Yoga With Richard

New classes for people in recovery from addiction starting in January at George St Social in Newcastle.

This piece is written so beautifully I had to pass it on. This is one of the reasons why we work with the breath so much in yoga. There is so much force in something one usually never pays attention to. Thanks for sharing Sue Rafferty x

GOD, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL! TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT ❤️
As someone who writes often, I naturally appreciate epic writing when I see it. This morning, I came across this written piece of art and it moved me deeply, so I had to share it with all of you! Not only are these words true theatre, they also act as sound advice ❤️

my brain and
heart divorced

a decade ago

over who was
to blame about
how big of a mess
I have become

eventually,
they couldn't be
in the same room
with each other

now my head and heart
share custody of me

I stay with my brain
during the week

and my heart
gets me on weekends

they never speak to one another

- instead, they give me
the same note to pass
to each other every week

and their notes they
send to one another always
says the same thing:

"This is all your fault"

on Sundays
my heart complains
about how my
head has let me down
in the past

and on Wednesday
my head lists all
of the times my
heart has screwed
things up for me
in the future

they blame each
other for the
state of my life

there's been a lot
of yelling - and crying

so,

lately, I've been
spending a lot of
time with my gut

who serves as my
unofficial therapist

most nights, I sneak out of the
window in my ribcage

and slide down my spine
and collapse on my
gut's plush leather chair
that's always open for me

~ and I just sit sit sit sit
until the sun comes up

last evening,
my gut asked me
if I was having a hard
time being caught
between my heart
and my head

I nodded

I said I didn't know
if I could live with
either of them anymore

"my heart is always sad about
something that happened yesterday
while my head is always worried
about something that may happen tomorrow,"
I lamented

my gut squeezed my hand

"I just can't live with
my mistakes of the past
or my anxiety about the future,"
I sighed

my gut smiled and said:

"in that case,
you should
go stay with your
lungs for a while,"

I was confused
- the look on my face gave it away

"if you are exhausted about
your heart's obsession with
the fixed past and your mind's focus
on the uncertain future

your lungs are the perfect place for you

there is no yesterday in your lungs
there is no tomorrow there either

there is only now
there is only inhale
there is only exhale
there is only this moment

there is only breath

and in that breath
you can rest while your
heart and head work
their relationship out."

this morning,
while my brain
was busy reading
tea leaves

and while my
heart was staring
at old photographs

I packed a little
bag and walked
to the door of
my lungs

before I could even knock
she opened the door
with a smile and as
a gust of air embraced me
she said

"what took you so long?"

~ John Roedel (johnroedel.com)

Calling all Jasmine Men, and partners of Jasmine Women! 🤣

Our Men’s Yoga starts this Saturday at 2pm with Richard.

As a ‘thank you’ if your man signs up we’ll give you a discount code to get your next class half price.... join us 🙏🥳

With yoga studios reopening on Monday, my men’s yoga class at Jasmine Yoga Studio in Tynemouth is restarting one week today! 🤗 Get yourself or a loved one along and we will release all that tension that has been building up in our bodies. For further info and booking follow this link:

Book Your Yoga Class Now Find out when Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Beginners and Dawn Yoga Classes are on at Jasmine Yoga Tynemouth and book now!

Well here we are, one week into the new year already - and I just saw my first snowdrop of the year. These tiny flowers always amaze me - how tenacious! Faced with such adversity and unlikely odds, they still manage to push through and blossom, in their own quiet, understated and elegant way. What an embodiment of hope! Hope is such a powerful force. Let’s be more snowdrop, and harness that hope and take it with us into and through this new year 👊

If you are thinking about taking to the mat and doing some yoga, but are unsure where to start, please do consider using a local independent teacher. Whilst there is a load of stuff out there on the internet, nothing compares to a local independent teacher who can give you that personal touch. Many are doing classes online and they really need your help and support at the moment. If you want any recommendations send me a personal message and we can chat about what is right for you.

Tomorrow’s men’s class at Jasmine yoga in Tynemouth (2pm) will have a theme of opening and creating space in our shoulders and chest - particularly nourishing for anyone who spends lots of their time with a phone in their hands or hunched over a computer 🖥 Book your spot here:

Book Your Yoga Class Now Find out when Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Beginners and Dawn Yoga Classes are on at Jasmine Yoga Tynemouth and book now!

Men’s yoga classes now up and running at Jasmine yoga, Saturdays at 2pm, spread the word! Very appropriate that they started today, on world mental health day. Yoga can help us feel more comfortable in our minds as well as our bodies. The more of us on the mat the better, hopefully see you there soon 🙏🏻