A few weeks back, one of the editors of Bad Yogi Blog asked if I would like to be interviewed for their #NOFILTER campaign which is basically yogis expressing how they truly feel, it’s totally honest, organic and not delicately wrapped in fluff.

“Success to me is freedom to be myself; it is knowing nobody has power over you so go do those things that make you happy! To know that essentially we’ve only got one life we need to make the most of it, so enjoy it and if we do reincarnate then its so important to truly love, forgive, be kind and take pleasure in happiness because you don’t want to bring any karmic shit back into your next life! Success is living in the moment whether that is reading a good book on a rainy afternoon or skinny-dipping under the full moon. Success is enjoying your human body; it is the outfit your soul has chosen to wear. Success is never giving up and knowing that money, cars, fancy things do not measure how successfully you are living life because all those things are shallow and you can’t take them with you when you die, success is the falling away of societal pressure to be “normal”, it is just being yourself which is sadly seen as abnormal, so go be beautifully peculiar!”

You can read the full interview here:BAD YOGI #NOFILTER INTERVIEW: KATIE NESS

In this article published with Yogi Approved I write a little bit about my first ever class I taught and discuss the 7 things I have learned as a newbie kids yoga teacher. I had a great time writing this because it was just so nice to reminisce about my summer spent working at the Language school…

“I was a newly qualified kids yoga teacher . . . fresh out of my training, with bundles of ideas. Amidst all of my excitement, I agreed to teach my first yoga class. Soon, my commitment sank in and the nerves did as well. I was worried if this was something I could truly facilitate or if it was a huge mistake.

Prior to this, I taught art workshops and belly dance classes in the community. But teaching yoga is very different than teaching art, and all the knowledge I gained from my previous teaching experience went out the window. I had to tap into my intuition and just go with the flow. Que Sera, Sera!…”

View the full article here: 7 simple pieces of advice for teaching yoga to kids

After a summer hiatus from writing due to working at a language school I have recently had an article published with Yogi Approved. This article is a short yoga session to calm your kids ready for the day or as a cool down from a sports activity in prep for afternoon lessons. It helps them get rid of the silly wriggles and encourages focus towards their lessons. This is a great activity for teachers, parents & care givers who might want to help hyperactive children to settle down. I wrote this piece based on what I learned in my teacher training fused with my experience at the language school and it is also has an optional art activity to end the session because I am very passionate at the moment about mixing yoga and art together and I really believe it works.

Visit the link here to read more: Calm your Kiddo with this Yoga Sequence

My absolute last article until September is up! I am taking a mini summer hiatus whilst I am working two jobs plus being busy with creating promo material for my kids yoga class side business and designing my illustrated poetry book which will consist of 50 poems and about 10 short prose. I am drafting up a prose poem for Bad yogi to be published late summer/early Autumn as well so do stay tuned for that!

So this article is a review of ten amazing yoga products for kids, these are great tools to use to encourage children to start a yoga practice or even continue on their yoga journey. I had a lot of fun working on this product review, it is amazing to see so many wonderful things being created that a teacher can add to their yoga class as extra props. I would totally include the Meddy Teddy in an adult class too just to encourage adults to tap into their inner child during the session, why not?

Check out the article here: 10 Products to Help Introduce Your Child to Yoga

A while ago I interviewed the lovely Krista Marie Starr for Yogi Approved. My most recent article has just been published in which I interview the beautiful Rachel Wainwright and we discuss her journey from Yogi to teacher to being the founder of Exhale yoga retreats & teacher trainings. Rachel is very good friends with Meghan Currie and they work together closely to create amazing yoga teacher trainings in Bali and Nicaragua.
Rachel was a delight to interview so without further adieu follow the link here:
Get to know a Yogi: Rachel Wainwright

This is my first ever Yoga video. it’s short and sweet and it started out as tester clips for Jon who was playing around with his new Gimbal which is a type of steady Cam to help him create sweeping, fluid movements for his travel videos.

We went for a walk around a nearby woodland and nature trail and Jon just needed a moving model to practice working with this Gimbal. My yoga is progressing every day but I found it difficult to perform on the spot and also think up poses that would work well for a specific shot. Because I am not fluent in yoga sequencing (other than sun & moon salutations) I could not think up asanas that work with each other but I didn’t let that get me down because this video was spontaneous and playful, it wasn’t meant to be anything special in terms of me being a fricken amazing yogi performing cool stunts but it is special as a memory of a time and a place Jon & I love.

The chosen song is ‘Such great heights’ by Iron & Wine and it is a favourite of mine.

In connection to the physical body, the Crown chakra is the entry point for the human life-force which pours abundantly into the body’s energy system from the greater universe (God or the Tao). It is this force that nourishes the body, mind and spirit, and it distributes this energy throughout the physical body and down the lower chakras.

This is why activating the Kundalini energy and the Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala (the main nadis, or energy channels of the body) is vitally important because it not only encourages energy from the base to rise up, but it also enables the Crown chakra energy to freely flow around the body and into the lower chakras.

The seventh chakra influences the major body systems: the central nervous, muscular and skin. Therefore skin issues such as rashes, acne or eczema could mean your Crown chakra is in dis-harmony.

On an emotional level, the Crown chakra generates devotion, inspirational and prophetic thought, mystical connections and transcendental ideas. Having incredible dreams lately? It could be your Crown chakra communicating with you.
To read more, click here: The Crown Chakra: How it connects you to the divine.

Opening the mind and discriminating between thoughts motivated by strength, fear and illusion are all challenges of the sixth chakra. It is learning to develop an impersonal mind and detaching oneself from physical and mental illusions. We can transcend our thoughts, worries, and fears to know our souls truly from within.

The third eye holds a unique combination of facts, fears, personal experiences and memories that are continually active within the energy of the mental body.

Deciphering what we believe to be true and what is genuinely true is at the core of this chakra. Sometimes a negative memory can manifest as truth to an individual later in life. For example, if a person is made to believe they are fat or ugly their entire life, then this can manifest as fact within their thought patterns and as a result, they will develop body dysmorphia and low self-esteem.

To read more, click here: The Third Eye Chakra: How It Connects Us to Our Intuition

The throat chakra is connected to the way you express your life with utmost authenticity. It is about communicating your thoughts, feelings, and intentions clearly and accurately. The throat chakra, also known as the Vishuddha, is the place where we work on expanding our voice and the power of will.

The sacred truth of the Vishuddha is that every choice we make – every thought, every word, and every action is an act of power that has consequences on a biological, environmental, social, personal and global scale. For example: If you choose to stay at home all day watching television and moan about it, you are vocalizing that you are unhappy with your choice but don’t have the willpower to make changes.

In short, your thoughts become things, and this potential of creation stems from the power of the throat chakra.
To read more click here: The Throat Chakra: How it impacts your ability to communicate

The heart chakra is the central powerhouse of the subtle body. This is the focal point or bridge that connects the first three chakras relating to the external world to the three higher chakras associated with intuition and spirituality. The heart is the mediator between body and spirit, and it directly determines their strength and health.

The heart chakra, or Anahata, deals with unconditional love and emotional power. At its core, this chakra is emotional and propels us to enhance our emotional development. The heart embodies a gentle wisdom that teaches us the ways of love and compassion. It is in this fourth chakra that we begin to recognize that the most powerful energy on earth is Love….

To read more click here: The Heart Chakra: How it impacts your ability to love & be loved