Yoga Christine

Oh hey!

I’m back from my two-week summer holiday… and, plot twist, I went absolutely nowhere.

Well… nowhere particularly far.

Instead, I chose to spend two glorious weeks at home, enjoying and revelling in the beautiful life I’ve curated: doing what I love, with the people I love, in the places that already feel like mine.

I created and consumed delicious food. I made ridiculously fancy iced coffees (I have become a DIY barista bellend and there is absolutely no going back). I played records so I could listen to music in analogue, properly, as full masterpieces rather than background noise.

I fully embraced some of our city’s local gems. Drank ice-cold beers on the bow of my boat whilst reading. Went on little adventures with some of my most loved and cherished people.

Nothing particularly extraordinary.

And somehow, everything extraordinary.

It was a solid reminder that you don’t have to escape your life when you’ve created one beautiful enough to love.

And now?

I am so ready to be back in our epic community spaces, sharing movement, sweating, laughing and connecting.

So let this be my little invitation to each and every one of us: keep coming back.

Keep practicing the things that make you feel like you. The things that keep you tethered, grounded and connected to who you truly are. The things that remind you that you don’t need to become someone else to feel more alive… you just need to keep returning to yourself.

Authentic movement for authentic people.

Medal Monday. 🥇
Simple advice that was given to me a long time ago. What I’ve learnt is that this isn’t just applied on race day, but the training. Brick by brick building up strength and resilience in my body and my mind to get through 100k on foot.

Whatever your goal is, whatever your dream, start stepping towards it.

The taper has officially begun where rest becomes king 👑.
(New life goal is owning a bed this big).

Time to recover like a boss from my peak training weeks. June has been a BIG month!

This is one of the hardest parts for me.
Taking my foot off the gas and trusting in all the training that I’ve put in up to now whilst I really double down on topping my batteries up.

For me that means the next 11 days are focused on:
💧 Hydration
🍝 Fuelling
💤 Sleeping really well
👣 Taking seriously good care of my feet
🧘🏻‍♀️ Mobility
🧠 Mindset
🤓 Organising my kit and getting my strategy clear
📍 Finalising logistics with my support crew to get me to and from the finish line. Big up the midway bag drop this year… game changer!
☀️ Weather watching like my life depends on it.

In 12 days I take on Race to the Stones 100k straight through.

Play hard - Rest harder! 💪🏻

A very special .
It says it right there.
MORE IS IN YOU.

When I was growing up I was really good at dance. I don’t remember ever having to try particularly hard, I was just naturally good at it and passed my RAD exams with distinctions and cleaned up with medals and trophies right into my teens… so many in fact they were just stashed in boxes under the stairs because they were so easy for me to gain they didn’t mean anything.

I really do mean it when I say I’m NOT a very good runner. I’m naturally well below average in ability. There is no natural gift, or edge. When it comes to running I have to work really hard, and that is why I love it.

It’s in that challenge that I learn so much!

I’m not fast and I’ll never podium, and despite that, I never give up.

Running ultras has helped me understand so much about my body, my mind and my capacity to keep going. It has given me back discipline, control, and consistency. It has built my endurance, resilience and strength of body, mind and character. It has taught me that rest and recovery is just as important as the training. It has proven to me time and time again that when I think I’m done, there’s always a little more in me. But one of the greatest lessons (and I stole this from whose books have changed the game for me) IT DOESN’T ALWAYS GET WORSE!

On Saturday I got to run with my best friend in her first trail event, first ultra and first big adventure after having her hip replacement and believing she would never run again.

What I got to bring to this wasn’t talent, it was experience… and that experience helped her get through some really tough times on the course both mentally and physically. Helping someone else believe in themselves to keep on going and seeing what they’re capable of is better than any medal. 🥇

I will keep on putting in the work, learning the lessons and sharing them all with you, because helping other people discover more is in them might just be what I was put on this earth to do.

I’m so proud of you ❤️

And I’m proud of everyone I know who keeps showing up and getting stuck in.
See you in class this week, yeah?! 👊🏼

Just a little reminder of the huge amount of benefits being part of a community adds to your health, well-being and movement practices.

The best bit of my job is getting to hang out with the most amazing and inspiring people. I show up, because you show up!

If you want to up-level your physical, mental and social well-being, I would love to see you in one of our weekly classes in Milton Keynes.

Mastering the Art of Showing Up:
[an extract from my latest mail out]

“But real change doesn’t happen in giant leaps.
It happens in tiny adaptations.
In gradual resilience.
In quietly becoming the sort of person who keeps turning up.

Mastery isn’t exciting most of the time.
It’s repetitive.
It’s unremarkable.
It’s often a little bit tedious.

And then one day you realise you’re capable of things that once felt impossible.

The goal itself almost becomes secondary.

The real reward is who you become in the process.”

(Drop me a message in the comment if you want to read the whole thing and I’ll send you the link).