Cleaning up your act

It is 2014! And so far, so good.

If you checked out my last post, you will know that I am not really into conventional resolutions. I'm also not that into extreme diets or restrictive eating to lose weight - even after periods of prolonged periods of pigging out   (aka my Christmas break).

But if you have been slacking off on the diet front, the new year is a great time to get back into healthy eating.

If it's this green, it has GOT to be good.

So if healthy eating is one of your goals for 2014, here are a few tips to keep you on the wagon:

1. Don't try to do it all at once! If you have accumulated a whole bunch of bad habits, don't try to ditch them all at once - you will most likely feel overwhelmed and give up if you do. Pick the worst habit - maybe drinking too much alcohol or coffee or eating too much fried or sugary foods - and work on removing that one first. Once you get a handle on that one, you will feel more accomplished and ready to start tackling the rest of your habits. Just tweaking your diet like this over time can create massive changes that are more likely to last. 
2. Focus on the good stuff. If you only focus on the things that you can't eat any more, you are only going to be miserable. Which means that you will probably not want to keep going. Instead, treat the goal of healthy eating as a positive. Learn new recipes, try new foods, read up on nutrition and how you can use food as fuel and to heal. Get excited about your new path and you will want to keep it up.
3. Don't rely on exercise alone. If you want to be healthy and to feel great, it doesn't matter how much yoga, running or sessions at the gym you do, you won't feel great. Even if you happen to lose weight or you are already naturally thin, if you eat junk, you will feel crap. Your body needs nutrient-dense, whole foods to feel great - so fuel your body with lots of healthy foods, mostly plants, in as close to their natural state as possible. 
4. Be wary of crazy diets. While you are researching health and nutrition, you are bound to come across some weird diet plans. While it is interesting to read up on these and get inspiration and ideas, I would caution against following any one in particular. Especially if they tell you to avoid large, seemingly healthy food groups, like grains or fruit. Sure, you don't want to be eating all the white bread you can find - but there is no reason to avoid brown rice, oats or other whole grains completely (unless of course you have an intolerance or are allergic). And treat any diet that tells you not to eat mangoes or any other fruit with great suspicion (because seriously, if you can't enjoy mangoes in the summertime, what is the damn point?!?). 
5. You don't need pills or special shakes to be healthy. Diet pills and shakes are just short-term solutions and are full of chemicals. You don't need them. If you are eating a balanced diet based mostly on fresh vegetables, whole grains, pulses, nuts and seeds, you will start noticing results and feel amazing.  Also, Eating well doesn't have to be expensive - which might be hard to believe if you take any advice from Gwyneth Paltrow. Sure there are lots of amazing super foods out there that cost a bunch and come with all sorts of wonderful health claims, but they aren't essential to a healthy diet. Want to find health? Keep it clean and unprocessed - it is that easy. 
6. Drink lots of water! But you already knew that one, right?  

When in doubt, make a green smoothie! Filling, yummy and healthy as.

I am sure there are plenty of others but these ones seem the most important to me. Hopefully they are helpful in getting you back on the path of good health. And if you wander off the path at any point? No big deal. Just start back where you left off, remind yourself why it is that you are making health your priority, and don't dwell on the slip. Because slips happen. What matters is what you do afterwards.

Shanti!
xx

Hot tips for yoga newbies

One thing that I would really love to achieve with teaching yoga is to make yogis out of people who may not have thought yoga was for them.  I want to convert the gym bunnies, the buff boys (ALL the buff boys!), the couch potatoes, the suits, those who think they are too old, too big, too generally unbendy - anyone with a body basically.

But before that can happen, these people have to feel like they can turn up to the mat - to take their first yoga class. And when they do, they can't feel too self-conscious, awkward or otherwise out of place - otherwise they will probably never come back!

Because, yes, yoga can be a bit intimidating to the uninitiated. It has its own language. The way you move your body through poses is different to most other forms of exercise that you may have tried. There are no winners or losers. There is a LOT of lycra. The classes seem to be full of mostly women. Young women. Young, thin, flexible, white women.

Ok - maybe I am one of these women. But seriously - yoga is for you too!!!! 

You can be forgiven if you think it is all just too weird and have decided it is not for you.

But I swear to you - if you have a body and are willing to move it, yoga IS for you! It will make you feel amazing. Change the way you breathe. Make your mind calmer. Create a sense of peace that you never thought possible. Its ability to transform has to be experienced to be believed - but it is something that people all over the world, men and women of different ages, sizes and ethnicities, experience over and over again. And you can too.

So - the first thing you have to do is turn up to a class. And I thought I would make this easier for you by arming you with a few useful bits of information to help you through your first class with minimal damage. If you have these covered, at the very least, your experience will not be an unnecessarily embarrassing one. And my hope is, by taking potential humiliation out of the equation, you are far more likely to be able to enjoy the class and take in the whole experience.

Tip 1. What are you wearing?
It is true that about 90% of the people in class will be wearing leggings from Lululemon. Not sure what Lululemon even is? Don't worry - it isn't some weird, yogi cult that will try to convert you. Kinda. It is a ridiculously popular brand of fitness apparel that, while expensive, makes pretty awesome leggings. For this reason, a lot of yogis seem to live in Lululemon leggings.

But don't worry - buying a pair of $100+ leggings is not mandatory attire. Almost any leggings, shorts or tracksuit pants that allow you to move freely will do - but with a few very important caveats:

• While shorts are fine, try to avoid wearing the really short loose ones that you would normally wear running. You will most likely be doing movements that cause your shorts to gape - potentially exposes your - well - everything to the class. Not pleasant - for you or your classmates that happen to have your crotch at their eyeline! If the only thing you own are short and baggy shorts, maybe wear boxers or boy-leg underwear to minimise indecent exposure. But please - for the love of everyone - wear underpants of some description! I have seen more than a few, erm, "love-spuds" drop out the side of a pair of baggy shorts in class and it was mildly traumatising. 
• Leggings are obviously great for yoga - they are stretchy and allow lots of movement. That's why  they are the choice for most women (and some guys) to practice in. However, before you head to class, check out the back view in the mirror. Now, bend over and make sure the extra stretching that this requires of your leggings hasn't just rendered them entirely see-through. Given that most women choose to wear g-strings under their leggings, if they go transparent when you bend over, you are basically going to show everyone behind you a full shot of your arse. If you haven't got any alternatives, again try putting on some more substantial underpants that are the same colour as your leggings so people won't really see much. Or chuck shorts over the top for extra coverage.
• Check out the description of the class that you are going to - does it say it is a "hot" class or is it Bikram? There is a reason those photos of Bikram always have girls in what appear to be bikinis. You are going to sweat. A lot! You don't have to wear hot pants - especially if this will make you feel self-conscious - but similarly you don't want to wear fleece tracksuit pants. Cropped leggings or bike shorts work fine. 

And for your top half - wear anything you like. Be aware that occasionally you will be hanging upside down though so if you are wearing a baggy top it will lift up. Wear a nice crop top underneath or you aren't comfortable doing that, wear a more fitted tank or t-shirt. Again, be aware of whether the class will be heated and wear something lighter if it is.

Oh - and yoga is done barefoot. So leave the shoes and socks at the door.

Tip 2. Where will you set up? 
When you are new at anything, it is tempting to go waaaaaaaaaaay up the back of the class where no one can see you bumble your way through.

And I get that - I totally do. It makes sense that you don't want to be in the very front row. But if you can summon up the courage to go in maybe the second or third row, you are probably going to be able to follow the class a lot better.

Feeling like an idiot in front of other people is not fun. And trying something new for the first time - especially as an adult - is guaranteed to make you feel like an idiot for at least some of the time. But if you can actually see the instructor - and they can see you - you are going to look like less of an idiot than if you just hide at the back, not knowing what is going on.

Also, because yoga is a personal journey and isn't a competitive pursuit, I can almost guarantee that the other people in class are not watching you. Everyone will be focussed on their own pose and on their own bodies. The only ones who will be looking at others with be the other newbies and they won't be looking at you either - they will be looking at the teacher or at the more advanced yogis in the room so they can see what they are meant to be doing too.

So set up as close to the front as you can, making sure you can see the teacher, and relax. Nobody's looking!

Tip 3. What are they doing?
Which brings us to the actual class itself. When you get there, it is a good idea to introduce yourself to the teacher and let them know that you haven't done yoga before. This way they can tell you a little bit about how they structure the class and what you can expect. They will also be able to keep an eye out for you during class to make sure you aren't freaking out or doing damage to yourself.

Then you find a place for your mat (not at the back!!!) and try as much as possible to follow the teacher's instructions.

Which sounds easy. But, as I mentioned earlier, there will be weird moves going on that are probably unlike anything you've done before. So what happens if you get completely lost or tangled up in your own limbs?

Well first - don't panic!! Unravel yourself as much as possible and breathe. If you are totally lost, just take downward facing dog or child's pose until the class moves to the next pose. If you were doing fine until the teacher started adding on some fancy-pants options - go back to the pose you were in before you got lost and enjoy that pose. The other stuff can come later on. This also applies if you are feeling intense pain (i.e. more than just that nice ache of a stretching muscle and ANY pain in a joint) in any pose. I know - you want to prove that you can do EVERYTHING right NOW! But it is your first class - so be easy on yourself and accept that yoga, like everything in life, might take a little while to get used to. Battling your ego like this is one of the most important lessons that yoga will teach you. So by taking a step back and sticking with the simpler pose you are actually being a totally awesome yogi. Yay you!!!!

And remember - falling over is always an option! It just means you are working past your comfort zone. :)

If you are really nervous about the poses, maybe check out a few yoga websites or youtube clips to make yourself familiar with some of the more common poses. Yoga Journal is a great resource for getting a breakdown of all the poses.

Also, at the end of every class you will be asked to lie down in "Savasana" with your eyes closed. And you do just that - you lie down and do nothing for 5 or so minutes. It is amazing! But you may not think so when you are just starting. You might get bored, impatient, frustrated - all these things are normal. We aren't used to being asked to just do nothing. Every other part of our life tells us to do more things. But not here. Try to stay still. If you find it hard to keep your eyes closed, maybe put your towel or jumper over your eyes. If your mind runs on overtime - that is ok. It will get easier to slow your thinking down over time. For now, you biggest battle will just be to stay still for the full 5 minutes without going crazy. Count your breath maybe. Focus on your heartbeat. Just enjoy the fact that you don't have to do anything for the next little while.

Tip 4. What was that all about? 
It is possible that you will not enjoy your first class and that your instinct will be to never bother with it again. But please, PLEASE give it at least one more shot. Maybe try a different teacher, a different studio or a different style of yoga. There are so many different options out there now and one of them is bound to tickle your fancy.

Too boring? Try a power yoga class (these tend to be more dynamic and so are stronger and move faster). Too hard or you just couldn't keep up? Try a Hatha or  Iyengar class (these tend to hold poses longer and use props to help you get into proper alignment so can be a good introduction for beginners). Tried Bikram and couldn't stand the heat? Try any of the other types of yoga that aren't heated. Didn't mind the yoga but the teacher really irked you? Check out one of the MILLIONS of teachers that will also be teaching in your hood and just dying to teach you.

I honestly believe that there are enough options out there for everyone to find their yoga nirvana. Not literally of course. Well - not unless you start taking your yoga REALLY seriously and maybe move to a cave in the Himalayas or India. But your yoga happy place is out there somewhere - you just need to give it a chance!

Good luck, yogi newbies!!!! And if you have any questions that I haven't addressed here - please leave me a comment and I will try and answer as best I can.

xx

Life beyond the asana

When most people think of yoga, they are thinking of the physical practice - the asana. While some may question how strenuous it is, it is generally considered to be a type of exercise. And, beyond a few breathing exercises and maybe even a couple of minutes of meditation at the end, this is how mainstream yoga is most often taught.

This has certainly been my experience in yoga classes. Up until recently, I would say that 90% of my yoga practice was dedicated to the physical practice.

Which was cool. I knew that the physical aspect was just one part of yoga - and that there was a lot that I didn't regularly practice or even really know about - but I got so much out of the physical side, that it didn't really bother me.

And no - I am not just talking about being more flexible or slimming down. I found that through my practice, I was calmer, more in control of my emotions, more focused, more energised, more positive, more in tune with what I needed (be it physically or emotionally). All good things that you didn't necessarily get from any other form of exercise.

So I must admit to be somewhat shocked and a little confused when, on the first day of my yoga teacher training, our teacher told us that he didn't really practice asana anymore.

Don't get me wrong - my teacher knows his asana. He has spent decades perfecting poses (I mean, he even used to practice and teach Ashtanga-style yoga, which is a very strong, physical practice). But, as he constantly reminds us in class, doing asana is not yoga - it is just one component of a greater system that is yoga. And it is only a small component at that. And, he has explained, he has reached a point in his yoga practice where generally speaking he doesn't need to practice asana.

But, if it isn't about handstands and backbends like we have all been lead to believe, what is yoga?

Well, at its core it is a system or method through which, if followed and worked at consistently and with dedication, we can reconnect with our true self. Which I know sounds a bit hippy. But basically it is a way of stripping back all of things that we identify with as being part of our "self" - the external possessions and our ideas and thoughts that make up who we "think" we are (i.e. the identity that we have created for ourselves - or let others create for us) so that we just be ourselves. And when we are ourselves, we can be the happy, loving and calm beings that we are all meant to be. Kind of nice, right?

To get to this point though, we need a strong, healthy and balanced body. Which is where doing a regular asana practice comes into it - stretching and strengthening our bodies to bring it into balance and remove any pain or tightness that keep us from feeling physically at ease. But that isn't the end of it. We also need to calm and bring ease to our nervous system, which we can do through regular breathing exercises (pranayama). And we need to bring stillness to our minds, which is achieved through meditation to bring our mind to a single point of focus. And we also need to act in a way that is kind, truthful and compassionate - both in our relationships with others and with ourselves.

When the bigger picture was explained to us in class, what struck me was that the yogic path was kind of where I was heading anyway - I just wasn't aware of it. This is not to say that I have been living this perfect, balanced yogi life up until now. But it is what I strive for - what I thought life should be all about. So all this time I had been thinking that I wasn't being a a proper yogi because I didn't really know what the 8 limbs were about, it turns out that I had been heading in the right direction all along!

But in spite of this revelation, I still can't picture me ever getting to a point where I no longer want or need to do my asana practice. It just brings me so much joy! I love how I feel after I have taken my body through a long and thorough practice. And I feel that it plays an important part in my larger yoga practice - it teaches me discipline and patience, it challenges my ego (especially when I face-plant in the middle of a full class), it makes my body feel strong, my breathing even and my mind alert and calm. And it can be fun! And I am pretty sure there is nothing in the Yoga Sutras that say yoga can't be fun (although, admittedly, I have not read - definitely do not understand - all of the Sutras yet).

So while I am enjoying learning and embracing all the other aspects of yoga, I am not going to be giving up my mat anytime soon.

Namaste!

It's all in your mind

While I would love to say that I have a regular meditation practice going on, this would be a total lie. At best, it could be described as sporadic or maybe occasional.

Incorporating 20 - 30 minutes of meditation into my daily routine has been one of my new year resolutions for god knows how long now. I have done meditation workshops and courses, read books on the subject, used podcasts - but nothing has really managed to ingrain meditation in my life.

But I keep on trying! Because I know that it is possible and I know that it is something worth having.

Regular meditation has many potential benefits, including stress reduction, lower blood pressure, improved sleep, increased concentration, pain management and emotional balance.

And while I am obviously no expert, I thought I would share some of the tips that I have picked up along the way - I'm going to be following them myself as I try to get back into it.

1. Start small and build up over time.  Sure, getting 20-30 minutes of meditation in daily might be best for optimal results. But if you try to demand that your brain sits still for half an hour straight off the bat, you are pretty much guaranteeing that you will fail. It takes time and discipline to get to that stage. So start with just 5 minutes and slowly increase the length over time. 
2. Find a space where you won't be distracted. It is hard enough keeping your mind on your meditation without external distractions getting in the way. Set up somewhere where you are unlikely to be walked in on, turn off your mobile (no, seriously - turn it off!), shut the door and, if there is a lot of street noise, maybe shut the windows too (so long as this won't make you too hot). It doesn't have to be perfect - absolute silence isn't something that is that easy to come by, especially if you live in a city - but the less distractions, the easier it will be for you to focus.
3. Be comfortable. Ok, yes - ideally you want to be sitting cross-legged with the weight evenly distributed through both sitting bones and your spine straight. But while you are getting started, this might be close to impossible. It can actually be quite demanding on your back muscles and your hips to sit still for so long. So maybe start off leaning against a wall or sitting in a chair. Try not to slouch though - you still want to stay as much in alignment as possible so that you can stay focussed. Otherwise, you may as well just hang out on your couch. You can lie down if it is the only way you can be truly comfortable - but you might end up napping instead of meditating which isn't really the point, so sitting up right is really the way to go.
4. Just breathe. There are many different meditation techniques out there but concentrating on your breathing is probably the easiest. Start with a few deep breaths to relax your body. If you still feel tense, mentally scan your body and check in with any spots of tension and consciously relax them. Once you feel settled, breathe naturally and start paying attention to your breath - how it feels when you draw the breath in, the subtle expansion through your stomach and chest and then the contraction as you breathe out. And then - guess what? You are meditating!
5. You don't have to clear your mind. Thoughts are going to come into your mind - that is just natural. The challenge in meditation is to just let them come in without getting caught up in them. Acknowledge whatever comes up, and then just let it go and gently draw your attention back to your breathing. This is going to be hard to do at the start - we are so use to just following whatever little idea pops into our head and then obsessing over it until some other thought pops in and takes over and so on and so on. What you are trying to achieve through meditation is to create space between these thoughts - so you don't just jump from one to the next. To begin with, you might be only able to draw your mind back to your breath for a few moments. But that's ok. The more you practice, the more you will be able to turn away from your thoughts and soon the spaces between will be much longer than the thoughts themselves.
6. Set an alarm. To stop yourself from wondering how long you have been meditating for, or how long you have to go, I suggest setting an alarm. Something nice and not too loud if you can so it doesn't make you jump when it goes off. I usually just use my iPhone and use one of the quieter alarm tones, like birds whistling or bells. Just set it for however long you want to meditate for. Don't be overly ambitious though - if you set it for 30 minutes on your first try, it will seem like forever and you are going to still be distracted by your watch to see how much longer you have to go. An alarm is also handy if there is a chance you could fall asleep. Or if you have somewhere you need to be. It cuts out a clear patch of time for you to commit to your meditation but still allows you to get on with your life. 
7. Keep at it.  It is the same as with anything, if you are going to develop a good meditation practice, you have to keep trying. Maybe do it every morning, when your mind is more likely to be calm and less-occupied. Just 5 - 10 minutes is fine. It is more important that you do it consistently. (Admittedly, this is the bit that I usually fail at but I do seem to do better with it each time I try.)

So I am going to commit to getting back into it starting tomorrow morning. Anyone with me? :)

Give yoga a chance!

As someone who is madly, head-over-heels in love with yoga, I am always taken a bit aback when someone tells me that they tried yoga and didn't like it.

How is that even a thing?

The reasons they give are varied but the most common seem to be:

1. I was crap at it.
2. It was boring/ not strenuous enough.
3. It was too weird and intimidating

The first one is easy-peasy to deal with: basically, you are wrong. I simply cannot accept that anyone can be "crap" at yoga. Not possible. I read a quote once that was something like "everyone can do yoga - except for lazy people". And I totally think that is true.

Source: www.blisstree.com

Of course, trying anything for the first time is going to be hard and will feel a bit weird. And as adults, it always sucks to be in a place where you don't understand what is going on and you feel out of your comfort zone. But you know what? Nothing truly awesome will happen in your comfort zone. That is why you wanted to try something new in the first place, right? 

Well, just like with everything else, yoga is going to take a bit of time before it starts to feel really awesome. So my advice to people who think they are too crap at yoga is this:

• Keep trying! Take a couple more classes before throwing the towel in. I am certain that you will soon get a better feel for it and start not to feel like a fish out of water anymore.
• Don't worry about what everyone else is doing in class - no one is judging you! Yes, the girl next to you may have her leg way over her head and that might make you feel like your attempt at the same pose (maybe with your leg still bent or using a strap because you can't reach your toes) is a failure. But it isn't! Just focus on where you are at and it will all come with time. And that girl will be doing the same thing - she will be too busy focusing on her pose to be judging you in any way at all (or, if she is in fact staring about the room with a smug look on her face, then I would suggest that perhaps SHE is the one who is crap at yoga and not you!).
• If the class you have tried really does just seem too advanced or intense for you, seem out a slower class or one that has been designed for beginners - you can go back to the intense class once you get your yoga mojo on later. Or maybe try a different style of yoga - there are many different types out there and it is possible that the first class you have tried is not right for you (or maybe the style is fine but the teacher is not right for you). Try a few on for size and you are bound to find one that you click with.

But what if you think that yoga is boring or doesn't give you a proper work out? Well, if I was a purist, I would probably tell you to just jog on. Because yoga is not meant to be sport and that it is not the sort of thing you should be doing if you want to achieve some kind of hardcore workout or to feed your ego (check out this great article if you are interested in reading more about this perspective). And this is, of course, all true. But even if all you want is a good sweaty workout, I honestly believe that you can still do yoga and, yes, take advantage of some of the amazing physical benefits it brings. 

That said, yoga will not on its own help you drop lots of weight, train for a marathon or build up a pair of guns as big as The Rock's. But it can be an amazing workout, make you sweat loads and give you an amazing, healthy and toned body if that is what you are after. After something that is physically challenging? Look for a studio that offers Bikram, ashtanga, power or vinyasa yoga classes and, trust me, you will find muscles that you never even knew you had.

Source: www.elephantjournal.com

And you never know, later down the track, you might start looking beyond the workout that yoga gives you and into all that other "stuff" that has to offer. 

The third reason that I hear - that the class they attended was a bit too weird, there was too much talk of chakras, auras and other spiritual guff that they didn't really get into to, or that it was all too serious or pretentious.

These are things that I have actually experienced and had to grapple with myself. I am ok with a certain amount of, what my husband calls "hippy, off with the fairies stuff", too much can really turn me off my yoga and I find it actually to be a negative distraction for my practise. Also, I find that when a studio or a particular teacher takes their yoga too seriously (no smiling and a complete absence of Lululemon leggings in the classroom is usually a tip off), it can be really ostracising for newcomers. Especially if the other students seem cliquey or treat newcomers with suspicion.

If this has been your experience, then my suggestion is just to leave them be. Find a new class with a teacher that smiles and enjoys helping new students. There are amazing teachers out there. But, equally, there are ones that are total wankers. And life is too short for a yoga class that doesn't leave you feeling uplifted and generally good about yourself. 

So yoga, huh? Maybe it is time to give it another crack. I promise it will be just like fun! ;)