Celebration Season
December is probably my favorite time of the year. All in one month, it’s my birthday, my husband’s birthday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve ! Plus all the end-of-year and holiday parties happening : so many reasons to celebrate, give and receive.
With this in mind, here’s a mindful gift guide, along with a not-so-cheesy Christmas playlist. I know the holidays can also fuel anxiety and be a source of stress, so if you’re not into December, take it easy and now more than ever, take care of yourself. This month in class we’ll focus on tuning in and listening to the little voice inside us, sometimes called intuition :) Wishing everyone a joyful and festive holiday season !!
Happiness is reading books, sipping tea and practicing yoga !
1. Give the gift of yoga ! - 2. A bolster is a great investment and this one looks extra cozy - 3. Carl Jung’s iconic red book about his own subconscious study - 4. Yoga tune-up therapy balls are great massage companions - 5. Gecko cork yoga mat and blocks, all made naturally in Portugal - 6. Jon Kabat Zinn’s classic book about mindfulness - 7. Marta Cypel’s tea set - 8. Damann’s Christmas Rooibos tea.
FROM THE STUDIO
Food for thought !
I copied this phrase spotted on a Lisbon’s window onto my vision board and I cannot get over it.
A FEW THINGS I ENJOYED LATELY
“Mindfulness could be medicine for the planet. We need to wake up.”
Have you ever listened to a podcast twice ? Me neither, until this one.
In it, Rick Rubin interviews Jon Kabat-Zinn and I found the amount of wisdom that emanates from these two brilliant minds awe-inspiring. It will make you want to start or resume a meditation practice, to take care of yourself, and of the world around us.
If you’re not familiar with Jon Kabat-Zinn, I highly recommend checking out his work. A professor of medicine, a student of Zen and Buddhism and a long time meditator, he created the worldwide renowned MBSR program to help alleviate stress and illness symptoms through mindfulness. He wrote a dozen of books on that topic and the most famous one, Wherever you go, there you are, is a classic of wellness literature.
And a quote, why not, from their conversation : “Meditative awareness now seems to me like a karmic assignment for humanity as a whole so we don’t destroy this beautiful gem of a planet.”
Love after Love
He also reads this beautiful poem during the episode, which goes well with the December spirit of celebration.
RETREATS
2025 is around the corner. Next year, I will be leading 7 retreats in total with Namastrip !
In Ericeira, a new format: surf & yoga, in an ocean-facing lodge:
April 9 - 13
May 27 - 31
And I’ll be going back to Villa Epicurea (pictured here):
April 23 - 27
May 7 - 11
June 5 - 9
September 10 - 14
October 1 - 5
Both are located 40 minutes away from Lisbon and all the logistics are taken care of. All you need is to show up for yourself and enjoy some special me-time immersed in the beautiful oceanic nature of Portugal.
I’m also working on organizing a retreat of my own for next year, and I am considering doing one corporate retreat in 2025. Contact me directly to learn more.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Our theme in class for December is Tuning In, or Listening to the voice inside (Pratyahara). Expect lots of forward folding poses, 5 minutes of meditation + 10 minutes of Savasana at the end of each class.
Baby & Me - Prenatal & Postnatal (babies welcome!)
Every Tuesday 10h30 at Mrs Lemon (bookings through their site)
All the following classes take place at Studio Organic Flow:
Yin-Yang Yoga (Hatha & Yin)
Every Tuesday 18h15
Mindful Flow (Vinyasa)
Every Wednesday 8h45
Baby & Me - Prenatal & Postnatal (babies welcome!)
Every Wednesday 11h
Classes end on December 18th and will resume on January 7th.
✨ FROM LISBON, WITH LIGHT ✨
