Glamping

Some snapshots from our weekend in the New Forest with friends and family. As our friend said -- glamping does not necessarily mean staying in a fashionable tipi or yurt, but means having someone doing everything for you -- cooking, putting up the tent, etc. Well, this is what it was for me. I managed to sleep 12 hours in our tiny pop-up tent. ;   )

Jade Roller, my latest discovery

I love jade as a stone. I think that the combination of jade and yellow gold is very *art deco*. Not only Jade is a beautiful semi-precious stone, it is also gifted with healing properties. Jade roller (regularly used by my acupuncturist) feels like oil on the face without being greasy or pore blocking as many oils are. It is also refreshing, smoothing and improves facial circulation. I really recommend it for a natural, non-surgical facial lift. 

I Heart Butterflies

Here some works from Saira, the talented tattooist who will be doing my lotus flower and butterflies on my back next year. Yes, she is that busy!

Handmade / Do-it-Yourself Yoga Mat Bags

Looking for a hippier alternative to the trendy yoga bags in circulation? I like the hippie look of these joyful carriers.

Sources: Here, here and here

Lemon Zest

The obsession with jumpsuits, playsuits, all-in-ones, leotards, unitards and dungarees continues. These two juicy jumpsuits are in line with the new colour theme of this blog.

Day

Night

From ASOS.

"Look within,

There is no difference
between yourself, Self and Guru.
You are always Free.
There is no teacher,
there is no student,
there is no teaching.
You are the unchangeable Awareness in which all activity takes place.
Always rest in peace.
You are eternal Being, unbounded and undivided.
Just keep Quiet. All is well.
Keep Quiet Here and Now.
You are Happiness, you are Peace, you are Freedom.
Do not entertain any notions that you are in trouble.
Be kind to yourself.
Open to your Heart and simply Be.
Self is what you are.
You are That Fathomlessness
in which experience and concepts appear.
Self is the Moment that has no coming or going.
It is the Heart, Atman, Emptiness.
It shines to Itself, by Itself, in Itself.
Self is what gives breath to Life.
You need not search for It, It is Here.
You are That through which you would search.
You are what you are looking for!
And That is All it is.
Only Self is."

Sri H.W.L. Poonja

Pack Light

I have written several posts on luggage as it is an important part of my semi-nomadic life. Not only I love travelling and I am planning more frequent trips to the east. I also need to go back *home* a few times a year to remind myself what sun, good food and family affections are like. I had the perfect cabin trolley, until it broke a month ago in Sicily. It was smart, robust and very manageable - just too old. It endured nine years of commuting and travels. I got a bit upset because it was my friends' graduation present, but I have decided not to mourn any longer material things, even if they have a sentimental value. If it broke after so many years, it meant that I needed to make space for something new. After all, it was too smart for the adventurous trip I have got in mind for the future and a tiny bit too heavy. With all the increasingly stricter luggage restrictions imposed by airlines, even one kilo makes a huge difference. So, I have been looking for a replacement: something cheaper, sturdy, light and practical without sacrificing (of course) style. Eastpack Transfer Luggage seems to tick all the boxes. It is a good comprimise between a smart trolley and rucksack and it is discounted to £59.99 here.

Have a look at these packing tips my brother-in-law passed me on: Ten Days in a Carry-on

Hop Hop Hop

What a great weekend. It started with the Acro Yoga workshop which was exactly as I hoped: nurturing, challenging and fun. We chanted, practiced asanas, thai massaged and finally flying. Being lifted is a liberating feeling. Back bends a bit scary until you realise you really have to LET IT GO. Lifting others was more challenging. It takes loads of practice to find the centre and balance for an extended period of time. Vaclav and I have decided to keep practicing it together during our course's lunch breaks. 

Saturday morning we headed to the Hop Farm Festival. Despite the heat during the day and dampness during the night, the queues, the toilets and  , we had a great time. Bob Dylan was legendary. He is so cool at playing his songs differently every time ~ He is such an eclectic artist. I was expecting Devendra wild and naked like in this video. He showed up with short(ish) hair and in British mod look... until he stripped to show his cool tattoos and give full voice to his expressionistic performance. So, so cool! 

We concluded the weekend with our friends from Italy with two aperitifs and a yummy vegetarian meal in Primrose Hill.

Full set of photos HERE.

Cultivating Joy

Happy July! I have got positive feelings about this month and thought it would be time to give this blog a seasonal facelift (hope you like it) and restart blogging more regularly. 

So, what is it so good about this summer? Well, it's been consistently hot for weeks (so unusual in this country), my love for yoga is growing day by day, and Loftino's love + generosity have been unsurpassed recently. Not only he put great effort in arranging  our first anniversary's celebrations (kabuki dance, dinner at the OXO Tower and silk kimono by Fleur of England), he has also surprised me with tickets for the Hop Farm Festival headlined by Bob Dylan (and Devendra Banhart). I am so, so excited about it. I have been listening to their rock folk music for months! We are driving to Kent tomorrow and will be camping with our brand new pop-up tent and self-inflatable mattresses. Wow!

Tonight I am doing an Acro Yoga workshop. I was a bit hesitant as inversions are still my Achilles' tendon, but it will help face my fears -- or so I thought when I signed up. Besides, Acro Yoga is also about connecting with the other fellow yogini, exchanging some juicy Thai massage, and, most of all, it's fun! Isn't yoga about cultivating joy, after all?

And what is more joyful than sharing yoga with children? I believe it could entertain and empower many needy children around the world. In view of a few volunteering with children ideas for 2011, Loftino got me this Teach Children Yoga Kit. I was a tiny bit disappointed to find out it is downloadable (rather than paper-based) material in PDF and MP3 formats, but this means I can print as many copies as I want and reuse the kit on different projects. The beauty of this kit is that it's designed for vivacious children. The guide says:: do not adjust children as they want to play with the shapes, but show them the right alignment IN CASE they DECIDE to mimic you. : D 

I look forward to putting it into practice with some of my friends' active kids! {Not that many, actually!}

OmShanti&PREM xxx