Fire, hay, xfactor, a final yoga exam and frost...these are the days of a farmers life!!

 

Before I begin, my thoughts go out to all those who are fighting the New South Wales fires at the moment. It makes me proud to be an Australian when I see all the volunteers and everyone involved in trying to stop the damage the fires are causing. Everyone is showing such courage and loyalty. Even at home we experienced frost, fire and extreme heat within one week. Many farms have had frost damage on their lovely crops and it is hard to take. Howard is out checking our crops now with his brother. (I have a photo included of the smoke rolling across from the Blue Mountains to Sydney last week)

So my news for this week is that Mum and I passed our final yoga assessment!! Yay….

3 years ago Mum and I started the Dru Yoga teacher training course in North Sydney together. Mum was starting to say she was having trouble getting off the floor if she sat down with the grandkids and had a sore shoulder all the time. I thought I could manage a yoga course while visiting my boarding school girls. I encouraged mum to do the course with me. It would be a great opportunity to see each other regularly and I knew the Dru Yoga style would be perfect as mum has the most beautiful open heart.

On the first weekend I looked across and wondered where our ‘old’ behaviour had gone. Mum was moving herself in a completely different way. It would take a while for her shoulder to heal but on that very first weekend I could see just how much the so called ‘aging’ was in Mums mind. We flowed together with the room full of students from one posture to the next, with the gentle guidance of the head teachers. We smiled, laughed, made new friends and experienced the Dru still point that is an important part of the style of yoga we were about to dive into. Something very special had begun.

17 weekends later we stood in the gardens of the Mary McKillop Centre, ready for the final assessment. We had to teach a 45 minute yoga class, with fellow students participating and a panel of Dru teachers watching. The interim assessment was similar and this allowed us to starting teaching a few elements of Dru Yoga ,18 months earlier, but passing this final stage was wonderful. Once fully qualified we can teach all the yoga asanas, the Dru energy block releases and sequences. Having completed the Meditation Diploma first, I am busting to teach some of the postures that encourage clear intention, mindfulness and meditative movement but more importantly I wanted Mum to do well.

It’s funny when your focus is on someone else; it is easier on your own nerves. I felt very calm all day and on the Sunday when I was told I had passed, this calmness expanded into deep peace and 'knowing'. It was all worth it, running up and down the highway, missing many things the girls were doing, having to be pretty efficient with the bookwork and the housework, having to maintain a belief in what I was trying to achieve. Sitting there in the Mary McKillop gardens, on that perfectly sunny Sunday, I knew something important had been achieved for all of us.

Its an important time on the farm as well. This is the end of the year when we can potentially make most of our income. The hay is being baled and one hay shed is almost full and ready for the dairy farmers. We have had 10 mls of rain which slowed the hay making up but it was very welcome for the crops. I have taken some photos of the farm for you, together with a shot of two young men you might recognise, that I ran into in Sydney last week before the exam. There is also a photo of me with my best mate..my inspiring mum. Love you mum  xxx

And as Redfoo would say, "Overcome the mind to overcome anything in life!!" I couldn't agree more.