Bodyjoy

What time of day do you like to exercise? What time of day would you attend an online exercise class?

What sort of exercise class do you most want and need right now?

Can you help me please with a bit of research?

I want to set up my online exercise classes but I want them to meet your needs.

What do you most need to do right now to look after your body and your self?

Do you need some exercise on a regular basis? What sort?

Do you need to gather with other friendly people - to feel a sense of community?

I'd like to offer some online exercise classes to help with both of these needs - our need to move our bodies purposefully and our need for community.

There's so much to consider in selecting what to teach and when to teach it but my main concern is to offer something that will help you in this time of lock down, dark evenings and no social contact possible at the moment.

Now more than ever we need two things - to really look after ourselves and to find ways to connect.

Tell me - what would stop you from coming to an online exercise class?

What are you doing right now for your health and fitness?

What do you need and what would you like to do - exercise-wise?

So what is Bodyjoy?

It is the joy that you feel when you are moving.

It is the joy that you feel just to be alive.

It is the joy of being YOU of feeling your energy, your essence and of feeling happy in your skin.

I have noticed that the path to joy is often through pain and that my experience of bodyjoy often comes after times of disconnection, stress and discomfort. Then I do something to get back in my body - I dance, workout, have a great conversation or healing session and I feel that Bodyjoy again.

It is not an idealised state of bliss that one can expect to remain in - we dip in and out don't we? One moment we feel the joy of being alive and the next we wonder why everything is so hard.

I have experienced my share of depression, my quota of self hatred and despair - I have often felt deeply disconnected from myself, life, other people. But one way back to myself and back to feeling calm and at one with things is always through my body - movement pretty much gets me there - out of my head, my angsty thoughts and back into the joy of being alive.

Sometimes movement will bring up some buried stuff - it's good for bringing awareness but often it will simply help to connect you to yourself and to let go of stressful thoughts.

Bodyjoy classes, workshops, coaching and retreats have one simple goal in mind - to help you to feel joy and to connect to and love your body, yourself and your precious life.

I want to make peace with my body and start to love her as she is.

I want to appreciate the miracle of all that she does for me so tirelessly.

I want to look in the mirror and tell her - YOU ARE ENOUGH, YOU ARE PERFECT AS YOU ARE.

I want to end the war with my body, the endless self talk and criticism that tells my body she doesn't look good enough, is too fat, is too awkward, that I don't like her, love her or care for her unless she looks the way I want her to.

Why do I treat my body like an enemy and not a cherished friend? And why don't I treasure her and treat her with kindness?

I expect my body to do all I ask of her but I don't love her in response.

I want to change this and I want to help other women to change this too.

Our bodies deserve our love and care - no matter our size, shape or wounding.

My mission is to begin a new revolution - to teach radical self love and self acceptance and to start with myself.

Have you ever stopped to marvel at how amazing your body is?

Your body does so much for you all day, every day and it never stops.

Do you ever just stop and say thank you? Ever just find out what your body needs or wants?

It is so easy to criticise, chastise and ignore the body but it is yours, with you always, like a precious and ever generous friend.

I wonder how you could thank your body for being your friend all of your life to date.

How are you looking after your body right now?

Have your habits changed?

How are you dealing with stress and anxiety?

Are you looking after yourself?

Now more than ever we need to have a really good self care plan - to strengthen our immunity, to release stress, to calm our minds and to bring energy into our bodies.

I noticed the other day that most of my life is lived through a screen these days - I connect with people on Zoom and I do my work on a computer, I relax in front of the TV - and none of these things help my body to feel alive and vital.

Our bodies need more than just a screen life to feel nurtured, cherished and alive. Our bodies need movement, play, pleasure and sensory stimulation plus we need contact with nature and with the elements.

Do you remember to give your body what it needs?

Bodyjoy online exercise classes will be delivered via a screen but they will give your body the chance to MOVE - to STRETCH, use MUSCLES and SWEAT. They won't give your body everything it needs but they will help.

I hope you will give your body the gift of exercise - even if it is delivered through a screen.

As you age you lose muscle - this means your metabolism slows down.

The solution - rebuild muscle! You absolutely have to do some form of resistance training to stay fit, healthy and strong.

Of the 4 pillars of physical fitness this is by far the most important.

Your body depends on it's muscle for everything that you do - rebuild your muscles and you restore your body.

How's your at home fitness routine?

Do you miss working out with an actual instructor and in a community?

Are you incorporating all of the aspects of fitness in your home workouts?

Coming very soon - workouts you can do from home! Taught on Zoom - with an actual real person - and with other people. Attend live if you can or watch later if you can't

Great workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Workouts that will cover all the aspects of fitness you need in bitesized blocks - Strength, Cardio, Flexibility and Mobility.

Watch this space ...

Tonight's workout in my home studio will be HIIT and Strength - I'm testing out some workouts I will teach in the upcoming Bodyjoy Online Studio.

I'll let you know how it goes ....

Science confirms: Dancing makes you happy

Science confirms: Dancing makes you happy When we dance our brain releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that create a feeling of comfort, relaxation, fun and power, so dancing makes us happy.

Do you dance daily? Do you dance weekly? Do you have a dance practice? Do you have a place and a space where you can just daaance?

Coming soon - Bodyjoy Dance Sessions!

Day 22 of 30 days to Bodyjoy: Take 5 conscious breaths. Breathe in and out 5 times consciously, with attention and focus on only the breath. Try it!

How to connect to your body:
Stand up.
Breathe.
Move one part of your body that wants to move.
Move the next part that wants to move.
Keep going through your body until you feel that tingling aliveness coming back.
Notice that here is a feeling of energy in and around you.
Breathe again.
Shake off.
That's it - that's one way to get out of your head and into your body.

How much do you love your body? How much do you live in your body? How does your body feel right now?

What's your Bodyjoy? How do you get into your body each day? What brings you alive?

Joyful Images

Photos from Bodyjoy's post

Timeline photos

Timeline photos

Timeline photos

Science confirms: Dancing makes you happy

As if confirmation were needed!

Science confirms: Dancing makes you happy When we dance our brain releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that create a feeling of comfort, relaxation, fun and power, so dancing makes us happy.

Let's Dance!

We should all dance more.

Dance is joyful, expressive, fun and playful.

Dance makes you feel GOOOD!

It is really hard to dance and feel sad - though it is possible.

Dancing is pretty much guaranteed to lift your mood and make you feel HAPPY.

I think we all need to give ourselves spaces and places and time to dance.

Dance like noone is watching, dance bare foot, dance as your wild, free, crazy and beautiful self.

To dance is to celebrate the joy of being human and being able to MOVE!

Dance connects us to one another and can connect us to the earth.

We all need to dance more.

Bodyjoy Dance parties - coming SOON!

Without this everything falls apart

So true!

How do you feel about your body right now?

What are you going to do to love your body a little more?

Like most things in life there is one sure fire way to end up feeling bad about yourself, your weight and how your body looks and feels and that is - do nothing when you know you need to make changes!

Action is the most powerful change agent and consistent action even more so.

If you want to have more energy - what is draining you? Are you moving enough in the day - are you eating for energy? Does your food make you feel tired and sluggish?

Small changes can have a big effect - drinking more water could easily help with having more energy.

Ask your body - intuit the answer then act on it!

If you want to lose weight what is the single thing you could start doing todayto help with that? Make changes to your diet? Start exercising? Decide - today and start now!

The mistake we often make in life with everything and especially with health/weight loss and how we feel about our bodies is allowing ourselves to carry on doing nothing to change things - getting into a rut and staying there.

Think of ONE small thing that you could do TODAY and go and do it.

Then think of another tomorrow . Do that.

And continue until you have some new and healthy habits in place. One small thing each day will soon add up to big changes.

Not taking action will kill all of your dreams and desires stone dead - I know -I am a lifelong procrastinator.If you want to feel good in your body then start doing things to help this to happen. Sounds simple doesn't it? And it is really but so often we stop ourselves and we do nothing to change things.

Look after your body if you want it to be there for you as you get older - start today - start small.

If you want to talk about a plan or if you want help with implementing changes to get fitter, slimmer and healthier - message me today and let's chat.

Day 21 of 30 Days to Bodyjoy: When you eat - eat joyfully! Enjoy your food, savour it, taste it, love it. Don't eat gultily but enjoy it even if you think it isn't the healthiest choice - especially if you think it isn't the healthiest choice. Enjoy your treats and they will be more satisfying. Food is a pleasure and our bodies do love being fed - revel in the sensual pleasure of eating. It could change how you eat and what you eat if you always choose to eat with joy and appreciation. Enjoy it!

How is your self care? Have you got a great routine? Do you look after yourself or do you always come last and every one else's needs come before yours? What does self care mean to you? Message me - I'd love to chat about it.

Day 20 of 30 days to Bodyjoy: Take time for yourself - every day! Do ONE thing just for you - not for anybody else but just for you. Even just five minutes to breathe deeply, 10 minutes to have a bath, 15 minutes to listen to music or whatever helps you to slow down and pause - just take time for YOU each day.You are your most precious resource and you are not expendable.

Day 19 of 30 Days to Bodyjoy - eat real food and ditch the processed crap. Eat foods from nature and not from a factory. Processed foods are often designed to be addictive and to stimulate the reward centres in the brain so don't beat yourself up if you find them hard to give up but they create a toxic load for the body and don't benefit your health. They can also make you fat and ill so you are much better off avoiding them wherever possible. Don't be neurotic about it but you will feel so much better if you mainly eat real food rather than processed foods.

Day 18 of 30 Days to Bodyjoy. PLAY! Just play at anything and everything - all of life can be approached from a spirit of play and made into a game. I am spectacularly bad at not taking life seriously so this is a big reminder to me - what's the worst that can happen if I just treat things like a game and make life a playful adventure? Play around with exercise and movement, play with how you eat and above all play with how you approach your life. It doesn't HAVE to be serious.

Day 17 of 30 Days to Bodyjoy. Follow the joy! Where is joy for you? What is joyful to you? What if the purpose of life was to be joyful? What would you choose? Eat and exercise and care for your body in ways that feel joyful and ditch everything that doesn't. Sounds simple. It is. Joy is important. We forget this.

Day 16 of 30 Days to Bodyjoy. Stop following other people's rules and find out what suits you. There are so many diets out there and most of them work, while you follow them. What makes a diet stick though is when it suits you, works for your body and allows you to eat in a way you enjoy and can maintain. Some diets probably are healthier long term but most will work short term and trying something different can be really helpful in learning about what works for you. You will discover what works for you by trying things out and adapting as your body adapts. High carb, low carb, calorie counting, high fat, high protein, vegan, plant based - they can all work but does it work for you or do you feel deprived? There's always going to be a balance that helps you get to the weight you like to be at and that allows you to eat healthily and pleasurably. If you'd like help exploring this then please get in touch. Bodyjoy is about finding out what your body loves and not about anyone else's rules.

Bodyjoy

Day 15 of 30 days to Bodyjoy. Take a deep breath and simply accept yourself and where you are right now. In acceptance there is huge relief and a release of the energy that has been tied up in fighting and struggling against what is. Accept your body as It is today. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Accept your life as it is and watch as what needs to change will become apparent and energy for the changes will also emerge. Acceptance is powerful and loving. Acceptance brings freedom and peace. What could you accept about yourself today?

Bodyjoy We are born joyful and free with access to an energy that animates and delights us. We feel, we express, we experience without the conditioned mind judging, complaining and limiting us. Bodyjoy aims to bring back that state of joy that we were born with.

The Bodyjoy Transformation Project is here! 30 days to transform your body, restore vitality, get your mojo back, fall in love with your body, ditch the diet and learn to eat what works for your body, find exercise you enjoy and want to do and above all feel great! We will work together for 30 days to help you transform your body in whatever way you need - give me 30 days and I will give you a new relationship with your body. Are you in?

I am a fully qualified personal trainer, well being coach and spiritual practitioner - I've spent my life exploring health, fitness, healing, wellbeing, spirituality, coaching and personal development. I've found some things that work and ditched all that doesn't and I want to help you to discover what works for your body.

If you are fed up with having no energy and feeling tired all the time, sick of dieting to lose weight then gaining it all back again, fed up with having no time, energy or enough motivation to exercise regularly, stressed and overloaded with all you have on your plate in life then I can help you turn this around. Together we can solve all of this and restore you to the person you are meant to be.

Each programme is uniquely tailored to meet your needs - all that is required is a 30 day commitment - in that time we will meet in person or online and develop a plan that works for you and will transform whatever area of your health needs transforming.

The cost for this 30 day plan is just £300! During the 30 days I will be available to help you create the perfect plan for your health and fitness. We will meet in person or online - you will have unlimited email support and up to 12 hours worth of calls or 1-1 sessions to help you make the changes you need to. I am committed to helping you discover what works for your body and your life and what helps you to thrive and feel most alive.

I have just 12 slots available.

Let's do this!

This is a trial programme at this price level and I am super excited to get going with you.

Please message me if you'd like to join in.

I'm so excited to announce the launch of the very first Bodyjoy transformation project! Coming very soon. More details to follow.

Whatever issue you are struggling with in your body whether it is wanting to lose weight, feeling tired and stressed, wanting more energy or any niggling health issue, the answer is inside of you and your own wisdom can point you to a solution. You may need to learn something or see a practitioner or get external help but your own wisdom can guide you towards what you need. Always.

Bodyjoy

Day 14 of 30 days to Bodyjoy. The body is your soul's expression. Whatever pain you experience in the body whether physical or emotional is part of your soul's communication. Where you feel blocked or wounded is an opportunity to open to more light and to bring consciousness. The discovery of the soul is a deep exploration. If you would like a companion on this journey then get in touch. Soul work is healing work and is what I truly love to do. The body is a great place to begin to explore the soul. Message me or post on the page if you would like to begin the adventure. What is your soul expressing in your body?

Bodyjoy We are born joyful and free with access to an energy that animates and delights us. We feel, we express, we experience without the conditioned mind judging, complaining and limiting us. Bodyjoy aims to bring back that state of joy that we were born with.