Journeys Yoga

Festival season is on!!

I’m lucky enough to be teaching again at the awesome tent along with a whole host of amazing teachers. It’s a mega line up of yoga and meditation goodness!

Catch me Friday 7pm for a fun and funky music driven practice suitable for all ☺️
Beats, Bass and Breath.

Would love to see ya there!

Can you be ‘good’ at yoga?

Well, that’s an interesting question, but one thing’s pretty certain,it’s got nothing to do with being able to touch your toes ( or your toes to your head as insta may have us believe 🤪).

Sharing this wonderful post by the very very awesome .

Yoga can offer us a lot more than just a good old stretch.

There’s some pretty interesting ideas up consideration if we want to take a bit of an adventure into the philosophy and ideals at the heart of this ancient practice. For me the Yamas are kind of like helpful suggestions and ideas that might help us live a happier, healthier life, and in turn positively contribute to a happier, healthier world around us. Ahimsa is probably my favourite. For me, it really just boils down to trying to be kind. Kind to others, but also kind to ourselves. So next time you find yourself straining to get that leg /arm/ toe/foot somewhere it doesn’t want to go in your yoga practice, maybe just consider the idea of Ahimsa.😊

Like anything it’s up to us what we take and what we leave, depending what resonates.

Enjoy your practice! ❤️🙏

Free online Xmas Day yoga. Take 30 mins for your body and mind. All very welcome 💙

When I was 19 I went to my first meditation class.
I remember it being absolutely awful and feeling so totally overwhelmed.
I wish someone had told me it’s not about stopping thoughts. I wish someone had told me there’s no wrong way to be. I wish someone had told me it’s a practice.

I still don’t find it easy. But I know it’s probably the most important practice I do.
1 minute, 2 minutes. 10 seconds watching your breath.
It’s my opinion that meditation is like magic. I definitely don’t understand it, but I believe in it.
I have a busy mind. But some days, for a brief moment, meditation helps me watch the thoughts rather than get caught up in them.

If you want any recommendations for how to start a meditation practice please feel free to message me.

Enjoy your practice!

Bones are mega important, playing many vital roles in the body. They support us and allow us to move, protect our brain, heart, and other organs from injury. Our bones also store minerals such as calcium and phosphorous, which help keep our bones strong, and release them into the body when we need them for other uses.

Our awesome bones are adapting all the time, but we can support that process in positive ways with informed and progressive movement practises.

Research suggests that a physical yoga practise is one way we can take action to help maintain and also improve bone health.

The 2016 Lu et Al study showed that in some instances with a sustained yoga practise the reversal of bone loss in the spines of people with osteoporosis is possible.

Movement is not only good for us - it is crucial. But gradual and progressive loading is key. Always listen to your own body and work to your own 'edges', which do change from day to day.

Enjoy your practise!

This is one of the best yoga posts I have ever seen. We all have different bodies and that means often our expressions of asanas will generally look different to anyone else's because of our anatomy. If one pose feels super easy and another insanely hard, then that's probably mainly down to the unique composition of your own body. So when you're in your next yoga class and you find yourself comparing your pose to what your neighbour looks like, try to remember this post. We are all unique! Find what feels good, not what you think looks good :)

Wrist and hand health 👋✌️👍

I've been thinking about these lovely parts of us a lot this week.

Our wrists and hands are so important and help us with so much.... Typing, phoning, surfing, yogaing, dramatic gesticulating.

Wrist issues are super common, I've certainly had them, so it's mega important we are mindful of them.
Yoga practices can help maintain good health by encouraging gentle but targeted range of motion.

Here's some wrist love stretches to try.

Go slow, work within your own safe range of motion and breathe into the stretch. Create a stable base by sitting up tall and gently drawing together the shoulder blades. Enjoy!

Watch this reel by journeysyoga on Instagram Hawktail • Frog and Toad

Surfing with Seachange Retreats

Along with yoga (and of course Kaptain Koa!), surfing is one of the greatest loves of my life. I started aged 33 on a whim holiday choice, and it profoundly changed the direction of my life.

This weekend I had the awesome privilege of sharing waves, yoga and so much more with a simply fantastic group of women and the radical team at .

These retreats are totally free and open to adults impacted by cancer. I really encourage you to check them out. They've got a pretty special thing going on there.

I feel so honoured and lucky that I get to be able to part of these retreats and guide the yoga sessions,

Surfing+Yoga+ Awesome people= Literally my favourite combo ever.

Tree Pose

Vrksasana, or Tree Pose is a fun posture full of juicy benefits. It can help calm the mind, build strength and improve posture, balance and self esteem. The expression can also change daily depending on many emotional factors like your general mood, the day you’ve had, the amount of sleep you got, interactions that happened right before practice. I love to notice when I have a ‘wobbly’ day. It makes me laugh and reminds me that our bodies and minds are always changing and this pose can help us practise learning to accept that and adapt accordingly.

“Stiffer trees are more likely to be felled in a storm; the trees that can bend in the wind are less prone to breaking.”

Front cover of this weeks New Scientist.

"A large real-world study adds to clinical trial evidence that people who do yoga tend to have lower blood pressure, which may prevent heart attacks and strokes."

There are numerous postures to explore that can be beneficial to people encountering high blood pressure. Childs pose (Balasana) as pictured in the second image could be a nice place to start.
It provides us with an opportunity for calm and relaxation, and as a bonus it also prepares the hips and spine for movement by providing openness and length. Why not explore with some lovely deep belly breaths for a super relaxing posture.

If you find your bum comes up high from the heels, a nice support is to place a pillow or blanket between them so you can relax down.

If you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor before practicing yoga :)

Calming the nervous system✨✨⚖️

Lovely session this morning with Lexi looking at how yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The science of yoga is so fascinating!

We also explored developing a simple home practice built around Lexi's personal preferences.

Thank you for sharing practice with me Lexi!

Waves of Wellness - Lexi Dells

Journeys Yoga updated their business hours.

It's now easier to send Journeys Yoga a message.

Yesss! Right on.✌ 😊

Journeys in Yogaing... 🗺️🗺️ ( I'm not sure that's even a word, but anyway....!

Journeys can take many different shapes. Some are quiet and internal, and others more physical. Literal adventures to new shores. I feel so lucky that yoga has taken me on both kinds for sure.

So, in celebration of the travels that have been, and with a bubbling sense of excitement for what may come this year, here are a few snaps from some of the places yoga has taken me.

( p.s snap #2 was taken on the campsite where a very nervous me guided my first public class after completing my yoga training in Mexico! A little bit dusty and wild but, hey you gotta put yourself out there right? Life's for the living ! ⛺)

Jivana Hayman is an absolute hero of mine. He believes that yoga is a basic human right, saying we all deserve to practise it whatever state we find our bodies or minds. I highly recommend his awesome book, Accessible Yoga.

The intention for Journeys Yoga is to create safe, accessible and inclusive spaces through which we can explore and enjoy yoga practises together.

Hello!

I'm Josie and this is my doggo, Kaptain Koa, and we are so delighted to welcome you to Journeys Yoga.

We have both been on our own journeys, and for now we find ourselves happily living in beautiful Cornwall.

I trained as a yoga teacher with the Yandara School in Baja, and after working at a retreat specialising in supporting guests with a range of physical and mental health requirements, I wanted to continue my training focusing on using yoga as a tool to help the individual whole person. After all, how our bodies and minds feel can change so much from day to day throughout our lives, that we need an approach that's right for us in the here and now.

For me, yoga has nothing to do with being able to touch your toes, or looking sassy in a pair of jazzy leggings. Rather is it a beautiful Mary Poppins bag of amazing tools and techniques that we can all utilise as we wish to help us enjoy a happier and healthy life.

Yoga is a practise for all. For every body, at any age and in any state of health.

We are all on our own unique journeys, and I really look forward to sharing parts of its path with you.

All journeys start with a single step..... and in this modern age, a post as well!

I'm so excited to be starting this new adventure with you. 🧡

Journeys Yoga: for where you are today.