She's a GOAL DIGGER.

Just like there is a song for everything there is an asana for every occasion. If you really want something you'll find a way. You'll find time. You'll find space.

Wake up. Yoga. Before work. Yoga. Before lunch. Yoga. After work. Yoga. Before dinner. Yoga. You're just in the mood for it. Yoga. Before sleep. Yoga.

I woke up to yoga and I came home to yoga. I will go to sleep with yoga.

The more you practise, the better you get. The better you get the more you'll want to do it. It's a positive upward spiral.

Finally set my yogi goals for the summer.

When this summer is over I will:

-Have integrated yoga into everyday life

-Have chosen yoga path to make my own

-Be able to do a headstand for atleast 10 seconds

-Be able to put my feet behind my ear

-Feel alright with the pigeon pose (eka pada rajakapotasana) 

Right now, apart from posture, I'm mostly focusing on breathing. That's where it all starts. In the breath. 

If you have the opportunity to feel anxious or afraid take a moment to study yourself. Has your breathing strayed? Is it racing away? I know this to be true almost without exception. If I'm stressed the breath is fast and unsteady. This is also a good measurement of your feelings. When you notice your breath is quickening without being physically active or experiencing positive excitement I would like to advise you to check yourself before you wreck yourself (yes, that's an IceCube reference). Where's your thoughts at? Just notice if it's positive or negative thoughts. If it's negative, leave them and focus on the breath. Slow it down. Feel how relaxation enters your body as you breathe in and stress and negativity leaves as you breathe out. By paying attention to your breath you will be able to control your emotions and see the "natural disasters" before they happen so you can hit the breaks. Usually works the other way when we're not aware.

To have a sentance or two as reminders also works well for me. When I get upset I remind myself to take responsibility for my feelings. They're up to me, not anyone else, even though it might seem so at times. 

Another thing to remember is that stress isn't bad. It's actually good for you. It's a built in mechanism to help you be alert and do your best. There's a good ted talk on the subject by psychologist Kelly McGonigal.

Speaking of stress... got up at 3:30 am to prepare for work. I had spoken to the oldest of my sister the day before who said "I bet it's really beautiful outside at that time". Sure, I thought. She was right though. I got to see the sunrise scenery on my way to work. Öland has never in my 25 years been this beautiful. I fell in love with the sky and felt truly blessed for getting this experience. Wahe Guru!

Ps. Didn't take a picture. But imagine an explosion of your favorite colors. Bham! The magic kind of dies when we take a picture. What's that old belief about preserving souls in photographs? Instagram...a graveyard?

Sun salutations - Surya Namaskara

I know I said this blog will be showing what I've done, and in a way, that's still true even though there is a shift in direction. From now on there will be more yoga, more wellness, more spiritual reflections and more of the journey from a shy curious yogi beginner, overcoming fears and finding balance, strength and a sustainable lifestyle.

Today I live on Öland. As far as I know there are two different yoga classes going on nearby. I am determined to try both. Until then I'm going through the exercises in Rachel Brathen's "YOGA GIRL". I devoured her book in one day. This week I'm all about perfecting my sun salutation, also known in hindi as Sūrya Namaskāra. I also feel the yoga culture is a great opportunity to freshen up my language skills get in touch with my hindu roots. On my father's side we're jat Sikhs, from the Punjab area.

Most of my life I've been lucky to live close to a shore. I always feel at home when I hear the crashing of the waves, like the breath of mother earth. I was at first a bit bitter to be back here, since most of my friends are located in what seems to be anywhere but here, but then I realised this is the perfect opportunity to indulge in the solitude. To embrace my greatest fear. Being alone... well actually not being alone, but looking like I am. Haha, the human mind is a mystery sometimes. It might sound strange to some, but I actually quite enjoy the silence.
Here's where I will be spending some of my yoga moments.

Köpingbaden, also known as Sinus.

The practice never stops. We can always expand our knowledge, stretch a bit further, reach new heights and levels of divinity. Because it is my firm belief that we are not human beings having spiritual experience but spiritual beings having human experience like the yoga teacher Shakti Parwa Kaur Khalsa said. Her book about kundalini yoga (a simple guide to the yoga of awareness) is my current reading.

For some time I thought you had to fulfill certain criterias to be called a yogi. Now I heard you only need to practice yoga to be a yogi. Since I've been praticing quite steadily for two years now I'm happy to say I am one. Although I know...this is just beginning.