February 2018

Dear Yogis

It’s March already! Time is flying by! I hope your February was filled with love in all it’s forms J Speaking of love… which yoga pose do you love the most? I wrote a little something about this for the Surf Maroc blog. Check it out!

I’m DELIGHTED to welcome you to my first guest blog by my wonderful friend Ellen Carr. I’m asked SO often about my major lifestyle change in leaving a legal career and then corporate job in the city to be a yoga teacher. It’s something that seems to capture people’s imagination so… introducing Ellen – another creative yogi, brave enough to live her truth and dare to change. Read her beautifully written article Truth + Dare here.

If you’re passing through Morocco come and see me or take a look at my upcoming retreats. Psssssst… there’s one in Sussex for UK based yogis J  

Peace & light

Catherine x

RETREATS

For me it began as a nagging feeling that grew, until something inside me was constantly saying “I’m not where I’m meant to be. I’m not fulfilling purpose”. It took years before I truly listened and acted on this, maybe it’s the same for you. Whatever stage you’re at in your journey to living your truth, I want to encourage you to listen to that voice and explore where it takes you. Yes, we can numb it out but the life we lead in doing so is nothing compared to how rich life can be when we get curious about finding our truth.

Change isn’t easy, and moving towards living our truth is a bold and daring thing to do. It forces us to confront our shadows and consistently show up to do the work to keep moving one step closer. I thought I was working on this for years. What I was actually doing was waiting for my life to change for me.

Fresh from a Drama and English Literature degree I set up my theatre company and waited for big opportunities to come my way. I spent five years struggling along and wondering when the life I wanted was going to start. In 2016 I eventually realised nothing was going to happen if I didn’t give it my all. I spent some time thinking about what it was I really wanted. What did my ideal, purpose driven life look like? What did I believe my truth, or purpose in the world (my dharma), to be?

I’d thought the dream was to be a full-time theatre maker, but when I truly considered it I knew that was neither sustainable nor what I really wanted. Intuitively I’d known this, which is why I hadn’t made any real progress on my presumed dream. When I finally started to listen to myself, and follow my curiosities different paths began to open up.

I got curious about deepening my yoga practice, and followed that to completing my yoga teacher training in 2017. I read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and got curious about spending a year working on my own happiness levels. This lead to me re-starting a blog, developing my passion for writing and eventually considering starting my own business. I’m now at a place where I’ve re-launched my website and am growing a business blending yoga and creativity to help people connect to their bodies, creativity and joy. And I’m doing this alongside continuing to develop my theatre company.

This journey has really only just begun, and I’m constantly evolving, but I feel so much closer to my truth now than I did a few years ago. You might wonder what that feels like. To me it feels vulnerable, totally terrifying and thrilling. It’s the big kind of fear, the kind that comes from leaping into the unknown. At the same time it feels deeply right and supported.  Trust me, and yourself, you’ll know it when you feel it.

I believe we owe it to ourselves to stay curious, to frequently check in to see how the life we’re leading aligns with our truth. Perhaps you’ve had that nagging feeling for a while. Maybe it’s brand new, or you don’t have it at all. Wherever you’re at I encourage you to take a few quiet moments to breathe, and see what comes up. Meditate on the question, am I living my truth? Get curious about what your truth looks like, and follow those curiosities. It doesn’t have to mean radical overhaul of your life, it could be ten minutes a day to explore. Trust yourself, follow your gut feeling and your intuition. Know it won’t always be easy, but that it will always be worth it.

Ellen runs Being Change where she helps people connect to their bodies, intuition and joy. She teaches yoga classes in Manchester, UK and writes about yoga, holistic wellbeing, creativity and the big and small ways we can change our lives. Find out more and read her blog at being-change.com.

 Follow Ellen

Instagram @being_change

Twitter @_being_change

Pinterest @being_change

We’re feeling all the love at Surf Maroc, especially for our new yogis who you can find relaxing and revitalising our guests in our new Amouage shala daily and Villa Mandala with our Yoga Surf Retreats. Getting to know them a little more, we’ve asked them more about their love of yoga!

AIDA – YOGA MANAGER

Why you love yoga?

There’s so many styles of yoga you can practice: dynamic, restorative, meditation, etc. But it’s all about one thing: being involved physically and mentally during the time on your mat. Just being aware of you and your body for a moment.  On the physical side, I do love and practice yoga because it is the only time I think about nothing but my breath. The only time that the breath gives you the movement. I don’t think there are any physical other activities which give you this awareness. And, talking about Valentine’s Day, yoga has literally changed my life: new country, new job and found my beloved! These are the reasons I love yoga.

What do you love about working/teaching at Surf Maroc?

Managing the yoga for Surf Maroc is not simply a job, it’s a way of life – it’s all about sharing with people who choose to join us. Through yoga, we want to offer a new experience to anyone new or use to this practice. My goal is to offer the best yoga with best teachers even if you’re far from home and your favourite studio.

And a yoga pose you love?

I love all poses from relaxation to advanced inversion. However, contemporary dance is what brought me to yoga, so more naturally my favourite pose is the Dancer Pose. It’s very aesthetic and requires balance, strength, focus.

STEFFI

Why do you love yoga?

It’s the longest relationship in my life so far so there must be something about it! I instantly fell in love with the holistic approach of yoga – the physical combined with the deep philosophy. I love that yoga is about progressing, so you’re constantly learning and finding inner peace as you develop your yoga for your needs. Yoga never wants us to look a certain way. In yoga we’re perfect how we are…right now!

What do you love about working/teaching at Surf Maroc?

Teaching means I can share my passion with everyone – playing with poses to find your rhythm and breath. Connecting breath and movement helps to calm the mind and stay focused while having fun and being present, which relates to surfing! When I came to Surf Maroc last year as a guest, I felt they created the perfect space for yoga and surfing. The teams and guests are all open-minded and welcoming, and it’s a place where people of all levels of yoga and surfing come together, making it a wonderful workspace!

And a yoga pose you love?

In Yin Yoga, I love Saddle Pose. It’s a deep backbend to opens up the whole front of your body. To me, it’s total surrender and perfect to find relaxation. But more dynamically I love Warrior III/Aeroplane Pose! It’s the challenge of finding balance mentally and physically, to stay calm when life is testing your inner peace.

CATHERINE

Why you love yoga?

Yoga returns me to my natural state – I feel free, grounded, balanced and ALIVE after practising. Yoga isn’t just about the physical practice (this is a tiny part), it’s a way of life that heals the mind and body. This is why so many people want to share their love of yoga!

What do you love about working/teaching at Surf Maroc?

I love meeting the many interesting souls who come for yoga, surf, to relax and unwind. It’s a wonderful opportunity to practice and learn from so many people from all over the world in such a beautiful setting!

And a yoga pose you love?

The pose I love and my favourite is Corpse Pose/Savasana. This is where the magic happens! It’s a chance for “rebirth” at the end of the physical practice part of the class. All the benefits of the physical practice, the breath and the mindfulness all sink into the body in this place for completely stillness and meditation. When you “wake up” from Savasana it’s the time for a new start, a new beginning, a new chance.

Like me, add in a bolster under the knees, a blanket, lavender eye pillow and the sound of the ocean waves. Ahh bliss!

You can join our yogis for a class every day at Amouage, or check out our Yoga Surf Retreats at Villa Mandala for a gorgeous getaway.