I went to New Zealand for a week to teach some yoga. Everyone told me how beautiful Queenstown was so I decided to hire a car and check it out. I cried when I got there, it was so breath taking. It is probably one of the most picturesque places I have been to. Here's how I got on. Excuse the shaky filming in parts - now I know how important a tripod is!
I come back to the UK on Thursday (9th Feb) so I'll be open for business next week! Already filming on Monday and Tuesday in Yorkshire for a cooker company. It's seriously cold in England by all accounts so I need to make the most of the beach whilst I'm in Sydney. Talking of which...
Namaste x
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I filmed and edited this promo for Vicious Cycle, a spin studio in Bondi Beach (Australia). It turned out very well! Now thinking of getting a pro mic so the sound is better for future productions.
Let me know if you want one for your business. I'll be back in the UK from 8th February 2012! Bracing myself for the snow. I've been used to the Aussie summer so it'll be a real shock to the system! Can't wait to start a fresh year. Excited about my life...and yours! x
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This week I have sweat more than I have in a long time - and I’m also drinking FULL FAT Coke. Now, girls will understand that this is usually something to avoid due to its ‘empty calorie’ content but actually it is like nectar. I love it!
I’m at an advanced yoga seminar with Bikram Choudary. Yes, he is the man responsible for Bikram Yoga across the world. I’ve been a Bikram Yoga teacher now since 2009 and it is so amazing to reconnect with my Guru. However, it is grueling. We are basically doing hot yoga for 5 hours a day. Yes, lots of sweat and I felt like I was dying towards the end of class but a nice cold Coca Cola (as well as coconut water and bananas) helps so much. And the rest of the day, I’ve been on a feeding frenzy. I have a whole week of this so I’m just trying to fuel my body as much as possible. It may sound crazy but I am LOVING it.
So yes, aside from my media work I am a yoga teacher. I discovered Bikram Yoga in Chiswick, London when I was working for Bid TV. I never thought I’d end up teaching it but yoga became such a big part of my routine, I felt like teaching it was the next step.
Why is yoga so great? It is the only exercise in the world where it is all about YOU. I’m not just talking about the way it makes you look physically (weight loss, toning etc), although this is a by-product. Yoga, over time will help you to peel off the layers of conditioning and emotions that we allow to attach to us over the years. By practising yoga, you start to realise your true self (that person that you feel inside) and stop being a victim. This is because it helps to connect your mind and body. When your mind and body are healthy, it removes the obstacles that prevent you from connecting with your true self (some call it spirit). Healthy mind, healthy body, healthy spirit. OK - enough of the preaching!
The reason I love Bikram Yoga so much is that you get to a point of stillness very quickly. By the end of class, you have worked so hard that you will just want to lie still and enjoy the peace. Most of us are so busy, thinking about the future and the past that we forget that the only time we really have is the present moment. Stress only comes by thinking about the future or the past.
So for the past few months I’ve been in Sydney teaching yoga as I felt that it was something I needed to explore more. It’s been amazing. I’ve also started up the Vegan Fast Food channel on YouTube with my yoga buddy Simon. We are really into making tasty food for vegans and exploring Vegan restaurants. It has been so much fun to produce.
I’m heading back to the UK next month. It’ll be sad to leave Australia as it has been incredible. However I have some work lined up when I get back that I am also looking forward to - voiceover and presenting. Bring it on.
Please have a look at the Vegan Fast Food channel!
http://www.youtube.com/veganfastfood
Namaste x
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So I'm still here in sunny Australia. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ever coming back to England. Yes of course! Travelling is so brilliant and I've still got Melbourne, The Gold Coast and New Zealand to do before I come home at the beginning of February 2012. The weather in Sydney is apparently disappointing for this time of year. It's warm but a bit rainy. I don't mind really - it's still summer in my opinion.
The way of life over here is fabulous and I am really enjoying teaching yoga and eating amazing food, the beach, the City and all that jazz. But the time here has also given me space to think about me as a person, what my core values are, my media work and what I want to do in 2012. I'm excited about the various projects coming up next year in England. I now know that as a person, I like to be free to roam, creative and varied in my work, to be healthy and to find a balance. Yes, money is important as I want to build a nice life for myself and others (and so I can afford to travel again) - but just as important to me is my quality of work and maintaining great relationships with the people I work for and alongside. This is when amazing productions occur.
After taking stock, I also realise how my ambitions have changed over the years. I used to want to be a hard hitting, award winning journalist - then I wanted to be a breakfast show presenter and now, I just want to continue doing what I'm doing. I'm so blessed to get to do a bit of everything - telly, radio and voiceover. Whilst in Australia, I'm even producing (filming/editing etc) a promo for a new spinning studio in Bondi. It's so cool to be able to earn a living doing the stuff I would do for free.
Oh, and if you see 'Fit And Famous' on Fitness TV (I'm interviewing Trudie Styler), please let me know what you think. I've not been able to see it yet!
Voiceover wise - I'm now the voice of Fitness First - you'll hear me in gyms across the UK.
Video wise - Here's something I've been doing for Mike Walmsley Recruitment. It's a news feed which gets updated monthly for various clients in the UK. A really good idea which is relatively cheap to produce. I would recommend this for any business wanting to stay current and to heighten their online profile. Contact me for further details. My mate Polly can also write amazing scripts!
Just polished off a huge slab of pear and raspberry loaf at Gloria Jean's Coffee House. Off to yoga to sweat it out of my pores! Ha. Well, it's Christmas.
Here's to a happy 2012.
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