Women on Fire! Inspirational Menopause…..are you ready?

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Finding Voice

The Initiatory Journey of Menopause – awakening our fire!

It’s both an ending and a beginning……

Menopause brings with it new clarity and creativity, and a letting go of the things that hold us back from being the fullest expression of ourselves.  It can arrive like an earthquake, or ease in gently!  And arrive it will!  But know that with it comes liberation and new life.  Many women make important changes in their lives at this transition, finding a deeper happiness and fulfilment than ever before.  They become true to themselves.

For me, menopause is for sure a change, but a change that brings many rewards, and gives permission to say ‘YES!’ to ourselves, possibly for the first time in our lives. So hang on to your hat (and they may get funkier as you get wiser!)  and get ready; this is our time!  Menopause is first and foremost about honouring our own deepest needs, time to look at the things we have put aside and discover who we truly are.  A relinquishing of the drive to ‘accomplish’ and in its place, a passion slowly awakens for a new way of being, both in our bodies and souls, and in the world we inhabit.  We don’t lose our passion, it is simply channelled in a deeply rooted, more nourishing way.

This is the time when rest and renewal are non-negotiable.  To down tools and reflect on our lives and the direction we want to take.  It’s exciting!  Change indeed is on the horizon, and oh how joyous to take quiet times, reflective time, time with other woman going through the transition, and get to know ourselves a bit better.   And the quiet times reward us with renewed energy for the things that REALLY matter to us.

When we delve into the deeper mysteries of the menopause journey, much resistance falls away…. and as a result, many of the ‘symptoms’ fall away too.  And just maybe – those hot flushes are to set us on fire in a positive way!

Come along and learn more at inspiring afternoon workshops for women in peri-menopause or menopause, or indeed for any woman that wants to know herself better and prepare well for the journey.  There is nothing like a supportive group of women all on the same track to inspire, heal and bring joy and laughter to the experience.  You will gain support, understanding, tools and techniques.  Gentle and nourishing women’s yoga and enjoy a session of sublime relaxation to send you off home relaxed and at ease.

Saturday 27th April and Saturday 9th November (Horsham)

Reigate date to be added soon

More info and bookings here

All blessings Nalini x

Healing herbs, yoga and women’s wellness

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Rhythms of Life Workshop Sunday 3rd March

Nourishing yoga especially for women.  Exploring the rhythms of women’s lives, practicing some lovely, gentle yoga and nidra, and delving a little into how nature is encoded in our bodies.  Practices that support women during menstruation, menopause, pre and post pregnancy, a softer approach that honours women’s bodies and minds. Full details and bookings here

Spring is in the air!  Gorgeously misty mornings this week with the sun breaking through and warming the bones, feels sooo good!   The birds are busy busy and huge bumblebees out and about checking out my garden….Daphne is in flower with its heady jasmine-like scent, hellibores and snowdrops everywhere and new life really stirring now.  Lighter evenings always amaze me when they start happening, despite the fact that it happens every year!  The way the seasons and the light changes always brings such delight and awe.  Means the juicer needs to come out now so I can shift the mince pies off my middle!  What is it about winter that makes carbs and cakes so attractive?!

Prairie Garden
Prairies Workshop Space

Lots happening this year, there’s a great mix including lots of women’s workshops (two dedicated to menopause), dance and of course my witchy herby workshops where you can come and learn some ‘practical magic’ about the healing properties of herbs and wild plants and make some luscious natural products for body and soul while you are at it.

New women’s wellness yoga class has just started in Horsham, Tuesdays at 5.30 too – really gentle and healing yoga and relaxation, yummy!

Full list of events can be found on my website and these are the upcoming ones.  Please always feel free to contact me if you would like to know more about an event.  Private meditation group for the teachings of Yogananda open to those of you that really want to make meditation a part of your daily life.  I will be running this at home on a monthly basis, sharing the key meditation practices that bring calm and joy into our lives.

Spring newsletter on its way once Equinox arrives, full of tips for using all those wild plants and herbs to help bring some new energy into both body and mind! Enjoy this glorious sunshine! All blessings Nalini xx

WHEN EVENT
Sunday 3rd March
10.30 – 13.30		 Feminine Essence of Yoga Workshop
Total Therapy Studios Horsham
Saturday 16th March,

and 13th April 11.00 – 13.00

 Nourish, Rest and Restore – Yoga for Women
Yogaananda Reigate
Sunday 17th March
10.30 -12.30		 Rhythms of the Heart Dancemantra
Handcross (near Horsham)
Saturday 27th April
2pm – 5pm		 Menopause – easing the journey.
Horsham
Saturday 18th May
11am – 1pm		 Dissolving in the Dance Dancemantra
Horsham
Saturday 22nd June
10am to 2pm		 Practical Magic Herbs Workshop
Sussex Praries Garden, Henfield
Saturday 13th July
2pm – 4pm		 Dare to Rest!
Horsham

Imbolc – mid point between winter and spring

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Symbols of Hope…Photo by Kiwihug on Unsplash

Imbolc, time of frosty mornings and new life stirring….

Isn’t that good news?  We are at the half-way point between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox, and moving in the right direction as nights already draw out.  And yet we are in the coldest days of the year too.  The earth is frozen tonight, but it hasn’t stopped those determined little beacons of light – snowdrops- from making their welcome appearance!  The earth is still resting, but she’s kind of having a little stretch and yawn as she contemplates putting in some hours to dedicate to the birth of the coming Spring!  She’s not quite ready to throw off her blanket of snow and get to it, but she’s certainly on the case on the quiet!

Life stirs beneath the surface, the heart of the earth is beginning to pulse with the promise of new life yet to come.  Those tender little snowdrops are a real symbol of hope, showing that anything is possible.  And Imbolc signifies new life beginning to stir in us too as we dream into our ideas and start seriously considering what it is we are going to sow in the spring.  Plants and herbs no doubt, and also our ideas and aspirations for new projects or new ways of being.

Moving towards Spring can be quite a challenging transition as the weather can be bitterly cold and icy winds seem to strip us clean of all that needs to be left behind.  So take things easy, there’s no rush.  Let ideas simmer gently now and let your imagination do the work.  Still a good excuse to indulge in hot chocolate!  Imbolc is also the festival of Brigid, the Celtic Goddess of the hearth, bringing a little welcome warmth into our hearts with her fiery nature.

Use our healing herbal allies to stay well – echinacea to boost the immune system, sage or thyme tea to soothe colds and coughs and fight infection.  Maybe you collected some rosehips from the wild rose in Autumn to make some super Vitamin C rich elixir?  Ah, well, don’t worry if you didn’t, just stick it in your diary for this Autumn.

Lots of great events going on this year, check in on the classes and events page for more details…there’s a lovely mix of stuff including new nourishing yoga and nidra classes, menopause workshops, lots of healing Dancemantra, and a Practical Magic herb workshop in June at the Sussex Prairie Gardens (first time at this new venue, it’s amazing!).  A second date is about to be added in September too..so if you want to come make some of that magical rosehip Vitamin C stuff, here’s your chance!  Nature has so much to offer us for natural healing without having to head off to the chemist.  Nettles will be shooting up soon, perfect for making a spring detox tea.  Well, maybe not right now but it won’t be long!

Imbolc blessings

Nalini x

 

 

 

Honouring the Divine Feminine – New Year Workshop

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NOURISH, REST AND RESTORE WOMEN’S WORKSHOP

Sunday 20th January 10.30 – 1.30 at Lower Beeding Village Hall near Horsham

Gentle Yoga, dance, ritual, journalling – delicious time-out

Expressing our aspirations for the New Year through dance and gentle yoga. Connecting with our heart energy, the earth, the elements, the chakras and the world around us…

Visioning and dreaming into our heartfelt intentions through journalling, candles, flowers…relaxing into a deliciously nourishing session of Yoga Nidra and closing with a life-affirming ritual to light up our year. Ritual is a way of taking a pause on our life path to see more clearly where we are at and where we are heading….just perfect for the New Year!
Moon is waxing too as we head towards the workshop and will be full on the day which is awesome – her energy will double whammy our intentions!

THIS WILL BE A SUBLIME WORKSHOP AND A BEAUTIFUL AFFIRMATION OF THE NEW YEAR.

Gently honouring our femininity through dance, yoga and ritual, feeling our connection with ourselves, each other and the nourishing Divine Mother energy of our earth. Gracious time-out for us to rest, relax and restore.

£30 bookings can be made online at https://www.naliniwellness.com/classes-groups-retreats-workshops/.
Bring a blanket, cushion, mat and warm socks. And a journal if you have one (paper and pens, candles etc will be provided though) x

New Year – New Beginnings..

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So many blessings to you all as we ease into the New Year, may it be filled with love, peace, inspiration and growth.

I had some lovely, quiet down time between Christmas and the New Year, time to reflect, rest and rejuvenate.  I realise how deeply rest is needed.  We have such busy lives and don’t always give ourselves permission to drop the ball and sink into quietness and relaxation.  I did loads of Yoga Nidra during my quiet time and feel so much better for it.  And also see how much more productive and creative I am when I give myself the down time.  It’s easy to just keep ploughing on without stopping, but is it worthwhile?  If we don’t slow down, we tend to ‘react’ to life from habitual thinking and conditioning, rather than ‘respond’.  By slowing down, we have the possibility to see where we are putting our energy and time, if we are using them wisely, and what is really important for us.  I know for me, that when I rush through life, I make mistakes, get in a muddle and end up chasing my tail.  So my intention for the year is to slow things down a bit…and I know that by doing that, I am more likely, paradoxically, to be more productive and creative!  And feel much better too.

What are your dreams and aspirations for your life this year?  Rather than setting the usual resolutions (which is too hard a word to use and usually leads to failure), how about pondering intentions instead.  Rather than setting ourselves up for failure, can we be kinder and more gentle with ourselves?  The classic of course, after all those mince pies and goodies, is to set a resolution to lose a stone or whatever it looks like.  How often have you set a resolution only to abandon it a week or so later?  How about having the intention to eat more healthily and watch the goodies, to treat ourselves to a relaxation or yoga class weekly, instead of setting a target amount to lose?  Just an example of how we can be gentle rather than hard.  Intentions are about easing into a new way of being without bashing ourselves over the head – maybe taking a moment to light a candle as you make your intention.  Candles always help me to bring some light to what it is I am easing into, and makes it a sacred moment.

Women’s Workshop – New Year, New Beginnings

Sunday 20th January 10.30am – 1.30pm

I am holding an exquisite workshop on Sunday 20th January especially for women, as a blessing for our New Year- New Beginnings.  Why not come along and align with your intentions, supporting and nourishing each other?  It is such a healing act for women to spend time with other like-minded women in a circle of sacred sisterhood, and to honour ourselves with self-nurture and support.  I do hope you will join us for this magical event.

New classes also starting this year – Nourishing Yoga and Yoga Nidra – and dedicated Women’s Wellness Yoga monthly class for mornings of deep self-care and joyful practices!  See here for more details.  I am also planning some great workshops for women which will be coming on line soon.

Whatever your year looks like, may it include some deeply nourishing practices, some self-honouring and loads of joy and laughter!  And new things to experiment with!  I am also intending to try things outside of my comfort zone this year and see where it leads…Om Shanty!

Much love

Nalini xx

Autumn Newsletter – musings and events

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Autumn Newsletter – musings and events

Just loving the glorious start of Autumn, sun is shining, garden still colourful and the boots are out!  (I love summer but sooo look forward to boots season too!)

Mr B, my lovely cat, is cozying up already next to the radiator, a bit disappointed that the wood stove isn’t blazing yet!  How blessed we are to have these warm, sunny days still.  Much as I love my wood stove, I am happy not to have to lug wood around yet.

Sweeping up leaves and watching them fall gently from the branches now in the breeze – nature demonstrating for us how healthy it is to let go so that we can make space for new life to come, just as they do in the spring.  The majesty of the seasons, so much to teach us and each one has its own mystery and magic with gifts for us.

So what does Autumn hold in store for us?  Autumn is harvest festival, Halloween, the wheel of the year turning as we move into longer nights and more inward times after the fullness of summer.  What have you reaped in the harvest of your own life this year since seeding ideas in Spring?  Maybe it’s a deepening of friendships, a new job, a project underway, or simply gratitude for all that you have.

Halloween

Halloween, despite all the hype, is a magical time when the veil between the worlds is thinner and our ancestors are closer to us.  There is no separation between us but delusion puts a veil over it which we can pierce in meditation or at times like Halloween.  Went to the garden centre to meet my dear friend for breakfast on Sunday….and of course couldn’t help but buy some plants!  Went for plants to start preparing my Halloween doorstep, I love the creativity involved in gardening and use it as an excuse to mark each season differently as it comes into being, that’s my sort of art.

I have been out and about running workshops and new classes on meditation and yoga nidra so please come along and join me for some delicious down time, and to learn some great techniques for handling the bumpy parts of life that come as we walk the path.  We have everything we need inside of us to respond to whatever life presents to us – when we are quiet enough to access it.  Learning to meditate is one of the best things you can ever do for yourself.

A great workshop (New Beginnings) on the calendar to inspire our entrance into the new year so do come and join us for a morning of sacred dance, ritual, candles, intention…and set the new year off from the heart.

And I am so excited to announce that my “Practical Magic” herb workshop will be at the gorgeous Prairie Gardens in Henfield at Summer Solstice next year – yayyy!

Upcoming Events and Groups (full details on events page)

New meditation group starting Monday 5th November 5pm at Iriness in Horsham

Regular yoga nidra and relaxation class in Handcross Parish Hall Mondays at 10.45

Shakti – Dance and Yoga Nidra – Yogaananda Holistic Centre Reigate, Sat 3/11 and Sunday 16/12

Dance of Awareness with Dancemantra in Horsham: Sunday 11th November

New Beginnings Workshop – Sunday 20th January in Horsham

Practical Magic – Saturday 22nd June 2019 (I know it’s early but space is limited!)

Nalini Natural Skincare – great gift ideas….

Lovely, natural gifts this Christmas

I have been experimenting with different packaging this year and have the thumbs up from many of you on the tissue paper packaging for gifts.  Many lovely ideas for a really unique and heartfelt gift for your friends and family – it’s always lovely to receive something made by hand…and with a lot of love!  I am happy to post, or you can get them from me in Horsham or Handcross, just let me know.  Gift boxes made to order to accomodate two or more products.  Nalini Natural Skincare range is suitable for all skin types, smells amazing and is deep, yummy nutrition for the skin.

Wishing you all a fabulous Autumn, enjoy the beauty and colour of this season and start wrapping up!  Felt a real chill in the air this afternoon…hot chocolate needed!

All blessings, Nalini xxx

Hazy Summer Days and Skincare

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GIVE YOUR SKIN A TREAT IN THIS SUMMER HEAT!  (plus some tips for summer skincare)

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Skin-soothing and nourishing aromatherapy with gorgeous calendula oil – the ultimate oil for caring for your skin during the summer sun. Add a bespoke blend of essential oils to the mix for a wonderfully healing and relaxing session.

I make 100% natural and organic calendula oil from the ground up – from flower to infusion to bottle to box…and finally to your skin to nourish and soothe. It’s not called the Skin Magician for nothing! It is extremely beneficial to a myriad of conditions including nappy rash, eczema, sunburn, sensitive skin, hemmeroids, scars and stretch marks, as well as being a lovely face oil. Your skin will drink it in and give you a big thank you afterwards for how soft and silky it feels, skin food at its best!

If you have been on any of my herb workshops, now is the time to harvest calendula and make your oil. The more you pick the flowers, the more the plant will produce. Or you can get it from me if you are too hot and bothered to make your own! Just get in touch. This is a red hot favourite with many as it is so versatile.

Other plants are coming into their own in this heatwave too, get some mint tea in the fridge and serve it with a slice of cooling cucumber – ahhhh, refreshing!  Or you can use lemon balm or lemon verbena to cool you down.

What about our feet!  Add some mint and lavender flowers to a basin of cool water and give yourself a foot spa, sipping your cooling herbal infusion while you are at it.  Use calendula oil for dry heels too.

Treat your hair well too, pick a few stinging nettles, make a tea out of them and use as a final rinse when washing your hair – FULL of nutrients and will make your hair shine, as well as strong and healthy!  I adore nettle, so many things we can use her for, the optimum ‘weed’.   I make buckets of tea to water my plants with and they love me for it.  You can also massage your hair with a little calendula oil to combat dryness and condition it well.  Gosh, calendula really is amazing!

Bites and stings – use plantain leaves directly squashed onto a bee or wasp sting for instant relief.  Use lavender essential oil for after care and for bites.

Lavender oil is a miracle cure of acute sunburn too, you can use it directly on the skin to prevent blistering and to heal it. Use calendula oil too to nourish and soothe after treating burnt skin.

And of course, if you can take a dip in the sea, go for it!

Have a glorious summer, just loving this heat!

Much love Nalini xx

 

 

www.michellenalinideane.com for more info and bookings

Summer Solstice and Gratitude

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The seasonal wheel of the year turns…and we arrive at the half-way point of summer solstice – longest day, shortest night, and the wheel tips into the dark half of the year!  But don’t despair, the best is yet to come as we enter into a period over the next few days of hot, sunny weather, gardens and the countryside ablaze with life and energy as Mother Earth flows into full manifestation.

Summer is the time for enhanced creativity as we align with the seasonal magic and take a leaf out of her book, using this energised time of the year to get things moving. Projects seeded in the spring can start to flower now as the creative juices flow!  Summer has much to offer apart from the usual sun, sea and sand.  The power that nature displays gives the impetus to flow with it and bring our dreams and aspirations to life.

Summer solstice is also a time of deep gratitude, for the earth and her abundance and sustenance, the people in our lives, the gifts that we take for granted like drinkable water flowing from a tap in our kitchen…and a deep gratitude for ourselves and all our inherent wisdom and beauty.  Gratitude was the theme tonight at our meditation group…we celebrated solstice by creating an altar reflecting summer (which included flowers, fauna….and flip flops!  Perfect!) and then meditated on all we held gratitude for.  ‘Thank You’ – the simplest and most effective form of prayer.

Take a moment this weekend to reflect on your own life, the direction you are taking, where you are heading, and to give thanks giving to our beautiful planet and commit to walking more lightly on her, taking what we need with gratitude and giving something back in return – bless her with respect and love, without her we wouldn’t be here.  Create a simple ritual – rituals take us out of everyday life for a while so that we can slow down and ponder on the path of life….

Two summer dances on the horizon too, first one this Sunday with Kathryn in Horsham, next one in July with me at Lower Beeding.  Come and join our growing group of dancers and ride the wave of energy through the dance and let your heart move your feet, more info here at Dancemantra

Head into summer catching that wave of full-on life force while it lasts, before we head towards Autumn and shorter days and longer nights, with a different sort of magic yet to come…

All blessings

Nalini

Blissful! Spring in full flow..

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Oh my!  It’s that blissful time of year….and an unexpected free day today!  Loving hearing the birds singing, astral green leaves everywhere, sun shining (hurruh!), being in my garden, and blissed out by wild flowers and the wildness of this time of year.  Jack in the Green has been busy and the earth has woken up and thrown out a myriad of colour all over, who needs a TV?!  There is always a special, new kind of magic in the air this time of year; waking at dawn to hear the birds welcoming in the new day, sunlight filtering through the trees, bees busy at work, smiley faces everywhere as the energy lifts the spirits.  The seasons are so cool!  I love the beauty each one has and the gifts it contains.  I’m in heaven today with the unexpected day off, ahhhh, what a blessing!  Pottering in the garden, relaxing in the sunshine, nowhere to go, marvellous!

Orders coming in for calendula oil, and I’m out of stock!  So waiting on my plants to grow so I can harvest those gorgeous orange and yellow flowers and transform them into the best oil for skin, to keep it looking great or to heal those sore places, including nappy rash.  I have a secret store left for myself, not sharing it though as I can’t live without it!

Really looking forward to our June workshop at Sedgwick on how to make all those lovely, natural skin and health products from the glorious array of herbs and ‘weeds’ in our gardens!  Early bird price closing 15th May so book now if you would like to come.  Sedgwick House is a treat in itself, amazing gardens, labyrinth, magical woodland, it’s a great place to spend the day and learn how to make the best products for your skin.  Our skin doesn’t need the stuff from the shops, it does a lot better with pure ingredients like shea butter, almond oil and the herbs we find easily.  This is pure food for the skin and body, easy to make, costs very little, not tested on animals, no rubbish in them!  This is the third workshop I have done there and this time we’re going to make elderflower cordial as well as face and body products, love doing this stuff!  And the calendula should be ready for us to use too!

Huge blessings for this wonderful spring, long may the sunshine continue, England is magic when it’s sunny.

And now….GDPR, grrrr!  Perfect yoga nidra, working with opposites!  Sun, bliss and greenery one minute, terms and conditions, privacy policies and brain-aching stuff the next!  Got to be done though and thank goodness for my web lady who is on it, thank you!

Love Nalini xx

 

 

Dancemantra Blossoming into Spring

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‘Blossoming into Spring’ – Dancemantra event

Snowing again the morning of my Dancemantra class…but it didn’t deter everyone and we had a small, energetic group which flowed together perfectly.  The Barn in Horsham was toasty warm and made a nice change from our usual venue.

Photo by Anthony DELANOIX on Unsplash

It is so rewarding to see our regular dancers becoming more relaxed with each session and to witness how their dance has changed since we started in July last year.  The more we dance, the more we heal and move into life with confidence and clarity, leaving behind what we no longer need, and bringing in that which we do.  We had a newcomer who threw herself whole-heartedly into the dance and took to it like a duck to water, thoroughly enjoyed it, felt amazing afterwards, and also delighted to experience how quickly things shift and change, emotions long held, new visions yet to be lived, all comes to light when we dance from the heart.

Blossoming into Spring with snow gently falling….

Next Dancemantra event is with Kathryn on Sunday 22nd April and will be a workshop called ‘Tantric Heart – Seemless Being’ and will be a three hour session from 10.30 to 13.30 at the usual Lower Beeding venue with its wonderful light and sprung dance floor.  I am also going to run a taster session at Total Therapy Studios for an hour and a half on the morning of Saturday 21st April for those who aren’t too sure if this is for them.  A shorter session might be just the thing to give an idea of what Dancemantra is all about.

Please do come and join us for one of our regular events, details always available on the Dancemantra page or the calendar.

All blessings

Nalini x