Lena Grace Yoga

How did I get here?

The question I was asked about my journey that led me teaching yoga...
It was a great question to be asked by someone that had recently embarked on her own journey to become a physiotherapist.

It was a timely reminder that I've come a long way and where I am in this moment is exactly where I need to be.

But, I really did ponder the question of how I got here, and how I arrived at this place in my life journey....

Back in 2015/16 I decided with the encouragement of a friend to embark on my first Yoga teacher training - a foundational 200 hours with Soma Yoga now known as Soulworx.
My foremost intention wasn't to teach yoga, it was more about deepening my knowledge. Truth be told, I didn't feel I was disciplined enough to become a yoga teacher with lifestyle choices, that sort of thing. Anyhow I did it and it was amazing, and was to be the start of a wonderful journey of transformation.


And that was the thing... before embarking on my teacher training, I told myself I needed to a certain type of person with a certain mindset and way of living and being; however, I came to realise that this wasn't the case as yoga invites you to come as you are with your perfect imperfections because it's simply part of the journey to becoming.....
So, I guess what I'm saying is don't wait for the perfect moment before embarking on your hearts desires- that moment may never come. Take steps towards it and see what happens. And, let me know if you do 💜

Yoga is happening tomorrow 6-7 pm at St George Community Centre where the invitation is always to come as you are, to do what feels right for you, to get to know your body, and develop your relationship with yoga.
If you've never practiced with me before, your first class is £5.00 💜🙏🏾🤗

Hey Beautiful People

I just wanted to remind you of our Gathering happening this Saturday at the usual time of 12:15 to 15:15 at St George CC Church Rd BS5; it's the most wonderful space as it overlooks St George park.

Thank you to all of you that have booked so far; there are still some spaces available for anyone still thinking about it. This will be the last one until we gather again in Autumn- however, let's look to the Now - the Present Moment!!

We're currently in Flower Moon Season; on the day of our coming together we will be entering the first day of Blue Moon Season and it's also a New Moon which is a perfect time for Intention Setting- bringing in the new, making stuff happen, tapping into your creativity, taking steps towards your dreams, goals, desires and the like......

Our last Self care Session in March reflected on it being the year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese calendar and some of the things associated with it which include movement, momentum and forward motion...but also a little reminder that a canter or a slower pace is just as good as a gallop!

I find this to be the most beautiful time of year; it's a time of plenty where everything in Nature is flourishing, everything around us is bursting with life.

There is sooo much available to us at this time of year- if you look to plants to offer you guidance. I believe plants come at just the right time when we need them.

In a fast paced world that seemingly encourages us to keep going and keep doing, this is your invitation to come as you are, where you can give yourself permission to retreat and come home to yourself, to (re)connect with yourself and have some 'head in the clouds' time...

If you've never experienced one of these gatherings before, know that they are magical. It's You that creates the magic ✨💜✨
If you'd like to know more of what to expect comment 'MAGIC' in the comments - I'll send you more info. Also you can check my link in the bio.

Sometimes it's easy to forget what's available to us that can provide us with what we need. For example:

My skin was tingling and a tad sore in places- possibly due to bites (bugs love my skin), maybe a touch of heat rash.. Whatever the reason my skin was reacting.

I thought about buying an antihistamine cream to help relieve my symptoms, and then I remembered that I'd bought a small amount of aloe vera gel with me. I rubbed it on my skin and its cooling effect was soothing, offering me some relief. Yay.

AND what grows in abundance here in Gran Canaria? Yep you guessed it- Aloe Vera. A little reminder for me that sometimes exactly what we need is on our doorstep- literally!

In case you're interested, here are some of its benefits:

✨It acts as a natural antibacterial.
✨Speeds up wound healing.
✨Deeply hydrates the skin.
✨Soothes minor burns and sunburns.
✨Calms skin irritations.
✨Relieves eczema symptoms.
✨Reduces redness.
✨Fades dark spots
I'm not familiar with all these benefits, if it's worked for you do let me know...
Btw, I'm not saying you should disregard what you might have in your medicine cabinet, I simply feel it's good to be aware of alternatives or what you might use in addition 🙏🏾

Although I'm without a doubt a sun person (worshipper) and come alive when I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, I feel a real affinity with spring, which coincides with my Birthdate. However, regardless of whether one is born at this time of year or not, I think many would agree that this truly is a magical time of year. And when the sun shines and we are blessed with blue skies, blossom become more blossomy (!), the various shades of green seem greener, the scents, the smells are moreso. It's a time of plenty.....
New growth gives way to feelings of hope, of new beginnings, amongst these times of uncertainty.
Thankful yes, but not forgetting or bypassing what it's like for others experiencing suffering, trauma, loss on a grand scale, on so many levels. To pretend all is well as a yoga teacher and a human is not an option.
It sometimes seems hopeless in a world of trigger happy, larger than life egos who invariably give no thought to the suffering of the people on the ground to fulfil their own ambitions.
I pray for world peace, I give to the world Food programme (WFP) who focus on many nations not just one in particular. I consciously make a decision to not support Organisations who play a part in supporting war, genocide and contravene basic human rights and justice.
And what else might I do is something I've been asking myself more and more... I'd welcome any suggestions....
In the meantime, I am grateful for yoga- it calms the busyness and the noise, it truly sustains me.
And you, what do you do to sustain yourself and stay well in these uncertain times?

Having some downtime has been invaluable, just the tonic needed.
I returned to work feeling replenished and refreshed, with fire in my belly! ☺
And loving being back at work. 'Find something you love, you'll never work another day in your life' - I love this quote.

I've done stuff, thought about stuff, created stuff and gotten rid of stuff! When you're freelance like I am it can be challenging taking proper time off and putting work on hold with its various implications including financial etc, however, the sense of renewal that comes with it is so worth it.

It's been both a restful and fruitful time, which has included a visit to the beautiful Woodchester park in Stroud where as well as breathing in the awe inspiring surroundings; I collected cleavers, nettles and wild garlic.
Some chill time in the sunshine (vit D is a non negotiable!), committed to a project I'm working on where tbh I'd got a little stuck, in part recognising that a level of fear was holding me back- thankfully I'm now pressing on with it. I also had a joyful and fun time babysitting my nephew and niece, as well as a catch up with my good friend sweet .sherman.5 💜

And the day before returning to work I went to an evening with Akala and David Olugusa at the Bristol Beacon. So so worth it. I walked away feeling inspired and reminded why it's important not to lose hope. The Hall was full to capacity, 1,800 I believe. That's a lot of folk also full of hope, some perhaps curious, some desiring change and perhaps a feeling that we can make it happen. They spoke of many things in regards to history, the political and social system.

One of the things Akala which is something I've always believed myself is to do with the news- how would it be to share some of the good stuff that's happening locally and in the world- because to focus on the news that's broadcast alone, we'd probably be filled with nothing but despair.

If you've not come across these formidable gents, do some research and find out some more about them 🔥🔥

Just saying hi beautiful people. I'm still here. It was wonderful to have some time out, I'm now feeling refreshed and replenished.
So good to be back sharing yoga with patients at the Priory yesterday and today.
Yoga is happening this evening at St George CC 6-7pm. Come as you are 🙏🏾💜🙏🏾

I'm taking a week off and happily spending time at home. Sometimes it's the best sort of holiday you can give yourself, don't you think?
Time to catch up with myself and my various commitments, including making space by clearing out stuff that's no longer needed.

As well as the everyday stuff that needs attending to, I have dreams and aspirations that I desire to make a reality; the process takes time, you know? The sunshiney weather is a slight distraction at times, although also very welcome.

I've been out of the loop with connecting with you all over the last few weeks, I had a flu type virus thing recently. However, I'm back on track and feeling well thankfully.

I wanted to say thank you to new followers and to all of you that spend time reading my posts and connecting with me, I absolutely appreciate you 💜

I'll be back to my regular Weds evening offering next week 6-7pm

Also, the next Self care Session for Women will be happening Sat 16th May 12:15-15:15 at the above location. It's a space for women whatever your state in life. Please be in touch for more info, or the booking link is in my bio.

The 📷? Playing with effects a couple of years ago. However, perhaps you might see it as a reminder to sparkle. Never lose your shine beautiful people✨🌟✨


Before I leave you to your evening, I took a screenshot of this quote which really resonated with me; maybe it's what you need to hear as a gentle reminder;
'Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid of standing still' - Chinese proverb


✨

Hey beautiful people

Happy Equinox/Ostara- welcoming the return of the light with new growth and the sun rising higher in the sky.

I hope you've had some time to absorb the Vit D the sun has given to us recently.

Sending out huge thanks and gratitude to those of you that were able to make our recent Self care Session; your presence and energy was greatly appreciated, and I hope you walked away feeling the effects of gifting yourself the time and space to connect or reconnect to your beautiful self.

For those of you that weren't able to make it or have wondered what our Gatherings are all about, this is some of what we shared:

🪶Time to soften into the body with a scan and an earth meditation

🪶Self massage from the Ayurvedic tradition known as Abhiyangha

🪶Using one's own intuition to pick an oracle cards for guidance

🪶Movement and yoga to shake up stagnancy and sluggishness in the system - tapping, shaking and juicy twists to stimulate the digestive system

🪶As I'm keen to look to nature for guidance; we talked about plants that are available to us at this time of year such as dandelion leaves and flowers, nettles, wild garlic and cleavers, to name a few. Many act as tonics to cleanse and detoxify the system, boost immunity as well as being packed with lots of goodness.

🪶And keeping in the theme of Spring with it being a time of new growth, new life, new beginnings we completed an exercise which you might like to do:
'What are you looking to create or grow in your life + what 2-3 small steps you might take towards making it a reality? Let me know if you decide to do this exercise. It was lovely to hear that one of the tribe took decisive action to step away from a situation that she'd outgrown. Yay ✨🔥

I'd really love for more of you to share this experience, so if it resonates the next one will be taking place Sat 16th May 12:15-15:15 at St George Community Centre. The link is in my bio. Please do get in touch with any questions/ concerns etc. Feel free to get in touch anyway.

Big hugs and love
Lena 🪶🙏🏽🦋

✨'I am bountiful, beautiful, blissful
You are bountiful, beautiful, blissful
We are bountiful, beautiful, blissful'✨

Did you see my last post about the power of words and how they can shape our reality?

So instead of the statements we can sometimes repeat over and over about ourselves that aren't helpful, how about repeating the statement above? On repeat..
Will you show yourself a little kindness?


This week's offerings:
Weds Mid-week Yoga Re-set 6-7 pm
And a special invitation to all women - whatever your stage in life.
Our Spring self care session is happening this Sat 14th March 2-5pm at the same location.
Please check the link in my bio for more info, or or you can DM me.

Happy international women's day for yesterday. Let's keep supporting each other.

Much love
Lena 🦋xx