Happy Friday beautiful ,

Sending lots of love of you on this lovely first day of March 2019.

Here are some fresh inspirations for you!

—

Sing with Me
Om Namah Shivaya GuruDev Sat Chit Ananda Murtaye | Namastasye Namastasye Namastsye Namaha

My highlight this past week on our Yoga Teacher Training was sharing Kirtan, or call and response singing with the group.

Kirtan is one of the beautiful ways that we can practice Bhakti Yoga, or Yoga of the heart, to loosen our mental chatter, by repeating a mantra over and over and over again, to come into the heart.

For many of the students, it was their first time trying this practice, and despite thinking beforehand that they did’t like singing, or that they would feel uncomfortable, all the students left feeling “surprised”, “open”, “softer”, “released”, “alive”, “grateful”, “more connected” and “happy”.

I invite you today to sing with me, and let me know – how do you feel after?

photo by Margit Selsjord

Quote:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. ~Albert Einstein

Oracle Cards I’m playing with:
Isis Oracle by Alana Fairchild
Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly amused and informed by divination, and I happen to love this among other decks. Everyday I ask: What do i need to know today?

Pretty much every culture throughout history has turned to some sort of divination, whether it’s, tea leaves, palm reading or divination.

Divination is pretty much just a way of looking inside, and communicating with the subconscious.

Do you have a favourite oracle card deck that you use? I’d love some recommendations!

Sacred Dance Music I’m LoVin’:
Walkerji @ Sundaydance – Ecstatic Dance Set

Profound and sacred ecstatic dance journey, connecting inner and outer worlds, from one of my favourite sacred music dance producers, Walker Barnard.

Pure Flow Yoga Video:
Spiral into the Flow – 10 min Practice

In this beautiful dancing warrior flow, we move through any stagnancy, any stuck energy to increase the feeling of flow in our bodies, minds, and hearts.

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this beautiful growing Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. Ready to dive deep into Yoga, Nature & Community? Sign up for our spring season retreats with our epic new teachers Nadia (April), Michael, (May) and Daphne (June), and receive a FREE NIGHT before or after your retreat @ Bamboo Huts with promocode “hellospring” 🙂

P.P.S Sharing is Caring. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Instagram Post of the Week

Most yogis twist in a variety of ways during their practice-while sitting, standing, lying down and even standing on our heads! So why do we twist so much in yoga and why do twists feel so damn good?…Because these poses provide an abundance of amazing health benefits✨ Twisting improves digestive function by compressing the digestive organs, stimulates circulation, helps restore the spine’s natural range of motion, helps to increase detoxification, reduces stress and lessens back pain💛

How are you beautiful?

Happy Friday!

You know that feeling when you fully and finally complete a project that you’ve been working so hard on, for so long, and that you love so much, yet that’s been so challenging and resistance-full at times?

This is how I’m feeling right now.

Grateful. Satisfied. Proud. Excited. Inspired. Uplifted. Transformed. (excited to rest!)

I’m also feeling a lot of mudita.

This is one of my favourite words in the Yoga tradition. It roughly means, sympathetic joy, or the pleasure that comes from delighting in other people’s well-being.

Tomorrow at Pure Flow Yoga, we celebrate!

It’s the last day of our Yoga Teacher Training here in Koh Phangan, and we’ll be having a well-deserved graduation ceremony celebration for this incredible group of teacher trainees.

I am truly in awe of the perseverance, hard work, dedication, progress and transformation I’ve gotten to witness and experience this past 4 weeks.

It’s not easy to keep showing up, day after day, for 4 weeks of 8 hours a day, 5.5 days a week, saturating ourselves with new information, powerful practices, and ongoing invitations to step outside of the comfort zone…

Atira and I have been truly blown away with joy and pride these past few days as we’ve witnessed and experienced our students gracefully, powerfully, and beautifully step up and into the role of teacher, sharing yoga classes with the world for their first time ever. Truly amazing.

The feeling of mudita for our students is strong. We are so happy for these beautiful people to be moving into the world with more self-trust, self-love, confidence, skills, passion and purpose.

Please send them some of your love if you feel inspired..

When was the last time you felt mudita or sympathetic joy?
How much do you love that feeling? Hit reply and let me know, I’d love to hear from you!

Here are some fresh inspirations for your weekend ahead!

—

Quote:
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fresh from our Blog :
Drishti: Find your Balance in Life by Nadia Moon
Our drishti, or point of focus, is an important aspect of the Yoga practice both on and off the mat, to help us find balance in our bodies and in our lives. Read the article here.

You can practice Yoga with Nadia in our upcoming retreats this April!

Song :
Good Harvest – Clocks (Coldplay) – Live Session
Such Pretty harmonies. Such a lovely song.

Article:
Sorry to bother you, but do you say “sorry” too much? What to say instead
This is great. As a Canadian, I have the tendency to over-apologise. When we needlessly apologise, says sociologist Maja Jovanovic, we end up making ourselves small and diminishing what we’re try to express.

This word “sorry” has been coming up a lot on our teacher training, as the trainees dip their toes in to the waters of teaching. We are all noticing how often this word slips out, and one of our students Mirco, shared this awesome article with us.

This is part of TED’s “How to be a Better Human” series.

Celebrating:
Best 9 Yoga Retreats in Thailand
Feeling grateful and honoured. Pure Flow Yoga has been voted one of Thailand’s top 9 Yoga Retreats. Come and find out why…

—

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this beautiful growing Pure Flow Yoga Tribe,

We truly LOVE and APPRECIATE you! being here,

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. Have some inspirations you wanna share with us? Hit Reply and share! If we share here on L&!, we’ll be sure to credit you!

P.P.S Ready to dive deep into Yoga, Nature & Community? Sign up for our spring season retreats with our epic new teachers Nadia (April), Michael, (May) and Daphne (June), and receive a FREE NIGHT before or after your retreat @ Bamboo Huts with promocode “hellospring” 🙂

P.P.P.S Sharing is Caring. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Instagram Post of the Week

The sweet guys at Bamboo Huts💛 Bringing us the biggest smiles and the best food everyday 🙏🏻 #smiles #joy#yummyfood #healthybodyhealthymind#yogafood #yogaretreat #yogaholiday#yogateachertraining #yogacommunity#yogavibes #thailand #thaifood#bestrestaurantever #kohphangan #islandlife#radiatelove #paradise 📸 @izaviola

Happy New Moon & Friday beautiful,

How are you doing this new moon?

New moon can be a great time to be quiet, to sit with yourself, reflect and introspect.

—

Did you know that Yoga is not all love, light and unicorns?

True story.

It’s also about persistently showing up to our practice, and being with whatever arises, including our shadow sides.

Our shadow includes all our resistances, our challenging moods, excuses, and all those aspects of ourselves that we don’t fully love, accept, or that we judge or feel shame about.

The parts that we often want to hide from other people or even our own conscious minds.

—

This week, we had the privilege and honour to welcome Malaika Darville, a true master of shadow work processes to our Yoga Teacher Training. (Just one more week to go!)

With love, wisdom, experience and 5Elements Dance Activation, Malaika helped to crack our students hearts, bodies and minds wide open. She helped hem to break down their ego barriers, limiting self-beliefs, and helped empower them to create and re-shape the stories they tell themselves about who they are, to support more confidence, clarity, and most importantly, self love and acceptance.

(You can learn more about her work in the podcast below)

Not easy work. Yet so powerful, and so worth it. Wow. Gratitude.

Whether you’re a yoga student, a teacher-to-be, or just a person in the world committed to personal growth, I do believe shadow work can truly benefit you. It is a necessary process of awakening, and can really help you find more clarity, self-honesty, self-compassion, and self-confidence..

There are many ways to go about it, and nothing beats working with a pro, or in a safe container with a trained facilitator.

Today I invite you to do one very simply form of shadow work:

– Make a list of 5 negatives – things you don’t like about yourself. Be honest with yourself.
– Make a list of 5 positives – take those 5 things and transform them into positive statements about yourself.
– One list at a time, read both lists aloud to yourself several times.
– Notice the sensations, and where you feel it in the body.
– Notice how it make you feel in your heart and in your mind.
– Journal the experience: What comes up for you? is it surprising? Interesting? Empowering?

When you’re done with the activity, BURN your negative list! This will help bring that energy to a close, and help support that energy of transformation. Plus it just feels soooo gooood! 🙂

What kind of work do you do to be-friend your shadow? How does it feel? I’d love to hear from you.

Here are some fresh inspirations for your weekend ahead!

—

Quote:
Wisdom is knowing I am nothing. Love is knowing I am everything., and between the two my life moves”. – Nisargadatta Maharaj

Song on Repeat:
All Related – Nessi Gomes – Temple Step Remix

Interview with Malaika:
Malaika Darville: Walking the Beauty Way

In this episode of the Pure Flow Yoga podcast, Malaika explains:
the Rise of the Feminine, Shiva & Shakti principle, Ecstatic Dance & Community healing,, Emergent Culture and the rise of festival and retreat culture, the Importance of Ancestors, Tribe & Ceremony, Indigenous Wisdom – Ho’oponono – conscious relating to bring freedom from the trauma / drama cycle, Elemental Awakening and the benefits of planting seeds for exploring our shadow as well as our light, Going with the Flow & why we need to have experiences timelessness for our inner evolution

Podcast for YogaTeachers:

Upward Facing Yoga Career Podcast – with Alanna Kaivalya
Helping Yoga Teachers Make More Impact and Step into their Role as Spiritual Leaders.

Yoga teachers and Yoga teachers-to-be, you are going to love the simplicity, wisdom and tools shared o this podcast: from myth and philosophy to teaching and the business of Yoga, Alanna has got us covered.

Film / Documentary:
Samadhi: Part 1- Maya the Illusion of Self / Part 2 – It’s Not What You Think

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this beautiful growing Pure Flow Yoga Tribe,

and inspiring us to inspire you!

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? Sharing is Caring. I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it.

P.P.S Ready to dive deep into Yoga, Nature & Community? Sign up for our spring season retreats with our epic new teachers Nadia (April), Michael, (May) and Daphne (June), and receive a FREE NIGHT before or after your retreat @ Bamboo Huts with promocode “hellospring” 🙂

P.P.P.S Know someone who needs a break? Check our our awesome referral program. Your friend gets $25 off their retreat, and you get $25 USD cash. Win win win!

Instagram Post of the Week

Come flow with our YTT students as they blossom into teachers! 💛 Next week our teacher trainees will lead Vinyasa Flow at 9am Monday-Friday, by donation🙏🏻 ✨@izaviola@claudia.mclellan @martin_malmstrom

Happy Friday beautiful,

Sending lots of love of you on this lovely first day of March 2019.

Here are some fresh inspirations for you!

—

Sing with Me
Om Namah Shivaya GuruDev Sat Chit Ananda Murtaye | Namastasye Namastasye Namastsye Namaha

My highlight this past week on our Yoga Teacher Training was sharing Kirtan, or call and response singing with the group.

Kirtan is one of the beautiful ways that we can practice Bhakti Yoga, or Yoga of the heart, to loosen our mental chatter, by repeating a mantra over and over and over again, to come into the heart.

For many of the students, it was their first time trying this practice, and despite thinking beforehand that they did’t like singing, or that they would feel uncomfortable, all the students left feeling “surprised”, “open”, “softer”, “released”, “alive”, “grateful”, “more connected” and “happy”.

I invite you today to sing with me, and let me know – how do you feel after?

photo by Margit Selsjord

Quote:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. ~Albert Einstein

Oracle Cards I’m playing with:
Isis Oracle by Alana Fairchild
Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly amused and informed by divination, and I happen to love this among other decks. Everyday I ask: What do i need to know today?

Pretty much every culture throughout history has turned to some sort of divination, whether it’s, tea leaves, palm reading or divination.

Divination is pretty much just a way of looking inside, and communicating with the subconscious.

Do you have a favourite oracle card deck that you use? I’d love some recommendations!

Sacred Dance Music I’m LoVin’:

Walkerji @ Sundaydance – Ecstatic Dance Set

Profound and sacred ecstatic dance journey, connecting inner and outer worlds, from one of my favourite sacred music dance producers, Walker Barnard.

Pure Flow Yoga Video:

Spiral into the Flow – 10 min Practice

In this beautiful dancing warrior flow, we move through any stagnancy, any stuck energy to increase the feeling of flow in our bodies, minds, and hearts.

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this beautiful growing Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. Ready to dive deep into Yoga, Nature & Community? Sign up for our spring season retreats with our epic new teachers Nadia (April), Michael, (May) and Daphne (June), and receive a FREE NIGHT before or after your retreat @ Bamboo Huts with promocode “hellospring” 🙂

P.P.S Sharing is Caring. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Instagram Post of the Week:

Most yogis twist in a variety of ways during their practice-while sitting, standing, lying down and even standing on our heads! So why do we twist so much in yoga and why do twists feel so damn good?…Because these poses provide an abundance of amazing health benefits✨ Twisting improves digestive function by compressing the digestive organs, stimulates circulation, helps restore the spine’s natural range of motion, helps to increase detoxification, reduces stress and lessens back pain💛

Happy Friday lovely,

How do you deal with the space-between moments in life? Between day-to-day moments or experiences, travel destinations, jobs, relationships…?

In this present moment, I am settling back home after my big little trip to India, and am really cherishing these present moments of the in-between zone,

reflecting with gratitude overflowing for the experience I just had being a student this past week in India. and preparing for the upcoming Yoga Training that starts on Sunday. 🙂

I left the retreat in India feeling fully juiced up, inspired, and more connected than ever to the path of Yoga, and my dharma, or purpose, as a teacher.

And now the space between.

These are the moments that really test us humans,

How quickly will we fall back into routine patterns of being, into being busy and thinking about what comes next?
Can we keep up the practices outside the retreat setting? How?!

These in-between moments, challenge our ability and willingness to stay consistent with our resolutions to keep showing up to the practices we cultivate on retreat.

I feel myself already slipping back into old patterns: checking my phone more often, and having less time for meditation and asana practice.

So, what’s the best way to integrate all of the beautiful feelings, lessons and learnings that we have on retreat?

# 1 – Self-Compassion:
Less guilt, more love. For me, there is an important element of self-compassion. Without the disciplined structure of a conducive environment and retreat container, teachers, a schedule, space from our devices and work, of course it’s going to be more challenging to keep it up. Better to love ourselves, and celebrate all that we are doing, giving, sharing… than to find yet another reason to feel guilt or shame about something we are not.

#2 – Keep Showing Up – 5 minutes a day
Showing up. This is the hardest part. There is really no short cut to doing the work of taming the mind. It’s takes A LOT of practie over time. Our commitment to the practice, can be as simple as 5 minutes a day. Add it to your morning routine. Put on a timer and just close your eyes for 5 minutes, or journal for 5 minutes, or whatever you want to practice. We all have 5 minutes. And the rewards are just so flipping worth it.

#3 – Celebrate all Wins
Every time you do show up to the mat, the meditation cushion, the practice – celebrate! Compliment yourself. Make yourself feel good. As I just mentioned, showing up is really the hardest part. Some would say that 80% of “success” in life is just about showing up. The more we can associate good habits with with good vibes, the easier it will be for us to flow and exist along those deepening neural pathways.

How are you going to show up today?

Here are some fresh inspirations for your weekend ahead!

—

Quote:

“There is a place in the heart where everything meets.
Go there if you want to find me.
Mind, senses, soul, eternity, all are there.
Are you there?
Enter the bowl of vastness that is the heart.
Give yourself to it with total abandon . . .
Once you know the way
the nature of attention will call you
to return, again and again,
and be saturated with knowing,
‘I belong here, I am at home here.”

― The Radiance Sutras

Poetry for your Soul:

The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight by Lorin Roche
This modern classic, will keep coming back again and again. For Yoga and meditation students everywhere, the Radiance Sutras is an invitation to experience directly the ecstatic depths of yoga as revealed by the divine partners Shiva and Shakti, and their breadth of human experience. In it, we explore:

The divinity that is permeating your body at this very moment
The alchemical power of Sanskrit
Yoga meditation—harmonising all the elements and levels of your being
The depths of your connection to the energies of life

Book:

War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Do you have a project, idea, or dream that you’ve been thinking about, feeling into and procrastinating from for a long time?

This Week, as our first ever 200 Hour Teacher Training approaches on Sunday, I come back to this classic, War of Art. The biggest challenge and teacher along this journey has definitely been RESISTANCE, in all of its infinite myriads of forms; fear, self-doubt, procrastination, perfectionism. No book that I’ve come across, does this topic better justice than “the War of Art: Break through the Blocks and Win your inner Creative Battles. (Pssst. It’s not the art of war)

Song:

Shiva Nataraj – Desert Dwellers, Remixed by Drumspyder

Classic for the dance floor + your Yoga mat.

Video Practice

Flow for Transformation
What are you transforming in your life? – Join me for 9 minutes of building heat and fire in the body for the purposes of purification and transformation.

—

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

See you next week when I reveal our all-star cast of guest retreat teachers for April, May & June!

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. The Bali Spirit Festival is just a few weeks away – March 24 – 31st. Did you know that you get 10% discount on your ticket when you enter promocode “Francie”. See you there!

P.P.S Sharing is Caring. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Instagram Post of the Week

One the amazing benefits of living in our little paradise is being able to walk barefoot👣Connecting our feet to Mother Earth everyday 🌎 as we walk through jungles 🌴and on sandy beaches🌊 not only feels amazing but also brings grounding to the body and calms the mind💚

Namaste from Mother India!

Hope all’s well, beautiful !

I’m here in India now, being a student, for a short Yoga course with some incredible teachers. I’m feeling grateful to focus on myself for this moment. That being said, anytime we leave our comfort zone and verge into the unknown mysteries of life, to a new place, a new rhythm, a new environment with new people, our sense of security and predictability gets challenged.

India is said to be the land of the unexpected, and I can assure you, my short journey here so far has been no exception. They didn’t let me on my first plane because of a spelling mistake on my reservation (their bad!), on the 2nd flight they lost my baggage, and then at the airport carousel waiting for my lost bag, I magically ran into my SEO website helper. We talk on the phone all the time and this was our first ever meeting! It was like connecting with long lost family. In a sea of billions of people, how is that even possible??!

In the face of the challenges, the frustrations, the tiredness of travel…I realised I had a choice. I could get angry, cry, feel upset…or I could just laugh and see the humour and beauty in the imperfect perfection of it all. I mean, How can I / we ever truly know or understand the bigger picture…?

Here are some fresh inspirations for your weekend ahead!

See you again next week when I’m back home in Thailand!
—
Quote:
”A grand adventure is about to begin”.- Winnie the Pooh

” We are all deeply flawed. We are all deeply beautiful. We need to know that”. – Vidya, Classical Indian Musician on retreat with us

Just a Few Questions I’m Pondering:
Journal, Discuss or Reflect Upon:
What is synchronicity? How does it work? Is there a greater meaning to it? Is it random? Is there meaning to life? What is the meaning of any of this? How am I supposed to live? Especially, how shall I live knowing I will die?…. Do you have stories of interesting or amazing coincidences or synchronicities? I’d love to hear from you!

Music I love:
DJ Dakini Chill-Step Mixes

This is a ridiculously amazing resource of music from one of my soul sisters DJ Becca Dakini, an Aussie based in the US. Here you’ll find over nine 3-hour Sacred Chill-Step DJ mixes that are perfect for Yoga, dance and flow meditations. I’ve been listening to the HeartSong Mix 2013 mix on repeat for 6 years and counting! 🙂

From Our Award-Winning Blog:
5 Qualities of the World’s most Exceptional Yoga Teachers
Being a great yoga teacher is so much more than making fancy yoga shapes with our bodies. It’s much more about walking the walk than talking the talk- living with humility, openness to learn, self-love and compassion and walking the walk rather than just talking the talk.

Our Yoga Teacher Training is just 9 days away now, and we’d so love to have you! There’s really no better way to Invest in Yourself, Deepen your Practice, Develop and Refine your Home Practice, while building the confidence and skills to share your passion with other. We have just a couple spaces left now, so be sure to book now!

Video I’m Thinking about from UpliftConnect:

The Maharishi Effect – 2 mins

Did you know meditation can have effects beyond the individual? As individuals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of the world’s current problems. Alone, we feel helpless often to change what is. Some of us numb ourselves with addictions and distractions, or don’t undertake our responsibility to change our consumer and lifestyle behaviours because of a diffusion of responsibility – hey if other’s aren’t doing it, why should I? So if there’s one thing you would be willing to do for global change and upliftment, why not join together with some friends and meditate?! Fascinating research shows how meditating as a group can lower crime rates and create more peaceful cities.
—

Have a wonderful weekend and week ahead, & thanks again for being a part of this Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. We have a couple spots left on our upcoming teacher training. It begins in 9 days! So if you’re ready to invest in yourself, Sign Up NOW!

P.P.S Sharing is Caring. Did you like this e-mail? What was your favourite part? I’d LOVE to hear from you! and If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Instagram Post of the Week

‘True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are, it requires you to be who you are’~ Brene Brown ✨
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How’s it all going?

I’ve been wondering for a while if I should send these e-mails to you post-retreatees, as not all of you are signed up to our Loveletter. After talking to lots of students, the answer seems to be a resounding YES PLEASE! So from now on, unless I hear from you, I’ll start sending you these weekly Love & Inspirations. Is that cool?

I’m great. I’m super full these days to be honest. (I try to avoid the word “busy” if I can…). I’m working super hard to dot my “i'”s and cross my “t”‘s, and put the finishing touches on our first ever YTT manual (only 16 days away!!!) Next week I head off to India for some moments of self-care and to do a Yoga course with a teacher who I’m really looking forward to studying with.

For me, in order to keep my cup full so that I can keep giving and holding space on these Pure Flow Yoga retreats and trainings here in Thailand, it’s so important for me to allow myself the time to be a student, and to let someone else hold space for me. I’ll tell you more about it all next week (provided I can get some good internet access!)

Here are some fresh inspirations for your weekend!

—

Quote:

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!”

– Jack Kerouac, from On the Road

This quote was shared by one of our beautiful retreat participants, Sanjit, in an ongoing post-retreat, post-”Pabuk” (the crazy storm that almost hit us in early January) e-mail thread.

Beautiful Song I’m Loving:

La Luze del Bosque – by Issa-Elle

Book I’m Re-Reading:

Maps to Ecstacy – the Healing Power of Movement, by Gabrielle Roth
I am revisiting (and also highly recommend) this beautiful book, by legendary 5 Rhythms dance creatrix, Gabrielle Roth, who in this work, teaches us how to transform daily life into sacred art.

Blog:

Yoga & Sacred Activism: How to Stay Light in the face of Dark
Did you know that we’ve just been voted one of the top 15 Yoga Blogs on the Planet?! Amazing! Check out our latest blog post.

In this article, Atira Tan, one of our beloved Pure Flow Yoga teachers, and the founder of art of healing and yoga for freedom share about what sacred activism is and three ways to stay light while dancing with the dark.

Video to Inspire You:

I am supported – Root down to Rise up!
Enjoy this beautiful grounding sequence to help you feel supported, within and without. In this short dynamic flow asana practice, we connect meditation, breathing and asana in dedication to all the people, experiences and to the Earth that supports and nourish us

—

Have a wonderful weekend & thanks again for being a part of this Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. We have a couple spots left on our upcoming teacher training, Feb 17 – March 17, 2019. It begins in 16 days! So if you’re ready to invest in yourself, Sign Up NOW!

P.P.S What is your favourite inspiration from this e-mail? What would you like more or less of? HIT REPLY and please let me know!

P.P.S Sharing is Caring. If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Instagram Post of the Week

🌅 Sunrise Gayatri Mantra @whynambeach.
.
Mantra chanting and sacred music has become a huge part of my personal journey towards bringing more peace, contentment, joy, and clear authentic expression into my life. .
It’s truly a journey: I always know how I feel in relation to how open my voice is. And I always know that if I want to bring in more openness, more love, I simply need to sing more and offer my song and prayer in devotion to the great mystery…
.
Originating in the Rg Veda, the oldest of the 4 Vedic texts, the vibration of the Gayatri Mantra, said to be one of the oldest mantras known and beyond translation is said to significantly effect the consciousness of the chanter who repeats the mantra.
.
Ga – to sing Yatri – Protection
dhi – sound that indicates Buddhi, the illiuminated ultimate state of the Yogi consciousness that arises in pure awareness
Savitr – the force of the sun’s light that brings each day into being from total darkness – avidya (also known as ignorance)
Sun is the metaphor for the light of our own awareness
.
Om bhur bhuvah svah
Tat savitr vernyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
.
Earth, Air, Heaven
We meditate on Savir, giver of light,
May he illuminate our consciousness
.
Want to sing and learn more about Mantra? Join @meldobra and I in a very special Yoga and Music retreat this July! More info on our website calendar.
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Retreat Yo’Self!

Did you know that Koh Phangan is considered one of the top 3 places in the world to watch the full moon rise?!

Getting to watch the big orange moon sparkle across on the ocean is so magical. Such a delight. This full moon has been inviting me into a more quiet space with a lot more introspection.

How’s it been for you? High energy? Low energy? Clarity or fullness of mind maybe? Reply and let me know – I’d love to hear.

Here are some fresh inspirations for you to help kickstart your weekend. 🙂

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Quote I’m thinking about:

“On this path effort never goes to waste

And there is no failure. Even a little effort

Toward spiritual awareness will orotect you

From the greatest fear. (2:4)

– The Bhagavad Gita

Book I’m Reading now:

Sacred Sound: Discovering the Myth and Meaning of Mantra & Kirtan – by Alainna Kaivalya

Excellent bite-sized short stories of gods and goddesses, to help us understand and love the fascinating depth and mythology behind 21 of the most popular mantras.

Yoga Playlist I’m Loving:

Morning Breath Dance – Vinyasa Flow Playlist

Loving this Yoga Flow playlist curated by Gentle Techtonics , aka Jonny Rose. Jonny is an incredible being and also one of the Sanctuary’s main Yoga Teachers.

Blog I’m Reading:

4 Lessons Learned on Koh Phangan
Nicole Barton, a Yoga Teacher and Well-being blog writer, shares with us her fully informative and interesting blog about her journey to reconnection on our 2 week Bliss retreat last year., She shares 4 big lessons she learned here along the way, which I think you’ll find very illuminating.

Pure Flow Yoga Practice Podcast:

(#22) Balance Flow – Be All And See – 90 mins Energising Jungle Flow
Build core strength and enjoy an expansive heart opening and balancing flow with us all in the jungle.

TEDx Talk to Inspire You:

The surprising habits of Original Thinkers – Adam Grant
I’ve watched this at least 3 x now. I often find myself in a state of procrastination. I know my deadline is ages away, and I endeavour to use this wisdom, to try and avoid stress and prepare for it with ample time. Time and time again, I find that despite my efforts and intentions, I pretty much only buckle down and get ‘er done just before the deadline. Turns out I’m not alone: Some level of procrastination, giving ideas and projects time to gestate, is actually a key ingredient to creativity and original thinking.

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Have a wonderful weekend & thanks again for being a part of this Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. Did you enjoy this e-mail? What is your favourite inspiration that I shared with you today? What would you like more or less of? HIT REPLY and please let me know!

P.P.S We have 23 days left til our first 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, and we’d love to have you. Please feel free to reach if you’d like some support to make this investment into yourself.

Instagram Post of the Week

In a world filled with thousands of yoga retreats 🌏it can be confusing to choose 🤷‍♀️ This is what makes Pure Flow unique:

1.No roads! no cars! 🚘Our paradise is only accessible by long tail boat⛵️ The secluded natural environment and incredible tropical beauty 🌴provides an ideal opportunity to let go and just listen to the waves 🌊

2. Yoga teachers that are highly experienced in facilitating retreats 🤸‍♀️ While many teachers lead a couple of retreats a year, we do this every week for many months of the year and love it💖

3.A strong focus on meditation and yoga philosophy📖 We love teaching students about the entire system of yoga🙏🏻 This yoga stuff is so much more than bending yourself into crazy shapes🧘‍♀️

4.Community, connection, mutual support and encouraging each other on the yoga journey💕Many of our students meet life long friends on retreat and it’s beautiful to witness✨
Follow us on Instagram

2 week yoga retreat at Pure Yoga Flow
I had the chance to participate in the 2-week yoga retreat and it surpassed my expectations. Not only I got to deeper my yoga skills and practice, but I became familiar with mediation philosophy and learned many new tools. The atmosphere and energy of the place really helped to connect with others and to focus on the moment. The teachers impressed me with their competencies but also with their openness and care for all of us. They can adapt to any kind of yogis and explain concepts so everyone understands. I loved everything about this retreat, including the food and beverages available on this part of the island. – Laurence, Quebec, Canada

Hope you are so happy and well!

Here are some fresh Yoga-Inspirations for you to help kickstart the weekend. 🙂

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Quote I’m thinking about:

“In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited or depress, they would ask you one of four questions:
When did you stop dancing?
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop being enchanted by stories?
When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence?”
– Ageles Arrien, from the forward to “Maps to Ecstasy”.

Book I’m Reading now:
the Bhagavad Gita – Introduced and translate by Eknath Easwaran
As I prepare for our upcoming 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training, from February 17 – March17, 2019, I am brushing up on the classics: The Bhagavad Gita, “Song of the Lord,” is probably the best known of all the Indian scriptures, and Easwaran’s clear, accessible translation is the best-selling edition. The Gita’s timeless wisdom focuses on the subject of the war within, the struggle for self-mastery that every human being must face. The Gita offers us sublime instruction on living and dying, loving and working, and the nature of the soul.

Sacred Song I’m LOVING to dance to:
Cuando La Luna – Giselle World & Walker Bernard

Podcast with Malaika Darville: Walking the Beauty Way
Episode #21 – Talk – Walking the Beauty Way

Introducing the incredible Malaika Darville – shamaness, ceremonialist, Yogi, musician, community elder, 5-elements Ecstatic Dance facilitator, and DJ. In this episode, Malaika shares:

– the Rise of the Feminine and why we need to balance Shiva & Shakti
– Being in the body, Ecstatic Dance & Community‘s for Healing ourselves and our planet
– Walking the Beauty Way – Emergent Culture and the rise of festival and retreat culture
– the Importance of Ceremony, Ancestors, & Tribe for initiating people and bringing people together to heal
– Indigenous Wisdom – Ho’oponono – conscious relating to bring freedom from the trauma / drama cycle
– Elemental Awakening and the benefits of planting seeds for exploring our shadow as well as our light
– Going with the Flow & why we need to have experiences timelessness for our inner evolution

Video to Inspire Your practice:
Introduction to Sun Salutations with Francie – 6 mins
New to Yoga? Want to refine your alignment. In this video, I help you break down the basic Sun Salutation sequence to help empower you to feel confident to practice at home.

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Have a wonderful weekend & thanks again for being a part of this Pure Flow Yoga Tribe.

We LOVE you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie

P.S. Have some thoughts or suggestions? What is your favourite inspiration that I shared with you today? What would you like more or less of? HIT REPLY and please let me know!

P.P.S Sharing is Caring. If you enjoyed this little inspiration, please consider sharing it. We also have an awesome referral program if you know of someone would love and benefit from joining us in paradise.

Hope you are having a beautiful start to the new year!

Today we want to experiment with sharing some bite-size LOVE + INSPIRATION,

and also ask you:

What questions do you have about Yoga? What are you working on in your own practice? What would you like help or guidance with?

We are gonna start doing some facebook or instagram lives in the near future, and our purpose is really to connect with you and share more depth from this vast tradition of Yoga and it’s practices to help you go deeper with what you’re interested in.

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Inspirations from Francie:

Quote I’m thinking about:
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

Book I’m Reading now:
Waking the Tiger, by Peter Levine
Waking the Tiger offers a new and hopeful vision of trauma. It views the human animal as a unique being, endowed with an instinctual capacity. It asks and answers an intriguing question: why are animals in the wild, though threatened routinely, rarely traumatised? By understanding the dynamics that make wild animals virtually immune to traumatic symptoms, the mystery of human trauma is revealed, and through a series of exercises that help us focus on bodily sensations and heightened awareness of these sensations, trauma can be healed.

Song I’m listening to on Repeat:
Cunaq – Raio {Mose Remix}
I love and am fully grateful for how awesome the people in my life are. I totally love and support the art you/they are creating. This medicine song was recorded at the home studio where I live part-time in Bali, from two of my favourite sacred music artists, Raio and Sophie Sofree. Hope it inspires your flow, and that you love it as much as I do!

Blog post to Inspire You:
My top 5 favourite Asanas to do Everyday
A home practice can be as simple as sitting in your mat for 5 minutes and stretching, breathing and witnessing. Ultimately our practice of Yoga is designed to guide us inside, to listen to our inner wisdom and to the body, to be able to feel what feels stuck, tight or tense, and thus what we could benefit the most from next. Try these 5 simple yet awesome poses and their variations with me. Feel free to do these poses anywhere and anytime you have a few moments to open your body/mind!

Today’s Practice on our Pure Flow Yoga Podcast:
Episode #20 – Fall in <3 with where Your are – 90 mins
Recorded live in our jungle shala this morning! You’ll love this flowing, meditative dynamic flow class, where we set our intentions, and allow our practice to be in dedication of the highest good. We explore a creative standing sequence with fallen star, gekko lunge, wild thing and we also play with a fun yet challenging balance sequence including dancer’s pose, levitation pose and more, to bring you to your edge! Please enjoy! And let us know what you think!

You can find more live classes and conversations on our Podcast here as well as on Itunes, Spotify, Google podcasts and More!

News I’m excited to share with You!
Yoga of Music Retreat with Mel Dobra and Francie, July 7 – 13, 2019
So excited to announce this beautiful musical offering: Calling all music lovers, musicians, body shakers, embodiment lovers; Free your Voice, Awaken your Heart and discover your Creative and Expressive Potential. On this retreat you will learn the meaning behind the mantras and sacred songs, and connect to your inner song, as we open your body, heart, mind and voice through daily Yoga, Meditation and Music practices, techniques and tools to explore and express yourself. All levels welcome | Prior music experience unnecessary. EARLY BIRD ON NOW!

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Happy Weekend & Thank you so much for being a part of this community.

We really love YOU and we LOVE staying connected and helping to inspire you!

With Love & Blessings

XOXO

Francie