All Posts By

Cheryl Parsons

Yoga

Fast forward

fast-forwardIt’s human nature to live life in the fast lane, always rushing full steam ahead! Cheryl asks, what can we do to take a break right here in the present? 

Not so long ago I found myself wishing for a day when I could just lie in bed, read, sleep, drink tea and be downright lazy. Well, they say be careful what you wish for, for indeed my wish did come true – but in the form of a rather nasty throat infection followed by a bout of bronchitis! One night I went to bed feeling ok and the next morning I woke up with the sensation I’d swallowed a drawer of cutlery for breakfast. For days I was on antibiotics and bed rest, and then following a week of recovery and feeling good, I contracted my daughter’s bronchitis and was back to square one again! Continue Reading

By on May 13, 2014
Parenthood

Sleepy head

Did you bounce out of bed today or hit the snooze button again? Cheryl asks why are we so tired these days, and where does that leave our yoga practice? 

My husband was recently away on business and what did I do? I watched repeats of Come Dine With Me and went to bed with a good book at 8.30pm, praying that my toddler would sleep through the night. A little pathetic, some might say? It was brilliant! You see, lately I’ve been finding the hottest subject besides the weather is our level of tiredness. If I had a dollar for every time I told someone that I was T.I.R.E.D. then I’d be a pretty rich woman. (If you are nodding your head in agreement over your cappuccino, then please inbox me now.) Continue Reading

By on April 30, 2014
Yoga

Green Eyes

green-eyesFrom from Cheryl’s Elephant Journal article: “A Post Baby Chat with my former Tight-Bodied Yogi-Self…”

I’ll step into the confessional box and say I’ve been judging my yoga in a big way lately, especially since the birth of my daughter.

Hey you, in your bikini pressing into handstand. Yes, you. Could you come back to earth for a moment?

I’d like a chat.

As I stand wiping weetabix out of my hair I can’t help but feel a pang of envy at your lack of muffin tops, dark circles or toddler-induced exhaustion. You are a small part of the reason why I’ve been feeling out of sorts in my yoga practice.

Continue Reading

By on April 23, 2014
Interviews

Heal your DOSHA

Deepak Chopra once said: “Making your doshas happy will make you happy. This is the secret to balancing the whole mind-body system.” It is a big statement by all accounts; but one that pretty much sums up what one of the world’s oldest medical systems, Ayurveda, is all about. Did we lose you at the word ‘dosha?’ Don’t worry, Cheryl Parsons sets out to decipher this ancient method of healing and find out what steps we can take to keep our doshas in check…

“According to Ayurveda, the whole universe and everything in it, including the human body, is made up of five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether,” Dr. Chandy George, Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant at Dubai’s Balance Wellbeing 360, explains. “The human body is balanced with three elemental energies – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – which are called the Tridoshas. When the Tridoshas are in harmony, the body will function at its best and when it is imbalanced, the body will lose its ability to function normally. Diseases are a result of the imbalance of these life forces; kapha, pitta, and vata.” Continue Reading

By on April 16, 2014
Parenthood

Busy Bee

In a world of multi-tasking mayhem, mother and yoga instructor Cheryl Parsons asks, have we become too busy being busy?

I bumped into a friend in Starbucks recently and together we lamented over our endless chore list. “Yes, I am just sooooo busy these days,” I cried as we swapped ‘life is too hectic’ tales across our open laptops. Both of us were trying to squeeze in a flurry of emails before we powered down and headed to my yoga class. It was barely 8.15am, but we had already gotten ourselves tied up in a tizzy of ‘to dos.’ Continue Reading

By on March 27, 2014
Yoga

Unfinished business

unfinishedBusiness-a1It’s been a LONG time! This entry has also been a long time in the making. Yes, today comes to you inspired by the half drunk cup of tea, the cold end of toast discarded in the corner, the interrupted yoga practice and the fact that I’ve not updated my blog since March. That just about sums up my crazy life right now! Full of unfinished business…

Wow. Where did the last 14 months go? Molly is now a walking, baby talking, jolly wee lady with a big personality just waiting to blossom. The sleepless nights are just (a little) more few and far between and life is slowly taking on a new ‘normal.’ Continue Reading

By on September 19, 2013
Parenthood

Topsy turvy

topsyTurvyI am thinking of banning the “T” word. If I had a pound for every time I told someone that I was TIRED then I’d be quite a rich woman. (I’d be a ridiculously rich one if that pound also counted for every time I uttered the “T” word in my head.) 

“Oh, yes, you will always be tired,” one of my students quite gleefully told me. “Welcome to parenthood. You will just get more tired from here on in,” the mother of four explained. Continue Reading

By on March 14, 2013
Parenthood

Coming full circle

5.25am. No need for an alarm clock. The morning is signaled by the sound of a raspberry being blown from Molly’s cot. A shuffle of little legs inside her sleeping bag and a string of baby babble can be heard for the next half hour as she patiently waits for her bleary eyed parents. When the light comes on at 6am, the smile and accompanying squeaks of joy are enough to start to clear the cobwebs of tiredness away. 

It has been a LONG time since I have updated my blog and boy, have things changed since my last post! Nearly six months on and I feel I am finally getting to grips with the role of being a mother. Molly is turning into a happy little lady, smiling, laughing, squealing. I won’t lie to you though, there have been many times I’ve really struggled with the challenge. I guess you are never quite prepared for how much your life turns upside down or how much your day to day existence will never just be about you anymore. Continue Reading

By on January 19, 2013