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This year we are celebrating our 5th year of hosting retreats at Bala Brook.  Our summer retreat on Dartmoor has become a very special event in our annual calendar.  It is such an honour to host yoga retreats in such a magical and inspiring location.  It is always fun to be working as part our Bala Brook team and of course we always look forward to Christine’s delicious food which is always made with such love and care.

Our weekend programme included Yoga, Meditation, Chanting, Yoga Nidra and there was plenty of time to rest, explore the local area, see old friends and make new friends.

Our Saturday morning workshop “Art in the Landscape – Enshrining Space” was be led by Nicci Wonnacott, Artist/ Educationalist/ Activist – BA (Hons) Fine Art/Contextual Practice, PGCE.   In this workshop we gathered natural resources, reconnected with the land, celebrated the land and our ancestors and created a beautiful shrine.

‘I have been has been exploring Goddess archetypes through creative practice for over 25 years in my land work I consider art in the environment through site, ritual, intuition and meditation. As a gatherer I reconnect with the land and the goddess archetypes, ancient women who have walked the path. As I gather, walk and breath form which I create shrines as an act of celebration and respect for the land and the mothers who came before. Enshrining Space’ – Nicci Wonnacott

Nicci has worked as a site specific artist and lecturer for many years. Her interests in gathering help her produce shrines to honour nature as well as jams, wines, cordials, tinctures and natural dying. Nicci was commissioned illustrated The Seasonal Goddess Group with paintings inspired from Devon landscapes.

Our June retreat fell just after the Summer Solstice.  The Summer Solstice is a time to celebrate the fullness of life, to step further into our power, to embody this power and to bring it into the physical form as a new habit such as a new way of being in your body or as a new manifestation.

Bala Brook workshop

BB Jun 2016

Tree Dartmoor

Co-hosted by Julie Bladon / Jackie Dorrian

This is a super simple nutritious recipe that you can adapt dependant on the ingredients available to you.  I like to add a variety of beans such as butter beans and kidney beans.  So much taste for so little effort!

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced
2 yellow peppers, seeded and sliced
2 red onions, sliced
2 medium courgettes, cut into chunks
4 tbsp olive oil
500g cooked butter beans
400g cherry tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar
200g feta cheese, roughly cubed
A handful of pine nuts (optional)
Rocket salad or mixed baby leaf salad to serve
Salt & black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas mark 4.
  2. Put all the prepared vegetables into a large roasting tin, add the olive oil and gently toss the vegetables to coat.
  3. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are nearly tender, then give them a gentle stir and add the butter beans, whole cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, feta cheese, pine nuts and some seasoning.
  4. Return the vegetables to the oven for about 10 minutes.
  5. Serve with the salad leaves on top.

It is believed that the Gayatri Mantra was written about 2500 to 3500 years ago and featured in the Rig Veda, an ancient collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns.  The mantra may have been chanted for many centuries before that.

It is said that this sacred prayer spirals through the entire universe from the heart of the chanter, appealing for peace and divine wisdom for all.  The Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom in us.

The Gayatri Mantra will protect you from harm wherever you are traveling, working, or at home.  Chanting acts to raise not only your vibration but also the space in which you chant and will bring peace to your body, mind and soul.  The Gayatri mantra will protect your body and improve your power of speech.

It is believed that reciting the Gayatri mantra at least three times during morning, noon, and evening will help to reduce the effects of the wrong acts one does every day. It is like buying goods for cash, instead of getting them on credit. There is no accumulation of karmic (result of action) debt, since each day’s karma (action) is atoned for that day itself by reciting the Gayatri mantra.

The mantra opens up your heart and when both our minds and our hearts open, we open ourselves up for new possibilities.

The cyclic enunciation of this mantra stimulates the subliminal power centers in the subtle body. The pressure on tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the connecting regions in the brain generated by continuous enunciation of the twenty-four special syllables of the Gayatri Mantra creates a resonance (or a vibration) in the nerves and the ‘threads’ of the subtle body.

It is significant that the prolonged repetition of the Gayatri has a cumulative effect on our bodies and our minds.  Our minds are sharper, our immune system is stronger, and our hearts are open.  When our energy centres, including our main Chakras, are activated by the vibrations of the Gayatri mantra, this has a positive and healing effect on our life force energy – on our Prana.

Ten Benefits to Chanting the Gayatri Mantra

  1. Calms the mind: The vibrations help to release relaxing hormones. The syllables are devised to help a person concentrate and thereby calms the mind.
  2. Improves immunity: The pressure on tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the connecting regions in the brain generated by the continuous chanting of the Gayatri Mantra creates a resonance in and around your head. These vibrations stimulate the hypothalamus (a gland that is responsible for the release and functioning of a number of bodily functions including immunity) that then functions more efficiently. Experts say that this gland is also responsible for the release of happy hormones and therefore is the key player in the mind body connection — so the happier you are, the stronger your immunity.
  3. Stimulates the chakras: Chanting helps stimulates your chakras or the extrasensory energy centres. The chakras align themselves with certain essential lymph nodes and organs of the body that help in the proper functioning of the entire body. This in turn helps strengthen your immune system as the vibration align all your chakras, maintaining wellbeing.
  4. Increases concentration and learning: When you chant the Gayatri Mantra the vibration first activates the third eye, throat and crown chakras. These three chakras help improve concentration as they directly relate to the brain and pineal gland (crown chakra), eyes, sinuses, lower head, the pituitary gland (third eye chakra) and thyroid gland (throat chakra). When activated the vibrations help stimulate the associated glands improving concentration and focus.
  5. Improves your breathing: While chanting the mantra you are required to take deep controlled breaths that when done regularly, helps improve your lung function and breathing.  Deeper breathing helps oxygenate the entire body keeping you healthy and can help as a therapy for asthma.
  6. Helps keep your heart healthy: Chanting a mantra significantly slows down a person’s breathing, which helps synchronise and regularise the heart beat, helping it stay healthy.
  7. Improves the working of your nerves:As you chant the mantra the pressure that is exerted on your tongue, lips, vocal cord, palate and the connecting regions in and around your brain create a resonance or a vibration that helps strengthen and stimulate the functioning of your nerves. It also stimulates the proper release of neurotransmitters that help in the conduction of impulses.
  8. Helps beat damage caused due to stress: Chanting also helps beat stress-related oxidative damage. Not only does it help your body build a stronger immune response but it also helps reverse the damage done by constant stress on your body.  Regular chanting helps keep stress at bay.
  9. Strengthens the mind and keeps depression at bay: Chanting of this mantra helps stimulate your brain, keeping you calm and more focused. The Gayatri Mantra also gives a person relief from stress making them more resilient.  The chanting of a mantra helps stimulate the functioning of the vagus nerve, which is a common form of treatment for people with depression and epilepsy. Apart from that the vibrations from chanting the mantra stimulate the pineal gland and help in the release of endorphins and other relaxing hormones, that help keep depression at bay.
  10. Gives your skin a glow:The vibrations also stimulate vital points on the face that help increase circulation and get rid of toxins from your skin.  Apart from that the deep breathing also helps oxygenate your skin making it look younger and glowing.

Chanting before meditation can help:

  • To create a shift from sound to silence
  • To resonate with the positive vibrations – chanting charges up the atmosphere with positive vibrations and in such a space, meditation becomes natural and effortless.
  • To bring the mind to the present

The Gayatri can be listened to, chanted, or even thought. There is power and potency in all three approaches.  Choose the approach that you are most comfortable with.  

Sun 5 Jun 2016, 1.30-4.30pm, The Ashtanga Yoga Workshop, Exeter, £35 (including refreshments)

With Julie Bladon and Elaine Nicholas

£35.00Add to cart

Join us for our YoGo (Yoga & Gong) Workshop to celebrate midsummer.  Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, the shortest night, is a few weeks away and we will be celebrating the changing season and take time to reconnect with the natural cycles.  Summer Solstice is an important time for looking at the grand scope of your life and noticing what is out of alignment. What are the things you do, think or say that are out of alignment with what you truly believe? It is a time of action.

As part of this midsummer celebration you will enjoy a relaxing and calming meditative yoga practice to prepare your body & mind for sound healing – chanting & voicework and an extended Gong Bath.

You will experience the Gong Bath lying on a mat, head on a pillow, wrapped in a blanket with eyes closed.  This deep and lasting massage in sound, the effects of which continue long after the session as the body adjusts to the sounds and begins to come into balance.

“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, … and life to everything. It is the essence of order” ~ Plato (429 – 347)

With the majority of Gong Bathers reporting relief from a vast array of maladies ranging from chronic pain through to stress, anxiety, addiction, depression and fatigue; attesting release from spiritual conditions such as feeling disconnected, ungrounded and disillusioned, and claiming to have increased vitality, calmness, balanced emotions, feelings of self-empowerment, greater clarity, and improved creativity.  It may be that Gong sound is re-tuning those hard to reach areas!  And as every gong bath is an individual experience depending on where the individual is in their journey through life, and the sounds produced are entirely right for whoever is present at the time.

This workshop is for anyone interested in yoga, relaxation and sound healing, whether you are brand new or experienced in your practice.  Beginners are very welcome.

Julie began her exploration with yoga over twenty years ago. Initially as a means to deal with the stress of university studies but over time she developed a wider awareness of the benefits of yoga in her life.  Julie’s joy is teaching authentic yoga from the heart.  It is an inspiration to see the development and growth of students.  She has a passion for Yoga Nidra (Yoga Sleep) and loves to share the benefits of this powerful practices both in person and online.

Elaine draws from six years of experience in the Holistic Health field to develop a range of techniques to help improve health and wellbeing using sound, voice and mindfulness as therapeutic tools.  She is a Gong Master accredited by, and member of, the College of Sound Healing.

Come and enjoy relaxing yoga and bathe in the powerful vibrating tones of the Gong.

£35.00Add to cart

Click here for directions to The Ashtanga Yoga Workshop, Exeter.

 

Due to the demand for yoga at Exmouth Leisure Centre and frequently fully booked classes I have added an extra yoga class to Tuesdays daytime classes.

As from Tuesday 26 April, the daytime classes will be as follows:

Tuesdays, Yoga, 11.30am-12.30pm

Tuesdays, Yoga, 12.45-1.45pm

Tuesdays, Meditation, 2-2.30pm

Hopefully this will give you a greater opportunity to attend class at Exmouth Leisure Centre.  For full details of classes please visit my Events page.

I teach a variety of yoga styles but my main focus is on Hatha Yoga, a practice of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (yoga breathing exercises) which help bring peace to the mind and body, preparing the body for deeper spiritual practices such as meditation.  Hatha Yoga helps to develop fitness, balance, co-ordination, a sense of self-awareness and a deeper peace of mind.  A balanced and grounded practice that can be done by all abilities. It supports not just good exercise for the body but for clear ways to make healthy lifestyle changes in general.

For booking and enquiries please contact Exmouth Leisure Centre directly on 01395 266381 or visit their website.

I am currently seeking a Sidmouth venue to set up a weekly class in Sidmouth.  I will update you as soon as I have secured a venue.

To keep up to date with classes, events and retreats please sign up for my newsletter.

See you on the mat very soon!

 

There is much scientific evidence supporting the benefits of a Gratitude Diary. I have started a gratitude journal in the past and this year I am determined to keep up my practice. I have set myself the goal of writing 3 items in my Gratitude Diary each evening. I document positive events that have occurred for me during my day.

My aim is to maintain my Gratitude Diary until it becomes a habit. It’s a peaceful time to reflect on my day and to note what has gone well. Even on the most challenging of days we can find 3 items to add to the Gratitude Diary.

Benefits of a Gratitude Diary

  1. Well-Being:  Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress.
  2. Exercise: Those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).
  3. Empathy: People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others.  They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002).
  4. Materialism:  Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of wealthy persons; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons.
  5. Connection: Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others (McCullough et. al., 2002).
  6. Focus: The process will help you focus on what really matters.
  7. Self-awareness: Keeping a gratitude diary will help you learn more about yourself.
  8. Positive Vibe: A useful tool to use if you are feeling down. Shift your energy back to a positive vibe by reading your Gratitude Diary and seeing everything that you are thankful for.
  9. Goal Attainment: People who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based).
  10. Helping Others: Those that kept gratitude journals were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another, relative to the hassles or social comparison condition.

A few tips for maintaining a Gratitude Diary

  1. Purchase a beautiful book or diary to acknowledge the significance of your Gratitude Diary. A special place to record and journal.
  2. Plan to write your Gratitude Diary every night before bed. I find it easier to write at night so that I can reflect and process my day.
  3. Keep your Gratitude Diary to hand so that it is easily accessible at night such as by your bed.
  4. Set a number of things you are going to record each night. It can be between 3-10 items.
  5. Record whatever you are thankful for and it may differ from everyone else. This is your personal diary so record your own personal thoughts. It doesn’t have to be deep thoughts. You can record simple things such as “family”, “sunshine” and “this evening’s dinner”. Just record what feels right for you.
  6. Challenge yourself to come up with something new each day. Remember tiny things can have an effect such as noticing a rainbow, seeing new leaves on the trees. Be fully aware during your day and acknowledge these items in your diary.
  7. Have a gratitude partner. To establish healthy habits it is useful to share with others. Find a like-minded friend who you can share your Gratitude Diary and discuss the effects of the diary.

The best time to start your Gratitude Diary is NOW! Give it a go and experience the benefits for yourself.

Gratitude opens the door to…. the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude.” ~ Deepak Chopra

 

 

I’ve added a few sample Yoga Nidra (Yoga Sleep) meditations to Insight Timer, a meditation app with more than 600,000 registered users.

At Insight Timer they are committed to spreading the benefits of meditation and every day meditators play over 4,000 hours of guided meditations.

There are currently over 700 guided meditation tracks from people like Eckhart Tolle and Tara Brach. Some of the guided meditations have been individually downloaded over 250,000 times.

Visit Insight Timer to sign up.

Sign up to my monthly e-newsletter for free monthly downloads, news, events and much more!

All of my Yoga Nidra tracks are available for streaming with iTunes, Spotify and TIDAL.  Search under my spiritual name JAYADEVI.  You can also purchase as CDs or downloads via my online shop.

juliebladon.com

As we head into the festive season, I would like to thank the yogis that I have had the pleasure of sharing yoga with, all of my Lomi Lomi clients and those around the globe who have listened to my guided meditations. 

I am most grateful for your support, kindness and inspiration you have shown me over the year. It has been a wonderful and busy 2015.  I have had the pleasure of working with a wide array of yoga students in Devon, Wales and on retreat in Devon & Spain.

The two Yoga at the Beach sessions in the summer raised £203 for two charities.  A big thank you to everyone that supported these sessions.  I will plan Yoga at the Beach sessions for summer 2016.  It is always enjoyable doing yoga on the beach!

My yoga colleague, Jackie, and I had a great time at Wilderness Festival and Green Man.  We were part of the in-house therapist team for Wild Wellbeing. Festivals are VERY busy but always fun!

The Yoga Nidra workshops are proving very popular.  It is such an honour to share Yoga Nidra and to witness the true benefits of this practice.  I also love to hear from those around the globe who listen to my Yoga Nidra meditations especially children who really love Yoga Sleep.

The new Meditation Classes at Exmouth Leisure Centre have a regular group of dedicated students.  Here’s feedback from one of the students Thank you Julie, for helping us to understand meditation, the physical and spiritual health it brings us. A time to recharge our inner batteries, in our busy lives we all need some quiet time, realising that once we can find the time everything else seems to fall into place.”

Finally a big thank you to the venues, yoga studios and retreat centres that I work out of across the year.  Your support is always appreciated.

I will be taking a break to refresh and replenish ready for a busy 2016.  I will hopefully have some creative time to focus on exciting yoga developments in the pipeline, to finish the next draft of my children’s book, to write new guided meditations and have some time to “just be”.

2016 is already shaping up to be my busiest year to date!  Yoga Adventure in the Himalayas Tour in March, two Aloha Yoga Retreats on Dartmoor, Luxury Yoga Intensive in Greece, Yoga Nidra workshops in Exeter and Sidmouth, weekly yoga classes, weekly meditation classes, Lomi Lomi massages, new guided meditation downloads and yoga e-courses.

For upcoming weekly yoga classes, workshops and events click here.

I look forward to seeing you all in 2016!  Wishing you a peaceful, restful, happy and healthy Christmas & New Year.

The Christmas holidays and New Year can be hectic. Searching for the perfect gifts for everyone, completing work in advance of the holidays, Christmas parties, getting all of the food in, preparing food, making time to catch up with friends and family. We can become very frazzled and worn out. This holiday season is a perfect time to unplug from your devices and take a digital detox.

  • Take a Break from your devices

Do you find yourself spending endless hours staring at your computer or device screen? Get lost in endless links and find you have wasted hours surfing the internet. Take a break. Give yourself a rest. Get some exercise. Try yoga and meditation.  Spend some time in silent contemplation.  Spend quality time with friends and family. You’ll feel refreshed, you’ll have more focus, you will feel energised and less likely to become distracted.

  • Turn off your devices for better posture

By switching off your devices for an extended period of time you will begin to notice a better posture. An opening of the front of your body, shoulders moving back and realignment of your upper spine. Your energy will open up, you will interact more naturally with others, you will appear more approachable and you will be more present. This will lead to better eye contact, deeper conversations, a sense of relaxation and great empathy towards others.

  • Not in the bedroom

Winter is the time for rest, rejuvenation, reflection, time to go within and to slow down. It is important not to take devices to bed with you. Looking at screens late into the evening and in bed prevents you from switching off properly and will affect your natural sleeping patterns. The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin in the body which makes us more alert as we are going to sleep. You may find you are getting enough hours sleep but it may not be a high quality sleep. If you normally use your phone as an alarm clock, buy an alarm clock. Over the holidays you may have the opportunity not to set your alarm and allow yourself to catch up on sleep.

  • Have proper conversations to feel more connected

Create bonds with others by having proper conversations. Gain insight into someone’s mind by having conversations. Conversations can be memorable and engaging, you will learn new things about others and yourself. Don’t jump on Google to find the answer, allow the conversation to develop as you explore the answers. It’s a lot more fun!

  • Switch off to improve your memory

Even after a few days without technology, you are more likely to remember obscure details about others. Neuroscientists believe that this is because when people are more present in conversations, their brains are able to process and store new information more easily. With the many distractions of technology, our brains have been trained not to register seemingly insignificant details. These minor facts are actually very important in the process of bonding and learning about other people. Rather than taking endless photographs we can be present and in the moment, taking in the details and using all of our senses to absorb the information. We will have a greater recall of events when we are fully present.

  • Developing New Perspectives

When you are offline for a while, it gives you space to review your career or relationships. You may wish to address your habits surrounding your health, fitness and lifestyle. You can really focus on yourself and discover areas you wish to transform.

  • Get creative

Stepping away from your devices can allow you to find new ways to be creative and achieve a state of flow. This time and space will help original thinking and big ideas. You may wish to try something new such as dancing, singing, making Christmas cards, baking a cake, creating gifts, mindful colouring in, silent meditation. The list is endless, don’t limit yourself and give new things a try!

  • Change your morning routine

Instead of checking your social media or email first thing, write down on paper three things that you are grateful for. Appreciation can make you a happier person and more positive. Doing this evokes positive sentiments, so when you’re feeling low reading over this list can be a great reminder of all the good things in your life.

  • Get outside

Make the most of the great outdoors and lose yourself in green space. A day out without your phone can feel liberating. You will more fully absorb and appreciate your surroundings. Being in a natural environment does wonders for your clearing your mind. Getting out into daylight in winter can really help with our wellbeing and promote a more positive mood.

  • Ask a stranger for directions

Try not to rely on Google Maps for every turn. Asking somebody for directions forces us to engage in human connection. It could put a smile on your face, and theirs – people love knowing they’ve helped someone out. Plus, you could get some inside knowledge of the local area that a screen digital map couldn’t tell you.

  • Eat, drink and be merry… but don’t post it!

Enjoy the festive season. Have fun with friends and family. Experience great food and new places but please resist the urge to post every detail online. Switch off your phone and appreciate the present moment. Being present and mindful will make your Christmas even more memorable.

  • Start a digital swear-jar

To keep your good digital habitats going into the New Year you could start a digital “swear-jar” with friends, family or colleagues. Every time someone checks their phone mid conversation, they have to put money in the digital “swear-jar”.  This really highlights the amount that people use their phones while engaging with others. You can use the collection for a gadget free night out, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll raise funds!

Use this holiday period to balance and set new boundaries. Allow yourself to completely rest and rejuvenate. Take the time to gain control over your devices rather than the other way around!

Have wonderfully restful and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

I will be bringing the ever popular Yoga Nidra Workshops to Jala Flow Yoga Studio in Sidmouth as from February 2016.  There will be a regular programme of Nidra workshops across the year and I’m really pleased to have secured a dedicated yoga space for these blissful workshops.

Jala Flow Yoga launched in June 2015 and is a dedicated space to practice in the heart of Sidmouth.  Set in an attractive grade II listed building, conveniently located on the High Street.  And just a stone’s throw away from the beach!

I will shortly be updating my website with the new yoga terms for 2016 plus workshops across the year in Exeter, Sidmouth and Swansea.  Remember to book early as these workshops do fill up quickly!

If you are based in Sidmouth & the surrounding area and fancy attending class at Jala Flow Yoga they currently have a First Class Half Price offer available.  Also if you are out of area, they have a weekly pass for visitors to the area.