I really want to thank everyone involved for making IYD 2017 such a success. To the yoga teachers – it couldn’t have happened without you all giving your time so generously and being so lovely to work with. Your sessions were all so brilliant and enjoyed by so many people, I was lucky enough to join in with a few of your classes and I also got to observe you all skillfully and passionately doing your thing.

Steve from MIND has reported that 277 people plus 6 small people registered and there were many more who turned up on the day or just joined in when they were passing so we reckon on there being approximately 300 in total. The donations totaled £336.86 which was brilliant as we didn’t really mention MIND and the charity aspect during the sessions, I did talk about it a little in my Welcome Talk but made it clear it was a free day and that contributions were completely voluntary. So people obviously gave of their own free will and not because they felt obliged to which makes it more special I think 

Steve from our chosen charity ‘MIND BLMK for better mental health’ did an absolutely sterling job of organising and managing the on-line booking system on the MIND web site and welcoming everyone and getting them to sign in on the day. The additional volunteer for the ‘meet and greet’ table was ill so he managed single handedly and with good humour and friendliness ALL DAY long beginning with setting up at 7.30am and breaking camp after 7.30pm!! Thank you so much Steve 

Also, many thanks to Amy from Bedford Borough Council – Sports Development Dept. who attended all our meetings and was an asset to the team from the start, Amy organised extras tables, artwork for T shirts and the printing of 1000 flyers and was also on hand all day! Thank you Amy 

Katie Lewis – Events & Community Engagement Officer for Bedford Borough Council continued to be as supportive and enthusiastic about I.Y.D. this year as she was from the outset last year, we are hoping she manages to come along next year and join in with some of the classes! Katie really helped me through the process of applying for an event approval and the risk assessment forms and requirements for an event of this type. I have learnt a lot!

In conclusion, I felt the day had a very unique feel because it was completely none commercial which is such a rare thing these days. No-body charged for anything, e.g. even the T shirts were a collaborative donation – the artwork was created by Bedford Borough Council design dept.– organised by Amy and production and supply was from Mandy from Sycal Creative Merchandise Solutions in Kempston. Amazing!

The day was in the true spirit of yoga and was all about the practice and enjoyment of practising communally in the beautiful open air of Bedford Park surrounded by greenery and trees.

David (my husband) asked me in the evening what the highlight of the day was and I said that it was really feeling part of group of like-minded people all working together in harmony to deliver something happy and healthy to others without any personal agendas or desired outcomes – true bliss!

I could go on and on!…… So, lastly thank you to everyone who came along during the day enjoined the variety of sessions on offer (see list below) and experienced real yoga.

He just wanted to be a part of it!

A friend and student gave me this candle as a gift this Christmas and whilst practising yoga today on New Years Day in its scented golden glow I have reflected on the close parallels between Hygge and the effects of the ancient art of yoga and meditation. I hope you find this article by hyggehouse.com as interesting and heart warming as I do! Thank you Liz.

Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a Danish word that is a feeling or mood that comes from taking genuine pleasure in making ordinary, every day moments more meaningful, beautiful or special. Whether it’s making coffee a verb by creating a ritual of making it then lingering over a cup to a cosy evening in with friends to the simple act of lighting a candle with every meal. Hygge is being aware of a good moment whether it’s simple or special.

Some refer to hygge as an “art of creating intimacy” (either with yourself, friends and your home). While there’s no one English word to describe hygge, several can be used interchangeably to describe the idea of hygge such as cosiness, charm, happiness, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness.

Technology and modern day busy-ness has removed so many of us from ourselves, our homes and ordinary tasks, making them feel as though these things are chores, have no meaning/importance or are too time-consuming so they’re skipped or not enjoyed. It’s stopped us from being authentic and conscious of how we live and interact. Hygge is about celebrating reality and being present and transforming the ordinary into a moment to recognise instead.

Danes are often cited as the happiest nation in the world and for good reason – they make enjoyment a priority and take the time to celebrate/acknowledge simple, wonderful moments (like meals, visiting, being active or even just sitting by the beach) that nourish the soul. They find ways to incorporate hygge into their daily life so it becomes a natural extension rather than a forced and stressful event. With so many cold, dark, days, the simple act of a candle glowing with a cup of coffee in the morning or an evening meal can make a huge difference to one’s spirit. It’s an act that’s also enjoyed – and perhaps that’s what hygge really is. Acknowledging the moment instead of drudging through it.

By creating simple rituals without effort {such as brewing real tea with a little china cup every evening to stopping at the flower shop every week} the Danes see both the domestic and personal life as an art form and not every drudgery to get away from. Hygge is about being present and recognizing (and enjoying) the moment.

Think of it as what “joie de vivre” is to the French; a lifestyle that can explain a table top to a dinner party to a charming house or a personal way of being. Basic, uncomplicated, un-exaggerated – Hygge!

I would like to share my current thoughts on ‘the fear of anxiety’ based on my own study, experience and understanding.

One theory goes that it is not anxiety itself which makes us feel so bad but it is our fear attached to the feelings of anxiety and our strong desire to avoid them at all costs! Sound familiar?

It’s a funny feeling, hard to describe in words, an irrational, sometimes subtle, other times over-whelming, always horrible sense of fear – of what? There are often triggers but some days, it’s just there, “arghhhh not you again”.

We don’t want it and so we block it and resist it which has the effect of ‘fixing’ it within us and it ends up feeling more intense and much worse than the original anxiety.

The systematic, progressive practices of yoga and meditation gradually give us the skills to be fully present with these sensations without judgement, to allow ourselves to sit with and consciously feel the anxiety within the body and to actually give those feelings more space so that they are diluted and can be processed easily and naturally by our bodies. This process of allowing and then letting go are skills we are already capable of but have possibly lost connection with. Sometimes we refer to this in class as ‘losing all unnecessary effort or tension’.

Through the meditation practices of mind calming we can start to recognise that these raised emotional states of, for example: anxiety, excitement or irritation are impermanent and ever changing so we don’t need to attach so much importance to them and get caught up with judging them good or bad and then either resisting, craving or holding onto particular emotional states. Instead we can experience them with a sense of understanding their true nature and with a wider perspective in order to let them pass through us.

We can also cultivate the conditions in which this transformation of our experience can occur. Through repetition we can evoke feelings of acknowledgement, patience and understanding. Some texts point to the possibility that maybe at some point we can even welcome the feelings and show them hospitality like you would a good friend but maybe that’s a bridge too far at the moment. However, this is based on a sound principle that any feelings we experience are an expression of ourselves and a result of our story and that it is probably not helpful to reject ourselves. After all, we wouldn’t reject a dear friend and tell them to stop feeling! It’s more likely we would listen patiently and offer comfort and security until the feelings pass.

On a different note, the thoughts and opinions that we may add to our feelings can be troublesome and we are sometimes tricked into believing our thoughts are real. This we can also investigate through specific meditation practices but perhaps this is a subject for a different blog another time!

If any of what I have written doesn’t make sense, it’s not surprising as at the end of the day they are just words on a page. What I have attempted to share actually only really makes sense in practice as an experience. Well, if you are not sure, there’s only one way to find out!

Workshop
Exploring The Progressive Stages of Meditation

Ever feel like you need a little Breathing Space?

Experience the mind calming effects of meditation and learn simple techniques to release tension, reduce stress and re-charge so that life’s many demands feel a little easier to cope with!

Each workshop will include the exploration of the progressive stages of meditation and various preparatory practices e.g. guided relaxation, gentle mindful movement and breathing exercises. I will also explain the philosophy and share some of the potential benefits which make meditation a life enhancer for a growing number of practitioners all around the world. There will be plenty of time for feedback, questions, discussion and suggestions of how to start practising at home.

No previous experience is required

Saturday 19th November 2016 OR The first Wednesday morning of each month
Next dates Oct 5th, Nov 2nd and Dec 7th 2016

9.15am arrival for 9.30am prompt start – ends 12.30pm
(Including a short break for refreshments)

Cost of workshop £40
Payable in advance – non-refundable

Please feel free to browse my web site www.halcyonyoga.com for information about yoga and meditation, the classes, what you need to wear/bring etc. and like my Facebook page
www.facebook.com/HalcyonYogaUK to keep updated.

You can read from a selection of testimonials on the web site or on LinkedIn (go to the link on the home page) or click LinkedIn/HalcyonYoga

For any further queries or to book please email me jacquelyn@halcyonyoga.com

Thank you
Jacquelyn

Here are some reflections of this years event to wet your appetite

Fun in the sun!

INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY AT THE PARK – Tuesday 21st June 2016 ‘Observations’ by Joshua Carmichael

The clock has struck eleven, and the sun is making a rare appearance, in its own way returning the salutation of the straining crowd on the grass, whose muscles yawn, stretch and relax against the verdant backdrop of the open air studio. Tadasana, inhale, urhva hastasana, exhale, uttanasana… Flex, shift, relax.

On Tuesday 21st June, the free-spirited devotees of Bedford Park could proudly count themselves amongst the thousands of yogis across the globe celebrating International Yoga Day. Fiercely petitioned for by the Indian prime minister Modi, UN resolution 69/131 officially recognised a “holistic approach to health and well being” in yoga last year and proclaimed the 21st June International Yoga Day. It has been a resolution on a massive scale. In 2015, its first year, over 35,000 people gathered for a single yoga class, shattering the previous world record. This year a cool 30,000 were again gathered in the city of Chandigarh for a session led by Modi himself.

Bedford Park was buzzing too albeit on a smaller scale – a cross-section of society parading past in a variety of skin-tight lycra and baggy tracksuits, proudly clutching roll mats and tentatively praying that the mercurial English weather would show mercy. Known for its diversity and inclusivity; the word yoga is literally from the sanskrit meaning “union” and the open classes and steady stream of participants coming together in the open air for the same purpose epitomised this.

Fiona Gibson’s ‘Greet the Day’ sun salutations flowed seamlessly into the esoteric sounding ‘Sound Bath Relaxations’ – a virtual rather than physical immersion. Using a quartet of gongs, native Indian flutes, quartz crystal bowls, and chimes, on an almost totally ad lib basis, several layers of tones were produced to create a so-called landscape of sound. According to the session leader Kanti Freeman, this creates a kind of “holiday from thought”. The focus on a particular tone or note provides a means of moving on, pushing thoughts aside for an instant, to produce a moment of calm. It is also a different way of thinking about how we encounter the world. Nietzsche famously proclaimed “there is more wisdom in your body than in the deepest philosophy”. In a way, meditation, sound baths, mindfulness, grow from this kernel – the truest things are those we feel rather than think.

Following the Sound Bath, was Rosanna Slade’s Vinyasa flow yoga, a much more energetic activity in which each pose is struck in rapid succession, without pausing for too long on each one. In this way there is less focus on individual moves and more on the whole set; it becomes a fast-paced workout as well as a stretch. With heart and soul being generously fed by inspirational locally based yoga teachers, the chefs at The Pavilion at the Park Cafe kept the body nourished with superfood salads and smoothies throughout the day, the Cafe a stunning Victorian matriarch keeping her watchful eye on the proceedings. These continued with Racheall Monton’s ‘Chair Yoga’ (a gentler form), Genevieve Ollereanshaw’s ‘Slow Flow’ and the enormously popular children’s yoga class from Hayley Simpson of Tatty Bumpkins. Mindful movement and guided meditation was led by Jacquelyn Cooper, a more dynamic ‘Body Movement’ session from Kevin Silous and Kirtan devotional chanting led by Stuart Prince concluded the proceedings.

Evening draws in, cruelly reminding us that the days will be shorter from now on, the dimness is heavy with the ringing of the Kirtan call and response echoing through the park. Tired limbs are massaged by Ayurvedic therapist Carolyn Wood, relaxed bodies stretched, and there is a certain calm in the rolling up the mats and dismantling of gazebo shelters.

The turnout was well beyond what we had hoped for, the teachers gave generously of their time and talent, the weather was kind and to everyone who attended and took part, we extend an enormous thank you. The day was the brainchild of dynamic duo Emma Garrett of the Pavilion Cafe (www.pavilion.attheparkbedford.co.uk) and Jacquelyn Cooper of Halcyon Yoga (www.halcyonyoga.com). We look forward immensely to sharing International Yoga Day with you all again in Bedford Park in 2017.

Please email me to book jacquelyn@halcyonyoga.com

It’s happening! Emma Garrett of the Pavilion Cafe at Bedford Park, Bedford and I are very much looking forward to welcoming you all for a fun-filled day of Yoga on 21st June 2016 to celebrate International Yoga Day. From tiny seeds…..as they say. Thank you so much to all the yoga teachers who are kindly giving up their time to offer specialist sessions. I am happy to be able to teach two sessions at lunch-time and early evening followed by some Kirtan which is the yoga of sound, if you are intrigued please come and join in to find out what it’s all about it! Jacquelyn

 Makes 8-10 bars - Recipe from RealFoodSource.co.uk

Ingredients:
4 medjool dates (Deseeded)
1/4 cup almond or cashew paste (from Real Food Source)
1 cup raw chocolate hemp protein blend  (from Real Food Source)
1 cup mixed nuts/seeds (I used mainly almonds with some pumpkin and sunflower seeds thrown in)
Up to 3 tbs water
Method:
Pulse the nuts/seeds in a food processor until roughly chopped, set aside. Add all remaining ingredients (except water) to the food processor and mix until well blended. Add a few tablespoons of water until the mixture is crumbly but just moist enough to stick together. Stir the nuts/seeds through last.
Press firmly into the bottom of a small loaf tin and chill to firm. Once firm, chop into bars and store in the fridge. These will also freeze well.

“Giving attention to all the different aspects of yourself as a whole being”

“Well-being”

“Inner and Outer strength”

“Realising we already have everything we need”

“A Breathing space in my otherwise mad world”

“A space in which to settle”

“Learning to relax rather than react”

“Training the mind to help the mind, body connection via breathing”

“More meditative than exercise”

“Combining the mind and the body in order to calm down”

“Relaxed awareness for the body, mind and breath”

“Mindful movement”

“The practice of considered  relaxation of the whole being”

“Giving yourself a break”

“Step back and find some balance”

“Connecting in the present with the body”

“Not a quick fix”

“A progressive practice”

“A path of discovery”

“Yoga is Nice!”

“Yoga is relaxing”

“Awareness of the moment through movement and breathing”

“Movement and the Mind in the moment”

And finally…..

“It’s a P R A C T I C E”

I personally wouldn’t argue with any of these especially “Yoga is Nice!”