the Wedding Singer :)

My friends got married this weekend in a valley in Noordhoek! Surrounded by trees and water and sea. It was Inspirational, my favourite part was singing their first dance song. Later, when everything was over, we climbed up the mountain to their tiny hut and I played well into the night for them in front of the fire, a blissful moment, this is how ceremonies should be. It reminded me of an old Celtic/ Viking weddding, this part. I was so happy to be a part of this day, it will be in my memory forever and hopefully theirs. Pics.

A little music video we shot in Kommetjie :)

Beach, Nature, Fire, Monastery.

I want more

I want more of you

I'm not happy in this room

I've got everything to lose

I want more than you do

You move like water your mutable

you trickle when I want floods, a fire

You constantly changing your polarity

Am i just throwing my fire at your sun?

What good is that, what good is that

What good is that, what good is that?

I want more

I want more of you

I'm not happy in this room

I've got everything to lose

I want more than you do

You move like water your mutable

you trickle when I want floods, a fire

You constantly changing your polarity

Am i just throwing my fire at your sun?

What good is that, what good is that

What good is that, what good is that

Dancing under a full Moon

Tonight was my third dance.

I've gone three different times with three different teachers.

Each experience was completely unlike the other.

Is it the teachers that make each dance different?

Or is it that you bring a different energy to the dance each time, that you're in a different place.

Each time I dance I learn something new, shift perspective and go through healing. All without saying a word. The first time I danced I shifted sadness, the second time I danced I discovered joy, and tonight when I danced I discovered the ecstatic dance .

Tonight we danced under a full moon.

Our teacher Jax Jai is a fresh soul. She has a great musical knowledge and an amazing voice. What I gained was complete transformation, from a low energy state to a high energy state. This kind of dance is a sound journey workshop that takes you through the stages of transformation using movement and dance and breath work. A kind of breath work I'd never done before. It's called the fire dance, our breath is the fire, and the music is ecstatic. The music acts as a catalyst for you to allow healing to take place. This kind of dance you dance with your eyes closed so it's a personal space. And the dance lasts for about an hour and a half.

I honestly didn't see myself doing this two months ago. But all that has changed.

You should try this if you want to: try something new, discover new things about yourself, uncover wisdom, get a great workout, and listen and dance to some amazing music.  All the while Surrounded by great people who hold the space for you. All you need to bring is an open mind and a ready heart.

This style of dancing happens every Thursday from half past six at  Studio 24 Queenspark Road, Salt River.
Thanks dancers and see you on the dancefloor!

Mauritius

This week I'm travelling to Mauritius. It is the tiny island off the East coast of South Africa. First you get Madagascar to the right, then the tiny island of Reunion, then Mauritius. I am super excited to be going. I sell it alot and have never been. I'm going to site inspect all the hotels I sell, so that I get a better idea of what I'm selling to my clients. This is the perk of being in Tourism. Now where is my French Guide book!

Going deeper into Movement Medicine

The 9 Gateways of Movement Medicine are divided into 3 journeys, each with a specific intent. The specific workshops associated with each journey are listed below.

Journey Gateways Intent The Journey of Empowerment Body Heart Mind Embodiment of consciousness through awakening and aligning kinaesthetic, emotional & mental intelligence in order to create strong foundations for the journey ahead. The Journey of Responsibility Past Present Future Transforming the past into a source of strength, wisdom and inspiration for conscious living in the present. Our state of being, actions and thoughts are a significant part of what creates the future for ourselves, our families, our communities and generations that will follow. Living the Dream Fulfillment Interconnection Realisation Embodiment of the soul and giving your gifts; living from direct experience of the interconnection of all life; realisation that we are one with the source of creation.

Movement Medicine

On Saturday I went to my first Movement Medicine Class. I had no idea what to expect, I went in with no expectations but with an open heart. I went in, and came out a different person. It was held at Shamballah, next to the Cape Farm House in Scarbourough. Jayne Bullen is a Movement Medicine teacher and led the class. She is wonderful and nurturing, and I connected with her immediately. She told us that the class was about shifting perspectives through dance. It was a powerful experience for me, the dance and music deeply beautiful, and an experience I want to do again.

What is is: Movement Medicine is  a body based movement meditation that reconnects you to yourself, and to your wisdom. Since pre-history, dance, and song and ritual ave played an important role in healing and celebration. Movement Medicine is a contemporary expression of this human inheritance. It marries ancient and modern wisdom, and supports you to experience the transformative power of your full-bodied, full-hearted, creativity in motion. This is potent medicine that re-vitalises and aligns your natural wellbeing and leads to soulful, conscious and embodied living.

How does movement become your medicine? By awakening the dancer that lives inside you, by giving the reins to the part of you that rests in the beat, and by connecting your mind with your body and your body with your heart, movement becomes your medicine. In the embrace of the dance, we shatter the binds of shoulds and shouldn’ts that squeeze the juice from life. Along the way, you will make friends with yourself and find many companions to travel alongside. You will come into contact with the unique essence of who you are and into vibrant interconnection with all of life. Through this process, you will transform your relationship with the past, become more deeply engaged with the challenges and riches of the present, and unearth fresh inspiration to play your part in shaping the future.

Foraging Tour

On Saturday I did my first Foraging course, with Tracy from Wild About Weeds, in Noordhoek. She is amazing! It was really eye-opening, learning about Wild Edibles and Medicinal Plants. We are surrounded by medicine! What really stood out for me was how quickly we run to the doctor for antibiotics, when it is right here surrounding us.

We started our day with Nettle tea, took a long walk down to the sea foraging, and ended it with dandelion root tea and a delicious lunch. I can't even begin to tell you the benefits of these plants, it would take forever. They are rich superfoods. Nettle is best known for its cleansing and detoxing. Dose: ¼ cup fresh or 1 tsp. dried to a cup of boiling water.
A most abundant “weed” ~ it grows all over the world. Must be placed in boiling water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to neutralise the sting or can be used without any harm in its dried form. Juicing plants through a mincer or juice extractor is also fine.Parts used: whole plant ~ leaves, stems and root.

Harvesting: Gather the plants before they bloom – the younger the better. It is always best to harvest herbs from your own land / or the space in which you live because plants in your environment are best suited to deal with the illnesses created by your environment). Nettle is best fresh but can be dried for all year round use. I am never without this wonderful herb in my home. Always use gloves to harvest these plants.

Food: Add fresh sprigs to stews, soups or any one pot dish (just before serving) to enhance nutrition value. Add to stocks. Sprinkle the dried herb over food. This herb makes an excellent substitute for spinach and is actually richer in iron. Chicken and nettle broth was the cure all chicken soup that our granny’s fed us. The juice of raw nettle is an excellent tonic for anyone who is sick. Excellent chopped up and sautéed with onion and potato.

Medicinal: I love it as a tea to gently cleanse and detox… it’s brilliant for acid related ills such as arthritis, gout, or any digestive upsets… is great for fluid retention… gives your kidneys a good flush… its diuretic action increases the flow and often helps to dissolve blockages in the urethra. It is an anti-allergy remedy that is useful for insect bites, rashes, and runny noses. It is thought to work like a mild (homeopathic) dose of histamine meaning it provokes the body into defensive action by triggering an attack (it prompts the body into helping it prepare).

Works on hay fever, asthma, eczema and insect bites. It is also used to treat anaemia (better than any other plant), rickets, scrofula, respiratory illnesses (tuberculosis - it took about a year of daily nettle juice to cure one patient), and especially lymphatic problems. It improves breast milk production and reduces enlarged and painful prostate. In a study conducted on human subjects who had mild cases or early onset of prostatic adenoma (a degenerative enlargement of the glandular part of the prostate that typically results in frequent urination during the night)

The fluid extract (tincture) of nettle root was found to reduce the duration and volume of urine retention and thus the need to urinate throughout the night. The active constituent in this case is believed to be Beta-sitosterol, a phytosterol known to possess mild anti-inflammatory activity. Although it is not likely to reduce scar tissue with in the urinary tract and prostate, it is believed to relieve symptoms through reduction of swelling in surrounding tissues. Given the safety of this herb, nettle is certainly worth a try. Nettle tea purifies the blood, helps expel kidney stones and sciatica. It has also been used to treat internal haemorrhage, dysentery, bronchial catarrh, jaundice and infertility. Great for skin and hair (makes a great hair rinse to improve quality and condition – a basic infusion). Appropriate for childhood ailments. Juice of nettle works wonders on any sick person (a tablespoon a day for an adult, a teaspoon a day for a child, and five to ten drops for an infant)~ it may be added to a warmed already prepared soup to help mask the taste if need be.

It is estimated that there are about 500,000 flowering plant species on the planet of which 75,000 are believed to be edible! Of these edible ones only about 150 are recognised worldwide as food plants!!! Of these 150 known edibles ONLY about 30 are making a significant contribution towards human nutrition!! It's no wonder we (as a species) are so nutritionally deficient and why disease is at an all-time high worldwide!

Wild food is a FANTASTIC way to boost your nutrition naturally! The food is free. Abundantly available and most wild greens offer nutrition levels FAR superior to your store bought greens. Wild foods haven't been genetically modified or tampered with in any way (bred to look good or to last a long time on a shelf). These pioneer plants are amazing healers.

Eating “local” wild food also has many, many environmental benefits such as zero carbon kilometres from plant to mouth!

There is a growing need for people to become more self–sufficient:- escalating food prices (peak oil, unsustainable farming practices; failing economy), failing crops worldwide due to erratic weather conditions, the dismal state of store bought foods (pesticides, chemical, preservatives and all sorts of nasties), not to mention the massive impact our consumerist behaviour is having on the poor Earth and all of the creatures in it.

Learning about wild food and medicine is just a wonderful way to begin honouring our connection to the Earth.

Come and RECONNECT with nature and learn about wild food and medicines. 
tracy@manifestingutopia.com

“What I love most about teaching people about wild food and medicines is seeing how it empowers them and inspires them.”

Sour fig

Nasturtium

Nettle

Aloe

Foraging for lunch

Wild asparagus

Wild garlic

Num nums

The wonderful garden of the Living Art Farm, in Noordhoek

Yoga

I went to my first yoga class at Yoga Spirit last week.
I wanted to die.
I did my second class yesterday, unbeknownst to me, it was heated.
I nearly fainted.
I am going back today to Vinyasa and it occured to me, what is the difference between these different styles? (this is how I felt)

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga has been prevalent since the 15th century in India and is also known as Hatha Vidya or the science of Hatha. It is believed that through Hatha yoga, one can purify the body and make it fit for meditation. Hatha comes from two words – Ha stands for sun and Tha is the moon. So it’s two forces – the active and masculine force of the sun and the feminine and receptive energy of the moon – that join together to purify the body.

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa, which is also known as Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga, has its roots in the Yoga Korunta, an ancient manuscript compiled by a sage. Vinyasa means a dynamic concentrating posture. This type of yoga flows between the traditional static yoga asanas. Vinyasa is about linking the movement of the postures to the breath. Vinyasa yoga gives a lot of importance to the journey between the postures; while Hatha yoga is about the postures only. Vinyasa yoga has a series of six postures, each flowing into the other. Ujjayi breathing is part of Vinyasa yoga.

Difference Between Hatha And Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa is derived from Hatha yoga, though the postures and practice is different. Both Hatha and Vinyasa yoga make the body more supple and strong; improve breath work; calm the mind; and, prevent diseases. Both these forms of yoga are work towards the same goal – fitness of the body and the mind, though the way they achieve this is different.

• Vinyasa is fast paced, while Hatha yoga is slower.
• Vinyasa yoga is about a series of movements, each linked to another. This is similar to the Sun Salutation or the Surya Namaskar. Postures with a series of movements have greater effect on the cardiovascular system, unlike the effects of hatha yoga. Hatha yoga is about individual postures, rather than flowing movements.
• Hatha yoga is good for beginners, who are new to yoga and are learning yoga postures. Since the pace of hatha yoga is gentle and slow, it is easier for beginners to learn the postures, the breathing techniques and the principles of yoga. Vinyasa yoga, on the other hand, should be attempted by people who already know yoga.

Vinyasa is a more advanced form of yoga. Every asana is linked together and requires a rhythm of inhaling and exhaling of breath. This yoga with its flowing movement and fast pace, builds heat in the body and stretches the muscles of the body more than the postures of Hatha yoga.

Weekend - What are you doing?

It's nearly weekend. What are you doing? We're going to a secret soiree tonight. It's hosted in people's private homes all over South Africa, a really great concept. You can find out more about it here on http://www.citysoiree.co.za/

Work space

Right now I'm working on making a creative space. I'd like a quiet corner which is inspirational where I can sit and write and drink tea and 'make'. Ideally I would like my own quiet studio outside away from all the noise and bussle, but for now I can make do with re-arranging my own space. Things I need to do: buy a bigger desk/ work space, get a nice light source, a lamp could be nice, could move stuff around to get the most of the view, get more plants inside, canvasses on the walls and a fluffy carpet. Here are some work spaces I am swooning over, I like the more cosy zen ones.

Fashion

I love this photo series from A Cup of Jo

El Jimador 100% Agave Surf Classic - Beautiful Surf boards

This weekend was the 100% Agave Surf Classic at Big Bay, check out http://www.ustream.tv/channel/agave-surf-classic The work that went into these boards is incredible. These boards are shaped and made by two of our Kommetjie locals, Jason Hayes and Ian Armstrong. Watch the video to see the love and hard work that went into making them! if I could have a board it would be this.Those who surfed are automatically entered into a draw and every week can win one of these beautiful 100% Agave surfboards. Some of my pics of the day here: