Season & Simplicity

Join me on the mat as we go with the flow ~

Mondays at 7 pm ~ 8 pm at New Barn Studio ~Woodhams Farm, Kings Worthy

Working with your own energy via a mixture of yoga flow, breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness to help soothe the body and calm the mind. Perfect for beginners, those who have a regular yoga practice, or if you just fancy carving out some time for yourself!

£40 for a block of 5 classes or £9 drop-in
Contact me to reserve your mat
07825983737| [email protected] | https://www.seasonandsimplicity.co.uk/contact

Cíara x

*At the risk of repeating myself*

At the close of
this day
find the courage
to hold hope,
to breathe deeply
and believe
that better days
will come.

-Tyler Knott Gregson

For years I’ve always felt a deep sense of unease leaving one year behind and starting another (I’ve never been very good at letting go) but as I get older the idea of a ‘new year’ feels more and more arbitrary

So, we take the pressure and expectation off and refuse to overwhelm or tune in to a ‘new year’ mentality. Taking time to ease ourselves in gently and find that ‘clean slate’ moment when you feel good and ready

Nature offers us so many chances to start afresh, from a new moon every month to the start of a new season, or that fresh hope at spring equinox or that warm light at summer solstice. If the anxiety of a new year feels too much or the pressure to have ‘it’ all figured out feels overwhelming, know you can kick-start a brand new one whenever you damn well please... nature always knows the way_ guiding you in your own time

So, with that in mind, I wish you a gentle + grace-filled season ahead ✨and the permission to take your sweet ass time. There’s no hurry. Find stillness. Go slow. Ground down. Keep steady. Whatever fits during this precious, messy season ~ just know, whatever it looks or feels like for you is more than OK. So much more.

🎵 “A long December, and there's reason to believe
maybe this year will be better than the last “

On my morning walk with Buckley today, I was listening to one of my favourites, Counting Crows (reminded of this song in particular by the beautiful ), as we chased the winter light✨ (him, more than me), and these lyrics rattled around in my ever-restless mind.

To me, winter solstice has always felt a little auspicious and never more so than in the past year as my dear Dadu (my paternal grandfather, a Hindu who very much believed in samsara, the cycle of life and death - and whom I still learn so much from every day) passed a few days before in 2020, and my sweet nephew was born a couple of days later on winter solstice ~ our very own returning light!

So, as bleak as this mid-winter feels, today, despite being the shortest of the year, it's a celebration of that returning light, bit by little bit. And these days, I don't know about you, but I take all that I can cling onto —so this one is held a little tighter than usual as I try and hold on to 🎵these moments as they pass.

Wishing you peace and stillness on this winter solstice, the shortest day of a long December, and hope that you too can see and feel those returning rays of light

And, if you can’t quite find it, feel free to send Buckley and me a message, and we'll share some of ours.

Reframing old sentiments ~

Whatever is going on ‘outside’, I’m leaning towards where I can find comfort on the ‘inside’ ~ the smallest of joys, little pockets of peace, those seasonal rituals that keep me steady. So tonight, I’ll tune in a little deeper, listen a little harder, and embrace the darkness as that veil thins and we connect with our own intuition ✨

I read this today and it feels so apt...

“The magic of Samhain is that of endless possibility. Since we return to the beginning, we can begin anew in any way we wish.”___Michael Furie

.. and so we begin anew. Another beautiful and poignant seasonal marker ~ always there when I need it most. If there’s one thing living in tune with the seasons has taught me is that they’re temporary, they change, they fall apart, and make space so new things can grow. And this most definitely feels like a season of growth

Hoping you find a little comfort amongst it too ✨

Easing into autumn 🍂

My favourite season is officially here 🙌🏽. And much like every year, it’s eagerly awaited and embraced with a cosy hug. Summer quietly leaves 🍁 and autumn gently falls, as we hang in pure balance between summer and winter solstice

And, as I ease myself into a brand new season I reminded myself of the words that shared several moons ago in one of her workshops ~ ‘less force, more ease’. They’ve echoed and remained and been a kind of mantra for me for so much of late. Summer has felt like a hard ole winter IRL, there’s been a lot of force to make room for the ease … but I’m here to ease into autumn and wrap myself up in all its layers 🙋🏻‍♀️

As seasonal creatures there’s often subtle shifts, nuances, as we transition from one to another. A period of change never just happens. Personally, I’ve noticed a gradual wane in energy, the desire for more sleep, a change-up in my daily routine, and even the kinds of food my body is craving (anything in soup 🥣 form!). There’s an intrinsic need to ground in the basics, to shed for new, to relinquish for change. I’m a firm believer that our bodies are designed to change and adapt with these external seasons and letting go of those expectations to be ‘on’, to be eternally productive, or to be anything other than what we need in the now, is all part of the beauty of this time of year ~ so let’s embrace it!

Maybe autumn is the season to be more gentle with yourself, more patient, to indulge in all that makes each day a little lighter (gawd knows it can be heavy enough) ~ and move forward in the comfort, that with the seasons ch-changing, it’s all just part of the process, it won’t last forever, nothing truly does ✨(although this is one season I truly wish did!)

{And, if you need a few ways to savour the season ahead, download my ebook ‘Embrace Autumn’https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ebc1ef5c693b60748b60b48/t/614b483f40b8e3442236bc32/1632323652879/Embrace+Autumn_v.2.pdf }

🎵I don’t drink coffee... I take tea my dear

No need for a national day of celebration in this house cos every day is tea ☕️ day in my house. Soul soothing, comforting, a hug in a mug

It’s the very reason I get out of bed each morning ... the excitement of starting my day with a much-needed cuppa. But my love affair with tea is about so much more than what’s in the cup - it’s the occasion. The ceremony. It’s the...

~ Quiet moments with a cuppa in bed kinda tea
~ Indulgent tea with toast kinda tea
~ Blankets, tea and a good book kinda tea
~ Cosy catch up with your mum (+ her homemade cake 🍰) and sisters kind of tea
~ Your favourite blend in your best mug kind of tea
~ An extra cup with your four-year old niece kinda tea (who always makes sure we have time for tea)
~ Tea and sympathy kinda tea
~ Would you like a cup of tea? kinda tea
~ Multiple cups of tea to get you through the day kinda tea
~ Slurpy cold tea in plastic cups with your goddaughter kinda tea
~ Post-yoga soul soothing kinda tea
~ Endless chats and bottomless tea with friends kinda tea

I’m more than a little fussy about my tea and would rather refuse a cup of tea than drink a bad one (strong with a dash of milk, if you’re asking, thanks!)

I still believe that not a lot can’t be solved with a good cup of tea and a biscuit and if it still can’t, we’ll ... at least you’ve had a cup of tea and a biscuit!

What’s your favourite kinda tea-drinking occasion?

Life on the slow ... always comes back to this ~ “In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.”___ Pico Iyer

It's definitely never felt more vital to find ways to steady ourselves, to slow.it.down, and create a little time amidst the madness that's purely for you... so I’d love for you to join me in going slow and keeping steady... .

I created this free 7-day online retreat, The Slow & Steady, a year or so ago, in a bid to help put in place some helpful habits, daily practices, and a moment to simply press pause amongst the busy-ness of life. So whilst we're having to adapt our usual routines, find pockets of peace in our new day-to-day and may 🙋🏻‍♀️ find ourselves feeling unsettled and out of balance, I decided to tweak it a little so you can retreat and regroup as and when you need to throughout the coming weeks and months

The Slow & Steady will come to you in the form of an email a day. Each day will focus on just one simple practice or thought for you to spend a little time on

The aim is that by the end of your week you’ll be able to reflect and see the variety of tools and practices you’ll have at your fingertips to help you find a place of calm and to keep steady. If this sounds like something you'd like for yourself then simply click on the link 👇🏽 and sign up

http://www.seasonandsimplicity.co.uk/retreat/

I can't wait to share the week ahead with you ✨

Don’t. Forget. To. Breathe. ✨

The bridge between our mind and body. The most important and powerful tool you have at your disposal... The Breath

Conditioning and the stresses of everyday life (ESPECIALLY in this current upside down and back to front time) means that breathing (although innate to a point) loses its power and our breaths become shorter and shallower - kicking that sympathetic nervous system into action. Our fight or flight response is always ready to make an unwanted appearance and in moments of heightened stress, anxiety, and uncertainty we forget our breath is even there at all - often holding it, stiffling it and adding to feelings of unease and discomfort

Enter, the breath ~ the most powerful tool in the box. Deep diaphragmatic breathing (through the nostrils, down into the abdomen) not only helps us mentally but physically as we learn to bring fresh, new oxygen deep into our lungs and fill every cell and fibre of our bodies. Our entire body relies on our breath - and, as Rebecca Dennis (.tree), transformational breathing coach says, ‘By learning how to consciously connect to our breath and encourage its natural rhythms, we can harmonise the body and mind... and feel empowered’

So if there's one gift you can give yourself right now, in a time that feels disharmonious and powerless) it’s tuning in to your own flow of breath. Breathing deeply into the belly, keeping it calm and steady and connecting yourself back to you. PLUS, this will do wonders for your immune system ✨. {Forget panic-buying loo roll, focus on this!}

One of the things that gives me most comfort whenever I feel unsteady is knowing that your breath is ALWAYS with you. And sometimes we just need a reminder to stop 🛑 and breathe deep 🙌🏼

And I’ll be here to keep gently reminding you 💛

New class for spring starting Tuesday 24th March...

Some days you just have to brew your own sunshine ☀️____

And when you do, be sure to share that light around ✨

Even for a serious seasonal-and-all-weather-embracer like myself, this winter-spring-stormy-limbo s**t can feel tough. Especially when the weather feels like a constant reflection of your feelings, emotions, and the inside of your head!

I went on the wettest + windiest walk (thank you, storm ⛈ Dennis) on Saturday and came home feeling pretty invigorated ... headphones in, pooch by my side, both leaning into the wind. I felt pretty grounded and ready to tackle whatever the week threw at me. Only, when it came to it it’s felt like more energy than I could muster. Like climbing uphill in a downwind

It’s hard not to beat yourself up for not being consistently productive (especially when you work for yourself and the whole world, OK Instagram, looks like it’s winning at life - whatever the f* that means) but then I was reminded by the eternally spot-on Emily Chadbourne this morning ... that that IS OK. ‘Life ISN’T consistent and nor are you’

So if you’re feeling a bit stuck, a bit inconsistent, a bit like life’s thrown you a little off track, maybe too many storms in as many weeks, know that it IS OK. In fact, it’s more than OK and cut yourself some slack until you’re back in that space and you feel the sun on your face once again

And in the meantime, I can highly recommend endless tea + hot cross buns with a side of Emily’s ‘Unashamedly Human’ podcast for company 🙌🏼 (https://open.spotify.com/show/6RYLHFlnKOGaIJar7Tz8sf)

Sending ‘warmest energies’ x