On The Same Time Zone

Tag: Wellbeing

How To Survive December and Beyond
Christmas is coming, as you have surely realised by now. It is a season of high expectations, self-inflicted pressure, being surround by more than usual amounts of stuff everywhere and various parties. Unfortunately for many this is also the season of feeling ill or run down, the symptoms varying from being slightly sniffy to a full blown fever and several days of bed time. So how to survive December, once again?
Because we all love lists and advice, here’s my top tips to survive what is left of December and its aftermath.
1. Use hand sanitizer and wash your hands at every opportunity
Sounds obvious and most of us probably do this already (thank you for that.) But really, I mean washing your hands all the time. The bigger the city, the more the germs and thus more opportunities to catch some nasty streak of a bug. I have taken to washing my hands the first thing I arrive anywhere and the last thing I do when I leave the place, including my own home. Sounds exaggerated? Maybe but I have also been feeling pretty ok over the last weeks.
I am not alone on reminder people about this either. I recently visited a new gym and counted ten (yes, 10) hand sanitizers in the ladies changing room alone, plus several in the reception area and in the studios. They know too.
2. Supplements and food you put in
Now I am the first one to admit I have no particular interest in talking about food or supplements. We all know that Vitamin C is beneficial and we should up the intake when ill, either through food or supplements. In addition, I usually take extra zinc in the winter to help combat against viruses and unwanted bacteria. A yoga teacher friend of mine swears by Olive Leaf Extract and after I learned the capsules also contain zinc I switched to those. So far, so good.
Naturally the quality (and quantity) of food we put in has a big impact. December tends to be about excess and indulgence to an extent but I try to counterbalance that by making sure I have a healthy breakfast, keep up with my fruit and veg intake and drink loads of water and herbal teas. Winter is also the citrus season in the Southern Europe. I try to make sure that my mandarins, lemons and oranges come from Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Italy, rather than go for berries and other fruit coming from another continent.
3. Move – and Rest
Cold weather, rain and darkness are not the greatest motivators when it comes to exercise but even a little bit of movement goes a long way. I used to be very sceptical of 45 minute yoga classes but these days, knowing how busy things can get, I happily throw my yoga purity mindset out of the window – everything counts for something and if all you can squeeze in is a 45 minute class, so be it.
If you are into measuring your fitness performance, it might be an idea to try and mellow down your normal routine, especially if you are feeling the end of the year tiredness creeping in. Moving should be a pleasure, not a punishment. Just remember, even the word “asana” translates as a “comfortable seat.”
Finally, if you feel like just resting, rest. Have baths. Sleep. It is like putting money in the Bank (of Health.)
The Sanskrit word “asana” translates as “comfortable seat.”
4. Go online for your purchases…
…or even better, don’t buy any material things at all. Give services, charity items and your time. Seriously, it is pure madness to even try and make it to the high street, especially knowing that on the 26^th everything will be heavily discounted.
I am not a Grinch, I am just trying to get to the essence of the Christmas. Peaceful mind, togetherness and all that.
…And The Beyond Part?
Recovery. As important as getting ready and being in the moment. As a part of the “survived December” plan I will be looking into the following:
- Colonic cleansing, because they are good for you! Especially after a period of having digested (or not) probably more and/or heavier food than usual. I see Suki at The Colon Whisperer.
- An introductory offer pass to a new yoga studio: A perfect way to try new classes. Plus, the 7-14 day window is a good motivation to make it to few more classes than maybe usually. If cold is not your friend and you are London based, why not take up on the hot yoga offers at Hotpodyoga or Light Centre Monument.
- Facial or natural face lift massage. To get a bit of the potentially lost glow back.
- Rest and baths, as before Christmas. Whatever you do, always remember to rest.
Happy holiday season everybody, stay warm and safe!
December 15, 2018
Treat Yourself to Restorative Yoga
Restorative yoga is a relaxing and mellow type of yoga with the aim of, well, restoring the body and the mind. It complements perfectly more dynamic type of asana practises and is also very suitable for complete yoga novices.
A typical restorative yoga sequence has very few poses. Depending on the length of the class the sequence has 2-6 asanas. Props such as blocks, bricks, bolsters, blankets and straps are used to support the body so literally no effort is required. The support of the props allows each pose to be hold for an extensive period of time, up to ten minutes. This means that the body can relax and let go completely.
Restorative yoga is a perfect antidote for the hectic city life as it allows us to unwind, de-stress and practise mindfulness whilst gently stretching the body. I often describe restorative yoga as “just lying around” but I don’t mean it in a dismissive or impolite way. Keeping still can actually be quite challenging for many at the beginning, but most people do reach a point during the practise when any resistance melts away.
With the current heatwave going on it is very important to remember that humans are not machines and it is necessary to slow down. Therefore restorative yoga is a great thing to practise these days. I will be teaching it most Saturdays over the next 5-6 weeks at The Canada Water Studios in South East London (next to the Canada Water tube station you can access on Jubilee Line and Overground Trains.)
The class is 90 minutes long from 16:30 to 18:00 and costs £14. Please book your class directly from the Canada Water Studios website, and of course let me know if you have any questions!
Oh, and we also have an air conditioning in the studio so really, be kind to yourself and come along!
July 26, 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
The Open Yoga Day Cyprus 2017
The Third Open Yoga Day Cyprus is coming up on the 8^th October, hosted this time in Larnaca, under the theme of Satya, truthfulness. To learn more about this free & open for all event I sat down with two of the organisers, Mayka Sabova and Marilena Shyama Shakti, for a chat.
This is the third year this event is being held in Cyprus. Where did the initial idea for the Open Yoga Day Cyprus come from and who are the people behind it?
Inspired by similar events around the world, the Open Yoga Day Cyprus was founded by Marilena in 2015. There are many community events in other countries that offer various kinds of free services to citizens. The main principle of these types of events is to find enthusiastic and like-minded people who are willing to offer selflessly to others, without expecting a tangible reward in exchange.
These days it can be rare to find people who have the ability to offer selflessly, people who are committed, loyal and driven to dedicate their free time and energy for creating something for others. Yet these are the qualities of the people behind the OYDC. We share passion for yoga and we aim at bringing it to as many people as possible. Alongside our founder, we are a small group of volunteers (mostly yoga teachers and practitioners), who share the common vision and are willing to walk an extra mile for the benefits of others. We operate with the support of local municipalities and every year we have few private sponsors and supporters who offer financial or other assistance.
In addition to fostering a community spirit and sharing the passion for yoga, what is the main message you wish to promote with the Open Yoga Day Cyprus?
Our vision is to promote wellbeing through yoga, while contributing in building healthy communities. The more people practice yoga, the better our society can become. We want to offer an opportunity to everyone, regardless their level of physical fitness, age or familiarity with the practice, to try yoga, enjoy the outdoor group practice and cultivate the sense of belonging and unity. The world has become more and more selfish with people focused strictly on their own lives without considering the others. With this even we want to encourage people to interact. In this sense, we use yoga as a tool for social interaction, while spreading the message of selfless giving, togetherness, sharing, love and unity.
These are also the reasons why the event is organized every year in a different location across the island. This way, the people already familiar with the event mix with newcomers and the message can reach more people.
This is the third time the Open Yoga Day Cyprus is taking place. Have you noticed any changes in the yoga community in Cyprus during this time, and has that influenced how you are setting up the event this year?
We noticed that more and more people have started practicing yoga over the recent years, and more and more of them have become yoga instructors too. This has not influenced the way we planned our 3rd edition, but it will influence the future events to come. For instance, we would like to bring new instructors closer to the more experienced ones, as well as the new approaches of teaching yoga with traditional ones. In yoga we learn to go with the flow so we try to go with the flow of changes, the evolution of the yogi community and most importantly, with the flow of people so we can all open up, learn, feel and grow further.
How did you choose Satya, truthfulness, as the theme for this year?
Every edition of the event has a set intention. The power of collective intention is immense and when we do things, whatever they are, with an intention, we deepen the purpose of any activity. This year our intention is Satya, truthfulness. Satya was chosen by the founder of OYDC, Marilena Shyama Shakti, as the theme of this year’s event after she went through the gift of being pregnant and giving birth. For her, the experience of giving birth to a new life was so true and real and, of course, deeply personal, with truthfulness present in every moment. Whether it was the eye contact, reactions or the sounds of the baby, all of these profoundly impressed Marilena, as it made her realize that human beings are born so pure and it is our duty to preserve the ability to stay innocent and true to ourselves.
I don’t want to get ahead of things as this years’ event is still ahead of us, taking place on the 8^th October, but can you already talk a little bit about your future plans?
We wish to bring yoga community in Cyprus closer together by encouraging those who share our values to offer their services and contribute in any way they can. For this purpose we would like to boost our reputation as a non-profit initiative through the annual event, and perhaps with even more events in the near future. We promote yoga, which indirectly benefits all yoga teachers across the island as we create potential audience for them. Therefore, we would like yoga teachers and instructors to bond and cooperate through our events in order to create an effective and efficient yoga hub.
We are also collecting data about yoga instructors and centres across the island, with a vision to create a central online yoga platform with directories and many other features. Everyone who wishes to give something back to the community and is ready to offer selflessly can reach out to us and contribute with their talent, skill or service.
Thank you very much for your time Marilena and Mayka – I am sure this years event in Larnaca will be even bigger than the events of the past two years. I’ll see you in Larnaca on the 8^th October!
Click here for the Open Yoga Day Cyprus’s Facebook page and check out the programme of the below. The event is open and free for everybody but you are requested to bring your own mat and something to drink.
Tallenna
Tallenna
September 24, 2017