I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS BEEP

So.

This week was hectic to say the least. Maybe it was for you too?

It's easy to when we have much going on to kind of let go of the good routines or our practise... and sometimes that might honestly be what we need. To feel good is not always obsessing about the healthy and forcing our rituals on ourselves when we already have a lot of strain. Sometimes a cup of hot chocolate can bring just as much feeling of goodness as the healthiest thing you can think of.

What I'm trying to say here is don't be too hard on yourself if you can't stick to it sometimes, especially when you feel you've already got the world on your shoulders. That's when you need that extra support. To feel the world got your back.

Don't color your day with a bad mood.

But then there's that inner struggle of I HAVE TO THIS AND I HAVE TO THAT AND AAAAAAH! So there's things to be done, 

but 

what you need the most is your breath. You can return to it at any time. Wherever you are. It takes no time and very little effort. Yet it gives much back. That's the beauty of it.

If you're stressed. Breathe. 

If you are in pain. Breathe. 

If you're upset. Breathe. 

If you're overwhelmed. Breathe. 

If you've had enough of reading this just give yourself a break and breathe instead. 

Surely you will get into that kind of situation again. Not all days can be a manifestation of flow. Of course you can prepare for the challenges, but when all is said and done... in the heat of the moment there might feel like there is only one way (there is never just one way!) and we might forget all about our brilliant techniques of stress management when we need them the most. 

When it happens just remind yourself.

Take a moment.

You can choose how to feel. 

You can choose a better way.

You got this.

You have time for this breath.

The full breath

We come with a lot of built in mechanisms. One of them is the breath. Our lives are depending on it. We're born with the breath and we will surely depart together with it. We think we know what we're doing but most of us are actually taking shallow breaths, only using the very top of our lungs. This results in quick breathing, less emotional and physical resilience and not getting as much air as we actually could... and should! By using the full potential of our breath we get more oxygen, better blood circulation, immune system and we also become more present. Our mind follows our breath and our body follows our mind.

Why should we breathe through the nose? As he air goes through the nasal passage the temperature and moisture of the air is adjusted to suit our bodies. When you breathe through the mouth it doesn't have a filter like the nose so we're exposed to more bacteria and the mouth becomes dry with an increased bad breath, risk of cavities and gum disease. It is also not possible to breathe as slow and take up the oxygen properly when using the mouth.

So we can reduce stress and boost energy instantly by just adding awareness into what we're already doing? You don't need to sit in a lotus with your hands in mudras (certain powerful hand gestures) and focus on the third eye, but if you can you're welcome to. What you really need is just a moment and focus. Do you want to enhance yourself? The breath is up to you!

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?

My grandfather's style - Hatha yoga

There are six main branches of yoga and there's constantly fresh twigs sprouting out. If you haven't decided which style of yoga suits you the best it might be overwhelming even to decide WHERE TO BEGIN? My dad once mentioned that my grandfather did yoga. The other day I found out it was Hatha yoga... maybe you're thinking "Ha whaa?" and frankly it wasn't that clear for me either, even though the word wasn't new to me.

Like Einstein said (or it is said he said, you never know with internet quotes)
The only thing you really need to know is the location of the library... unless you have wifi, which I in most cases do not. So I went there and found Hathayoga by Ulrica Norberg. Beautiful.

ABOUT HATHA

Where's it from? It is the youngest of the six main branches of yoga and like the others it originates from the oldest form of yoga - Tantra yoga, which the Indian philosophy about energy.

What's it about? The name Hatha means powerful and comes from the sanskrit words "Ha" meaning sun and "Tha" meaning moon. Well isn't that kind of the same as jinyang? Yes, exactly! It's about balance between the power of the sun and the moon: feminine/masculine, closed/open, light/darkness and so on. 

That's so Hatha! What's typical for this yoga style is the physical focus, joined together with the emphasis on the breath (pranayama) in harmony with the movements (asanas). This sets it apart from most other of the major yoga branches since it it's more like a workout, which I think is a perfect transit for the westerners to go from regular gym sessions to yoga lessons, without being overwhelmed by all the spiritual talk, chants and visualisations. It's about being present. Welcome!

What can it do for you? The breathing technique (pranayama) is said to have a cleansing effect as well as building up your immune system while the movements (asanas) help to build strength, flexibility and balance. If you want to feel like you've really done a workout after the yoga then this is the style for you. You will also find this is a perfect way to exercise self control of the mind and body which is beneficial for you in all stages and pages of life.

Keep it simple - stickfigures in paint

yoga is FOR EVERYONE and it really is that simple

to prove it I've demonstrated it with stickfigures in paint.

This is sun salutation variation A (there are a lot of ways)

(Want to come closer? Just click the picure and it will get bigger and better!)

ps. 5 means you stay in the pose downward dog for 5 calm breaths

I'm not flexible! is not an excuse to not yoga by the way,

it is actually a damn good REASON to DO IT!