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Follow your heart
Cycle your heart out and recharge! Cave kayaking to hidden beaches, cycling to fishing villages, and of course, heart shaped riding! These were just some of the fun ways me and my boyfriend David decided to reboot our frazzled batteries this spring. Wanting to spend more time with loved ones and my soul this year also made me cut down on all that was zapping my precious time and energy. I realised just how much I needed to stop social media scrolling and instead focus more on what makes my heart sing! More time for painting, spontaneous adventures, and uninterrupted time with loved ones! It's also my debut book's 1 st Birthday next month so I wanted to offer your a FREE GIFT as a thank you for all your support! Keep reading to find out more ;-) Location Lagos, Portugal Bike rental: Coast Supply Co Accommodation: Porto Mós Sunplace hotel Heart route Length: 6.09 km (view map) After adapting the bike route suggestions from coasts website we were able to create a relatively flat route which goes past some of the best viewpoints in Lagos. Cycle Your Heart Out Highlights: - Ponta da piedade, amazing photo spot of all the caves - Kayak tours: secluded beaches of Praia da Balanca and the love cave! (see photo below) - Restaurants: O António in Porto de Mós beach, Ala do Castelo in the old town (try their delicious arroz de marisco), Lucas rooftop in Camilo Beach, which is also called the "the stairway to heaven " with it's 200 wooden steps Spread the Love - Tiago from Kayak Tours for showing us the beauty of Lagos by Kayak. Weaving in between the stunning caves was honestly breathtaking. The best way to explore Lagos by sea. - Richard and Joshua from CoastSupply Co for recommending the best bike paths around Lagos! Their trekking bikes were super comfortable and easy to ride up all those hills! Definitely recommend to anyone planning a visit here. - Nora & Jose for looking after our dog Maya. It was the first time we were both away from her but she was in amazing hands and got lots of love and cuddles!
INNER RIDE QUESTION...
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Soul Reunion Tree trunks into the sky Emerald green leaves Golden sunlight slicing through Kissing the earth The flowers My face Soothing sounds of a nearby stream Birds in a peaceful choir The crunch of winter beneath my wheels No one to guide me Just the well trodden path And the call from within That whispers welcome home Follow your heart After reading 'Light Is The New Black' by Rebecca Campbell, my heart led me to the forest to spend more time listening to the call from within. Cycle Your Heart Out for... your soul! Location Next to the Montseny National Park. Located in the quiet town of Sant Esteve de Palautordera, only a 1 hour train and cycle from Barcelona, so no car necessary! Perfect for me as I still can't drive! Heart Route After picking up a map from tourist information, I sat down on the grass and started noticing all the beautiful paths that I'd hiked the previous 2 days. Within minutes my heart route had appeared, a great mix of the town, nature and forest! An easy 4.52km heart, all flat and mostly on bike paths. Cycle Your Heart Out Highlights: Accomodation: Hotel Somlom ECO & Wellness Lodge Bike Hire: Fesbici Coffee break: Bar LANAU Kalart Co-living and Co-Working: A unique space for remote workers and digital nomads with yoga, meditations and other holistic events on the weekends Montseny National Park: A stunning natural park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Spread the love I stayed at the peaceful Hotel Somlom ECO & Wellness Lodge next to the Montseny National Park. On my first night I danced my heart out in their belly dancing class, and they kindly lent me a yoga mat so I could practice in the comfort of my own room. I arrived with no clue of the area so I was really grateful for the kind staff who patiently showed me all the best cycling and hiking paths. Thank you to Davinia and everyone who worked at Hotel Somlom! I gave the hotel a copy of my book so that anyone who visits can enjoy flicking through the pages while they wait for their yoga class or massage! Longing for connection With like minded souls A shared ride Of compassion Creativity And love I surrendered Closed my eyes And rode inwards Re-emerging in clarity To those who read these words Thank you My soul family You are not alone We ride through life together Follow your heart Cycle Your Heart Out for... Community! Separated from loved ones, relocating to a new area, yearning for community. If you have experienced any of this recently and sensed a feeling of loneliness, then this heart route is for you. Location I decided to create a heart route in the peaceful town of Gavà, 20 kilometers south of Barcelona, and only 10 minutes from the Airport. Gava is known for it’s beautiful 4km beach promenade, pine forests and sand dunes. Heart Route Length: 8.23km (mostly flat) Click here to view the route on Strava. Cycle Your Heart Out Highlights: - Ama Yoga Loft for beautiful heart centred classes - Huertos De Ocio - Farm to grow your own organic fruits and vegetables - Horse riding school (Gavamar Ecuestre) you can learn to ride a horse along the beach here - Kauai Gavà Mar Restaurant for their amazing paella - Gava beach for sunrise, siesta and sunset Spread the Love To help give back to my heartful community, I decided to give a copy of my book to Ama’s Yoga Loft. Amarilis started the studio to help you connect with your essential nature and authentic wisdom, so your spirit is reborn with clarity and balance. A beautiful heart centred space directly on the heart route! The Reunion Scrabble Night Time Golden milk by my side Loved ones competing to win Reminiscing, laughing Silence outside Just the odd passing car Content, cosy, happy Surrounded by family Soaked in love Follow your heart: A heart route to celebrate my long awaited family reunion! Location: Loughton, a cute ancient village in Milton Keynes England, and the city where I first gave birth to Cycle Your Heart Out over a decade ago! It's also one of my favourite areas in the city to find some peace and walk the dog. Heart Route: It was thanks to my amazing sister's that we managed to come up with this short but beautiful 4.78km ride in Loughton! The route is also part of the 12km Millennium cycle route around Milton Keynes, a quiet picturesque ride that takes you past the river Ouzel, the Grand Union Canal, ancient villages and the famous concrete cows! Cycle Your Heart Out: Meet my mum, she hadn't rode a bike in ages, and had pretty much lost all confidence. She would stop and walk the bike to cross a small road, avoid adjusting the seat to the correct height in case she fell off, and rode the same speed as someone walking. But little by little with the help of me and my sister, her confidence bloomed as we rode along peaceful paths, canals and lakes. No rush, nowhere to be, just us and our bikes. We stopped to pick freshly fallen plums, pick juicy blackberries, and to simply admire the horses. The more we rode, the more her fear faded and her smile grew! We celebrated our ride with some delicious Victoria sponge cake and tea at the Grumpy Cook. If you have someone you love who is a little hesitant to get back on their bike, here are 2 tips from my mum that helped her get over her fear of cycling: 1. Walk and cycle... Like when you start running, you walk/jog/build up a few mins at a time... 2. Avoid cycling on hills or in bad weather until more confident Spread the love: To help spread the love around Milton Keynes I gifted a copy of my new book to the wonderful Alchemise Yoga Studio in Newport Pagnell. Ran by the lovely Wendy, it was thanks to her amazing classes that I first fell in love with yoga over a decade ago. Thanks Nicole for reading my poems in your relaxing cello classes. "Building community, bringing art from the heart, a perfect offering. Thank you so much for bringing your wonderful poetry into the world and sharing your book with us!" - Wendy Loughlan - Founder of Alchemise Yoga Studio Celebrating 10 years of Cycle Your Heart Out, and the birth of my new book with loved ones in the beautiful Jardin de Hara in Barcelona. I couldn't have wished for better way to celebrate. Reading my poetry to an audience is only something I've started to do recently, and I've just discovered how much I enjoy it! To be able to share my heart & help you feel less alone in this crazy world was the reason I decided to publish this poetry book. If you're tired of people pleasing, toxic relationships, ashamed of your sensitivity, & sick to death of not following your own heart, I hope my words can help comfort you and ride you back down the right path. Thanks so much to all of you who've supported me and my project over the last 10 yrs, and everyone I’ve had the pleasure of cycling my heart out with! All my family and friends for always supporting & reminding me to never give up on my dreams, regardless of how crazy and unrealistic they seemed. Thank you also to those who knowingly, and unknowingly shaped some of my poems! To David and Maya, my beautiful poem that came true. Thank you for all the days and nights you took care of me while I was drowning in a sea of writers block and procrastination, I love you. My editors Jacqueline Suskin, Katia Ariel, and poet Tanya Markul I’m so happy I found you all. Thank you for helping me bring this book into the world, and making me believe it was worth publishing. Now available worldwide on Amazon as paperback! Click below to look inside and get a copy for yourself or a loved one.   "Beautiful poetry, I love the concept of heart shaped cycling and its therapeutic and mindful effect! I absolutely recommend the book to anyone who is sensitive, observant, and in search of inner world expressions." - Magdalena Grucza Psychologist & Career consultant “I highly recommend this book, even if you have never been or intend to get on a bicycle the journey through the poems will inspire and touch your heart”. - Kathy Ward WHO Mindfulness Consultant, TEDx Speaker Healed You were unplanned You kissed my open wounds Route by route You pieced me back together Pedal by pedal You kept me breathing You kept me riding Year after year Continuing to share through the pain Continuing to share despite the pain And in the end An open book because of it all Follow Your Heart This is a pretty special month, not only is April 30 Days Of Biking, but it's also National Poetry Month! A beautiful combination and a lovely way to share with you some exciting news! Over the last few years I've been working hard on creating something special, something I hope will inspire you to travel deeper into your inner world and follow your heart. Yesterday I cycled my 40th heart route to share with you my big news... I've written a book! Location Barcelona Heart Route A flat 11.9km route Cycle Your Heart Out Highlights - El Born - Bogatell & Barceloneta beach -Parc de la Ciutadella - Arc de Triomf - Sagrada Familia - Poblenou Spread the Love For the whole of April I'll be cycling my heart out in Barcelona and sharing poems along the way, two of my favourite things all rolled into one! So if you also love bikes and poetry, why don’t you join in with me? Click here for my top heart making tips! Offline Inside my Cancerian shell Cooking up a feast A feast full of love, dreams and ambition A feast full of drinks, overflowing with gratitude, A feast ending so sweetly Reminding me what was missing from all the other meals High in courage and free from self-comparison A feast so delicious I invite you To travel To this VIP location Inside yourself For the most rewarding meal of your life Then once you're full Feel free to invite others Follow your heart
Cycle your heart out ... offline Location Delta del Ebro, Spain Accommodation: Camping Ampolla Playa Heart route 5.16km, all flat Cycle your heart out Highlights: Watching the sunrise at Platja de l'Arenal Seeing Flamingos! Sketching Maya and David sleeping like babies Taking Maya Kayaking for the 1st time! Delicious Paella for lunch at Lo Goleró The sunset at Mirador norte de la bassa de les Olles Celebrating our 2 year anniversary at Restaurant La Barraca and seeing a blood moon!! Spread the love If you would like to disconnect and create your own heart route, click here to learn my top 5 steps! Follow your heart Mindful Maya here! Sarah's let me take over her blog today and I'm super happy to share with you my first heart route! But first let me share a little bit about me... I was born on Valentine's day and my name means love in Nepali, my favourite snack is broccoli and I'm obsessed with chasing pigeons. People seem to think I'm a small bear or cat sometimes... but I'm sure I'm a Pomeranian dog. Location El Poblenou, Barcelona in Spain Heart route 1.64km Cycle your heart out One minute I'm chasing pigeons, sniffing grass and finding a good spot to roll around in, the next minute Sarah picks me up and puts me in some sort of flying bed. It's strange but kind of cosy cause she's put my favourite blanket inside. Not sure why she's put me here... Wow I'm super high up, I miss the floor let me outta here! Ok escape fail, she's harnessed me in... My fur feels sort of strange, it's like she's blow drying me after a shower, except it's nice and cool. So many humans keep staring at me, everything's moving around me so fast, Hold on a minute... I recognise it all, its my favourite walking route in Parc Diagonal! I recognise the smells and the trees, those purple flowers on the floor, this is the park full of dogs that always want to sniff me. Ok we’ve stopped, Sarah is giving me lots of hugs and doing that strange high pitch voice, the same as whenever I’ve peed on the grass or sit down. I think I’ve done something she likes as she’s just given me my FAVOURITE BONE! Nothing else matters right now, just me and my bone, the cool blow dryer on my fur. Sarah just told me we've rode a heart route, maybe that's why she called me Maya! I like this flying bed, I could get used to this. But for now I’ve got some serious chewing to do. Spread the love Would you like to create a heart route with your favourite human? I highly suggest checking out Sarah's top tips! 13/2/2020 0 Comments Heart Route 37 in BarcelonaQuiet Love No need to sweep me off my feet Just a forehead kiss will do No need for extravagant jewellery Your hand holding mine will do No desire for a giant bouquet A plant that blooms will do No surprise luxury hotel A tent under the stars will do No fancy restaurant needed A heart-shaped ride will do No need for changing you Your quiet love will always do 26/11/2019 0 Comments Heart Route 35 in Altea, SpainBody still, Mind on fire The numbness spreads My legs gone dead If only I could move The tenacious fly That active gardener If only I had silence My familiar friends Worry and Fear Always around, but never welcome Body still, mind on fire Breathing interrupts Damn that feels good Stomach growing like a balloon Emotions join the stream Thoughts pass like clouds Even the ocean seems calmer Sitting cross legged Silence starts to spread Body still, flames reduced Mind at peace Follow your heart Before learning about mindfulness, my mind was like a chaotic snow globe, always shaking, my thoughts flying here, there and everywhere! I craved to have a vacation from my mind, and found life just so overwhelming all the time. After years of cycling my heart routes I slowly learnt that it was focusing on my breath and the sensations in my body that took me to a place of momentary calm. When I learnt that mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment on purpose, it all started to make sense. Cycling my heart out had been my own meditation, and learning to combine it with seated meditation everyday enabled me to finally find a way to settle my snow globe thoughts. After taking an 8 week mindfulness course a few years ago in Barcelona, I decided to deepen my understanding and travel to the south of Spain to take a MBSR Teach Mindfulness course with Mindful Academy International. Cycle your heart out ... mindfully “The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. When it's calm, everything becomes clear.” Prasad Mahes Location Altea, close to Alicante in Spain Accommodation: Hotel Tossal Altea Bike Rental: Ashe bikes Heart Route Several different bike maps, two helpful bike assistants, and dozens of attempted heart routes, not one seemed to want to emerge. I was close to accepting no route could be found, and just enjoy cycling mindfully along the sea, but that's the beauty of letting go, seconds later Cecilia at Ashe bikes pointed at the map, she'd found it! It got me thinking about all the times I've longed for something, and never came close to reaching it, until I finally let go. Cycle your heart out The route represented the challenges along my teaching course, the doubts, the confusion. With the final part along the sea, peaceful, calm and full of joy. It will always remind me of the life changing course, the people I met, and all those I hope to help ride inwards. Highlights: -Parròquia de Nostra Senyora del Consol -Mirador Paseo Maritimo Spread the love I couldn't have completed this course had it not been for my teacher Kathy. Her years of experience and wisdom was truly inspiring to learn from. Grateful to my beautiful international group, it was such a joy to support and learn from one another. My top mindful tips for you: Meditation doesn't mean you always have to sit still, next time you ride your bike notice the following... How do your hands feel on the handlebars? How about your bum on the seat? Your feet as they rotate the pedals? How does the wind feel on your face? Try paying attention to the present instead of worrying about your to do list today, or your conversation with whoever yesterday. My thoughts won't stop, I can't sit cross legged, I don't have time, I'm too busy, I'll start tomorrow, I'm doing it all wrong! Sound familiar? The beauty of mindfulness is to practice kindness and compassion to ourselves, and that all those thoughts above are perfectly ok to feel. Thoughts won't stop? It's normal just observe them Can't cross your legs? Use a chair No time? Try 2 minutes Too busy? Take 3 deep breaths, Starting tomorrow? How about now Doing it wrong? No, you're not Click below for more tips on how to ride inwards heartfully!
25/8/2019 0 Comments Heart Route 34 in CopenhagenThe Danish Route to Happiness A sea of cycle lanes More bikes than cars A city in synch Hearts seem to link Boat-lined ports Picnics packed and ready Candy coloured streets Riding to the beach Help that lady off the bus Feed that hungry red squirrel And as the sun starts to set The best hasn't happened yet Replace phones with candles Share love not posts Eat together not alone You’ve discovered hygge in your home! Follow your heart
Cycling around Copenhagen had been on my bucket list for several years. I was curious to find out why Denmark won award after award for not only being a bicycle paradise, but also the world's happiest country. Luckily for me, my amazing friend Christina helped me find out why! Cycle Your Heart Out for… hygge Location - Copenhagen, Denmark Heart Route - 7.15km Cycle your heart out Highlights - Copenhagen Citadel - The Little mermaid statue - Gefion fountain - Guard change at Amalienborg - The new port of Copenhagen, Royal Danish Playhouse - Nyhavn - The Bridge street kitchen - Freetown Christiania - Picnic along the canal of Overgaden Oven Vandet overlooking the Torvegade bridge - Live music from Christianshavn boat rental & Café - Stadsgraven lake - The new bicycle bridge and along Vester Voldgade, - Tivoli - Equestrian statue of Christian IX - The Lego House at København, Stalk fountain - Kongens Nytorv. - Vandkunsten Sandwich Spread the love Grateful to Christina and her wonderful family for inviting me into their home and sharing the beauty of Denmark with me. The Little Book Of Lykke by Meik Wiking was waiting for me on the bedside table on my arrival. After cycling my heart out and reading this book, it was very clear to me why Denmark wins all these happiness awards! Spoiler alert... the front cover has a bicycle on! ;-) Thank you Earth For allowing me to cycle my heart out Year after year All over your beautiful body, For allowing me to heal my soul One heart route at a time Meet Natalie, an English teacher living in BarcelonaNatalie has wanted to get back into cycling since loosing her confidence a few years ago. Determined to loose the anxiety and fear she decided to cycle her heart out around Barcelona with me, and reignite her love of cycling! Follow your heart Cycle Your Heart Out for… confidence! Location I love this area of Barcelona for nature, and escaping from city life Heart Route A short 5km flat route along Barcelona's bicycle paths Cycle Your Heart Out I enjoyed the route because it went past some of my favourite places, Ciutadella park, the beach, and the pretty streets of Passeig de Picasso in El Born. I loved cycling next to the beach as it aways helps me to feel more relaxed. Although I felt anxious at moments I'm glad I continued as the rainbow and sunset at the end were definitely worth it! The Rainbow of Friendship Did you see the rainbow? Beneath the Tulum Pyramid My friend woke me from my camera coma So focused on getting the perfect shot My eyes had been blind to the beauty behind it You see that's what's good friends do They bring color to your eyes, when all you see is grey They bring the sun to you heart, when all you see is clouds They bring brightness to your soul, when all you see is darkness They are the rainbow to your heart Every shade of their being Every glimmer of their time They are the gold on either side And I'm rich because of you To those friends Thank you for staying Despite my thunder Those Three Words Where conversation fails to end Where your eyes say what words can't Where your arms feel like home When the moment feels right That sentence Unable to stay unspoken Rolling off my tongue And into your heart Those Three Words Follow your heart
On June 2013 I sat on Rambla del Poblenou with my good friend drinking wine. As I complained about my bad luck with men, my friend decided it would be a great idea for me to sketch my dream man, so I did. I drew his thick dark wavy hair, big beard, tall muscular body, wearing a green T-shirt. I sketched him as if he was sitting in my friends chair drinking the wine, I then closed the book and never looked at it again, until now. Fast forward 5 years... Location Barcelona, Spain Heart route 11.90km Cycle your heart out I’m cycling my heart out on my 31st heart route with my boyfriend, and for the first time in my life, I’m in love. We're cycling a heart route which he created himself, and is randomly almost identical to my 2013 one. As we cycled along Rambla del Poblenou, I realise my sketch has came to life, he was real. There he sat, his thick dark wavy hair, his beard, sipping his red wine, on the same street as 5 years ago. It turns out he was along the heart route the whole time, I’d cycled past his flat on my 2013 heart route, but before we could meet, I guess I had a few lessons I needed to learn. Spread the love Would you like to create your own heart route and cycle your heart out with a loved one? Click here for my top tips! |
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