Can you feel the speed of your life right now?

I mean physically feel it. Most of us can describe our schedule (relentless, hasn’t it been?). Fewer of us can describe what the pace is doing in our bodies.

For a health coach and yoga practitioner, mine is showing up in small, slightly embarrassing ways: my sleep is off whack (even before the jetlag set in), I’ve skipped one of my daily meditations, I’ve had pizza twice in one week, and I’ve worked in front of the TV and YouTube. I could go on.

Speed is contagious and can breed anxiety. When everyone around you is moving fast, your system takes that as information: this is the pace, let’s go. Autumn is particularly good at this. The light shortens, term time and year-end deadlines arrive together (hello, tax returns and year ends), and October becomes the month to prove we can keep going, when we’re exhausted from the height of and our wallets are about to get a whipping from three big holidays.

Then come the expectations. Some are loud: the deadline, the review, the colleague who needs it by yesterday. Many are inherited and have run so long we’ve stopped questioning them: be available, be impressive, be the one who copes. And some we simply assume other people hold about us, with no evidence at all.

When speed and expectations stack up, we make decisions from the pace rather than from ourselves. We say yes before we’ve checked whether we agree. And at some point we notice we’re rather tired, and rather far from the person who chose this work in the first place.

At times like these I think of the intuitive women in my life who have chosen a rhythm based on observation, curiosity and deep knowing. (Shout out to my friend Karen Mellers: go listen to her fabulous podcast with Dr Rosy Daniel, Alive and Loving it).

Once a day, ideally before you open a screen, give yourself sixty seconds:

If you want to do something with the answer, lengthen your exhale for a few breaths: in for four, out for six or eight. A longer out-breath nudges your nervous system towards slowing down.

Take ten minutes with a notebook and write down everything currently expected of you: work, home, that group chat, the thing you’ve been postponing since April (hello again, tax return). Then mark each item:

The M items are your compass. They show you what staying true to yourself looks like. The I items deserve a question: does this still fit? The A items are the surprising ones. Pick one and check it out loud with the person involved (‘Do you really need this by Thursday, or could I have a few more day’). You may be amazed how many expectations dissolve when you say them aloud (I asked this of my accountant this week).

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, puts it simply: “It only takes five minutes to break the cycle.” Five minutes of exercise, writing or conversation and you’re back on the path.

Take five minutes today for the one thing that will bring you rest or joy. That is the antidote to speed. For me today it was driving with the music on, singing along to songs I love, then sitting in a café where I could people-watch while writing this newsletter, with the damn chocolate mocha and whipped cream.

Restorative Yoga, online, starts tomorrow: Sunday 11 October, 6pm (UK time) on Zoom.

This is the practice where you lie down, get propped up with everything you own, and stay there while your nervous system catches up with the rest of your life. Six Sunday evenings between now and February, 75 minutes each, timed for the darker months when the body craves more rest. Every session is recorded, and you get the recording right up until the next sessions takes place.

If the speed has been getting to you, this is a structured way to give your body what it has been asking for, with someone else holding the space.

There is still time to join. Book all six sessions with the code GETREST and you save £12, which is the price of one class.

This month, I bid fairwell to a class and a group of students I have loved sharing space with for 18 months: Functional Recovery & Flow in Barnoldswick is ending on September 15th.

Tuesdays online 5:15pm, Wednesdays 6pm in Barrowford, and Thursdays 6:30pm in Clitheroe

An intentional and inwardly focused practice rooted in breath, core strength and deep presence. Forrest Yoga invites you to build physical confidence while staying connected to feeling — developing resilience without disconnecting from yourself.

Expect intelligent sequencing, long dynamic holds, and space to work honestly with what arises.

Wednesdays 7:15pm in Barrowford & Sundays 6:15pm in Clitheroe (fortnightly), online Sundays (6 sessions over Winter)

A deeply nourishing online practice designed for the darker months. Slow, supported postures, longer holds, and conscious breathing help calm the nervous system and replenish energy.

This is a space to soften, reset, and allow winter to do its quiet work within you.

I am offering one more class online in this format on Friday 27th March, 7pm. After this date, I will explore how to integrate this deeply nourishing rest practice when the evenings are lighter and so many of us prefer to spend more time outdoors. Watch this space.

I also teach this class twice a month in Clitheroe, weekly Barrowford, and over the winter months onloine.

Tuesdays 10am in Clitheroe

Left to your own devices, you'd probably take it easier than this.

Signature Flow is a set sequence - spiced-up sun salutations, standing postures, strength work and it builds heat! You come back to the same practice each time, which means you can feel yourself getting stronger. That's the point.

A morning class that sets the tone before the rest of the day gets in the way.
Suitable for all levels. If you're newer to yoga, the structure gives you something real to build on. If you already have a practice, this is the one that keeps you honest & rooted in tradition.

Fridays 5:30pm in Clitheroe (Fortnightly starting July 10)

These sessions take you on a journey of self-discovery, helping you find your strengths and embrace your imperfectly perfect flaws, all while syncing movement and breath in a creative, energising flow.

HOT FLOW is practised in a studio heated to around 35°C, allowing you to move deeper into poses, raise your heart rate, and enjoy a mental challenge that clears the mind. You’ll explore flowing sequences, vinyasas, and mindful breathwork, leaving you sweaty, empowered, and accomplished.

Some yoga experience recommended.

Fridays 6:45pm in Clitheroe (Fortnightly starting September 3rd)

If you feel stressed, are always rushing and never have a moment to be still, Yin Yoga gives you exactly that. Deeply meditative floor-based postures and long holds release tension and settle the nervous system. All welcome.

with grace and gratitude,

Supporting individuals and businesses towards authentic freedom and wellbeing