and I. Since being a mother, it has taken on a different meaning. When one of my children has their birthday, I literally remember the day(s) or night(s) of their birth. I remember where I was when my contractions began and I remember…
Practice, practice…enjoy the journey 🙂
Practice, practice… enjoy the journey 🙂 The month of April, 2018 marks exactly 15 years since my first Ashtanga yoga class when I started practicing yoga seriously. It feels quote surreal to me and I often feel like my life is divided in two parts – before I found yoga and after I found yoga. My…
You are Enough
Are you happy? And I mean, are you *really* happy? Deep down inside? We often see happiness as a destination…a goal…somewhere, out there… outside of ourselves and something we are chasing. I mean, after all, most of our daily interactions through advertisements (on billboards, TV and social media etc) feed us the biggest lie…
Let Go, Let God….
Patricia, a dear friend of mine and an old colleague who I was privileged to have worked with in Sydney would often use the phrase: Let Go Let God Patricia’s faith in these words taught me so much about acceptance and relinquishing control. Letting go sounds all good and well. But what does that mean…
I saved myself
My kids were playing around the yard today and were pretending to “save” each other from being stuck somewhere. It was all fun and games and they love taking turns to rescue each other. This particular time, my daughter yelled out “Mummy, I saved myself!” and released herself from her “emergency”. She was so pleased…
For the First time
My little baby Raya sits on my lap in the early morning while I’m still trying to wake myself up. Who needs an alarm clock when you have a little bubba to do the trick every morning? And this little alarm clock comes with a beautiful smile that lights up the soul. While I was…
5 Ways to talk yourself out of a yoga class & how to talk yourself out of them 🙂
One classic common question I get asked is: Am I too old to take up yoga? The short answer: No. The more thought out answer… Anyone can practice yoga. There is only one type of person who can’t practice yoga, says one of my teachers… and that is the lazy person 🙂 In all honestly,…
Are you living a life designed for you?
Have you ever had those days where you wake up and just dread your day job? You know those days I’m talking about? Where you struggle to drag yourself out of bed and just can’t imagine doing the same thing for yet another day… Whether it’s a job you commute to each day or it’s…
“I’m soooooo not a morning person”
Have you done this before? Repeatedly told yourself over and over again the same mantra. I don’t like pineapple. I hate running. I’m not a morning person. I am scared of heights. Well when you repeat these things to yourself often enough, you start to create this sense of “this is who I am” and…
I received this note from a student of mine…
I received this heart-warming message by one of my yoga students who is now a yoga teacher and it prompted me to think of the role of the teacher… One of the greatest compliments you can get as a teacher is seeing your own students succeed and even excel you. In my teaching vocation, I…
Do we innately desire new life?
Time is an interesting concept. We tend to see time as something that is linear. With a beginning and an end. But is this really true? Or is time an illusion that keeps us shackled to the thought that our days are numbered? We may have days on planet earth that are numbered… but what…
Can you find stillness amidst the chaos?
It is so easy to get caught up in the dramas of life. We hear a story, a news report, a piece of gossip and we get so involved in it. We share it. Talk about it. Think constantly about it. It could also disturb us. Make us angry or make us cry. Some thoughts…
Today’s yoga class left me feeling angry and frustrated
That’s so not yogi is it? To be angry after a yoga class is almost criminal! Usually I’d feel refreshed and revitalised after a yoga class. Not this time. Since moving to Melbourne, I’m trying to find a regular yoga class where I can practice away from home and the kids. I have been yoga…
I thought my house was clean until I did a downward dog
Practicing yoga at home with 3 young children, you just have to make it happen somehow. Somewhere. This particular time I had vacuumed and mopped the house and I was feeling so clean and fresh. With a few minutes spare, I got into a downward dog in the kitchen. Yoga gets you up close and…