Sun Salutation - Saluto al Sole

© Agócs Írisz

I started taking real Yoga classes in September. I've done Yoga before but in a gym or in situations that we full of loads of people in a relatively public place and without much guidance or investment from the teacher. This time it's different because the classes are held in a private home and in very small numbers, with a huge concentration on meditation, breathing and the mind-body connection. I'm definately enjoying it more than I had done in the past and have even decided to start practicing on my own at home with a daily sun-salutation before I sit for my regular meditation. I go through the asana one by one, trying to focus on my breathing and imagine a rising sun. It's physically and mentally challenging and my mind tends to wander. I have also managed to smash my chin onthe floor more than once easing my way into the Eight Point Pose and have stepped on my hair numerous times while getting into the Warrior pose from Mountain.

I must remember either to tie my hair back or call my hairdresser for a trim! -one of the many thoughts that passes through my mind while I'm going through the sequence.

Now, while learning the sun-salutation I need some inspiration and I came across these posters by Irisz Agócs. How adorable are they?!? I love love love that the character depicted is a little chubby and that she has moments with her eyes open and closed. She is imperfect and still learning! Aren't we all?

I think I'm going to order them for my office/yogazone/guestroom in the new house. You can order your own copy here.

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Ho cominciato a prendere sul serio lezioni di yoga nel mese di settembre. Li ho fatti nel passato, ma sempre in una palestra o in situazioni pieno di gente in posti relativamente pubblici e senza troppa guida o investimento da parte dell'insegnante. Questa volta è diverso perché le lezioni si svolgono in una casa privata e con pochi altri allevi, con un grande concentrazione sulla meditazione, la respirazione e la connessione mente-corpo. Sto godendo di più di quanto avessi fatto in passato e ho deciso di iniziare a praticare anche da sola a casa quotidianamente. Faccio il saluto al sole prima che mi siedo per la mia meditazione regolare. Vado attraverso quelle asana uno per uno, cercando di concentrarmi sul mio respiro e immaginare un sole crescente. E ' fisicamente e mentalmente impegnativo e la mia mente tende a vagare. Sono anche riuscito a urtare il mio mento sul pavmento più di una volta mentre assumo la posizione in otto punti. Poi ho calpestato i miei capelli numerose volte durante il recupero nella Guerriero posa dalla Montagna.

Devo ricordarmi di legare i capelli indietro o chiamare il mio parrucchiere per un taglio! - uno dei tanti pensieri che attraversa la mia mente mentre sto praticando la sequenza .

Ora , mentre sto imparando il saluto al sole ho bisogno di qualche ispirazione e ho trovato per caso questi poster da Irisz Agócs. Quanto sono adorabile!? ! ?Amo, amo, amo, che il personaggio raffigurato è un po ' cicciona e che ha momenti con gli occhi aperti e chiusi. Lei è imperfetta e ancora imparando! Non siamo tutti?

Penso che li compro per il mio ufficio / yogazone / camera dei ospiti nella nuova casa . Puoi ordinare la tua copia qui.

© Agócs Írisz

♥ Jess

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Thank Goodness for Gratitude

You all know by now that  practise meditation and am on some kind of spiritual journey of discovery, but once in a while on my journey I stumble upon something that I think can be useful, or at least inspiring to even the least spiritual of you out there.  Take a few minutes to watch this video.



If you liked the video or would like to find out more what practising Gratitude can bring to your life, it's not too late to join the FREE 21-Day Gratitude workshop over at the Mentor's Channel .  It just started yesterday and I have to tell you that day one was inspiring! Just watching the video in the morning made my whole day brighter.

In the car on the way to pick up Sera it was raining and instead of thinking "Oh no, I'm going to get wet when I get out of the car!" I was thinking "Wow! I'm glad I don't have to take the bus every day to get Sera. And I'm glad that I took my umbrella!"  A shift of thinking made the entire car-ride pleasant and when I did arrive the few raindrops on the top of the umbrella, mixed with the birds chirping to each other through the storm was a beautiful symphony.  I felt lucky to be there in that moment... Lucky to be alive.  That's Gratitude and I want more!

Thanks for reading!

Finished my Headspace Journey

I'm sure I've mentioned in the past my love for meditation and mindfulness.  It's really been life-changing for me and has put me in a happier place.

Today I have cause for celebration. A little over a year ago I first started meditation with an app (believe it or not) called getsomeheadspace and today I finished the series. That's 365 20 minute meditations!

I didn't manage to finish in exactly a year because I didn't manage to sit to meditate daily, but I still feel this is an amazing personal accomplishment.  Here's how my life has changed as a direct result of meditating daily this past year:

• I am more aware of everyday moments.  For example, I have decided I don't like minty toothpaste, I just always use it because I always have.
• I am more aware of the choices I am making while I am making them and am less attached to my convictions.  I'm more flexible.
• I am treating my body better and making healthy choices for eating, sleeping and exercises.
• I have managed to find total recovery from post-partum depression and post traumatic stress disorder
• I have less emotional outbursts and feel like my emotions are not something to worry about.
• I see life from a better perspective and don't get hung up on little things
• I enjoy helping people more
• I am a better mother and wife
• I am better at letting go of what I can't control
• I have less expectations and go with the flow more often.

It's a bit of a crazy list and makes me seem as if I was quite unbalanced before I started meditation, but I suppose in a lot of way I was. I'm 100% grateful for all of these positive changes and thrilled to have found a way to unwind and take a step back from this hectic world to just find some peace.

I'm going to be continuing on my meditation journey by revisiting some of the topics I found in Headspace as well as continuing to follow meditation challenges as they come up (there's a free one available now with Deepak Choprah) and by practicing yoga and mediation with my teacher here in Milan.  There's just too much to gain in continuing to stop now. I feel like it's a lifelong habit that will keep me younger, grounded and healthy for longer.

I wish you the same success if you decide that you'd also like to meditate. Headspace is a great place to start.  If you do let me know how it goes!

What I've Been Doing Wednesday

Has it really been a week since I've posted? Naughty me!  Here's a quick catchup on what you've missed:

Sera started 'Sezione Primavera' which is a grade between Pre-school and Kindergarten for kids born from January to May. In Italy the grade a child is in is determined by the year they were born and not from September to September like in Canada.  Sera was born in 2011 so can't qualify for real Kindergarten but is too old for Preschool/daycare cause she's basically at the same level as the kids born 28 days earlier than her.  Sezione Primavera is for the kids born from January though the springtime of the year following who will turn three this year but don't officially qualify for actual Kindergarten.

All this said, the insermento* is going horribly.  Sera seems to hate her class and cries a lot every morning when I drop her off. This morning she grabbed onto my leg and told me 'I don't like school.' through her tears.  It's really tough for both of us.  My heart breaks a little and when I leave I stand outside the door until I hear her stop crying. The teachers say she doesn't cry long but instead curls up and tries to sleep on the couch... which I imagine can't be easy in a small room with twenty loud and crazy kids.  I hope it gets better soon especially since last year she loved her old school and was very excited to go every morning.

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When the weather gets colder and the leaves start changing colours I have a few things I always instinctively do.  I start researching soup recipes, thinking about getting out my winter clothes (though I never do until it's too late and I'm freezing in the house in a tank-top) and I drag out my pink-polka dot bag with all of my knitting needles.  That's my official cue that the fall has arrived.

This week I have started a new project... a scarf and hat for Sera. The wool was gifted to me by an amazing crochet artist friend and x-neighbour named Daniela Cerri several years ago for my birthday and has been crying out to be used now for ages. It's very woolly and fluffy and I've used an amazing pompom tutorial for some creative finishes so keep your eyes open for the completed work... In the meantime here's a peek.... though it's not quite finished Sera has told me 'It's my favorite!'


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On a spiritual journey update I have started Yoga classes on Mondays and an definitely enjoying them. The practise is pretty much one-on-one with the teacher and is very very meditation centred. It's good because I'm already quite involved in my daily meditations so it's just a bonus that I have even more clarity during the class.  Speaking of meditation, a new series with Deepak Chopra 'The Secrets of Mediattion' started on Monday so I'm super excited for that. It's not to late to join in and it's really really accessible to beginners. And it's free!  The last 21 day meditation challenge I did with Deva Premal and Miten was surprising.  I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did and definitely didn't expect to adopt a mantra practise, but by day 6 I was 100% loving it. It's taught me that it's worth trying something new and letting go of your prejudices.

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Here's a quick list on the rest of what's been keeping me away from you:

What I've been watching: Continuum Season 2

What I've been reading: A brilliant article on Painful Periods and an alternative to disposable sanitary products by Christina at A Clean Plate - I had been meaning to write a similar article but couldn't have said it better. She talks about diet at the beginning of the article but then goes onto talking about something I love love love...

What I've been working on: Animating the kiss scene from Hick!

What app I've been using: Duolingo to brush up on my French. It's so embarrassing to have come from Quebec and not speak a word!

Where I've been: We spent the weekend in Piemonte near Barolo drinking amazing wines and eating tartufo with friends. Yum!


*inserimento is a period of time where a child is introduced slowly to a new school environment by gradually increasing the time away from the mother on a daily basis.  This period normally lasts 2 weeks.

Thank you 10Q

The other day while catching up with a friend just back from holidays she asked me what my new years' resolutions were.  She claims that September makes more sense as the start of the new year than January ever did. Schools get back in swing, the weather starts to get cooler and the lazy days of summer are gone. Even the harvest gets underway as farmers start preparing for winter.  Plus, wineries all over Italy start the vendemmia; plucking the ripe juicy grapes from the vine to start the process of turning them into this year's wine.

What my friend didn't know was that it is also the season leading up to the start of the Herbrew calendar year and Jewish New Years for those very reasons (the harvest, not the wine). September is definitely the start of my new year as well.

In that regard...

For some years now I have been subscribed to a web service called 10Q. Here's their about blurb:

10 Days. 10 Questions.Answer one question per day in your own secret online 10Q space. Make your answers serious. Silly. Salacious. However you like. It's your 10Q. When you're finished, hit the magic button and your answers get sent to the secure online 10Q vault for safekeeping. One year later, the vault will open and your answers will land back in your email inbox for private reflection. Want to keep them secret? Perfect. Want to share them, either anonymously or with attribution, with the wider 10Q community? You can do that too.Next year the whole process begins again. And the year after that, and the year after that. Do you 10Q? You should.

Some of the questions are geared towards having you analyse your life and the past year with an eye towards gratitude and appreciation, the rest have you ponder the year to come.  On the 10th day the answers are sealed in a vault for 12 months and you tend to forget them pretty quickly.  When they come back to you it can be extremely enlightening! I've found it a very powerful self-analysis  tool.  You can even login and check back on previous years' responses to see how much your spirit, and you have changed over the years.   The first year I wrote my answers I was pregnant with Sera so you can imagine what has changed since then!

The 10Q service starts this Wednesday, September 4th. Sign up now to get daily reminders to answer your questions.

10Q: Reflect. React. Renew. Life's Biggest Questions. Answered By You.

Meditation with Deepak and Oprah

I'm so happy to bring your attention to a new 21 day meditation series offered by Oprah and Deepak Choprah... 21-Day Meditation Challenge Miraculous Relationships 

You can register and participate for free here and it starts this coming Monday, August 5th.

I know I'm pushing my enthusiasm for meditation on you readers, but I really think that it's 100% worth giving a try.  I've already followed 2 of these mediation series and I have really enjoyed them.

I hope you'll give it a chance and will enjoy it as much as I will! 

yoga monday

I have a membership at the local gym and they offer a yoga class on Monday evenings which I go to when I get the chance.  I'll probably go tonight.

I'm interested in yoga but can't say I'm 'into' it as such or that I practise it daily in the same way I practise meditation, but I do dabble. I have to say that I can see the draw and the benefits when I manage to stick to it for more than a few times in a row.  But, being a busy mum and my gym only offering it twice a week (the other slot is during the afternoon when I'm home with Sera) I don't get around to practising as much as I'd like to.

If you also can't get to a course or a class there are a few ways of practising yoga at home that I've found helpful. I sometimes follow along with a DVD by Antonia Kidman.  It's a bit fast paced for me at times and she does a lot of sun salutes which can be quite cardiovascular so I'm not always feeling up to it.

Another option, though much more technical and clinical in nature is a free app offered by women's health magazine Hot Body Yoga. There are set programs which 'talk you into and out of' poses and asanas. There are a few very brief sequences which are nice to follow.

I also have a copy of Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Meditation Practise  CDs. There are 4 CDs in totla, two of which are 45minute long yoga sessions that you're meant to follow at home as a compliment to the guided meditation study on the other 2 CDs. These CDs are meant for people who are trying to attain a higher level of mindfulness and stress management in their daily lives whether they are facing physical challenges or not, but the practise does stem from a medical background.

When I practise at home sometimes Sera joins along with me. She can do pretty much any of the poses that I can and often much more successfully. I think as soon as she turns 3 we'll look for a course we can go to together as Mummy - Kid Yoga is becoming popular here as well.

Just for fun check out this video: Yoga for Wine Lovers and you'll be touching on a few of my favorite subjects

dream home - office space

I spend a lot of time at home. It's my sanctuary, my workplace, my own personal restaurant when I can order (and of course prepare) anything on the limitless menu, my spa and beauty salon, my gallery and its also where my favourite people in the world happen to live. Of course I spend as much time here as I can! It's the best place in the whole world (for me)!

But spaces and homes also need to be functional and my house, how I have it set up at the moment, isn't ideal in every way. What it needs is the perfect office space. Here are my criteria:
Bright with lots of natural light
Organised and neat
Flexible and able to host different activities
Inspiring
Comfortable

My current office is a converted closet nook which the previous owner used to hang laundry in. It has no windows, and both my craft desk and computer desk are built into the bookcases. It's pretty great considering the space I had to work with but because its so small it does get cluttered and claustrophobic at times.

as you can see it's not the neatest or most organised of spaces

My dream office will need to allow me to:
Meditate
Practise yoga
Work on my film Hick!
Relax and read books in
Work on my blog
Sew
Knit
Do other random crafting projects

Though there's no new house on the horizon at the moment I have been collecting images and inspiration for this dream space. Here are some suggestions for very small offices that could fit in a wardrobe. Maybe I could try something like that!

Adam Selwood's Basement office Ikea Hack

Modern Home Office by Austin Interior Designer Claudia Cowperthwaite

Other larger spaces.

Maybe I'd actually finish some crafts for once?

Overhead library - DREAMY

This amount of light would be nice

and a corner for wellness?

Well, I can keep dreaming for the moment. But as most motivational speakers will tell you, visualising the best case scenario and letting your mind run free is the best way to actually achieve your goals and come to realising them.

What does your ideal workspace include? If you could plan it to be anything at all what would it be like? I'd love to hear about your dream spaces.

what's on your mind?

Since I can remember I've struggled with the inner workings of my own mind. I tend to think too much, to analyse what other people's intentions might or might not have been and to suffer from worry for the future or nostalgia for the past. I never really managed to 'live in the moment'. From experience I know that this can lead to unhappiness despite life being 'on track' or everything being ok, even good.

Even when Sera was born, when I had everything in the world I could have possibly wanted, I found it very hard to keep my mind from remembering some negative experiences I had directly after the birth and suffered some post-partum depression because of it.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon an app this past summer which has really changed all of that for me. Changed my life actually... Well, not the app itself, but the skills it has taught me have changed my life.

Created by Andy Puddicome, an x-Buddhist monk, getsomeheadspace.com and its connected app aim to teach people, through mindfulness meditation, how to actually live within their lives. To actually be present with the moment, and to train the mind to stay with the moment at any given time. For example, when you're washing the dishes, you're washing the dishes. When you're eating an apple, you're eating an apple and when you're spending time with the people you love you're actually there with them, not just physically but mentally present as well... You're not thinking about fixing up the house, the pile of work you left on your desk for tomorrow, or that conversation that didn't go well with the barista at the coffee shop this morning and what you should have said to him when he spilt the coffee all over your new shoes.

Every day now for the past 236 days now I've been sitting down to meditate, connected with my headphones to the iPod for 10 or 20 minutes. Puddicome guides you with his voice (nice British accent!) into a state of relaxation and then helps you to visualise different scenarios which you can then apply to your everyday life.

For example, your thoughts do not 'belong to you' you can watch them pass as you would cars down a road.... You don't have to hold onto the positive ones or run away from the negative ones... You can just watch as they come and go.

Or: the sky is always blue.... Clouds come an go and just block our view of it (I particularly like this one because it reminds me that its always sunny somewhere).

I love the way the meditations go because they have no religion or excessive spirituality involved with them. There are no mantras or chanting or religious icons and figures involved. It's just you, alone with yourself for a little bit each day.

I recommend trying it out if only for the first 10 days in which you only sit for 10 minutes a day. It's like a quick workout for your mind and then you're charged and ready for the rest of your day. It lets me be a better wife, mum and friend for the rest of the day as well, which the people who know me can definitely confirm!

I have, since starting with the getsomeheadspace app, investigated other sources of meditation training and mindfulness training including reading books on the subject and following online meditation seminars as well. Jon Kabat-Zinn has some wonderful books and Deepak Chopra probably has the most soothing voice I've ever hear, but more on that another time.

Best of luck with your own spiritual and self-discovery journey from a fellow traveller!

Now!

What is it that you're waiting for? It's probably exactly that thing that you will regret not having done if you one day realise you never did. 

I've been thinking a lot about time lately and my relationship to it. I practise mindfulness meditation every day and since I've started it's really changed my perception of time. Every time I sit to meditate I'm reminded of one very true fact of life, that the moment is all we have. Now is all we ever have.

I have loads of things that I'm probably putting off in my life. It's funny, sometimes we don't even know what those things are unless we sit down and really think about them but when we do we realise what our priorities are.  Now is the right time for me to sit and think about it.... what's it the right time for you to do dear reader?

Now IS the right time... go out! Do it!