On The Same Time Zone

Tag: mindfulness

Simple Mindfulness Exercises for Every Day – Part 2
Few days ago I shared in this post few simple Mindfulness Exercises you can easily incorporate in our daily lives. The practises given were more about bringing the attention in the “externals” of the moment, through focusing on outside sounds and the physical body. The next two exercises are more about finding the “being in the now” through focusing on the internal.
As in the previous exercises, find a comfortable a seated position, on the floor or on a chair. Lying on a yoga mat is also an option but if you choose this, try not to fall asleep during your practise. You can choose any location where you feel comfortable to soften your gaze, or even close your eyes. Breath as you feel the most relaxed: Lengthening your inhales and exhales is always an option but if this does not feel comfortable or seems to take your main focus, just breath normally.
Internal Scan
Sometimes called the Mindful Check-In, the aim of this practise is to pause to check in how you are REALLY feeling at a present moment and acknowledging what is there. You might notice some physical sensations whilst starting to check in, such as tension, dullness or tingling. Start paying attention to your state of mind, the emotions that arise and notice them without any judgement. It is absolutely ok to notice feelings of frustration, irritation or even anger, or feeling sad and tired. Do not try to chase emotions that we might classify as “negative”, just notice them and acknowledge them. It might feel silly but you can try saying hello to them in your mind, and then just let them go, observing what comes up next.
Eventually you might be able to notice how many layers of emotions. For instance, there is a saying “angry is the bodyguard of sad.” So maybe, underneath the irritation or anger there are feelings of having been let down or disappointment. In a longer practise, acknowledgment of the feelings and noticing the underlying currents can help us to create a distance with ourselves and our thoughts and emotions. This is turn will help not to get caught up and owned by our feelings, as we start to understand where they arise and learn to create a moment of stillness when we need it. Be generous and kind with yourself: Mindfulness is about taking care of yourself and honouring what is within you at a given time.
Observing The Psychological Time
Psychological time, as opposite to clock time, can be described as the time that occurs in the brain, as the thinking mind projects to the past or to the future. Whilst it is natural for the mind to wonder outside the present moment, we should be aware of not being over consumed by the past or the present on the expense of what we are experiencing in the moment. For instance, many of us have found ourselves in holidays, starting to think how wonderful things are and how we wish that holidays would last forever. This line of thinking can however easily turn into negative thoughts about how it will be to return to work and to our normal routine. Rather than enjoying the moment, we are allowing the future – over which we have no control nor knowledge how it is going to turn out – to steal from the current moment and from the experiences we could be having.
Another example of getting caught up in the highly subjective psychological time is to let past events and/or emotions – both of which we cannot do anything about anymore – take excessive amount of time from the present moment. Whatever the past incidents might be, the only thing we can do about them is to acknowledge them, make peace with them and let them go.
The observing the psychological time practise helps us to increase self-awareness and to learn how to be more focused and fulfilled in the moment. Lying down or seated, start noticing where your thoughts are going, again with no judgement. Do you notice your mind wondering more to the past events, or to the future? Do you notice finding yourself going back (or forward) to the same moment, or moments have a similar theme? Gently acknowledge the psychological time of your thoughts and see if you can guide yourself back to the present moment, without any need to start trying to figure things our right now – that can always take place later. Take your time and accept the emotions that might surface.
As with all the mindfulness exercises in this post and the previous, allow yourself few minutes to come around gently. If you practise with eyes closed, gently open your eyes, maybe stretch your body a little bit, scrunch your face, take few conscious inhales and exhales. Acknowledge and thank yourself for your willingness to be present in the practise. Regardless of any feeling of how you think your practise went, recognise and congratulate the fact that you with any one of these practises you are contributing towards your well-being.
May 21, 2019
OM So Hum – Mantra
Those of you who have been to my classes over the past few weeks might remember the Om So Hum – Mantra from the beginning and end of the classes. With some of you I talked briefly about the message of this mantra but I wanted to share it more widely here in the blog too.
First things first though, what is a “mantra”?
The literal Sanskrit meaning of the word can be roughly translated as “tool of the mind”, as the root “man-“ means “mind” and the suffix “-tra” refers to “tools or instruments.” Very bluntly put (and bearing in mind that there is no single definition for mantra agreed by all), mantras are thoughts, prayers, sounds or words/phrases, believed to have spiritual or psychological powers. Mantras are repeated silently in the mind or aloud (for instance by singing) and often have the aim of helping the mind to silence and focus in meditation.
The literal Sanskrit meaning of the word Mantra can be roughly translated as “tool of the mind”, as the root “man-“ means “mind” and the suffix “-tra” refers to “tools or instruments.”
I am going to leave that definition hang in there for now although obviously there is A LOT more to history, definitions and meanings of mantras.
There are countless of mantras in the world but what does “Om So Hum” mean specifically?
OM (Actually it is Aum but we’ll leave it for now) = Familiar to many from a yoga class, OM is an ancient Sanskrit letter and a sacred syllable. It is often described as the Sound of the Universe, the most elemental of vibration, a sound that attunes to the our true nature. It can be used as a mantra on its own.
So Hum = Reflecting the sound of the breath, so hum translates as “I am that” or “I am this.”
Put together, “OM So Hum” therefore translates roughly as “I am the Sound of the Universe”. It can be interpreted as a mantra connecting us with the Universe and everything that is.
Enjoy the mantra!
September 11, 2018
Lets Talk About Hands On Adjustments
When I started doing yoga more regularly about 12 years ago I never gave any thought to hands on adjustments. I don’t have any clear recollection to be 100% sure but I guess it is largely because in the classes I attended there were hardly any. In the classes I attended the instructions were given orally with the teachers demoing, to different degrees, the poses in front of the class.
As I started to practise more regularly and also to make a point of attending yoga classes in the places I got to travel to, I also got more acquainted with hands on adjustments. Usually they were perfectly pleasant and helped me to understand a particular point and to gain better awareness of the asana. But I also had different experiences. Once on a sports camp the instructor literally sat on my back during a forward fold. Sure I could go deeper but also I was not given any advance notice this might happen. I remember very clearly thinking, “I don’t like this.” This was both because it was physically uncomfortable (although not painful) and secondly, I just really did not appreciate somebody sitting on my back like that, in a pose that is supposed to be about internalising and calming down.
There have also been moments where I was given adjustments without any particular verbal cueing. I am of course sure the good intentions were there but if the teacher fails to verbally explain how and what a particular asana is about, it can be hard to grasp what the adjustments are trying to convey. Because it is not always about the physicality of the action not being welcomed, there is also the aspect of everybody learning things in a different manner.
Some years ago I was in a group of yoga teachers and we had an interesting conversation about hands on adjustments. We were in the presence of an international senior yoga teacher who advised us that when teaching a class, it is good policy to ask the students at the start of the class if they do not want any hands on adjustments, outlining few specific examples. This sparked a big (and very interesting) debate: Some of the group did not see the point of asking about adjustments. Their argument was that if you come to a yoga class, you should expect hands on adjustments. Some mentioned they rarely had any done so they had not given much thought about to the topic. Others pointed out that when you start a career as a yoga teacher you are likely to be focused on expressing your sequence the right way you would not even think about giving hands on fine tunings on the participants.
All the insights were very valuable and demonstrated how differently we can feel about a particular matter. What that conversation sparked for me was a deep consciousness of personal boundaries in the space of a yoga practise and the importance of respecting them.
We all come to our yoga practise from different backgrounds, with widely different experiences and expectations. What those experiences and expectations are, we do not know. But what we can do as yoga teachers is to give the practitioners the option of not to be touched. In the #MeToo era, knowing that the yoga world unfortunately has not been spared of its own incidents, this is even more important than ever.
…or trikonasana
So how to go about this? Some teachers lay out in their studio profiles that hands on adjustments are to be expected – This is great but also requires that the profile is read. Some ask you to raise your hand if you don’t want any – but then again, not everybody is happy to speak up in front of others, especially if you are new to practise. There is also the option of the teacher asking you to fold a corner of the mat, or putting a prop in front of the mat. The idea is good in theory but in practise, especially as a teacher, I am always concerned I overlook THE one prop, or the corner of the mat comes undone.

Recently I have however seen few new innovative initiatives. Few days ago Pranama Studio in Stockholm, Sweden, posted on their Instagram page that they are now using “Consent Crystals” in their classes. Pranama Stockholm writes: “We respect and honor you, and it is totally your choice to be touched/assisted or not during a yoga class. It might even depend on the day […] When you take a Consent Crystal with you in the class, our teachers will know your wishes without asking. Just place it next to your mat and we know we have your consent. Without it, we respect your wish not to be touched at that time and that class.”
Another example I recently saw was an American lady who had come up with a small two-sided cards, one side saying “yes” to adjustments and the other “no.” You just place the card next to your mat and the teacher will know. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I saw this but if you recognise this initiative, let me know in the comments and I will edit this post with more detail about this.
I feel this topic is very much part of the inclusivity in the yoga community discussion that has been taking place for some time now. I would be interested to hear your thoughts about this topic: Are hands on adjustments something you like, you expect, or something you have not really given any thought about? Any ideas you would have or you have seen how to communicate about this, either as a student or as a practitioner? Let me hear your opinions in the comments section!

August 9, 2018
About Yoga, Spirituality …and Discussion Forums.
Recently I have been reading several articles and studies on the growth of fitness and wellness boom during this decade which, as most of you I am sure would agree, does not show any signs of slowing down.
Yoga is of course an integral part of this growth and according to one study I came cross, “yoga” was among the 15 most Googled words in 2017 in the UK ! Furthermore, in 2016 Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal found out in their study entitled “Yoga in America” that whilst 28% of the American yoga practitioners are male and 72% are female, there had been a 250% increase in the male yogis between 2012 and 2016! My purely empirical observations across yoga studios in various European countries helps me to have confidence in that in the Old Continent the tendency is the same – and this is wonderful news obviously!
Whilst 28% of the American yoga practitioners are male and 72% are female, there was a 250% increase in the male yogis between 2012 and 2016.
“Yoga in America” Study of 2016.
People come to yoga for different reasons: to alleviate back pain or other type of physical discomfort, as a means to deal with stress, anxiety and insomnia, as an alternative form of physical exercise… with so many styles and yoga teachers out there these days there is a yoga class to suit everybody. However, there are as many yoga stereotypes out there are as there are styles of yoga. And as with all the stereotypes, they do not come completely from nowhere, just as much as they do not represent the whole truth either. Yet, they can still form a barrier of entry for those who are curious but sceptical about yoga.
One of the more common remarks I hear from people who express interest in yoga is the concern about the level of spirituality that they might come across in a yoga class. About a year ago I wrote about this topic after I had stumbled upon an interesting conversation thread touching upon this subject on Reddit which I am re-posting here for the benefit for those of you who did not see it the first time around (Hello You! Thank you for reading my blog!)
So, this Reddit conversation started by this brilliant comment:
”I started yoga about two months ago and I am really enjoying it. I’m a 30 yo male. My back feels great despite my 40+ mile running weeks and I am already a lot more flexible.
But I’m somewhat turned off by the spiritual and meditative aspects of it. I don’t care about dedicating my practice to something, sealing my intention, being one with the ground, or anything like that. I just want to work on strength, stretching, and flexibility. I have only tried two studios so far and they are both pretty heavy into the spiritual/ meditation part of it, and the websites for all the others around me give the same impression.
Is this something I just have to get used to?” […]
My first reaction was laughter because this so hit the nail in the head. Just last night when teaching a class I encouraged people to “set an intention” at the start, and during savasana I said something along the lines of “feel supported by the ground.” Touché!
The second reaction I had was to get a little defensive. ”Well, technically we ARE supported by the ground when lying down, nothing spiritual there.” However, we all get the gist of the comment and many of us either recognise ourselves in it or know somebody who shares the feeling.
There were many great comments in the threat as a response to the above. Many expressed having similar feelings. Some suggested taking up pilates or other type of a stretching/conditioning class rather than yoga, no spirituality there. Some expressed their disapproval of what they saw as not understanding or trying to embrace the whole concept of yoga and everything it entails. Several people identified themselves as “atheist engineers”, leaving me wondering if this is seen as the highest form (or just stereotypical?) of a scientific and pragmatic individual, immune to any type of “spiritual bullshit about chakras and stuff.”
The comment that was voted the best started with “Dedicate your practice to fitness. Seal your intention to workout like a m*********r.” The runner up commentator chipped in with, ”most of what sounds like spiritual hippie nonsense is actually creative language/metaphor leading you to a concrete action: focus. You can tune out and just do the moves, but without breath and focus, you are headed for injury.”
I liked these comments a lot and I find them genuinely helpful. Of course as a yoga teacher I do believe in what I say in my own class but I also get that some of the stuff might sound a bit out there for some. Like with everything, not every yoga class, teacher or style resonates with me either. But it is always my choice how I choose to go about things and how to own up to my choices in a given situation. I trust the teachers whose classes I take to be professionals and having something to offer and therefore deserving my attention: this is also about safety. I can then choose to go to a different class next time – there are plenty of yoga classes with very minimal spirituality (or offering a different way to go about it) in them on offer.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that it is ok to have questions and even doubts but do not stop them having a go at yoga if you are interested. In a good class nobody is (or at least should not) force anything spiritual or esoteric down your throat. Be open-minded, remember that there is more and more hardcore scientific evidence about the benefits of yoga and meditation (watch the video I posted earlier on this topic here) and see for yourself.
What amount of spirituality in a yoga class feels right to you?
May 23, 2018
Balance Festival London
Last weekend the 2nd edition of the Balance Festival took place at The Old Truman Brewery in East London, just off Brick Lane. Last year it attracted 8000 visitors over 3 days and the organisers said the targer for this year was to double that.
I cannot tell if that target was met but what I can tell you it was massive, super well organised, a bit overwhelming and a lot of fun!
Unfortunately I did not have a chance to take part in many of the fitness and yoga classes available but there was so much else to see! I have never seen so much plant based products in my life! I wish all the best success for all the businesses that were present: I would love to see your products more prominent on the supermarkets, as well as with the independent vendors!
Now let the pictures tell their story.

Thank you Balance Festival for an awesome weekend! See you in 2019 I hope!

May 16, 2018
5 X Daily Routine To Stay Grounded and Keep Going
Whether you find it boring or not, there are a lot of good things to be said about daily routine: Several studies have proved that having a routine can, for example, reduce stress, improve sleep and consequently lead to improved health. Other benefits of routine include the possibility of eliminating certain time consuming tasks from your days completely so you can focus on the essentials: Hence the distinctly always-the-same sartorial choices of Mark Zuckenberg, Barak Obama and the late Steve Jobs.
However, even with a very regular schedule it can sometimes be very easy to start feeling overwhelmed, demonstrating as anxiousness, stress, and lack of energy and/or motivation. Then there are the days when even the best laid plans and intentions seem to fly out of the window and life feels like one big game of never ending catch up.
Whilst there are no miracle recipes to stay cool and collected in every situation, here are my top five daily routines to help me to stay (or return to feeling) rooted and calm(-ish.)
1. Morning Stretch and Mood Setting – In Quiet
Having a stress free start to the day is an absolute must for me. I rather wake up an hour early to have a relaxed morning than experience a mad rush first thing when opening my eyes.
The old saying “start as you mean to go along” is something I try to apply to every day.
Whilst I am just as likely to hit to snooze as any other person, I take the time in between to have a slow, gentle stretch with my eyes still closed, waking up my facial muscles, wrists, ankles one by one, followed by a spinal twist to both sides. I also stay away from electronics, radio or any other source of noise for at least 15 minutes after getting up. Instead I might do a small meditation, have a look at my paper calendar or have a chat with my housemates whilst making about the coffee, checking in how we slept and how do we plan to tackle the day ahead.
Some days it is of course harder to get out of bed but as they say, sticking to a plan can become a habit in less than a month so if your mornings always seem manic, maybe this is something to try?
1. Glass of water and Breath of Fresh Air
Nothing new with this one but routines are not about what you know, they are about what you do. There is no need to stress about the lack of fresh lemon to squeeze in your water – this is Instagram free time anyway so have that glass of water next to your bed if that is the best way for you to remember to down it.
As for fresh air, opening the window and taking in few deep inhales and exhales counts too. 30 seconds is all your need. If I can make it for a brisk walk even better, although I always aim this not to be a mad rush for the bus.
1. The mid-day/afternoon 5-10 minutes time off – Again, In Quiet
Especially in bigger cities there is noise absolutely everywhere! If you do not have the opportunity to escape to the forests/beach on a regular basis (I am thinking of you lucky Cypriots and Nordic people!) you might have to get very strict about this but trust me, it is so worth it. Put it in your calendar and lock yourself to the nearest toilet cubicle, or use headphones to block the outside noise as much as possible.
There was a time when the saying “if you do not have 10 minutes to meditate, take an hour” used to drive me insane, even if I deep down realised how much truth there is in it. It does not even have to be 10 minutes, and it does not need to be a meditation. Just sitting in stillness and letting the breath work its magic usually does the trick.
If you are sceptical, try this just once: Find as quiet place as possible and close your eyes. Sit on a chair or whatever is comfortable and have your hands on your knees, palms facing upwards. Relax your facial muscles and jaw and take ten deep inhales and exhales, trying to keep them as even length as possible.
How did it go?
1. Feel the bodyweight to root and rebound
With increasingly sedentary lifestyles it is no surprise many of us feel disconnected from our bodies. We might experience aches and pains but are not able to locate or describe them in a clear manner, and “body coordination” can make sense as a term but not as something we would say we are good at.
Just as having a quiet moment or two every day can help with increasing our mind-body-soul awareness, I also find using my body weight to actually feel the physical edges and capacity (or non-capacity at certain moments) something I need to do every day. The beauty of this is that it does not mean a daily trip to the gym or yoga studio, this is something that can be done in five minutes and in pretty much any type clothing.
Some of my favourites “just checking in” body weight exercises are:
- Planking (knees up or knees down)
- Side planking
- Hanging off a wall bar or a sealing bar (the metal bar connecting toilet cubicles is perfect: this used to be my go-to office pick me up, perfectly do-able in a suit and heels. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures.)
- Reverse table top (also known as crab pose)
- On a chair pressing down with your arms and lifting your bum and legs up (L-sit variation)
- Handstand/cartwheel/any inversion
The above might sound a bit crazy but hey, you can go to the gym and do dead lifts, or you can just practise lifting yourself. For the latter, do you really have any excuse?
1. Approach your bedtime with the respect it deserves
The other bookend of the day, bedtime, is just as important as the way you wake up. It really is worth the effort to put the phone away even 30 minutes before bedtime. An analogue alarm clock costs about 5 quid/euros (I just got a new one for myself) so you can even leave the phone to a different room all together. If feeling too fidgety for a silence straight away, try to old school before sleep activity of reading a book, a comic or a feature story in that free magazine you picked up three days ago.
I find it easiest to ban all electronics from my bedroom at all times. That way I do not even have the opportunity to quickly check my phone the first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. As I have to be physically up to get to it, having a good stretch or a cup of tea/coffee becomes just as feasible – and often preferred – action to take and in no time, a habit.
What is your main daily routine that help you stay grounded and going every day?
April 24, 2018
About New Year’s Resolutions and How to Stick With Them
Whilst we are free to make small and big resolutions any time of the year – or day, for that matter – The New Year is very much seen as THE time to make a change or few in one’s life. Just look at the amount of people you see at the gym during the first two weeks of January or alternatively, how pubs and bars seem emptier, especially mid week.
The issue with resolutions is not the resolutions themselves – that is often the easy part. The real difficulty is how to stick with them after the initial days or weeks when the first enthusiasm and heightened sense of self-discipline have started to wane. Here are few ideas on how to get through the difficult patches when all you want to do is not to stick with your ideas.
First one is the favourite of every life- and career coach (and a true fact too): If you have a big goal to attain, break it into several smaller ones. Of course you do not want to lose the sight of the end goal but rather than start feeling overwhelmed by it, approach it in smaller chunks. Just keep thinking how many rivers make an ocean and trust that with several small goals the big one will come, in due time. And if at some point you veer off the course, remember it is just temporary: One lost battle does not mean you are losing the war either so get back on track as soon as you can and carry on.
Use old school squared paper and pen!
A start up magazine I bought for my latest flight had a tip that apparently originates from the comic Jerry Seinfield: using a piece of squared paper (placed somewhere where you can see it easily and every day) and a pen to track your daily progress in regards to whatever it is you want to achieve. Be it about meditating every day or not drinking for a month, the daily cross on the paper releases the dopamin in the brain as you gain a sense of satisfaction from tracking your progress in a visual way. This can also help you to get through those moments of “I will skip it just today…” as you do not want to interrupt the flow of the Xs on your square paper. A gap in a row might be just the thing to boost your willpower – and help you to get one step closer to your goal.
Use a planner, as fancy as you want!
I am one of those people who loves lists, mind maps, journals and coloured pens. Which is all fine and well but to truly make progress you need some kind of a plan and a follow up system too. Otherwise it is very easy to get side-tracked by the daily grind whilst certain items on your to-do list keep on being pushed to a “better time” and goals made become more and more elusive.
Last year I used a bullet journal that worked pretty good – but not good enough for me not wanting to try something else for 2018. There are several ready-made planners out there and I settled to a UK designed one that lays out a theme for every month, helps you to classify stuff you want to do from urgent and essential to nice-to ones, and offers space for reflection before and after each month, with already laid out questions! A perfect solution for those inevitable moments when motivation is low and the last thing you feel like doing is to think at all. I got the same planner for my flatmate, in the name of peer support and well, keeping each other going.
EDIT. I have gotten a lot of questions about what this planner is. It is called Trigg Life Mapper. This is not a commercial collaboration, after few days of researching I settled to ordering this one and so far I like the look of it. The pictures of this post are from Trigg Life Mapper.
It is of however important to remember that life should not be only about performance and accomplishments. Plenty of scientific studies have proven that for the wellbeing of the brain and body alike it is important we spend time each day to rest and be still, without any pressure to achieve anything. It is good from time to time to also allow ourselves to get bored as boredom has been proven to feed creativity in adults and children alike.
Our New Year resolutions should not however become an obsession that dictates everything we do during the day. Not everything can be controlled and a gap in the row of Xs on a square paper is not the end of the world. The real strength, one that we all do have in ourselves, is to face difficult moments as they are. It is ok to get annoyed and sad but equally important take on board any lessons to be learned and to move one. There are usually many ways to reach our goals and adjusting the plan on the way is entirely possible.
What type of methods do use when planning your goals and how to achieve them? Leave a comment below!
December 31, 2017
The Difficulty of Being Honest with Yourself
One of the hardest things in this life is to be honest with yourself.
The first reaction when I hear this phrase is to be in a state of complete denial. “I am realistic,” I’ll say to myself.
“I know what I weigh, I am happy to list my development points if asked in a job interview and my insurance company knows I am a social smoker.“ And I suppose these statements are all true and admirable. No problems there.
But I am talking about the deep shit, the stuff that is so deep under the surface, sometimes confusing, that we don’t even want to talk about it. Or in some cases, we talk about it all the time, overanalyse every detail over and and over again, convincing ourselves that we are ok with how things are.
Yet, if we were to take a moment to be silent, uncomfortable feelings may surface. Feelings that are hard to grasp because they have been buried through days and months of a life bombarded by noise and constant action.
These are the feelings that tell us the truth -the real truth- as to what is really going on deep down inside. Some call it intuition, some call it a gut feeling or inkling. I’m sure you know what I am talking about, because we all had moments when that feeling came so strong we could not ignore it. And whether you listened to that gut instinct or not, you knew deep down what the right thing in that situation would have been.
But why is it that we often find it so hard to acknowledge what our mind and body knows all along?
I am convinced that in most cases it is because of fear.
Fear of having to walk away from situations and people we have become attached to, even though they are less than ideal.
Fear of what other people might think if we go with our gut feeling.
Fear because we cannot rationalise our intuition and it can often go against what would make sense rationally.
Fear of the unknown and the anxiety of making the wrong move, regardless of what everything in our gut tells us otherwise.
Fear for making a truly honest assessment of where are at.
So how do we know it is time to take a moment and have a long, hard, good look inside? How do we recognise that something inside of us is trying to send us a message?
It often starts with that quiet inner voice that something is off. It can be very hard to pinpoint what that “something” is, especially if everything seems to be just fine on the surface. Odd feelings can come and go, but if these feelings keep coming back – it is worth to take a pause and check in.
The truth is not out there. It is inside. It is a long and difficult road to understand ourselves, but remember that the truth is alive and living in us. When we slowly begin to understand and connect to our inner truth, it can take some time to get comfortable with the feelings and emotions that comes with it. But there is no reason to fear this. The key is to take all the time that is needed. Days, weeks, months, sometimes years. It might feel overwhelming (again) but celebrate this journey and continue on making time for these moments to yourself on a regular basis, to check in and evaluate.
Journal, reflect, whatever is needed. Dig deep for the honest connection with yourself.
And remember- your truth is yours, and yours only.
The first version of this text is published on Happy Girl Yoga.

December 26, 2017
That Moment of Genuine Gratitude
The below text is from yesterday morning, something I wrote straight after the yoga class I had taken. It was one of those moments when the right words to express what had until then been just a slightly uncomfortable feeling came to me and demanded to be written down straight away. So I sat down and typed everything on my phone, in the fear that I would lose the essence of what was, and posted it on Instagram. As Insta is not the most comfortable platform for longer reads, here is a repost.
I did a vinyasa flow class this morning. The type I tell myself I am not too keen on, the type that I feel requires too much effort. “It’s dark, cold and almost the Winter Solistice”, I have been telling myself (since start of November), “In order to take care and nurture myself I better to just yin and restorative classes. And maybe something with chanting. No vinyasa.”

However I have some free classes to use as I volunteer at my local studio in exchange of yoga classes (karma yoga!), and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I needed to venture out my comfort zone to cheer myself up/give myself a good kick on the backside. See, I am a typical Cancer and being moody and withdrawn comes to me very easily.
So I walked to this vinyasa class, chosen because it was only 60 minutes, not the usual 75. I like to threat carefully, hedge my bets, and this tells you how much I was expecting to, well, not enjoy the class.
I lie down on two blocks to open up the upper body and make my way up to seated when the teacher walks in. After the usual “who is new to yoga/any injuries” questions, the first thing she says is to use the practise to look back at the year and reflect on the things and people we are grateful for, as “gratitude gives us perspective.”
BOOM! Whilst I always aim to be realistically aware and grateful for everything and every day, so often I have been struggling (and feeling bad for it) to really genuinely FEEL it. The feelings of sadness and hopeless often seem to take the upper hand, no matter how hard I try to chase them away. But here was the invitation to try again this morning, an opportunity to let things come up on their own – when I least expected it. And maybe it was because of that, because I truly had no expectations, this morning I had one of those practises that people talk about with glowing eyes: Everything came easy (although the practise was not physically easy), with joy and gratitude for my ability to move, in that space, in this time, at that very moment. And for everything else. It was the type of yoga practise non-yoga people probably think we have all the time, and those with a regular practise know does not happen very often.
It is a weird feeling when things come up on their own, when you observe without forcing it, yet being so fully aware. Yes it has been a hard year. But it has also been a year of conscious effort to figuring out my s**t even when I really did not want to, learn about the whats and whys, causes and consequences. Cleaning out the past and making space for the new, in all meanings of the term. Accepting that going forward sometimes means you first need to stop and even go backwards and that is ok.
We need to contract in order to expand, like the lungs contract and expand when we breath.

It’s been a year of horrible losses and bottomless sadness, reconnections, letting go – some things unwillingly, some because it just had to be done. It has also been a year of plenty of happy moments, deeper connections, and reconnections, and being incredibly lucky with everything I have had and everything I have.
And this morning, in that vinyasa class, when I least expected it, I feel genuinely grateful for it all.
December 15, 2017
How to Keep Calm During The December Madness
By now most of us have well and truly realised December has arrived. Not necessarily from the weather (as this day and age this time of the year can just as well be white, green or gray) but from the slightly frantic energy in the air. The Christmas ads are on full gear, invitations to various festive parties are coming from all directions, and the general anticipation of Santa/days off/opportunity to just sleep-eat-sleep is tangible. While all this is happening to the soundtrack of non-stop Christmas jingles, illuminated by various Christmas lights everywhere, and often fuelled by more drinks and nibbles than recommended and reasonable, it is no wonder how the end of the year can leave us a little weary and run down, despite all the fun.
Below are few of my tried and tested tips on how to stay sane, healthy-ish and keep reasonable energy levels all through December. A little bit of effort and self-discipline is required but it guarantees you will be able to make the most of the season.
1. Keep up with your water intake
Obvious one but hands up, who feels like reaching out for the water bottle when the temperature nears zero? I have noticed that since moving back to the UK from Cyprus my water intake has gone down a lot, and as a result I have started get the occasional headache which never used to happen. We all know basics: 2-3 litres a day, more if you are drinking coffee/tea/alcohol and/or exercising. Warm water with some lemon or ginger in it counts too!
1. Take a moment – or two – every day to be quiet
This is even more important during December than other months I find. Even on a good day social media updates can do your head in, especially if everybody in your circles is talking about the same subject (i.e. gift shopping, parties, decoration, how much they like/hate this time of the year.) Try to shut down – properly shut down – your phone when you get home in the evenings well before bed time, and do resist the temptation to check it the first thing in the morning. Giving yourself just 10 minutes of proper quiet time, stretching, relaxing the facial muscles and the rest of the body and focusing on the breath will calm the mind and give you some much needed space.
1. Ease off the pressure from yourself – The nature is taking it easy too
There is no denying, it is cold and dark in the Northern Hemisphere. The shortest day falls onto the 21^st December and from there on the days will slowly start get longer again. Whilst hibernating is not really an option for most of us, we can still be comfortable with the knowledge that natural to feel a slower and less energetic than usual. Be kind to yourself and slow down. Think of few things that are essential and things that bring you joy, and let those be your guide on how to navigate the festive season. Not all parties need attending to and some things can be finalised next year. If it feels appropriate, swap your usual vinyasa flow class to a gentler yin or restorative type, and as much as possible, give yourself a little bit more time to get through the everyday stuff. With this in mind (and executed), being merry and jolly flows in naturally.
1. …and about all those gifts?
Ok, some people might really need something, or they let you in on wish for something – if it is affordable, in line with your values (just saying… gifting should not be about you but also, are you comfortable with the gift you are buying?), go for it. Lacking ideas, think about the immaterial – a massage, a full house cleaning or a dry cleaning for five shirts, a yoga class or a month’s pass..? You can find a variety of services in all price ranges so make a point of taking time to google (or looking around at the small businesses around you) to find out what is available.
And most importantly – enjoy the festive season and what it can offer to you! Be selective, be true to yourself and most importantly, be kind to yourself and to others.
What are your tips to navigate through the December festive season or are you rather indifferent? As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!
December 8, 2017