When was the last time you did something purely because it made you happy, without needing it to be productive, useful or meaningful to anyone else?

I remember something quite clearly from the time after my marriage ended and we started living separately, sharing the time with our children. For the first time in almost twenty years, I suddenly had something I hadn’t realised I was missing so deeply: time for myself. Time to simply be. Time without constantly cooking, organising, running errands, looking after everyone’s needs or trying to keep everything together.

And something beautiful happened. I started creating again. I painted. I made music. I wrote songs. I allowed myself to experiment, play and express whatever was moving inside me. And every time I created something, I felt an incredible sense of happiness. It was releasing, nourishing and peaceful. I felt connected to a part of myself that had been waiting quietly for years.

Looking back, I realise how much I had put that part of myself aside.For so long, life had been about doing, achieving and being productive. Motherhood, work, teaching yoga, dance and fitness, building projects, earning money, taking care of the house, making everything beautiful and making sure everyone was happy. There was always something to do, something to improve, something that needed my attention.

I was constantly moving, but I had very little space to simply enjoy being.Even when I desperately needed a creative outlet, I found it difficult to give myself permission. I remember one particular afternoon when my in-laws were visiting. I finally sat down to paint, something I hadn’t done properly for years. I was so absorbed in it, so happy to have that moment for myself. But I kept being interrupted by requests and expectations. Eventually, my frustration spilled over. I remember raising my voice because I felt that even this one small space for myself wasn’t being respected. It wasn’t really about that particular afternoon. It was about years of not making room for something I needed. Looking back, I can see how little space I had given myself to slow down, process my emotions and find a healthy outlet for everything I was carrying.

I sometimes wonder what our lives might have looked like if I had discovered this balance earlier. What if there had been less pushing and achieving, and more allowing? Less pressure to make everything perfect, and more time for creativity, pleasure and simply enjoying each other? What if I hadn’t felt that everything I did needed to be useful, productive or financially valuable?Perhaps some things could have been different. But one thing I know now: we don’t have to wait for a major life change to give ourselves permission to live. We don’t have to wait until the children grow up, until the house is in order, until the work is finished or until we have earned enough to deserve a little time for ourselves. We don’t have to wait fifteen or twenty years to paint, dance, sing, play or create something that has no purpose other than making us happy.

We need these moments. Not as a luxury, not as another achievement, but simply because they make us feel alive. And this is one of the reasons I feel so drawn to creating my creative workshop on the Svadhisthana Chakra.

I want to create a space where women can pause, let go of their usual responsibilities and reconnect with the parts of themselves that may have been waiting for attention. A space where movement is not about fitness, art is not about talent, and pleasure doesn’t have to be earned. Where we can allow ourselves to feel, express, create, surrender and enjoy. Because perhaps the most important thing we can learn is not how to do more, but how to make room for more life within the lives we already have.

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When was the last time you did something purely because it made you happy, without needing it to be productive, useful or meaningful to anyone else?

I remember something quite clearly from the time after my marriage ended and we started living separately, sharing the time with our children. For the first time in almost twenty years, I suddenly had something I hadn’t realised I was missing so deeply: time for myself. Time to simply be. Time without constantly cooking, organising, running errands, looking after everyone’s needs or trying to keep everything together.

And something beautiful happened. I started creating again. I painted. I made music. I wrote songs. I allowed myself to experiment, play and express whatever was moving inside me. And every time I created something, I felt an incredible sense of happiness. It was releasing, nourishing and peaceful. I felt connected to a part of myself that had been waiting quietly for years.

Looking back, I realise how much I had put that part of myself aside.For so long, life had been about doing, achieving and being productive. Motherhood, work, teaching yoga, dance and fitness, building projects, earning money, taking care of the house, making everything beautiful and making sure everyone was happy. There was always something to do, something to improve, something that needed my attention.

I was constantly moving, but I had very little space to simply enjoy being.Even when I desperately needed a creative outlet, I found it difficult to give myself permission. I remember one particular afternoon when my in-laws were visiting. I finally sat down to paint, something I hadn’t done properly for years. I was so absorbed in it, so happy to have that moment for myself. But I kept being interrupted by requests and expectations. Eventually, my frustration spilled over. I remember raising my voice because I felt that even this one small space for myself wasn’t being respected. It wasn’t really about that particular afternoon. It was about years of not making room for something I needed. Looking back, I can see how little space I had given myself to slow down, process my emotions and find a healthy outlet for everything I was carrying.

I sometimes wonder what our lives might have looked like if I had discovered this balance earlier. What if there had been less pushing and achieving, and more allowing? Less pressure to make everything perfect, and more time for creativity, pleasure and simply enjoying each other? What if I hadn’t felt that everything I did needed to be useful, productive or financially valuable?Perhaps some things could have been different. But one thing I know now: we don’t have to wait for a major life change to give ourselves permission to live. We don’t have to wait until the children grow up, until the house is in order, until the work is finished or until we have earned enough to deserve a little time for ourselves. We don’t have to wait fifteen or twenty years to paint, dance, sing, play or create something that has no purpose other than making us happy.

We need these moments. Not as a luxury, not as another achievement, but simply because they make us feel alive. And this is one of the reasons I feel so drawn to creating my creative workshop on the Svadhisthana Chakra.

I want to create a space where women can pause, let go of their usual responsibilities and reconnect with the parts of themselves that may have been waiting for attention. A space where movement is not about fitness, art is not about talent, and pleasure doesn’t have to be earned. Where we can allow ourselves to feel, express, create, surrender and enjoy. Because perhaps the most important thing we can learn is not how to do more, but how to make room for more life within the lives we already have.