First rose
of the year spotted in the garden, with more to come.
First venture outdoors
for our kitty, Buzz . First time outside since the attack. It took just half an hour before, predictably, he returned home with a bleeding ear. He's been advised to steer clear of the bully cat. Has he heeded the advice? Time will tell.
First yoga retreat
No laptop. No television. No radio. No newspapers. Just three days of yoga, meditation, a rain soaked country walk, relaxation and patting the friendliest of dogs (his muzzle was to prevent unsavoury diet choices) in a stunning house in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, just half an hour's drive from here. En route, I was anxious about spending so much time in the company of eight strangers, telling myself I could easily return home if it really wasn't for me.
But it was wonderful. Amazing. Perfect. I didn't want to leave.
First taste of Kundalini yoga
I had no idea what to expect, naively assuming that one type of yoga was pretty much like any other. I mean, I do hatha and ashtanga classes every week, it surely couldn't be that different.
Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a clue when the yoga teacher appeared in her white garb, her head tightly wrapped in what I thought was a tea towel but turned out to be a white scarf, and as she proceeded to sit on a white sheepskin. (I was the exact opposite in head to foot black. And no sheepskin.)
Kundalini is a detoxing yoga, aimed at raising energy through the spine ('awakening the snake') and practice is based on kriyas and meditations and chants, some of which felt (and sounded) more haka than anything else. Involving many many repetitions (sometimes for 15 minutes and longer), with eyes closed throughout, it's challenging (at times highly challenging), it shakes you up (literally!), it's sweaty and it's seriously crazy weird (have a look here to get an idea). But, despite (or because) all of that, I now want to incorporate elements into my home practice. Though I'll no doubt end up scaring the cats and Boo (they're often an uninvited audience and spooked by downward dog), in the process.
First foray into raw vegan eating
All of the meals served during the retreat were raw vegan and I loved them. There were mutterings along the lines of 'This would be lovely with some crispy bacon on top' around the table, but I enjoyed every single plate or bowl of food that was placed in front of me. The promise of afternoon tea certainly had pulses racing. Excitement quickly subsided when the two raw cacao truffles per person appeared. They were, however, delicious and I purchased the recipe book to have a go at making a batch at home, along with some of the other dishes (I'll eat them, the other two here will more than likely pass).
I do foresee a dehydrator coming into my life (and kitchen) in the near future. The Boy is already anticipating a real life rerun of a certain episode of Friends.