I’m in the midst of planning a couple of events with some lovely friends and colleagues. One is just about finalised and you can find the details over on the Workshops and Retreats page- a wonderful day retreat with active and restorative yoga, breathwork and meditation, and an opportunity to be guided in the art of Mindful Creativity with Anna. As the point of this method of creating art is to be focused on the process rather than the outcome, we took as our starting point a quote from the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna says to Arjuna,
“Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.”
This is such a good reminder that in order to be joyful, we need to focus on what we’re doing right now- not be thinking about the future, regretful about the past, or so worried at the possible outcomes of our actions that we don’t do it at all. I’m sure I’m not alone in avoiding certain things because I don’t feel confident about doing them? Singing. Drawing. Rollerskating. Lovely activities, but fear of looking silly or “failing” in some way means I’ll often not do them at all. Or accepting an invitation to go out, try something new- “oh no, that’s far too late for me, I’ll be tired the next day.” I know I’m a shocker for that instinctive response to turn it down, but how many fun things do I miss out on as a result? (Unusually for me I seized the opportunity on Friday to go to the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, where a friend was launching his band’s new album– I had a great time, and my fears about where to park, my stories about not liking to drive in Cheltenham or not liking crowds, were all unfounded. The gig was fantastic and I remembered how much I enjoy live music events. They are places which invite delight in the present moment! I came home feeling lighter of heart than I went out.)
This retreat is themed around this idea of doing for the sake of that particular action, rather than doing for the sake of the outcome. Anna’s work is all about being present in the moment and enjoying it for what it is- or equally, knowing that good or bad, it won’t last forever. She will guide us to use a digital camera or traditional methods- charcoal, pencil on paper- to create a snapshot of a particular moment in time, with the focus on capturing the light and shade, the shapes and colours, that we’re seeing right here, right now- rather than on what the finished image will look like.
Anna is also a massage therapist and will be using her knowledge of massage techniques and essential oils to bring a special extra something to the restorative yoga practice that will end our day. This retreat promises to be very special indeed, and places are limited so don’t miss out. Booking is open now via the link on my website.
Another collaboration is with the lovely Lucie, and we’re still very much in the planning stages so I won’t let anything slip just yet! However rest assured that it will be a fusion of both our skillsets and hopefully, a rich and enjoyable offering involving yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, pranayama and different asana practices.
