Yoga magic in Paris

So I am back from an amazing day of yoga in Paris with my Mum. Thank you Benny for organising it.

Ellen, my yoga teacher, the best yoga teacher in the world ever ever ever, was there and taught us the most brilliant class. Somehow Ellen always seems to teach the class I need the most. I was hoping we were going to do heart openers today as I thought that was what I needed. Instead we did hips, which I realised the moment she said it was what I needed more than oxygen.

I am not sure how many of you practise yoga, but basically hips are where we store all our emotional hurts and past. It is the deepest practise getting into your hip joints and can bring up a lot of stored emotions and memories. Like Ellen said today, anything from the waist down is effectively shit, by that meaning stuff you need to expel and get rid of (be it quite literally shit, a child, a menstruation or stored emotions), so generally during a hips class you might feel uncomfortable, but afterwards as you have released so much stored waste and toxins you feel much lighter and pretty wonderful.

It was brilliant. The ebb and flow of breath through the sun salutations, the dance of it, and into the deeper asnas. I actually enjoyed some of the hip opener binds (normally I hate them) and managed to do some poses I didn't think I was or would be able to. I didn't feel like I had a huge attachment to doing them or not and for the first time really was able to observe how my body felt and what was going on with it. Result: I did things I wouldn't have thought I could do, and whilst I am writing about them here, I don't really mind that I could do them and wouldn't have minded if I couldn't. The yoga for me today wasn't what I did or didn't do, but rather how I did it. I was present, unattached to the outcome and as a result my soul soared. This was a first for me. I have missed this kind of practise so much and I cannot wait to be able to do it everyday in just over a month.
In this magnificent room in the American Church along the banks of the Seine magic happened today. Thank you to everyone who was there for the alchemy.

We then all went for a boozy Parisian lunch and Mum and I then headed to La Durree for an afternoon of serious macaroon tasting. I LOVE PARIS. I LOVE THE FRENCH. I LOVE THE LANGUAGE. I LOVE THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO LIVE. I LOVED TODAY.

I  was also in awe of Mum today. She has back pain and was operated on a few years ago but she came and threw herself bravely into the yoga class. Ellen's classes are hardcore even if you are well and fit and pain free. Mum practised like a true yogi. Respectfully and mindfully with kindness and with gratitude. I felt very lucky to be able to share it with her and I think we both left reassured that I am doing the right thing by doing the teacher training. Also, and even better and more important, my mothers back pain and pins and needles had disappeared by the end of the class and looking at her this evening she looks completely different. Much more relaxed and positively glowing.

So much brilliant, wonderful stuff happened today I haven't even scraped the surface. Today is going to be a day I remember for the rest of my life. YAY for the yoga magic. I am the only girl who even after an afternoon at La Durree has left Paris with her butt a good five inches higher then when she arrived. Yogarama to you all and good night xxx