Do you ever get in that rut of lack of inspiration, new ideas, not sure what to do next?

Whether it's with your work, in your relationship, your writing, your art or maybe just life in general.

I know when I feel stuck I feel bored, I yearn for something to uplift me but if I just sit there and "try" to get my creative juices flowing again they refuse. Like a stubborn child.

Here's what I have learned to do to get me out of the rut.

1. Take yourself out and do something you haven't done before, or have been wanting to do for ages. It doesn't have to be related to anything you're working towards just something you think will be fun. It's often when you are doing something completely different that a new idea appears.

2. Write morning pages. Julia Cameron, The Artists Way, recommends writing 3 sides of A4 non stop when you get up in the morning. Just write what ever comes to mind, it doesn't have to make sense. It's a great tool to brain dump what ever is going on in your mind to allow space for new ideas to flow.

3. Spend some time in nature, in silence. Leave your phone at home and just go outdoors. Natures beauty inspires.

4. Have an adventure. Just get in the car, on a bus, train, plane and go somewhere new to explore.

5. Spend a couple of days doing everything differently, from the route you walk to work, the time you go to bed, the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the food you eat. It's amazing how much we are creature of habit and it requires a lot of creativity to think up new ways to break them. Plus it's fun!

6. Do some yoga. I often find Savasana at the end is where my best ideas and insights pop up. When I am still, when I have emptied my mind, when I am not trying to do anything other than relax.

The main things is there's no point trying to force creativity to happen, it will flow naturally again when you've created some space for it, and when you are having fun.

4 years ago I finished my first yoga teacher training in India, I never really expected yoga to become my "job", I was just doing it because I loved it.

When I moved to Brighton I was continuing to run Create Yourself as I had in London, with life coaching and image consultancy and I started to just teach one yoga class. Again I never really expected to teach any more than that apart from on retreats too.

4 years later I am teaching 7 classes a week, regular weekly 1-1s, monthly workshops and on retreats through out the year. All I did was go where the energy flowed, focused on just doing what I love and being brave sometimes to put myself "out there" to be able to follow my passion.

I say "all I did" but it hasn't always been easy, faith and trust have been my biggest friends. There have been times where I have been close to giving up but I have reminded myself of how important it is to me to do what I love. After all this is the basis of Create Yourself which I set up around 8 years ago now. This journey has deepened me spiritually more than I could ever have imagined, I know the tough times have been to bring me closer to God.

If you are wondering what career change to go for, if you're stuck in the rut of trying to find the "perfect thing" to do. I simply suggest going where you feel most drawn too now and seeing where it takes you.

10 years ago what I most fancied doing was shopping for a living, I became a personal stylist and loved helping people to feel good about themselves through what they wear. This lead me to taking an interested further into personal development and helping people on a deeper level. Yoga followed on from there with the body, mind, breath connection. A completely holistic approach to self healing, care and awareness.

So what ever it is that has your interested right now just go for it don't allow it needing to be the "perfect" plan/ change to stop you. Go where there energy is flowing right now and what lifts your heart.

Just see where it takes you. Watch your life unfolding moment by moment, and enjoy the ride.

Namaste

I love yoga retreats, going on them for myself and teaching on them. There is something so special about getting away from it all to a beautiful place and having time to purely focus on yourself, your yoga and relaxing.

If you're wondering whether or not to take the plunge and book on one (my Turkey retreat is coming up in August/September :-)) then here are 6 benefits you'll get from going on a retreat:

1. Space to breathe and reflect

A yoga retreat offers you the time to just stop, By going on one you are giving yourself permission to step away from the to do lists and actually have a proper break. There will always be free time in the day for you to sleep, swim, chat to new friends, read, walk, rest, what ever you feel is best for you. Retreat centres are often away from busy towns, in beautiful nature, which gives you a chance to slow down, enjoy the moment and reflect on what's working and what's not back at home. Often these breaks away from the norm are catalysts for making changes back at home.

2. An opportunity to deepen your yoga practice

This is an obvious one but it doesn't necessarily mean to learn new yoga poses or to do really difficult things. It can be easy to let a regular yoga practice, by that I mean daily, slip when our lives are busy. On a yoga retreat you'll practice yoga at least 2 times a day, this really helps you to dive with in, to really connect with your body, with your breath, to experience the benefits that a daily yoga practice has to offer. If you don't have a regular practice it will give you the opportunity to get a taste of what it is like to practice more often and get inspired for your own routine at home. 

You'll have a yoga teacher (me!) on hand as well to answer any burning questions you've had but not got round to asking anyone yet.

3. To experience yoga as a lifestyle

Yoga is not just a physical practice. On a retreat you learn about other aspects of yoga too such as diet, meditation, self inquiry and karma yoga. As I am a life coach also I share tools from coaching to help with getting to know yourself deeply and shift patterns that are holding you back.

4. To feel the benefits from eating a delicious healthy diet, that you don't have to cook yourself!

On retreat your meals are cooked for you, vegetarian, healthy meals with out any nasties or toxins. Aside from the food being completely delicious it's a chance to give your body a break from toxins such as sugar and alcohol. It's so tasty you won't even realise you are eating so healthy and you'll get to experience the benefits when you do.

5. Making new like minded friends

I have made some great friends through retreats and the yoga world. What's wonderful is we all share the same interests, a love of yoga, feeling good and a desire to learn more about this thing called life. It's amazing how you bond so quickly with people on a retreat and some great fun is had too! Yoga does not have to be serious :-)

6. A break from your phone!

On the retreats I run I encourage a break from your phone/laptop. Our lives are so filled with technology these days it's blissful to just switch off and have some peace. No texts to reply to, no emails to interrupt your day, just time to be in the moment. To experience the joy of being truly present in a beautiful place with lovely people. It's up to you how long you switch off for but I recommend at least a day......if you can manage the whole week then fantastic!

As I mentioned above I am running a week long retreat in Turkey from 29th August - 5th September. It's from £425 (if you mention my name to Free Spirit Travel when booking) plus flights. For that you get your accommodation, 2 meals, 2 classes of yoga a day and me sharing all I know with you all week! To find out more please see: Turkey Retreat