The weather has been crazy this month in France! We have pretty much experienced the end of summer and the 1st signs of winter all at the same time – on the same day! Going from sun & warmth to sudden cold temperatures and rain showers, and then back to warm again and cold again…
Who can deny Global warming with weather like this… the recent devastating hurricanes in the US… It does make you think of how this affects the weather in the world and of the results on Mother Nature…
Talking of Mother Nature… My dad does live in one stunning part of France! Gorgeous traditional country house, located in a small village in the Centre Region, surrounded by the most beautiful sights of fields, woods and rivers, far from the hustle of city madness but not so far if in need of a quick fix!
He recently retired and decided to leave his Parisian life behind for somewhere more calm. This has always been his dream for as far as I can remember, you see his passions are nature, outdoors, books and music (Definitely my dad!) so needless to say that his choice of moving to this secluded home of joys totally made sense and was going to fulfil those passions and make him very happy.
The second I walked into this house for the first time it felt like home, the calm and positive energy coming from the walls was undeniable and the peacefulness of the surroundings was breath-taking. So every time I come and visit I feel like I am going on a retreat, I spend my days going for long walks, pampering myself, eating delicious food, working in and out of the house with my dad, doing yoga and reading… Blissful…
I maintain my daily Yoga practice, starting first thing in the morning most days, unless I decide to experiment with the type of practice I am doing then in that case I practice when it feels like it will be the most beneficial. I have been spending these 2 weeks here in France playing with my practice, trying out pre natal sequences, body balance flows, restorative sessions and have done more Savasana and relaxation than ever. Mindfulness meditation is my absolute favourite practice and so I always make the most of it whilst I am here, impossible not to in this environment! I also love to experiment with where I will roll my matt out, the sunny days got me out and about flowing in the gardens, by the pool, on the terrace… and on the rainy days I practiced in pretty much every room of the house, the spacious ones and the not so spacious ones. I love changing surroundings and feel the effects on my focus and breath.
Reading has been a huge part of my trip too, I nourished myself with books on specialised yoga, self development, entrepreneurship, journal articles on my favourite yoga practices, researched possible worshops etc… I have never felt as eager to learn more than since finishing my Teaching course, I know that I will forever be a student and Yogi (with)in the making… and this excites me a lot!!!
These 2 weeks sound like Yogi heaven don’t they? I would recommend everyone to take whatever opportunity they can to step out of their usual routine and find a place of calm, like I have. I feel so lucky and grateful to have this place in my life and look forward to hearing about your special places so that we can share all the wonderful experiences, memories and learnings we have together.
Julie – Within The Making
