Switch off...
After a pretty busy patch which I am very grateful for, it was time for a little holiday!
Like a salmon (without the reproduction and dying part…), I returned to the source, namely the family holiday house which my grandfather had built an hour away from La Rochelle about four decades ago and is now seeing the fourth generation enjoy the sea air, sun and fresh food.
My grandfather left us 11 years ago but he would be overwhelmed with happiness to know that this house still plays an important part in the life of our extended family.
Indeed comes summer, our tribe invades that little morsel of the world. My parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, second cousins and their children regularly spend some time there and it is such a joy to come together like this once a year.
The kids are having a blast as their circle of friends broadens widely and as for us, adults, we get a chance to catch up over some apéritif, usually a little glass of Martini, port or Pineau des Charentes. Aaaaah, nothing quite like family with the sea as a backdrop…
Now did I practice any yoga while I was there? Well, horror, I did not, not a bit. And I enjoyed it.
It was lovely to be free of any kind of schedule, to spend time with my loved ones and to let go of any attachment to my physical practice for a few days.
Did I struggle when I got back? Oh boy, so much! The first class I attended after this break left me crazily sore, but it was great, an excellent reminder of what yoga does for your body and mind and why you generally practice regularly!
Now I am back in London and back into its flow. Still somewhat on holiday mode but yoga is gently bringing me back to earth.
So you too, maybe try taking time out every now and then, and observe what happens.
Another type of yoga will probably take the place of your physical practice. After all, yoga means “union” which is a state experienced in the good days of our physical sadhana but which is not restricted to it; there are numerous alternative ways.
Even if you stop for a few days, you might still find yourself capable of cultivating presence and alertness, and who knows, you might even feel more able to relax, listen and share as there will be no pressing agenda, no deadlines.
Being close to Nature often brings us effortlessly back to what really matters and helps us reconnect with a deep sense of appreciation for its beauty. It also generates an intense feeling of freedom, lightness of being and reminds us to have infinite trust in the universe.
Members of the tribe in a Scrabble fight…
