Noelle Marie Yoga

39 laps around the sun! ☀️🪐✨
It's been a dreamy trip so far! 💭

Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone!
🙏🏻🥰

These past couple of years not been without various challenges and changes in my life.

I'm so so grateful for these opportunities to continue to try my hardest to learn, to grow and to become the best version of myself ...
for however many more journeys I have the privilege to get! 🌠🙏🏻

Here's to completing many more laps and making more dreams come true! ✨💚

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“Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.” – Jamie Anderson

I had a pretty emotional weekend last weekend. My grandad John passed away last Thursday evening so I flew home to Ireland for the funeral on Saturday and Sunday. I got to see my grandad laid out and say my goodbyes to his physical body, much to the surprise of people here in Scotland how quickly it all happens back home.

John, as he was always called as he never wanted to be called grandad, got a great send off and he lived a very full life. He was an amazing grandad who always had time for chats, a game of cards, taking us on trips with his donkey and cart as kids, countless trips for 99s and weekly pocket money of 50ps (€5 for the younger cousins!) and when I got older, a hot whiskey … or two … or three!

It’s the end of an era as he’s lived next door to my home house my whole life. and getting used to him not being there will be strange and hard to come to terms with.

During the funeral mass I actually found the priest’s homily incredible. I feel like a character in Father Ted saying this, but he really did a great mass!

He opened with this quote:

"We shall not cease from exploration,
And the end of all our exploring,
Will be to arrive where we started,
And know the place for the first time."
– TS Elliot

It really resonated with me as after all my travels it feels like I’ve settled back to a place so similar to home and whenever I do go home I see it with fresh eyes and a new appreciation as I have since I left for South Korea in 2009.

And then he talked all about life being a journey and how things don't always work out the way you planned but you keep going regardless. He then spoke about how any suffering is a part of life that makes you stronger and just like Jesus suffered on the cross and he rose again in glory, how you too can find the strength and light within.

I was like whaaat? Are you actually talking to me there Father? 🤯

He also wove in bits about John here and there too!

It was so lovely.

From my Catholic upbringing and my interest in Hindu and Buddhist teachings, I now see so many correlations between all religious and spiritual paths.

What the priest was saying got me thinking of the five kleshas in yogic philosophy.

The Sanskrit word ‘klesha’ translates to “poison” or “affliction.” This term is used to denote specific negative mental patterns that obscure our true nature. Suffering is an inherent aspect of human life. However, with awareness, we can choose how much and how deeply we suffer.

The kleshas are considered the cause of suffering in yogic and Buddhist philosophy and we should try to work to actively overcome them.

These “afflictions” distort our minds and our perceptions affecting how we think, act, and feel. The kleshas not only create suffering, but the ancient yogis tell us that they bind us to the endless cycle of birth and rebirth, and prevent us from achieving enlightenment.

The five Kleshas are Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (egoism or ‘I am’-ness), Raga (attachment), Dvesha (repulsion and aversion), and Abhinivesha (fear of death and the will to live).

Ya, that last one is a hard one to get past …. Death is guaranteed to come to us all, yet we don’t know what happens when we die.

It got me thinking of the fear of the unknown, and how it causes you to settle with what you know rather than move into the unknown.

Better the devil you know ….

Maybe you stay in the relationship, the job, the place because you’re scared to change. Maybe death or dying is a similar experience. A fear of change or the unknown.

I like to compare it to the experience of being born if we could remember. A baby in womb is happy and safe and has all it needs. All it knows is this warm, watery cosy space. I’m sure being thrust into the cold, airy world among blood and screaming would be quite the traumatic experience if we did remember. But if we stayed in the womb where we’re comfortable and cosy, then we’d never know the wonder and beauty of this life.

“I am a soul having a human experience.”

We know this earthly life in our human space suit but what if there’s another experience after this life that the soul moves on to that’s just unknown to us so it feels scary?

I know that there has to be a better plane of existence because too many beautiful souls I known have already left this earthly world and I know their energy is out there still connected with mine.

In terms of the chakras and energy centres, Anahata chakra, the heart centre is the chakra of universal love, represented by love, self-love, childlike wonder and pure joy. In the centre of the body, it is the chakra that links the lower physical three chakras (muldhara/root, svadhtisthana/sacral, manipura/solar plexus), with the upper more spiritual chakras (vishuddhi/throat, ajna/third eye, sahasrara/crown).

So love is what brings us together.

Grief is the main blockage of energy of Anahata chakra.

In Mexico they believe that you don’t truly die until no one remembers you, speaks your name or has a photo of you anymore. So I’ll remember and think of John and all the others dear to me who have passed on with fond, happy memories to keep their spirits alive. 💚

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.”
— Lao Tzu

Throwback to last September, connecting to the water element at Neer Gaddu Waterall and walking around Rishikesh India in the heat.

Namaste, Happy Monday!

I hope your week is already off to a great start! 😃 I hope you had a lovely weekend and got a chance to rest and recharge your batteries for the upcoming week. 🤗 I had a very quiet weekend and spent it mostly chilling out - feeling that watery Pisces new moon energy! ♓🌚

On Sunday I went for a walk on Portobello beach … again! 🫣

Throwback to last September, connecting to the water element at Neer Gaddu Waterall and walking around Rishikesh India in the heat.

Yesterday the sun left Aquarius for dreamy intuitive water sign, Pisces. ☀️♓

A fresh start will soon be upon us as we’re now just 4 weeks away from the Spring Equinox & the beginning of a new Zodiac Year with Aries Season starting on March 20th. ♈

As the final sign of the zodiac, Pisces Season is an ideal time to cleanse our homes, our scared spaces and our lives of everything that is no longer providing us with what we need in order to keep growing & expanding. (Feeling spring cleaning urges yet anyone?!) 🌼

The Fish 🐟🐟 are Pisces symbol and it’s the only water sign that is completely submerged underwater, as Cancer (the crab) and Scorpio (the scorpion) both live in water and on land. This makes Pisces Season a very emotionally intense and mystical time.

While the Sun was in Aquarius we had visions of the future. We tried to be our most authentic selves, to live more freely and stand out from the crowd. Now with Pisces season, we turn inward.

Over the next month, it's an opportune time to nurture our emotions & honour how we feel. We’ll be encouraged to flow alongside what we feel, instead of neglecting or suppressing our emotions; to be emotionally available for ourselves and for others. We will be urged to open ourselves up and connect to the universe through deep meditation, creativity, and allowing our dreams to lead the way.

Our emotions, desires and creativity are connected to Svadhisthana Chakra, the sacral chakra which is ruled by the water element and is known as the wants chakra. 🧡 Physically this chakra correlates to our reproductive organs, kidneys and bladder, the place where all fluids pass in the body and the centre of creativity.

As Neptune, 🪐 the planet of dreams and spirituality rules Pisces, intuition is heightened during this season, so don't ignore signs or divine messages.

Neptune is connected to Ajna Chakra, our Third-eye chakra, the seat of our intuition. 💜

Physically this chakra correlates to our pineal gland a small, pea-shaped gland in the brain the function of which function isn't fully understood. Researchers do know that it produces and regulates some hormones, including melatonin. Melatonin is best known for the role it plays in regulating sleep patterns. Completing this link with Neptune, the planet of dreams. 💭🪐

“...in every man there is an eye of the soul, which...is more precious far than ten thousand bodily eyes, for by it alone is truth seen.” – Plato

The keywords for Pisces season are “I believe”.

You fill in the blank. “I believe ____ .” 🤔💭

“I believe in my visions and dreams.”

Pisces rules the feet and lymphatic system so it’s a good idea to incorporate water, oils and massage into your self-care routine.

Pisces is here to remind you that if you can see it and believe it, you can also achieve it. Over these next few weeks let your imagination run wild, and vision what’s possible for you. Tune into your intuition, the mystical and the magical and your ability to manifest and create. 🪄

There are hidden depths that need exploring, so don't be afraid to wade in the sea of your deeper inner self. ♓

New Moon in Pisces ♓🌑 rose this morning, and it’s calling for deep transformation.
The Pisces new moon is always a contradiction as new moons open up space for new beginnings, yet Pisces, as the last sign of the zodiac, calls us into completion and endings. This moon is asking you to truly create space so that you can call in a new frequency, new opportunities and something that is a better match for who you are now and where you want to go. 🌑

The Pisces new moon is the push out of the comfort zone that you may have been waiting for. She’s going to show you in no uncertain terms what needs to end so that you can begin something new. 🌑♓ But as it pushes us to grow it may feel challenging and there may be a sense of desperation, grief and void. 🌑

This new moon is a powerful point of manifestation for what you want to create in your life in the new astrological year, and beyond. Trust what is calling you, trust what you intuitively know. Let the universe know what you want, and what you’re ready to create and manifest in your life.

Focus on what you want this new moon, and get very clear on your intentions, as they are laying the foundations for the year ahead.

This a potent point of new beginnings 🌙

In Pisces season, we turn our attention inward, so this week our vinyasa flow will focus on connecting to Ajna (third-eye) Chakra as well as Svadhisthana (sacral) Chakra to connect to the water element of Pisces and the moon. ♓🌑 We will use intuitive movement to tap into our mind’s eye and connect to the third-eye chakra the seat of our intuition and inner guidance 💜. We will also connect to the water element and practice hip openers to connect to the sacral chakra, the centre of our emotions, desires and creativity. 🧡 ♓

Join me on the mat Santosa Wellness Centre Edinburgh this and every Wednesday at 6pm and online Tuesday at 5:30pm, Thursday at 7pm and Saturday morning at 10:30am.

With love & light,
Noelle

Happy Tuesday / Valentine’s Day!

I hope your week is off to a great start! 😃
I hope you're enjoying Valentine’s Day and you got the chance to spend some time showing yourself some love today — regardless of whether you’re in a relationship or not. ❤️

A little reminder: You are perfect, whole and complete just as you are.💚

❤️ Saint Valentine’s Day ❤️
As this is a day that celebrates love, we shouldn't forget that love, above all, lives in our hearts naturally. Whether you're in a relationship or not you can aways radiate love and receive it back. Remind yourself of the most important love in our lives - self-love. 💚

💭 Self-Love Mindful Moments 💭

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” – The Buddha

If I asked you to name all the things you loved, how long would it take for you to name yourself? 🤔💚

So often we are willing to give our love but we often forget to show ourselves a little love too. Remember, everything starts within. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You need to love yourself first before you can share your love.

This week we will work with the energy of anahata chakra, 💚 the heart chakra this week, the universal love chakra, opening up the chest and shoulders and the front line of the body to encourage heart-opening and self-love.

Can you believe it’s been two whole years since I launched Noelle Marie Yoga on Valentine’s Day 2021? I can’t! 😱

Happy second birthday to NMY! 🥳🎂

My very first class was a self-love themed heart-opening flow with a focus on connecting to Anahata, our heart chakra, which is still my favourite chakra and energy to work with. I remember I was so nervous I hardly slept the whole night before! 😅

Thanks so much to all who have supported me and allowed me to grow as a teacher and to share this wonderful practice with you over the past two years. 🙏🏻 I now have over 250 teaching hours logged with the Yoga Alliance and I’ve undertaken almost 900 hours of training but 500RYT is the highest registration you can get.

P.S. I still get a little nervous before every class! 😅🤭

“Keep your face always toward the sunshine — and shadows will fall behind you.”
— Walt Whitman

Oooh it's cold out there these past few days! 🥶
If you want to stay warm and toasty indoors this weekend I’m taking part in the FLARE* Festival tomorrow in Summerhall, Edinburgh.

If you’re based in Edinburgh, you won't want to miss this!

I am delighted to be teaching a warning vinyasa flow "Stoke Your Inner Flame" from 10:30 - 11:15am.

Expect breathwork, mudras, affirmations and chakra healing during this fiery flow, tapping into the energy of the solar plexus chakra to spark confidence, willpower and determination in keeping with the inspiring “I can do anything!” theme of the day.

Also as the New Moon rises in Aquarius, we’ll also work with the third eye chakra as it is the centre of our intuition. Trust your gut.

What is FLARE* Festival? 🤔

FLARE* Festival is a community focused well-being event, which elevates, champions and celebrates all the unsung heroes in the small business space, who are passionate about serving others, with their mission to make a contribution to YOUR well-being. The festival is focused on putting our wants and needs first and making feeling good our number one priority.

Expect a full feast of talks, workshops, creative classes, movement, performances, mindfulness, stalls & demonstrations, music, sharing circles, raffles, dancing, food and much, much more, all lovingly cooked to perfection and served up on silver platters a plenty, by a whole host of local small businesses, who want to help make a difference in your life.

This event promises to Ignite connection, Spark creativity and Blaze inspiration, within the community and beyond!

FLARE* Festival is a non-profit event, with 100% of the ticket profits being donated to local Edinburgh charity, Love Po, which gives gifts & experiences to cancer patients and their families, who are currently going through treatment, to help put smiles on their faces and create lasting memories, during what is a difficult time.

To find out more about tickets, line up and all the good stuff in between check out FLARE.

Oh, and it's a dog-friendly event too so your furry friend can join! 🦮🥰

"Happiness does not come from consumption of things."
— Thich Nhat Hanh

Happy holidays one and all. 💫
The season of giving and sparkle is a beacon of light throughout the darkest part of the year, ✨🎄 with shopping sprees, more meetups, parties, social events, and general busy-ness aplenty — which is all amazing — especially for the first proper time in three years.💚

However, we can become overwhelmed by it all as we find ourselves at our busiest at a time of year when our bodies naturally crave most rest.🐻😴
Remember to give to yourself too and take time out for self-care, rest and relaxation. 🧖🏼‍♀️💆🏼

Also, be mindful that for some people this time of year is not as joy filled a time as it is for the majority.
There are those who have lost loved ones and miss them even more at this time of year, those who are struggling with finances, or with their physical or mental health, or those who don’t have a great relationship with family or who have strained relationships, those who are isolated and/or lonely.💔
These people might struggle even more than usual around the holidays. Just a small reminder to be kind always as you never know what’s really truly going on with anyone under the surface.

At this time of year it can be all too easy to get caught up on focusing on material things but try to think of your presence and truly showing up and being in the moment as the best present you can give or receive. It's about who you have around the tree rather than what you have around it. 🙏🏻

If you are affected by any of those issues, know that you are not alone.
If needed, you can always reach out to me and I will be there to at least simply listen if nothing else. 💚

Take care of yourself and each other.

Oíche Shamhna shona daoibh go léir!
Happy Halloween and Samhain to all. 🎃

Samhain is one of the most important celebrations of the Celtic Wheel of the Year & marks the end of autumn & beginning of winter. ⁠⁠It represents the time in which the sun has descended into darkness & the veil between the spirit & the physical realms is at its thinnest.👻

⁠Halloween comes from the traditional Irish Celtic festival of Samhain which is the halfway point between the autumn equinox & the winter solstice.🎃
Traditionally, Samhain marks the end of the harvest season & beginning of winter or the "darker-half" of the year. According to Irish & Celtic mythology, Samhain was a time when the 'doorways' to the Otherworld opened, allowing supernatural beings & the souls of the dead to come into our world.🦇 Quite similar to Mexico’s Day of the Dead / Dia de los Muertos.💀

It a festival that honours the death of the old, & with that the promise of rebirth.

This turning point of the year takes us more deeply into the inwardly focussed period of rest & stillness. It’s a day of magic & using the dark time of the year to help us to move into our intuition and world of inner knowing.🔮

This is a powerful time to face fears, embrace shadows, explore your subconscious thoughts and beliefs, & uncover any deep feelings or truths you have buried within you.
Tonight is a powerful night for practicing shadow work, connecting with your ancestors⁠ & releasing.
In honour of Samhain try performing a fire ritual for purification or simply doing Trataka, a candle gazing meditation to connect with the fire element & embrace the light and the dark. 🌗

The symbolism & energy at this time of year reminds me of the Pavamāna Mantra, pavamāna meaning "being purified", which we chanted daily during my training in Rishikesh.
"oṁ. asato mā sad gamaya,
tamaso mā jyotir gamaya,
mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya.
oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ."

"Om. Lead me from the unreal to the real,
from darkness to light,
from death to immortality.
Om peace peace peace."

(Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad I.iii.28)

Did you know that chanting mantra is a form of yoga in and of itself? ℹ️

"There's nothin' you can know that isn't known,
Nothin' you can see that isn't shown,
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be,
It's easy ... "

So many amazing experiences and so much love in my heart over this past month I can't quite find the words to articulate just now.
So much gratitude, always!

On to the next chapter! 💚🙏🏻🇮🇳🕉️

“There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won’t go. For me, India is such a place. When I first visited, I was stunned by the richness of the land, by its lush beauty and exotic architecture, by its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colours, smells, tastes, and sounds. It was as if all my life I had been seeing the world in black and white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant technicolour.” — Keith Bellows

I've been fairly quiet on social media lately but if you know me in real life or you're subscribed to my newsletter this won't come as such a shock ... but...

I’m flying to Delhi tomorrow morning (currently procrastinating from packing!) - two days before my 37th birthday - and won't be back until October 12th!

Pinch me! I know, I can’t quite believe it myself but it’s happening, flights are booked, and the visa is obtained. I've gotten all my jabs.

I’m journeying to the holy city of Rishikesh the world capital of yoga on the banks of the sacred Ganges river at the foothills of the Himalayas, and I will be (unsurprisingly) studying yoga. 🕉️
I’m doing two courses in two different ashrams while I’m there, one 300 HR Hatha & Ashtanga Vinyasa YTT and another 100-hour Classical Kundalini YTT. 🐍

As you may or may not know, in a time before Covid and me being a yoga teacher, travel was a massive part of my life. I travelled on the Indian subcontinent for over a year and in India for 6 months with Brian back in 2012. (How is that 10 years ago?) I wasn't quite as interested in yoga back then and it's always been a regret of mine not taking the time to do a training whilst travelling in India and ever since it has been a dream of mine to go back and do in-person teacher training in the home of yoga. It has been on my bucket list ever since.
Now I’m actually going to check it off.

It's probably the biggest thing I'll have ever done or ever will do alone. 9 weeks will be the longest time myself and Brian will have ever spent apart in our 16-year relationship as we won't see each other until October 22nd which just so happens to be our anniversary.

I'll be living ashram life for the 8 weeks, no alcohol, no meat, no eggs (in the holy cities they don’t allow alcohol or meat to be sold in the vicinity). The first ashram keeps their own cows so they use their milk and in the second ashram, I also have to stick to a dress code and wear all white loose-fitting clothes, no yoga leggings, shoulders and knees covered as is customary in Indian culture. The first ashram is more relaxed about the dress code in both I’ll be up at 5 am for a full schedule of yoga, breathwork, meditation and more - learning/practicing all day and off to bed by 9pm.

You can see why I maybe wasn’t as excited about this when I was 26/27! 😂 We actually stayed in an ashram in Rishikesh back in 2012 for a couple of nights but at that age and stage of my life, it wasn’t the right fit. Travelling in India was restrictive enough at times without further adding to that with more rules and regulations of an ashram. Fast forward almost 10 years to the day and it sounds incredible and I think it's just what I need right now.

Yoga is a lifelong journey and learning process so even though I’m already a qualified teacher, this is something I’ve been yearning for, an in-person, hands-on experience, with no distractions. Fully immersed in a yogic way of life. Something completely selfishly for myself, to deepen my own practice, my own knowledge and less about learning how to be a teacher or become a better teacher - but hopefully, that will be a nice by-product.

As this is an immersive experience I probably won’t be keeping up with emails etc. much. I’ll only have one day off a week on a Sunday and we still do some practice as well as go on excursions and sightseeing trips. Also, the 4.5-hour time difference will make even keeping in touch with Brian and my family difficult! I will try to post on social media here and there if I have time so you can follow along with some of my journey.

I hope you understand! 🙏🏻 I can't wait to share my experience and deeper knowledge with you all when I return.

I have uploaded some of my previous classes onto YouTube so you can continue to practice with me while I’m away. 🎁

I'm feeling all the feels with this, excited, scared, nervous but I'm so ready and open to all the possibilities this experience will bring to both deepen my own personal yoga practice and to improve on my journey as a guide for others.

I'm ready to receive with an open mind and an open heart, following the wisdom of my soul and putting so much trust in this journey to a known unknown.✨

📸1️⃣Steam rising from the river at Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh. 'Gram style back of the headshot before the gram existed. Or did it in 2012? 🤔
📸2️⃣“One snap please Ma’am?” Me with lots of Indian women (and some children) at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Indian people love to take a photo with you. So much so that after a while we developed rules when we travelled there last time. I wonder how many random family albums/holiday photos I’m in? 😂
📸3️⃣Me looking about 12 at the ruins of the Beatles ashram in Rishikesh back in 2012. 👶🏼
📸4️⃣Us at Kanniyakumari Train Station, India's southernmost point. This time I'll be travelling without Brian so it’ll be quite different to 10 years ago. Not as hardcore budget backpacker style as I'll be getting an airport pickup and won't get to ride the famous Indian railways - unfortunately.
📸5️⃣With my camel Mr Win in the Thar desert in Rajasthan

“You can have everything you want if you can put your heart and soul into everything you do.” ― Roy T. Bennett