The time of Halloween is creeping in and I thought it's a suiting time to talk about 'fear'...

At any age through life we still manage various fears.

Some of the things that bring on a fearful energy vibe for me are; fear for the unknown (future situations, family circumstances), fear of anything bad happening to my children, fear of politicians & religions and their egoistic fight for power causing pain for innocence people, fear of injury and not being able to do the things that make me happy like running and yoga, fear of failure and not being good enough... But when I sit and feel into it, these feelings and the fearful energy vibration subsides. It doesn't actually ever take long. A few breaths. And I start to embrace the things I fear – fear of the outcome, the unknown, the things I simply cannot control. I loosen my grip and realise I much rather keep a playful open heart and trust. It's a feeling of compassion and kindness, which for me equals COURAGE.

I have created a NEW Kids Yoga Class that is available to download for FREE. I hope you have some fun with it and also see it as chance to talk about any fears that might be holding your young yogi and/or yourself back in life.

No Fears. Let's Fly!

Namaste x Pia

Most of us know there is a direct connection between our state of being and what we eat. There are so many opinions and influences about diet. I think it's necessary to rely more on your own intuition, in combination with experts and science you resonate with. We are each so unique and in such different circumstances, that there is no one right diet.

I remember when I was asked to bring dessert for the big family christmas lunch a couple of years ago... I made it gluten free, dairy free, sugar free. I thought it was delicious. Most of the cake came back home with me!!!

So for my husbands birthday and our wedding anniversary I made sure to up my game and stun everyone with something really special, and still "healthy".

Ingredients:

CAKE: 2,5 cups almond flour 1/2 cup coconut flour ¾ cup raw cacao powder 1/2 cup raw coconut palm sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup coconut oil, melted 1 cup organic coconut milk, full fat 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons natural organic vanilla extract 2 tablespoons raw honey

MIDDLE LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE*: 1 can organic full fat coconut milk 2 tablespoons raw honey 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder ½ teaspoon natural organic vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE FROSTING: 6 tablespoons coconut milk, full fat ¾ cup dark chocolate

Instructions:

CAKE: Preheat oven at 175°c. Grease the bottom and sides of a cake pan with coconut oil and coat with LSA mix. Mix together the almond flour, coconut flour, raw cacao powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl mix the eggs and raw coconut palm sugar, later add the coconut oil, coconut milk, vanilla and honey. Gently mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 45-50 minutes. If you feel you need to cook it longer, cover cake with aluminum foil to prevent burning the top and lower the heat. Let cake cool completely, then cut horizontally in the middle. Spread the chocolate ganache over the bottom half of the cake. Top with other half, then spread the chocolate frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with raspberries and sprinkle top with shaved white chocolate if desired.

MIDDLE LAYER CHOCOLATE GANACHE: In a saucepan, bring the coconut milk and honey to a light boil. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Do not cover the pan. You will know you cooked it long enough when the coconut milk is reduced to half and has a thicker consistency and darker colour, similar to sweetened condensed milk. Mix in the raw cacao powder and vanilla extract and stir until all is combined and smooth, let it cool until cake is ready.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING: Heat up coconut milk and then melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water until all is combined and smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes before icing the cake.

Here you have the result! And let me tell you it was a BIG hit!

Lots of "oh wow", "yum", "Mmmm". And nothing left over!

Autumn for me is an amazing time of the year to feel the power of nature and be guided to follow it's circle of change. As the leaves change color and the air turns crisp it's hard not to notice the magic of Mother Earth. Just stepping outside and taking a deep breath can cure fatigue, center focus, inspire new ideas, improve depression and provide a lighter perspective on life.

The falling leaves are encouraging us to let go of habits, thoughts, emotions, relationships etc that no longer serve and support us to grow the way our hearts desire to. I have put together a Kids Yoga Class Plan with all this in mind. Please go ahead and download for FREE and guide your child through it. Click on image!

For the next Family Yoga Session we will enjoy the one hour class out in nature. Zen Collective is hired for another event and I felt it gave us the perfect opportunity on MOTHERS DAY to actually connect deeper with the energy from Mother Nature herself. I am a strong believer in that we all need to fall in love with nature and we definitely need to pass that on to our children, so that they will look after this planet in the future. Love is the ultimate renewable resource! Children seem to now a days recognise more corporate logos, but fewer plants native to their region and land. I often fear there is a huge gap between our children and nature... Do you agree? I would truly love to hear you take on this. To book a spot, just click on image!

NEW DATES for Kids Night Out, Dreamtime Yoga and Yoga & Art Workshops

+ more coming very soon! Stay connected.

With Easter Sunday on the 16th of April, it means our regular FAMILY YOGA

will be held off until the 30th of April following the 2nd Sunday pattern!!!

So why not go ahead and download the Easter Special Free Kids Yoga Class, you as an adult can read and rehearse the class plan and then enjoy it together at home.

I have also put together all the poses from the "story" in a document so it's super easy get it right.

^ click on image to download the class plan ^ click on image for the document

Inspire others by showing your easter yoga photos on Young Yogis Facebook page.

I would love to hear what you and the children think!?

Enjoy the long weekend and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Namaste x Pia

It is true that no matter discipline or task, the more we practise the better we get. But also the more you experiment, trust and step out of your comfort zone, the better the result. Same applies for creativity. You get that wave of creative energy if you've reached your edge and pushed beyond, into the unknown where something magic happens.

The benefits of yoga on creativity and self-expression are many. The mindful and present experience of calming your mind, finding perhaps some space and pauses between your thoughts, will give you higher consciousness and new insights. The sense of peace gained through being on the mat, have a big effect on your creative expression.

What is creativity for you?

For me it is everything in life. Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun!

Many moons ago, in my mid 20s, I ventured off to Denmark to participate in a 10-day meditation retreat called Vipassana. The name means 'to see things as they really are', and is one of India's most ancient techniques of meditation. It was rediscovered by Gotama Buddha more than 2500 years ago. The technique taught is all about the observation of breath and bodily sensations and through the interconnection of body-mind become more clear of one's thoughts, feelings and judgements. Eventually (hopefully) resulting in a balanced mind full of love, peace and compassion.

Anyway, so I had a fairly playful attitude towards the whole experience but I remember after the first day of 6 hours of meditation, thinking "I will be bored out of my brain doing this for another 9 days!!"

It kind of worked exactly in that way. But on the contrary I also discovered the opposite to boredom, I remember being totally intrigued and fascinated by how free and interesting my non-thinking mind was.

So although I didn't sustain that level of peace for more than a day or so after leaving the retreat, I feel that when the body, mind and spirit are in harmony, our creativity flows with great clarity.

Yoga encourages me to be real. It helps me to connect with my true feelings and my deepest self. It also pushes me out of my comfort zone and makes me face my fears. If you ever try standing on your head, or twisting your body into interesting shapes, you will know it has an effect on your brain and your sense of yourself. We must realise that children are no different. They are even more receptive and open. So don't let anxiety or fear of failure or not getting it right, cripple your or you children's creativity.

Our YOGA & ART WORKSHOPS are the perfect opportunities to feel fully supported in the process of both yoga practise and creative art.