The simple secret of happiness..

A few months ago I wrote a blog - 8 steps to reclaim time and find joy - about how during lockdown I realised that I was whipping up a crazy, busy life for myself, that it was my own construct, and how I had to take responsibility and claim that time back for myself.

It was happier

I truly took back control and stop the incessant running around I was doing, filling all the space in a day with more, more. Okay, I still have a demanding lifestyle, and am busy with my Pilates business and my family life still, but something has shifted and I still can proudly claim I am walking (not running) through my life, smelling the roses.

3 months later Im still feeling pretty joyful and am not running around like mad.. however I realised that joy could be in the running too….

I have realised, however, by slowing myself down these months, joy isn't only in the space - it can be in all, and any, of it.. 

In all the jam packed, madness of every day life!

Thankfully so, as the crazy blur of work, school pick-ups, supermarkets, zoom meetings, appointments, dinner prep, are not obvious places of joy..

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing" Annie Dillard

And so, I've been trying to live a bit more consciously with regards to time - to spend it well. 

Really being there with my lovely, amazing clients at the Pilates studio, with my little family, reconnecting with my own body, and mind, as well as helping others connect to theirs. 

We've all really needed each other at this time, and Pilates has been more than the sum of its parts for me right now.

The conscious movement, and the connection it facilitates - with ourselves, and with each other, is what heals, and is perfect for our times.  

If you are in Barcelona, and fancy trying Pilates on the Reformer with me, check out my Intro Offers for January or see what others are saying about it all. 

“Change happens through movement and movement heals.” Joseph Pilates

Pilates helped me slow it all down, and bring it back to basics... 

And so joy is being there in the moment.. 

Even on the school run, at the supermarket, in the queue at the post office

Simple everyday stuff -  it's in there somewhere.

Not always, of course - and sometimes we are overwhelmed, sad, and driven to distraction mad, and quite far from joy - but knowing it is there, is kind of nice.

If you fancy a bit of spending time in Pilates joy, on the Mat, this is a video recorded in the summer as part of the Dynamic Flow series..

It's not for absolute beginners, and you can modify to suit your level, whilst being sensible and responsible for yourself in class. Have fun!

8 steps to reclaim time and find joy

I am hearing so many people talking about time at the moment. Perhaps its because Im so obsessed with it myself…

Spending so much time at home in confinement and curfew, having so much new and scary time as they have less employment, or lost work altogether, juggling time working from home whilst simultaneously looking after children, drawing boundaries around time spent working from home and with ‘normal’ home life, general issues setting new time boundaries in new situations, having more time due to less commute/less workload/no school run etc but more time wasting, and procrastination.. the list goes on.

Time it seems to elude us all..

For me, in lockdown I realised that what I used to call my “crazy, busy, time poor life” was actually just my “crazy, busy life” and was of my own creation.

Pre-Covid, I used to wake up at 5.45, shower, meditate, write a gratitude list, check through my ‘To Do’ list, get my child up and off to school. Then I would go to the studio and teach back to back Reformer Pilates classes all morning, and then run to my off- site afternoon Pilates classes, then run to pick my daughter up from school, run to take her to gymnastics and then run back to the studio for evening Pilates classes… No one would argue that wasn’t a busy day.. but did it have to be like that?

Did I have to be running, and ricocheting around the city like this???

The answer became clearer when I was forced to close my Pilates studio, and lockdown in March.

I started to become really “busy” at home..My monkey mind thinking went like this.... “Got to get up early, and get some work done, before my daughter wakes up. Got to make breakfast for us all, clean it away, set-up child with home schooling, put a wash on, hang the washing. Get some work done whilst online school is on, make lunch, clean it away, do some work on online option for business whilst daughter doing homework (read playing on the iPad). Should clean some cupboards since we are at home and they need doing, sort through clothes etc. Place is a mess. Should make some videos for my students to do at home, think of relaunch strategy. What shall we have for dinner? Got make dinner…. etc.. “

I lived with the same level of with anxiety and stress, “running” and rushing from one task to next, locked down at home in a small apartment with my business closed.

It was an exact replica of my regular city life only in 70m2 - running without actually running.

I was creating this reality, and way of living my days mentally and physically, as this “busy-ness” served to keep me from being with myself. Okay, I meditated but that seemed different, as it was a practice and “on the list”. Something I factored in, and not just random, empty space to just “be”, if that make sense?

Unallocated, random time, with nothing programmed or planned was perhaps the scariest thing for me (thankfully, one might say) this about lockdown and beyond..

However, I am leaning into it, and I have to be honest I have never felt so liberated, free and whole, in my entire life. My anxiety - which I have almost had to breathe my way through on a daily basis - has practically disappeared, and I feel grounded. I feel comfortable to just be, and I feel am enough. I am not running from myself, or around like a headless chicken.

So what did I do to change this?

Here are the 8 steps I took to reclaim this illusive time and find joy.

1. I took responsibility -The first thing was the acceptance that this pressure was all my own construct - I had blamed a demanding lifestyle, but I was responsible for my time, how I use it, and how I perceive it. This gave the power to back me. I still had a demanding lifestyle, and obligations, but I had to show up differently - I don’t want to be a martyr, or show my daughter that running ragged was where it’s at. Definitely not! I did everything more mindfully and this was a big step to peace and joy.

2. I looked at downtime differently. I gave myself permission to just do nothing, and to see that it was okay not to have every minute programmed, and when a moment came up I didn’t need to fill it. This was hard as it meant being with myself, which was what I seemed to be avoiding, and the feeling of inadequacy, failing or being lazy... Unproductive free time felt weird - like I was squandering “precious time” somehow. I had to change my perspective and I did. It was tough but now I love these pauses, that I know the world isn’t going to stop, I’m not going to be judged as lazy (and if I am, so what?), nor my business fail, and that I’m okay and am still a worthy person even when Im not ‘proving’ myself. Just breathing and being. In fact the world, and life, is richer now I take time to experience it… Actually, my most creative or interesting ideas fall into my head during this time.

3. I Read…more regularly and for longer. I had forgotten the richness, and how much I love reading... It is never a waste of time (which I would sometimes tell myself if it wasn’t a business or Pilates book, I am horrified to admit). What’s wonderful is my daughter comes to read with me, and we enjoy our respective world of books, together. I find reading slows down time and helps me keep a grounded calmness.

4. I became more protective of my time . I say ‘No’ to things that I don’t want to do, instead of saying ‘Yes’ out of obligation (and with a little resentment). “No” as a sentence is still a hard one, but I am getting better as not giving my time away so freely.

5. So I have more time and energy to say YES, wholeheartedly to doing things that make my heart sing and with the people I love. instead of saying, “I can’t - I don’t have time”. The time is now, and I make sure I spend it wisely.

6. I became more present, more often.. .Although I do DO more things that make my heart sing - time with family, friends, being by myself, walks in nature, days at the beach, lunch with friends - the joy is always in the present moment, In the BEING etc so any moment can be joyful if you are paying attention.. Even when Im running around in a busy life being mindful doing it. So being joyful is an attitude…This is my attitude.

7. I do more Pilates - for me. I have reconnected to my practice, which sometimes gets lost in teaching, planning and in running a business on my own. Deepening into the exquisiteness of Pilates, and remembering how movement heals and inspires me every damn day. Maybe Pilates is not your thing but something else is deeply personal and moving for you..You Do that… I Love Pilates.

8. Remember what’s important and be grateful for everything you have. I’m guessing it’s heaps - Health, love, joy, kindness, honesty, peace, security and freedom are important to me (along with food, shelter and clean water, of course…. and wine) and I am so lucky to have all these blessings so why be stressed and anxious? No need. Stop it and be grateful..

Next week, I am back in the studio after the August holidays, and I can’t wait. I am super blessed that my Reformer Pilates classes are already nearly full with my lovely returning clients and some new, equally lovely ones, my daughter then starts school mid Sept, and will be back in gymnastics..

Oh my stars here we go!

I’m going to float through life with an attitude of joy, she says..jeje

Soooooo, although my days and obligations will increase again, let’s see I can move through my life, and my full days, honouring my commitment to be less stressed and more joyful, less busy martyr and more present, grounded sage.

I have already said “No” to some off site projects, and intend to set boundaries so my school run is more of jaunt than a charge.. So far so good.. but term hasn’t started yet. I’ll let you know how I go.

I am joyfully optimistic..

Do you have your own time story? I’d love to hear about it. Sometimes its great to share what we think might be oddities about ourselves when really we all have them..

If you are thinking of trying Pilates with me check out my Intro Offer

Thank you for reading this to the end. I appreciate that.

Love XX

Operation confidence and fortitude.. Bikini optional

Even though our summer holidays are a bit tentative this year we still hope to get to the beach or pool and like every year we are still hearing the people in the business of health and fitness and declaring….”It’s time for Operation Bikini”

Aaaaarrrgghhhhhhh Really?

It’s used in lighthearted way, but having spent a lifetime in a love-hate relationship with my body, ”Operation Bikini” plays to my insecurities and vanity, and makes me feel self conscious about myself. It makes me feel like maybe my body isn’t good enough unless I go through some “operation” to get it acceptable. Like there are “rules” and “criteria” to adhere to before you can be seen in a bikini and it makes me feel I am being judged and compared, and that the way I look in a bikini is actually super important, and that my worth is tied up in this.

“Oh God - Do I have to go on a mission to be good enough to be seen in a bikini?”

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look hot in your bikini on the beach this summer, and I’d be putting myself out of business if we didn’t want to look and feel our best. I am passionate about helping people be strong and confident in their bodies through Pilates, on Reformer, and on the Mat. It’s what I do. A firm bum is a healthy bum but..

..Nobody rocks a bikini (or anything for that matter) better than a woman who is comfortable with who she is and this is more than physical.

“Operation Bikini” could be more powerful for us and perhaps more importantly, impressionable younger women, if the message and the motives were more about inclusion and not exclusion - If it were about being more confident and strong in our bodies, and to rock the god d4mn bikini because we are comfortable in our own skin, no matter what our size or tone.

Rather than to suggest we need to make our bodies better, or more acceptable because summer is here, there could be more motivation to exercise to be healthier, more energetic, more confident and more congruent with who she we are, so on the beach we shine because we are happy.

So ladies If you are going on “Operation Bikini” at your local gym, Pilates or Yoga studio, with a Personal Trainer, Kick Boxing or Trampolining just remember you are absolutely fine just the way you are already, and your exercise routine will pay off in power, strength, flexibility, stamina, confidence, so you can have fun in the sun with your family and friends, feeling and looking great in your unique way.

For me it’s Pilates, every single time, that gives me my strength, vitality, confidence and deeper connection.

Let’s not forget the amazing physical benefits of Pilates. For example, Pilates helps you get a strong bum which supports the pelvis and the lower spine and we need it to carry us around strong and allowing us to move with confidence, staying free from low back pain… as well as looking great in jeans. Win win!

The energy centre around the base of the spine is stimulated when we do Pilates. This movement helps plants roots from which to grow, and grounds us. Its helps us feel secure and capable so Pilates can really help the way you feel on an emotional level as well as physical.

Give it a try and for the rest of July my Live Mat Online Classes are Free.. I’d love to see you there…Although not suitable for absolute beginners or injuries, they will give you a great all around challenge at your level.

Or look at my Reformer Pilates Intro Offers for a September renaissance if you are in Barcelona.

Thank you and take care X

Pilates can help us with our big and dark stuff..

There have been a few occasions where I have literally fallen (backwards off a broken chair, is one that springs to mind) and I have been grateful for the Pilates in my body that has enabled me to catch my balance, my strength, my flexibility and save me from injury. There is no doubt how Pilates shapes and strengthens my structure and assists me in the world.. physically.

What is less obvious, but equally as powerful, is that Pilates is helping me with my inner “falling”… helping me deal with big emotions, stress and anxiety..

During Lockdown, although the situation was terribly bleak and sad outside, I felt quite stoical and optimistic - This too shall pass - inside. It was important to stay healthy ourselves, and prevent the spread to others and although a bit anxious, I concentrated on the online aspect of my business, and it felt good helping people with Pilates, over the internet.

I reconnected to my Pilates Mat practice and was grateful to be safe and on an even keel. Locked away and protected - physically and emotionally.

Then, whilst traversing the “phasing out” from the state of alarm over the last month or so, I have felt more emotional than ever -The after shock proving more powerful that the initial tremor that shook our world. Getting back “out there” was scary. Still is. I am not comfy “out there”..

My inner compass gyrating out of control and Pilates helped find my bearings..

And then..

..the massive and essential rising up for racial equality in the face of a brutal and discriminatory white society, that is still marginalising, and shamefully murdering people, and shamefully allowing the murder of people, because of their skin colour. I’ve been writing and deleting for hours because I don’t know how to address this.. I need to say something and apologies if I get it wrong…It’s devastating and I feel awful, but this isn’t about how I feel.

It’s about Black lives matter and making it the truth that it should always have been, today and forever.

We have allowed racial inequality to persist, and now we have to confront our own racism and part in it all. Not being outwardly racist does not make you anti racist, and anti racism doesn’t mean you have to be free from racism. We have a lot of active work to do - inwardly and outwardly.

I saw this.. “ I understand I will never understand but I stand with you” and this is a start, as I dig deep and face my own bias and racism, that I didn’t know I had, from my place of white privilege, white culture, oblivious, or turning a blind eye, if Im honest, to the horrendous inequality we have been complicit in fostering.

It’s super confronting and I am sorry. I am now listening and learning and I’m committing to anti-racism wherever I find it including in myself.

Pilates is not going to help cure the worlds injustices but it can help you navigate your inner world and the big and dark emotions of the times. Through mindful movement and connecting to your heart you can make new choices and be the person you want to be in this world. A person who cares about oppression, injustice, inequality and somebody that makes a difference.

Pilates is helping me by connecting me to the inner knowing we all have, and pulling forth the courage I need. It helps me navigate my big emotions and the hooks and stories I tell myself to avoid pain.

From the way we breathe in Pilates, and the way we concentrate and focus on deliberate movement from a place of ease, and not force, helps the vagus nerve tone, which brings us back from fight or flight mode.

Super important not to live from a place where cortisol and adrenaline are running the show.

The breath obviously re-oxygenates the blood, and the conscious breath patterns of Pilates improves the capacity of the lungs and the functionality of the respiratory system. When we can control our breath we can control our lives and this will help us tremendously, step up with confidence.

“As a heavy rainstorm freshens the water of a sluggish or stagnant stream, so does the Pilates method purify the bloodstream.” - Joseph Pilates

Pilates also stimulates the abdominals, and the area around the naval which is sometimes referred to third energy centre (chakra) and it is believed that this is where we hold our emotions. Some Pilates exercises move energy around this area making emotional shifts.

When we connect to our hearts and emotions to movement, we strengthen the ability process our emotions and relieve stress and tension.

Moving our bodies with Pilates also has great benefits to the circulatory system moving the blood around our bodies and raising the heart rate and lowering blood pressure.

Pilates isn’t considered spiritual practice of itself with history of the ancients, but with focus, concentration and beautiful fluidity of movement that connects me to my internal world, Pilates for me, is a spiritual practice that helps me catch me when I’m “falling”, and hopefully a better person each and every day.

“Every moment of our life can be the beginning of great things.”

- Joseph Pilates

Thank you for reading..

Come to an online class class from the comfort of your own home or if you are in Barcelona and would like to try a Reformer Class with me check out my Intro Offers

Pilates gives you a strong bum and here's why you need one!

I want to talk to you about your bum!

Did you know that a good, strong pair of gluts is actually super important for the health of your back.

Most of us, given the choice, would like a toned bum, and to look good in our jeans, however, with all the chaos and emotions of this lockdown period a) it’s not priority one and b) sitting at home all day is not conducive to the sporty, healthy look.

But spending some time strengthening your bum could be a saving grace for future (or current) back pain .. plus the side effect of your bum feeling a bit pert is a much appreciated plus.

A good, strong bum supports the spine and keeps the pelvis stable which is pretty essential to keep up walking and moving properly and all the bits doing the right things. When the bum is weak it puts pressure on the low back to do all the work hold us upright.

Pilates helps you tone and strengthen your bum, which actually helps relieve lower back pain and support the whole spine, along with the help of abdominals. Pilates (both on the Mat and the Reformer) strengthen the abdominals too, of course.

Having a shapely bum might be nice, but having a strong bum makes you feel good, in balance and moves your body more efficiently, and this what is important. You don’t have to go mad but a bit of strength and tone in your gluts can really make the difference and Pilates can get you there.

A strong, supported spine keeps you young and, since we are younger for longer and we need our bodies to keep up with our full juicy lives it goes without saying .

“You are only as young as your spine is flexible” - Joesph Pilates

You can move with ease and grace when your hip area is balanced, and muscles are doing the right thing at the right time. The whole body is supported and you can do your things in flow, pain free and feeling fantastic.

Looking good in jeans is great, but being strong and feeling good in jeans even better.

Here is the second video in my fundamental series where I explain good technique and keys moves to get you the results your looking for..

And I’m feeeeling glut....bam bam baa bam baa baa bam bam ba bam

Regular Pilates can boost your long term immunity.

The advice out there can be confusing as to whether or not to exercise during the Coronavirus and how much. There is a popular misconception that exercise can actually depress the immune system however, the evidence supports that it’s important for us to move and exercise, as James Turner and John P Campbell, both professors at the University of Bath, write in their article arguing for regular exercise Conversation based on their own 2018 review about exercise and immunity.

Staying fit, healthy by exercising, eating well and sleeping well is going to have many benefits through this situation and beyond.

Of course, it would make sense that getting stuck into intense exercise when you are not used to it could be detrimental - “It is fair to say that a large increase in exercise intensity and/or duration, especially in people new to exercise, might have transient negative effects on the immune system,” says Jeffrey Woods, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, who studies exercise and immunity, that isn’t going to be the case for most of us keeping up some level of health and fitness at home and most people will be sensible.

Therefore - kind of logically - too much exercise, and certainly starting from nothing, a new and rigorous regime is not a great idea and can put too much pressure on the body, making it more vulnerable (at a vulnerable time) than making it stronger. But equally, no or minimal movement at home, staying sedentary and is not good for us either and can have a depressing affect on the mind as well as the body. A study a Harvard medical review suggest that movement, like Pilates, is really good for our mental health.. Result!

Pilates is simply a perfect practice to keep you strong, flexible, mobile, with tone, balanced and with coordination… and sane.

For me exercise, in particular Pilates, is a must and essential to my physical and emotional wellbeing. Always.

Me, I like my Pilates to get my heart rate going a little - not so much we are a drenched in sweat and stressed, pushing ourselves to the limit at the expense of proper technique - but so we do get blood flowing, glowing and raising endorphins, getting the most out of each exquisite Pilates movement and all the benefits.. Deliberately dynamic, if you will.

Pilates makes us feel so good by focusing our attention on deliberate movement and honing our concentration, combined with breathing correctly and re-oxygenating the blood, this can be incredibly calming and reducing the detrimental effects of stress and anxiety. The muscles get a workout but so does the nervous system and the immune system.

Pilates dynamic and energetic - definitely not boring and or the easy option, but not so rigorous as to cause stress to the body.

You will feel you worked the next day but will be able to walk… hopefully.

If you feel like a class with me book here

Below is an example of how I like move through some Pilates abdominal exercises - getting technique correct, while getting a the circulation going and making the most out of the movement in the muscles and in the internal systems (circulatory, respiratory, nervous, for example..)

It’s good for the body inside and out.. what’s there not to love..

Thank you and see you soon for the next in the series..

In health and happiness and more health

Laura X

It's always Darkest before the Dawn

This passage was sent to me by a friend.. I really liked it and found it reassuring.

It's not easy to know how to feel, or what to do, or not to worry what the future might bring on a micro or macro level. It's awful for those who have been directly affected by the virus and lost their lives or people they they love. It's awful for those that are losing their livelihoods as society locks down.

Frankly it is a serious, broken mess.. right now but…

I believe, like a personal "Dark Night of the Soul" where a person has to hit rock bottom in order to rise back into a better, happier, more conscious life, re-learning and un-learning and healing ghosts of the past - this is what is happening to humanity....

The universe has said STOP. ENOUGH.. Go to your rooms and think about what you have done!

Humanity must unite, treat the earth and environment better, slow down and live life, be kinder to themselves and each other. Stop the frenetic pace, the mindless consumption, the relentless striving, the 24 hour contact with work, the pressure, the pollution, the war against other humans.

The lockdown is providing a space for nature to repair itself as we take ourselves out of it’s path. The factories a not working so they are not polluting and China can see sky for the first time in years. Fish and even dolphins have returned to Venice’s canals now the tourists have gone.

Of course this leads to other problems.. the people who’s livelihoods that depend on China’s industry and Venice’s tourism, for example…

It means we have to do EVERYTHING differently and society will change. I don’t have the answers but I do have faith and I do have hope. I know we are agile and and resilient and life will go on and we will thrive once more. I find it reassuring to think this way. I can’t think in the catastrophe..

It’s going to be okay in the end so if it’s not okay it’s not the end. -

Maybe I’m naive, but it helps me though.

How we think about and face the things we have in front of us directly effects our experience of them, so try and fear less and see the adventure and possibility. There is a lot to be grateful and thankful for.

So on a micro level, take this time at home to clean your things, throw stuff away, spend time with your kids, get into your work in a new way, be by yourself, meditate, slow the eff down and give yourself the permission to take this time to reflect, reset, prepare for a new tomorrow. Try not to worry. There will be relief to help us get through financially and there has to be optimism.

Move your body - Pilates will lift you.. Feeling sluggish and stiff will bring you down so expand into your days and stretch, move and connect. I have made a a couple of Mat Pilates videos in the last couple of days so you can get on your living room/bedroom floor at home.

As always, listen to your body, go within your limits and taken responsibility for yourself in class. Have fun!

Thank you. In health and happiness

Laura X

Great News - If your friends are fab then you probably are too.

I have great news for you if, at this time of year, your “New Year New Me” plans and goals - Oh so shiny a month ago - have blurred and gone out of focus.

The “Old You” is just fine!! - Oh yes she is! You just need to believe in her and be kind to her. No need to change - She’s fab - Just look at your friends.

The feather bird, the man by his friends is known..…Hungarian Proverb

The women in this picture with me have been my friends for more than 20 years, through the ups and downs, the laughter and the tears.. We’ve shared it all. They have seen me at my worst and at my best. I love them to bits and I feel so blessed to have them.

Last weekend they came to visit me in Barcelona and I didn’t stop laughing and we had an absolute ball. They are diamonds every single one of them…. Could I so different from these amazing warm, kind, accepting, talented, humorous, generous women?

We are so hard on ourselves sometimes, and think we should be different, or do things differently or be better, always striving and producing to get validation that we are enough?

It was so natural, warming and comforting to be connected to times gone by and to the “Old Me”, and be reminded that who I was, is who I am still. That I am accepted and loved for who I am, and have always been.  I haven’t changed… and neither have my girls.

I think I thought I had changed as, when I first knew them all, in our early 20s, I was a bit of a loose cannon and very unsure of myself and my place in the world, I was lost, anxious and insecure. 

I thought it was a freak accident I had such fabulous friends.

I feel I have it a bit more together now, am more grounded, in control, responsible and all the grown up things.  Now I am fit and healthy, married with a daughter, invested and successful in my business, with my own little Pilates studio in Barcelona, teaching Pilates Reformer classes - I am officially living My Dream, it’s true - Yay!

This seems a long way away from the girl with Bulimia that drank too much wine, had a string crumby jobs and did not believe in herself.

But whilst I have been on a massive inner journey to find self love, worthiness and all the good stuff, I am delighted to be reminded that, despite being anxious and irresponsible in the past, I always was kind and warm, committed and accepting, and brave and had faith in the universe, if not myself. My friends are reflection of this as they share similar qualities and more.

Essentially the same qualities helped me beat bulimia, mother my daughter, work with my Pilates clients and turned my life into a life I love living.

My friend’s strong qualities and love and respect for each other, are why our friendships have stood the test of time, and why my newer friends are also magnificent women that I adore.

The essence of us stays the same and while we can change our behaviour, our approach and our circumstances we don’t really change what is in our heart. And the people we love connect with us through our hearts. So people who love you for who you are, always do.

Look around at your friends and you will see who you are..

This doesn’t mean not to try and be a better version of yourself, or to not go for what you want. There is nothing wrong with making big changes in your life, indeed we must, but doing them from a place of integrity with who you are is what leads to successful and sustainable change.

It has to fit in with you or it wont work. I think sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that we need to be different to get to where we want to go.

You are enough already, and what you want and how you want to be is already a part of you - or you wouldn’t want it.

When I think about it, my business, my Reformer Pilates classes and my teaching style are all about acceptance, kindness, commitment, showing up, courage. So there is a lot to be said in staying true to yourself as you follow your dreams, and I practice what I preach.

So out with the New Me and in with the Old and here’s to good friends, good times, celebration of life, being kind to yourself, and love.. and being the best version of ourselves whatever that is today.

P.S. Of course, I still love wine

Love laura X

Keep your cool this Christmas..

'Tis the season.. And I love it.

Millions of twinkling lights fill the main Barcelona streets on these chilly, dark early nights. There is an air of excitement; nostalgia for childhoods past that remind us of how things used to be. We yearn to feel the magic again, just a little bit. When you believed. We want to feel close to our families and friends and we crave to feel that warmth of the human spirit around us. From strangers too.

Whatever your faith or beliefs, this Light Fest, that spears through the European December darkness, is full of hope, cosiness and magic. It connects us, and we like that. It lifts us and we all feel better when we are helping others, spreading cheer and goodwill synonymous with this time of year. I'm up for that all year. Aren't you? I still believe!!

Despite all this goodwill, there is a usually a lot going on, and we can get run down more easily.

We go out more, we spend more, we drink more, we eat more and, we argue more (might be just us) and, statistcs also show, we have sex more at this time of year too (I know! ) and we put ourselves under more pressure..

Alot of my Pilates Reformer clients have already pressed pause on their workouts due to travel, and it will be probably January before we pick back up again properly, and thats fine but we must still look after our selves.. and our nerves.

Whether you've bought enough, done enough, or drunk enough (or drunk too much)…. you ARE enough.

We travel more, we worry more, expect more, and compare ourselves to other people more and, generally it can be a really hectic time. We can feel our energy deplete and our nerves can get shot to pieces

If this is you..and It's often me..

I have just the thing for you. Im teaching much more Pilates these days which is also great for the nervous system and stress relief but you can’t beat the immediate results of a perfectly aimed Yoga set.

Below is a Kundalini Yoga Kriya (set or sequence) that adjusts the naval point (An energy centre 3 fingers the below button and just above the pelvic area) back into alignment. This is important as our personal power, and our emotional centre is at our naval point.

Think of it as our energy control headquarters.

Why does it need adjusting?

It's often off kilter and when it's off kilter we are off kilter. The centre of our own personal universe. When this is strong, in balance and in the right place, we have the power within us to withstand any storm, and not to get battered about the waves. We are resilient and have faith in ourselves. We know we will make it.

It's not a beginners set but if you are up for a challenge give it a whirl.

If you have any back injuries, special conditions or are pregnant then DON'T give it a whirl. Any doubts then check with your doctor and always listen to your body.

There are 4 postures, each lasting for a minute, but you need to add a bit for rest time, where the body consolidates the work, between each pose. Breath of Fire is explained in more detail in an oldie but a goodie You tube video of mine Ego Eradicator.

Why Self Acceptance is essential for your health and happiness.

I often get asked the question “What is the single most important thing I can do for my health and happiness”? … And I’ve given the roots of emotional and physical wellbeing a lot of attention in my life and work.

Logic goes to practical things like drinking water, sleepling more, Pilates (of course) , movement and meditation but, while all these a really important part of your day for your physical and emotional wellbeing, there is a foundational piece from which the rest is built on.

You can drink as much water as you can, sleep 10 hours and meditate for days but if you do not accept who you are, and continue to internally criticize everything you do, or the world around you, then you will not experience optimal health and happiness.

Self Acceptance is where is all begins. Be mindful of how you talk to yourself as you go about your day. Do you berate your self constantly? Do you compare yourself to others? Do you call yourself names even?

Would you talk your child like that? Or your best friend?…. I didn’t think so.

Be really kind to yourself. You are doing a great job and are perfectly imperfect just the way you are. You are enough and don’t have to be anymore or do any more.

Catch yourself when you do feel bad about yourself. What do you say to yourself? Is what you are saying to yourself actually true? Probably not- change the words - give yourself a bit of compassion.

It goes deeper than this of course, and you need to know that your thoughts, needs, values, desires are valid and all have a place. Critical self talk is often someone else’s but it’s all okay, and you are worthy of love and belonging. Accept yourself.

Life, and raising a family is not always easy, so be on your own team, right from the heart. More than just a cheerleader but a deep knowing you’ve got this.

Acceptance of others is also important to be balanced and happy. If you don't accept what's going on for you, past or present, then you get stuck in judgements and resentments and the stress these emotions have on your body can wreak havoc and illness can manifest..

"To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee" Anonymous

You can't make good, new choices for yourself when you are unaccepting. Accepting doesnt mean condoning or saying “it's okay”, not at all, so many things are "unacceptable" but accepting allows you to take constructive action or move forward and make your peace.

In accepting people and situations around you, including your stress levels, your crazy boss, your challenging kids, it's absolutely essential to accept yourself.

Studies have shown, one in particular by Harvard Medical School that self-acceptance has physical and emotional benefits.

So how do we do it?

We have to accept others. When you accept others you can accept yourself. You will feel light and free. Let that stuff go!

Acceptance exercise..

Just for one day try and notice how you are judging and when you do catch yourself breath deeply and choose to Let it go. You can even say "I let you go".. Then consciously go through your mental list - accept your parents, your boss, your spouse, and people who have hurt you in some way. There might be things you cannot accept, but that's okay, just accept that you aren’t ready yet. One day you will be and you will feel light and free and alive. You can decide if you its worth doing again tomorrow, no pressure - self acceptance all the way. I talk you through it in my live.

We have to take responsibility that our feelings about people and stuff are our own construct, and we have a choice to feel better about things.

"There is nothing good, nothing bad -thinking makes it so" Yogi Bahjan.

True acceptance can transform our lives.