Yoga One & All

TAKING A BREAK

I've been quiet with my posts here the last month or so.

In times of anxiety I find that social media can be pretty triggering. The current global situation + streams of information sends me towards overdrive.

So I've been taking the time to learn more about myself, gain new skills, deepen my personal practice, help others and also taking time to CHILL.

I'm going to stick with this for now. It feels good and is freeing up a heap of time and energy for me to focus on other things that feel important.

A couple of you have asked me about leading online classes, I've decide not to, sorry. I don't much fancy being making videos 🙈

But once all this settles, which it will, I'll be making my way back to Europe and leading private and group classes again.

Until then, I can point you in the direction of some amazing yogis that are sharing free classes, online. Drop me a PM.

As always, feel free to reach out to me if there is anything I can help with...

Love and virtual hugs
Me x

Hello, yogis of Kampot
This Thursday & Sunday I'll be leading Hatha Vinyasa classes .things.kampot at 9am.
Expect juicy stretches, energetic flows and a sprinkle of sillines.
It's a gorgeous space (that also serve delicious vegan food). Come wiggle with me and get some healthy treats afterwards.
Big love 💜

Yoga & mindful flower arrangements.
Right up there with wine & cheese.
A match made in heaven.
Shout out to for bringing this gorgeous event together ❤️ te quiero

Feeding friends and loved ones... feeds my soul.

Anja Chakra is the 6th and penultimate of the main energetic fields I am going to introduce you to. Purple (or deep indigo blue) in colour and located at our “third eye” just between our eyebrows.

It evokes intuition, extrasensory perception and inner wisdom. It is said that this chakra can be made more powerful through meditation, yoga and other spiritual practices; it is a muscle and can be trained just as any other in our bodies.

I love seeing those around me fly - physically and metaphorically.

I’ve said it before, life isn't a competition. We all move at a different pace, experiencing different things at different times.

Instead of worrying or fretting about where you are right now compared to someone you see on instagram, your friends, exes, whoever.. remember how amazing you are, how far you have come and focus on where you want to go next.

Celebrate the achievements you and those around you make, big and small and you will see how you start to fly.

When you are giving yourself a hard time, I beg you to stop and ask if you would speak to anyone else like that?

I'm guessing the answer is most like "no".

Treat yourself with kindness, spoil yourself with your time and energy as you do for other people, be your own biggest cheerleader.

Everyone feels something different when looking at these business card designs. Some saw a mixed of calm and power, others felt it was confusing as it “wasn’t going the right way” and some said clashing colours were distracting.

But this is a bit like life, isn’t it? It’s a bit like life for me at least!

Sometimes my classes are gentle, other times energetic and sweaty. Some days I’m chilled and other days I’m wound tighter than a spring in a watch. Some days life throws us of track a bit and other days everything runs like clockwork.

Everyday is different and so are we. Our differences are what make us human. Our acceptance and respect of these differences are what make us beautiful.

We would never criticise the clouds for being different, being darker or brighter, differing their shape, nor for moving faster or slower than they did yesterday.

Let’s try and keep that same kindness and appreciation for ourselves and others.

Love and clouds
Katie x

Looking out at the big blue sea got me thinking that there hadn’t been a Chakra post for a while, so here’s the next installment.

Blue is the color of the throat chakra. This 5th chakra is known as Vishuddha which mean “especially pure” in English. It is said to govern our self expression, our expression of truth and creativity and it encourages our peaceful communications.

When in balance, it gives power to our true voice and helps s to communicate well. When it is not we can feel confused, lost for words we may even feel physical symptoms such as throat infections or experience teeth grinding.

What can we do to keep it in balance? I’ll tell you in the next chakra update :)

That is the look of pure happiness on my face.⠀ ⠀ Bigger classes are great, they are full of the groups energy which is really uplifting, and there is something really satisfying about leading a group of like minded souls to flow and move in unison. ⠀ ⠀ Leading very small groups and ones to ones brings another sort of energy, though. Connections that fill me with joy. I love the fact that I can give more attention, extra personalised details and create flows that are specific to the persons needs at the time. ⠀ ⠀ If you are interested in having some one to one classes drop me a PM and we can figure out what would work best for you, together. ⠀ . ⠀ .⠀ .⠀ #listentoyourbody #gentleyoga #accessibleyoga #yogaforbeginners #beginnersyoga #yogateacher #yogabasics #yoganewbies #yogaessenitals#yogateacher #privateyogaclasses #yogachiangmai #yogathailand #yogaasia

Candlelit flows and flowers⠀
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I don’t want to play too fast and loose with the word “bliss” but spending an evening stretching, bending, wiggling and playing with flowers gets you pretty close. Highly recommend incorporating mindful flower arranging into you new year plans!⠀
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~ Get in touch if this sounds like something you would love to do ~⠀
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Thanks to for the collaboration, can’t wait until the next⠀⠀⠀⠀

**HAPPY NEW YEAR**

Hope you all had a wonderful NYE whatever you did.

I know this is seen as a time for significant changes and I respect everyone who is making big shifts as we bounce into this new decade.

But you'll find no "new year, new me" messages here, sorry. No resolutions or strict rules that are going to stress me out or set me up for a fall.

2019 saw lots of growth, lots of learning and lots of happiness and I'll be opening my arms up to the universe and wishing for more of the same for myself and everyone else.

I want 2020 to be a year full of kindness I'd love it if you joined me in making this happen 🙏

Love, laughter, learning and light to you all 😘

Clouds didn't put anyone off this morning.🌻

Beautiful yogis, beautiful practice, beautiful park. 🌿

Thanks to everyone for sharing thier practice this morning. It was so good that even the birds wanted to join in.🐦

Have a great New Year and I will see you next week 🙏

Come join me and a whole load of other lovely yogis tomorrow at 9am for this weeks FREE HATHA VINYASA CLASS in Buak Hard Park, Chiang Mai. ⠀
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The weather is glorious, the location is delightful and the class will have you floating through the weekend....best of all it's totally FREE!⠀
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Don't worry if it's your first time, it will be suitable for all levels. If you have any questions drop me a PM or come and see a little while before the class starts and we can have a chat in person. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

*** MERRY CHRISTMAS LOVELY PEOPLE ***⠀
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I caught Father Christmas flowing through some , preparing himself for the next leg of his deliveries...⠀
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Where ever you are and however you are celebrating, have a wonderful day - spread love, joy, happiness and gratitude to family, friends and strangers. ⠀
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Loads of festive love,⠀
Katie # # #⠀⠀⠀⠀
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photo credit to - check out their page.

It’s no secret that exercise brings a whole host of benefits to us humans. But what you possibly don’t know is that dancing has been found to top the charts in terms of positive effects on not only the body but also the mind. ⠀
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The reason is most likely because it requires us to engage a range of skills at the same time. It calls for balance, strength, and endurance, as well as the cognitive ability to concentrate and move with the music, artistry for graceful and fluid motion, and memory for choreography. It literally gets our bodies and minds firing on all cylinders. ⠀
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I could make the comparison to vinyasa/flows here, but I’ll skip the shameless plug and just encourage you all to WIGGLE YA B***Y! Be is boney, bouncy, dimply, hairy...love it and wiggle it!⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
***y ***yshake

Arghghghghghg!!!!! This is a phrase that I really dislike. It implies that food is dirty and that’s all sorts of wrong (unless of course it has fallen in the mud, or sand, or whatever and then yea.... OK, you could call it dirty!). ⠀
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But I know it’s hard to not get sucked and spat out by all the different info thats out there about diet and nutrition. And the world of yoga is no different. ⠀
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I’ve lost count of the times I have seen yogis and "fitness experts" promoting products and diets that are often not only based on unfounded claims, but feed into the harmful world of diet culture. At this time of year it seems to be more prolific than ever. (I’ll spare you a full on rant about that, for now at least). ⠀
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Yoga speaks about not harming yourself or others and diet is a perfect place to start with this. ⠀
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"Diet" can be very, very simple. It doesn't need a catchy name or a complicated framework.⠀
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Just remember to eat the freshest produce you can afford, try and mix it up so you eat a variety of fruits and veggies. Eat more fruits and veggies than pulses or grains. Eat more pulses and grains that you do animal products/meat. And DO NOT set stringent rules that make you feel any sort of pressure, shame, guilt or similar about the food you eat. ⠀
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That’s it! As always, listen to your body. A bit of what you fancy won’t kill you. Everything in moderation, no guilt, no food shaming, no body shaming, no self-flagellation. ⠀⠀
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** Yes, on this day my breakfast was full of fresh fruits and veggies. But my lunch was white bread, cheese, some pickled veggies and a glass of wine. And I enjoyed every little bit of both of them. Yin and Yang.** ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀
**kdiets

Another glorious class in the park today. 🙏

40 beautiful yogis, fountains, birds, sunshine and loads of wiggles and smiles. 🌞

Thank you for joining me, it was a real treat ❤️

See you all next week 🏵️

**FREE WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES**⠀
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I really want to make yoga as accessible as I can and I know that the cost of classes can sometimes be off-putting, especially if you're new to yoga and don't know if it's 'your thing' just yet. ⠀
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Soooooo....I have started leading free classes in the park each Saturday morning, in a bid to get as many of you lovely people practising and enjoying all the benefits of yoga asanas. ⠀
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For those of you in Chiang Mai, I am going to be leading Hatha Vinyasa style classes, suitable for all levels, every Saturday at 9am in Buak Hard Park.⠀
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Expect gentle stretching, silly wiggling, energetic flows and plenty of relaxation in the fresh air, next to the fountains. PM me with any questions. ⠀
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Much love⠀
Katie ⠀⠀⠀⠀

SELF CONSCIOUS RAMBLE ALERT:⠀
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I really didn’t want to post this picture of me. I didn’t like anything about how I looked: my hair, the last-minute cover up top so I wasn’t walking around outside class in a sports bra, the face (too many things I didn’t like about that), the fact that the posture is very basic and not Instagrammy at all. I’ll spare you the rest. ⠀
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Then I realised I was being ridiculous. That I was letting my ego steal away all the goodness from my pratice. ⠀
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I loved leading every second of this class. 20 something beautiful yogis swinging, twisting and smiling back at me. We sweated, we giggled, we went out of sync (aka to our own rhythm) and I was full of energy all day after it. And I hope that plenty of them were, too. ⠀
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That should have been my first thought when I saw the photo, not my appearance or whether it looked good enough to be posted amongst the trillion polished yoga accounts on here. ⠀
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That’s not what my classes, this account, nor yoga is about. ⠀
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I know I bang on about this all the time, but clearly it needs repeating as I apparently forget my own words...⠀
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It doesn’t matter how you look in class, nor how complicated or simple the asanas you practice are. Your weight, your hair, your age, your clothes, your injuries, your experience, really aren’t important. ⠀
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What matters is being present in your practice - giving time to yourself as you do to others, even if it’s just 10 minutes - connecting to yourself, and ENJOYING it. ⠀
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~ F*&k everything else & tell your ego where to go at the same time ~⠀⠀⠀⠀

The 4th and middle chakra of the body is Anahata. Situated at our heart centre, it is linked to love, compassion and unity. ⠀
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It governs our relationships, family, our ability to heal and our appreciation of nature, amongst other things. ⠀
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It also acts as the bridge between the lower 3 chakras, which we already met, and the upper 3, which I’ll be introducing you to, soon. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀

Forward fold - Another one of the “must-do” asanas. It stretches the hips, hamstrings and calves, keeps your spine strong and flexible, and can soothe the nerves and relieve tension in the spine, neck, and back.
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But it can also be incredibly uncomfortable. I’m currently suffering with a painful flare up in my hypermobile hip, that weirdly isn’t mobile at all these days.⠀
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This means I have to bend my knees a lot, that my hands don’t come near the floor and that I certainly don’t look or feel like someone who is qualified to teach yoga. ⠀
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Does that mean that I am not practising? No! It means that I am taking a different approach to my asanas, taking it easy and focusing on gently mobilising the area and allowing it to rest. ⠀
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~ Perfection is not the goal! Understanding your body, what it needs, and caring for yourself is. Don’t forget that! ~⠀⠀⠀⠀

Uh oh….

Essential Oil (EO) poisoning isn't common but it’s definitely something to be aware of. I’m a big fan of EOs, from keeping rooms smelling great to fending off bugs, they’re great. But as with anything that brings benefits, there is nearly always some risk involved.

To keep my use as risk free as possible I follow a few rules:

- I get the best quality oils I can afford
- I never ingest them, regardless of what some popular brands suggest
- I never apply them directly to the skin (with the exception of lavender and tea tree)
- I keep them properly labelled and out of reach of little ones and animals.

If you're thinking to try out Essential Oils but don’t know where to start, I highly recommend the book “Aromatherapy: A guide for home use” by Christine Westwood. It’s my go-to guide and gives loads of safe, practical and simple information on selecting, blending and using oils.

One last thing, before this post becomes a novel: Remember that essential oils are just oils, not miracle cures!

Yes, then can be helpful but if you’re suffering any sort of ailment or illness please go and see a doctor rather than listening to advice from an essential oils sales rep on social media. They aren’t medically trained or trained at all in most cases, and they are unlikely to have your best interests at heart when they're getting a % of anything they sell to you. Stay safe, please.

Love and oily things
X

Essential oil poisoning on the rise Poisoning by essential oil exposure is frequent and on the rise in Australia, with 63 percent of cases occurring in children under the age of 15 years, according to the authors of research published today by the Medical Journal of Australia.

Yes, I’ll keep saying it. ⠀
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Don’t be put off by all the “perfect” yoga images you see online or in adverts. I know it’s difficult to not compare ourselves to others and the booming business that yoga has become means we are getting images of the teeny-tiny, ultra flexible, super fit, in idyllic locations, rammed down our throats at a rate of knots. ⠀
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Remember that these people may be professional gymnasts or dancers, that they may have hyper mobile joints that allow them to move into positions that the majority of humans cannot fathom, and they may have been practising for many, many years. ⠀
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Most of all, remember that THEY ARE NOT YOU! We all have our own path (sounds so cliche but it’s true) and we need to respect and enjoy it, just as it comes. ⠀
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~ So get practising and stop comparing! ~⠀⠀⠀⠀

Down Dog - The most famous of all the asanas (I can’t cite actual evidence for this, it’s just my opinion but pretty much everyone online makes up stuff so this is my time!)

You will find this position in nearly all classes, it’s one of the fundamentals, it’s good for circulation, activates the lymphatic system, and can have a positive impact on our mental capacity as it increases the flow of blood to the brain. It’s everywhere and it even looks pretty easy.

So, you’d think it’s a true beginners pose, right? I always did…

But it’s actually quite tough, when you break it down. Tough on the back of the legs, the glutes, the shoulders, the neck, the wrists….pretty much everything if not done correctly.

So it’s crazy that so many teachers often tell beginners to “take a rest in Down Dog if you feel tired!”

My suggestions for an enjoyable and safe down dog are to:

1) ask your teacher to assist you into the position if you're starting out

2) modify the pose as your body needs (i.e. bend your knees…)

2) focus on keeping your back straight and your b***y up towards the sky rather than having your heels on/towards the floor (that will come as you progress!)

3) and TAKE A REST IN ANY BLOODY POSITION THAT FEELS COMFORTABLE for you when you get tired! I like childpose, but do what works for you.

Variations - you can see 3 in this picture alone. Baby cobra (top left), cobra (bottom centre) and up-dog (top right).⠀
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All three asana are just as valid! All 3 are correct!⠀
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Listening to your body is so crucial - not only does it prevent injuries, it lets you tap into a whole host of other insights about how you are doing that day.⠀
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Remember to only move yourself as far as feels right in that moment. It doesn’t matter where you were in previous classes, every day our bodies are different. Respect that. ⠀
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Your teacher will never be upset if you take a variation of the pose they instruct, (in fact they should always try and offer alternatives!), and no else there cares either - they are too busy with their own practice, so do what feels right for you. ⠀
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~ Listen to your body. Respect it. And remember that every day is different. ~⠀⠀⠀⠀
Thanks for capturing this flow!