Shining through darkness
Halloween was my favorite time of the year back in the US : nothing beats the annual dog parade in Tompkins square park in NYC or the incredible decors of Montana Avenue houses in Santa Monica. I’m always a bit nostalgic about life in America come October. Even though it does not hit the same here, I still very much enjoy getting into the Fall spirit. No pumpkin spice everything, no haunted houses, no pumpkin patch or pumpkin carving, no vibrant fall foliage, but we’ve had wonderful colors in the sky lately, stunning sunrises and sunsets, a few last warm beach days, and the kids will still get to wear witchy costumes and trick or treat.
Days will now be shorter and shorter until the winter solstice so we’ll try to harness the light in our practice by focusing on heart opening poses. Backbends are a great way to energize the body and to bring the light in during the darker months. On the bright side, at least from this side of the world all the US election drama may feel slightly less stressful…? Happy Halloween, may we embrace the light, this November and always.
NEWS FROM THE STUDIO
I had an amazing time teaching & speaking at the latest Wodo Lisbon networking event in Costa de Caparica a few weeks ago !
After a yoga session by the beach, we hit the waves for a surf session and ended on a high note with a podcast recording, discussing the power of movement & mindfulness in self-reconnection
A few days later, Voilà Wellness organized a first Wellness week for Proman, an engineering company with an office here in Lisbon, featuring 7 insightful talks & workshops over 3 days.
The topics included Emotional Regulation, Nutrition, Science of Sleep, Burnout Prevention, and Desk Yoga & Meditation. The event was a success and the feedback overwhelmingly positive :)
A FEW THINGS I ENJOYED LATELY
Looking up on a late afternoon walk in Largo do Intendente, I stumbled upon those 2 incredible buildings I had never seen before. I’ve been looking at Lisbon with fresh eyes since September: it took me almost 2 years and a new home to truly enjoy living here and I’m now learning to appreciate the combination of historic beauty and modern rawness of the city. I write more about feeling at home in this month’s Substack letter. You can subscribe here to receive it.
And a quote, why not. “You cannot go anywhere to get what you already have and you cannot do anything to become what you already are.” This phrase by American author Hale Dowskin got me thinking about appreciating to be where we are right at this moment, physically and mentally.
Lastly, here are a few things I loved in October: this newsletter, this inspiring article, this new album from a forgotten band, this podcast (in French) and this poem.
NAMASTRIP RETREATS
Le dernier séjour 2024 à la Villa Epicurea la semaine prochaine (du 7 au 11 novembre) est complet.
Les dates pour 2025 sont en ligne ! J’encadrerai à nouveau 5 stages l'année prochaine dans le même lieu, ainsi que 2 autres (surf & yoga) à Ericeira (aussi à 45 min de Lisbonne). Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus.
Jusqu'au 11 novembre, il y a une promo early bird sur la plupart des séjours :)
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Our theme in class for November is Heart Openers. Let’s bring the light in !
🤰👩🍼 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
✨ FROM LISBON, WITH LIGHT ✨
