Setting boundaries

My recent yoga practices have revolved around a very consistent theme these past few weeks.

Boundaries. 

Boundaries mean different things to different people. Setting a line that you can't cross socially, such as telling someone you don't know at a tram stop that they need to floss, no matter how many visible cavities you can spot from two metres away. Knowing when to tell a friend to stop unloading all their personal problems onto you, because you soak their pain up like a sponge without any hope of squeezing it out later. Just learning to say no. 

There are many other boundary situations in life that you could probably think of, ones that are more relevant to you. My own boundary story is this... knowing when to stop. The truth is, I don't think I have an off switch. When I decide to do something, I'll be damned if I don't go through with it, and don't you dare stand in my way. If it's challenging, even better! 

All sounds good, until you start physically hurting yourself because you simply don't acknowledge your edge. Or when you start losing every semblance of having a life and forget to look after yourself due to work, relationship, and friendship commitments. I mean, really... when your dentist asks you if you're allright, and that you need to start looking after yourself just based on the condition of mouth splint (I cracked mine in 6 months), you may have a problem. 

We have this practice at work of stating weekly commitments, 1-3 per week so that they are achievable. The belief is that stating your commitments make you more accountable. While pondering how I can incorporate more of a focus on setting up these boundaries in my life, I came up with three commitments: 

• Not working past 7pm (unless I really, really have to...) 
• Taking at least an hour every day to dedicate to hobbies (not including yoga) 
• Yoga for at least 30 minutes everyday 

These are my weekly commitments for the month of April and probably May. 

Before ending this post, I would like to take some time to spread some love for Fightmaster Yoga. I've been following the 90 day program to re-establish my yoga practice at home, and it's truly amazing. Lesley's free program is better than most of the paid yoga classes in my area, and it brought back so much love for the practice that I had lost when I left SomaChi Yoga. Please subscribe to her Youtube videos, or donate to her very worthy cause of bringing yoga to everyone and anyone.

Till next time spiritual warriors. 

Tribesports Performance Wear & Update

First of all, apologies for the very delayed blog post dear readers. Explanation below. Before that though, I'd like to gush about something exciting that my favourite sports site has launched.

Tribesports has launched its own range of sportswear. And it's pretty rockin'. 

Granted, there are lots of sportswear on the market today, so what is it about the Tribesports performance range that makes it different? For starters, it's developed by the everyday sporting community, funded by the everyday sporting community and geared towards the everyday sporting community. 

That's right, regular folks... no pro-athlete or celebrity endorsements. 

What was awesome about the range is that pre-launch, they gathered requirements from site users (yours truly included) and then posted up the idea on Kickstarter for funding. User-oriented sportswear cutting out the middle man to bring you very affordable prices. If memory served me right, they reached their funding target in a day or two, and the final number quadrupled the original goal. How insane is that! I guess that shows how much the sporting community really believed in the project (it also helped that the gear looked really, really awesome). 

Enough with my silly ramblings, you'd really rather see photos now wouldn't you? 

Tribesports also run a monthly social media comp. Post a photo of yourself training in Tribesports gear on Instagram or Twitter with hashtag #OwnYourMarks and you stand to win US$100/£100 store credit.

What are you waiting for? Check out the entire range in the Tribesports shop, and thank me later.

****

I've been missing from blogosphere for a while. Unfortunately, that happens when you juggle part-time postgraduate studies and full-time work. I also hurt my knee again from running, and this time the injury was quite bad so I had to lay off anything physical for a while. It seems to have healed, but I'm a little hesitant about placing any strain on it. I've done a couple of light jogs with knee support bands, but I'm still so paranoid that it will go back to how it was especially since it's not the first time this has happened. Krill oil seems to help a little, but not by much, and I do love running so I'm a little torn up inside.

In other news, I finally received my Sadie Nardini 21 Day Yoga Body that I pre-ordered way back in August I think. Woohoo, review to come soon.

Keep posted, because I promise I will update again soon. 

R U Ok?

It's RU Ok Day tomorrow. RU Ok Day was created to remind everyone to check in on the friends and family that they care about. Admit it, the best of us take their welfare for granted - when was the last time you asked someone if they were ok?

So, to celebrate RU OK Day, I thought I would share my story. Most people in my life know that I've struggled with depression and anxiety, but not many people know how it all began, and what it was like. I will also share some tips on how to notice and support someone with depression, and if you have depression, how you may try to beat it. You can scroll to the bottom of this post to see those if you want to skip the sentimental bits.


My Story 

I moved to Australia at the age of 18. I came and completed my Year 12 in Bendigo, and did very well academically. But socially, it was a pretty tough ride. You see, I had grown up in a small country town in Malaysia, where everyone in my first grade class ended up graduating in my Year 11 class. Ok, that may have been an exaggeration, but it wasn't far from the truth. I had the same group of friends from age 7 and a social life wasn't high priority in my family. We were discouraged from attending sleepovers, and just even from making social phone calls to friends after school. What was the point, our parents asked, when you see them again at school the next day? 

Back to Year 12... it was tough trying to start over, alone, especially in Year 12 when social cliques had already been established at school. For the most part of the year, I felt really isolated, but in time I made a small group of friends.

Then Year 12 ended. And I had to move again, this time to Melbourne.

The thing about Bendigonians is that they kind of stay in Bendigo. So, I had to start all over again. You'd think doing it the first time around would have set me up for the second, but it was harder. I was living in a residential college, so you would think it would have been easier socially. But it wasn't. I was really introverted, and suffered from low self-esteem. To make myself feel better, I got into a relationship and that was when the seeds of depression began to sprout.

It began with the contraceptive injection. As you probably know, chemical contraceptive tools may cause depression, and this caused a massive change in me. I became needy, I would cry all the time, and I became so paranoid that everyone was talking about me... about how much of a loser I was. So, I began to withdraw even more into my already closed life. My then boyfriend wasn't too understanding either... all he said when I told him how tough I was finding life... was to "get a hobby". Eventually, he got tired of my clinginess, and we broke up.

I think that breakup was what pushed me over the edge. My depression got really bad. I started to have suicidal thoughts, and to escape life, I would sleep. I slept on average, 18 hours every day, waking up only to eat, and to socialize just enough so that no one would know my little secret. I had stopped going to uni. If I woke up in the middle of my 18-hour sleep, I'd reach for my stash of alcohol that I kept by my bedside, to knock myself back to sleep again. During this time, I became a very different person. I craved attention, and did everything I can to get it. I tried as hard as I could to make life "meaningful" again, by seeking new relationships, but my efforts backfired and I plummeted myself deeper into the hole I had dug.

(Source)

This went on for an entire semester. The most amazing thing is... hardly anyone knew or picked up on the fact that I was absent from uni. One lecturer emailed me to find out what was wrong, and helped me pass her subject. I've never forgotten her, or what she did for me that year.

I don't even know what made me realize things had to change. At some stage, I realized I was failing uni, so I went to the doctor and got a prescription for antidepressants, and a special consideration form. Amazingly enough, I got through uni that year. The antidepressants did make me functional, but I was still as needy and as paranoid as ever, and my emotions were fragile.

One day, tired of having to take the antidepressants and how ill they made me feel, I decided to quit cold turkey, and had a bit of a meltdown. To calm myself, all I remembered was walking down Lygon Street, and stopping by a New Age store called Crystal Heart. I browsed the bookshelf for a while, and was drawn to a few books. Robin Norwood's Women Who Love Too Much, Iyanla Vanzant's Yesterday I Cried, and Louise Hay's You Can Heal Your Life. Those books were a massive turning point for me, especially Louise Hay's bestseller.

Maybe the books really helped, or maybe the stars were right, but I came out of my depression shortly after, and was depression-free for about three years. It was during this time that I discovered my love for yoga, and began to soul-search, trying to find answers to the last few years that had seemed so hazy to me. Then, as a result of being in an abusive relationship and from contraceptive pills (I tried a few, including the controversial Yaz), I sunk back into depression again. I was lucky this time around to have a my sister living with me. It was also the first time I decided to see a clinical psychologist, and we worked out a mental health plan to help get me back on track. With the aid of antidepressants and regular yoga, I got my depression under control, and as result, became strong enough to end the abusive relationship I was in.

Just for the record, I'm currently depression-free, and haven't been on medication for a few years. I'm always monitoring my emotional wellbeing, and exercise very regularly for fear of a relapse, and also for good physical health of course! Over the last eight years, I lost many friends and relationships to depression, but also forged many more. In a strange way, I credit it to helping me grow as a person, and to be more in tune with myself than ever before.


How to notice a friend/family member with depression

1. Behavioural changes
This is a lot harder than it sounds. Someone who's depressed may not just be sad, they may also appear to be more "attention-seeking", or clingy. These changes often just get brushed aside, or go unnoticed. If you are a close friend and notice these things, it doesn't hurt to ask "Are you ok?"

2. They stop hanging out 
If your friend starts to avoid social situations, chances are that something's up. It never hurts to stop by to check in on someone.

3. They talk about death/suicide and have really low self-perception 
Always take suicide talks seriously. Often, these talks get brushed aside as "attention-seeking" behaviour. If you think about it, if someone is so "attention-seeking" that he/she needs to talk about suicide to get it, something isn't right.


How to support a friend/family member with depression 

1. Listen without judgement
Sometimes, all a person needs is to have an outlet. You don't even need to offer any advice, in fact depending on the seriousness, it's probably better if you don't, unless you have experience in counselling. Also, your advice could sometimes appear to sound as if you are trivializing your friend's troubles, even if you aren't. So, just lend your ears and a shoulder to cry on.

2. Tell someone 
If you aren't a person who can closely monitor your friend, then tell someone who can, particularly if they are high-risk.

3. Be patient 
Supporting a friend with depression is tough work. It requires so much patience. Often, you may feel your friendship is taken for granted, particularly if your friend becomes less social or communicative. Or, perhaps you are annoyed that your friend can't just take steps to get over it, such as seek medical help. Just remember that for someone who is depressed, life is overwhelming, and the simplest solutions are distorted to be giant gargantuan steps.

(Source)

You have depression. What can you do? 

1. Seek professional help 
I'm not saying this to be preachy. I'm saying this from personal experience. While it is possible to ride through mild-moderate cases of depression, it never hurts to seek professional help from your GP, or a counsellor. I found the most effective treatment to be a combination of a GP that you trust and like (who would prescribe the relevant meds), and a clinical psychologist. If you are at uni, you will probably have access to uni counsellors who are free of charge. If not, there might be community counsellors around your neighbourhood. Google is your friend.

2. Don't close yourself off 
As hard as it is, try to let friends into your circle. It'll may seem like a huge effort, but it is worth it. Know that you are not alone, depression is a very common affliction.

3. Self-help 
Not the best option if you have severe depression, because you probably won't even have the will to read. But if you can read, the self-help section of a book store is amazing. I harp on about Louise Hay all the time, but she really did help me to heal my life. So, check her out.

4. Read all about it 
Find out more about depression via online resources such as Beyond Blue. Beyond Blue now also offers a basic online counselling service. You could also try Lifeline, but I haven't had a good experience with them.

5. Exercise if you can
If you can exercise, do some outdoor walks, or yoga. My personal opinion is that anything outdoors or in a group situation is more effective, so aim to do some group yoga sessions. In any case, any exercise is better than none.

Disclaimer: I am not a health professional. The advice above comes from personal experience. Please seek proper medical help for your situation. 

How Running Changed My Yoga

It's no secret that yoga helps runners. Most runners know some basic asanas to help them warm up and cool down, and yoga is one of the best activities to complement running.

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Since running though, I've also realized that my yoga practice has begun evolving. I don't really think of it as for better or for worse, because a yoga practice is just that. A practice. There are no "good" or "bad" practices, each practice is unique in its own right. But my yoga practice is so different now to what it was two years ago.


For starters, I'm no longer as flexible as I used to be. Running does that to you apparently. I used to see runners in my yoga class struggle with forward bends and have no empathy. Well, empathy I have now, and lots of it! However, being less flexible means that I'm no longer pushing myself in the asanas. I'm letting myself just be, I deepen into poses and I'm in each and every moment.

This shift to more self-awareness and mindfulness is a big step in my yoga practice. I have a lot of trouble with self-regulating, and with holding back. I use running to expend all that energy, and I use yoga to centre it all back.

I bring yoga into my running as well. Both are melding into each other in a way. When I run, I practice pranayama, and when I'm in the zone, I'm almost in a meditative-like state. I can't imagine one without the other, so I'm glad I have both.

Because running is such a high intensity activity, my yoga is all about gazing inwards. I focus on nurturing poses like child's pose, forward bends, supine twists... I hardly ever do backbends anymore and when I do, they are gentle.

What is most important is that I feel that I am now truly practising yoga and not just an aspect of it, which is what I've wanted all these years. Strangely enough, gone are my aspirations of becoming a yoga teacher. My practice has become something intimate and dear to me that it's so personal. Sharing it with others just doesn't feel right.

I look forward to reflecting on my practice again next year to see how it has further evolved. Chances are, it's not going to be the same, but I'm also ok with that.

Giveaway: Sadie Nardini's 14 day Yoga and Empowerment Course - ENDED

I recently pre-ordered Sadie Nardini's latest book, The 21 Day Yoga Transformation Body, which is due for release in September, and received a free gift of the Udemy course that I already have, the 14 Day Yoga and Empowerment Course, which I have reviewed.

So, rather than be a dog in a manger and hoard this wonderful freebie, I thought I'd give it to one of my readers! Sharing is caring after all :)

This course is most suitable for people who've done a bit of yoga before, it does say that it caters for beginners, but I've done it and unless you're very familiar with self-regulating and changing postures to suit your level, it's probably not too beginner friendly. It does however, have a very, very, very awesome detox guide that has recipes, household tips, and that I consider as a modern 21st century Bible to coping with today's world.

To receive this prize, you'll have to create a Udemy account, which is free to do! I love Udemy, I can't harp on about it enough so I don't think you'll regret joining them.

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY, and is worth $59! Enter using Rafflecopter below, just follow the prompts. The competition closes in three weeks, so enter now! Good luck.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Couch to 5K Week 8 and 9 updates! Plus 75% OFF Sadie Nardini's yoga course!

I've just completed my Couch to 5K final Week 9 run today, and gosh the end is so near I can feel it! I'm very pleased with my progress so far, I've been sticking to the program and doing my three runs a week - my pace has improved so much!

I think I'm going to be in good shape for my first charity run at the end of August. Yes, I'm finally going to do it... my first charity 5k run! I'm so psyched, my running buddy and I did the race route this week and it wasn't too bad. We'll definitely squeeze a few more in before event date. 

Here's my Couch to 5K summary 

Week 8 Run distance 4.4km with the 5min warm up and cool down. 

Day 1 Distance 4.44km, Pace 6:11min/km 

Day 2 Distance 4.43km, Pace 5:57min/km 

Day 3 Distance 4.44km, Pace 5:57min/km 

Week 9 Run distance 4.8km with the 5min warm up and cool down 

Day 1 Distance 4.83km, Pace 6:19min/km - This was test running the race route, which was unfamiliar... we got lost a few times! Hence the poor timing. 

Day 2 Distance 4.83km, Pace 5:50min/km 

Day 3 Distance 4.83km, Pace 5:47min/km 

I know it's not a truly fantastic pace yet, but I'm so thrilled with my final pace. I've also improved more on my form I think, because I've got much less shoulder and back aches now. I've only got one more final run to do, which is the 5km run to "prove that you can", according to the app. I'm hoping to be able to do my 5km run in under 28 minutes, that would really make my day! 

In other news, Udemy is having a whopping 75% off on most of its courses, including Sadie Nardini's 14-day course, which I have reviewed and love! 

Just use the discount code HEATUP. Please note that I'm not affiliated with Udemy or Sadie, I really do love having so much information at your fingertips. I've purchased quite a few courses from Udemy, they've really stepped up their game and videos are now much better quality, and you have the option to download some of the content too. 

Great course, complete wellness package 

Fantastic for meditation newbies

Other great courses that I can recommend if you're planning to get into the sale are the Love, Peace and Stillness Meditation Retreat by Teagan Fea (review here), and Yoga for the Career Woman by Taryn Hughes, which is a much more beginner-friendly yoga course than the Sadie one.

Happy shopping, and have a great weekend! I'll be heading to PAX Australia, and spending my time in ultimate nerd-vana.

It's now my turn to sit next to Big Daddy
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Internet Detox: The Conclusion

Warning: Long rambly post below. 

A while ago, I commenced an Internet Detox. And not long after that, after a short stint at success, I realized to my dismay that my attempts had not only backfired, but I had completely lost my fitness routines and my yoga practice.

(Source)

Two lovely readers and fellow yoginis suggested that maybe I was approaching it the wrong way. My problem has always been that I see the world very much in black and white. I believed for a time that to be a complete yogi, I needed to denounce or at least, limit social media. The wonderful and wise Anne of Yogaspeak's words of wisdom, that there are "no absolutes" gave me a new perspective on my life.

Mind you, those are probably not new words. Sometimes though, you lose your way and you need someone to drop these guiding words to steer you back to your path.

I began to reflect a lot on this in my yoga practice and beyond, and the more I delved deep into myself and why I was spending so much time on the internet, the more I realized it was because most of my interests are technology-bound. I enjoy reading blogs and blogging, following my favourite yogis from across the globe, and there is of course the gaming. I do spend time on social media, not because I have severed connections with real-life friends in place of online ones but so I can bridge connections with people I really have no other way of connecting with in real life.

Yes, I did spend a lot of time on the internet, and still do. But I maintain a healthy social life, I eat well (for the most part), and I have an active lifestyle.

That was when I realized that my problem wasn't with my so-called internet addiction. My problem was with the preconceived notion of what a healthy and a yogic lifestyle should be. I began working on acceptance, and slowly worked back some yoga into my life. Running trailed behind and I'm pleased to say that I'm back on track with where I was fitness-wise. Phew!

Going on the internet detox didn't quite yield the results I wanted. I have no idea what I truly wanted, but I have an inkling that it was to be as enlightened as the Dalai Lama.

We both wear glasses and I sort of like orange... 

But I'm pleased with what I did come away with. I now know more about myself than I did before, and I am more in tune with my needs. I am learning to be less judgmental about myself, a lesson slow to learn but one that everyone should master.

So there you have it, my long ramble has come to its conclusion. If you  do want to go on an internet detox, I would suggest that you try it out to see how it feels to be away from such a vital piece of technology. You may even reach a different conclusion and find that your life is way better without it. Every man (and woman) travels a different road after all!

Have you done an internet detox? Will you go on one? 

Sore Running Shoulders & Couch to 5K Week 6 Update

I've put my running shoes back on, which I'm so happy about. It was tough trying to get back into a fitness routine since I fell sick, but I believe I'm there again. I'm a bit miffed that my running performance seems to have suffered. I'm running a lot slower than what I was doing pre-sickness, but I did take about 3-4 weeks off exercise altogether so it was inevitable. Such a bummer though considering I was going so well! 

Something I noticed while running was how tense and sore my shoulders would get. I always made conscious efforts to release tension if I noticed it, but yesterday, my shoulders were aching so much that I had to do shoulder rolls while running just to release tension! It was quite difficult to continue running but I completed my 4km. 

I warmed down with some shoulder openers but I think I might need to keep doing some more just to loosen them up a bit. They are still sore today. I'm thinking keeping out the shoulder stands but bringing in threading the needle, and cow-face pose. Simple shoulder rolls help too. #andthisiswhyeveryrunnershoulddoyoga

Threading the needle
(Source)

Cow-face pose
(Source)

Part of the reason why my shoulders get so sore is poor running form, I think. I noticed that while I don't hunch my shoulders up like some runners do (I make a very conscious effort to drop them), I've developed a habit of craning my neck forward while running and that puts extra tension on shoulder and neck muscles. I don't even know why I do it! Maybe I think it helps me run faster if my head is in front of my body? :P I'm trying to stop doing this but it's a lot harder than you would think! 

Before I fell sick, I completed my Couch to 5K Week 6. The program varied day to day, but built up to a straight 3.6km run. At this stage, my pace was a good 6 min/km, which is probably my best speed running long distance yet. I did this way back in May though, and I've only just managed to start Week 7 now. 

Damn you cold virus!

I think that's all for today. Do you experience any tensions while running and what do you do to alleviate this? 

Where's the love?

Confession time.

I've been getting my bitch on . Frequently, in the last few weeks- a bit hypocritical of me, to say the least, particularly when I openly wage war on bitches.

What would I categorize as bitching? Because I'm too lazy to find my own words to define this, I'll let Freedictionary do it for me.

bitch  (bch)

n.

2. Offensive

a. A woman considered to be spiteful or overbearing.

3. Slang A complaint.

v. bitched, bitch·ing, bitch·es Slang

                                       Source: Freedictionary

So, that's what I've been partaking in over the last few weeks. The truth is, it always begins innocuously, with no malicious intent. I just love gossip, even if it's regarding people that I don't know or barely know. Sometimes, these "gossips" are harmless, and sometimes, they can be mean and spiteful, but before my brain even realizes what they are, the words have already escaped my lips.

Then bam, I've just bitched about how naive a friend is, or how lazy someone else is...

Not my finest moments.

Interestingly enough, the frequency of my bitching seemed to have increased at a time when my yoga practice had been neglected. Now that I've resumed a semblance of a practice, I seem to have come to a halting epiphany that over the last few weeks, I have been nothing but a massive... well... bitch. There really isn't another word for it, so pardon the repetition.

I think it's because my practice helps me to unwind and destress... when it is absent, I find alternative avenues, like bitching to others because it just helps me blow off some steam, despite the total disregard for the other person's feeling or the awkwardness that the listener might be experiencing. Not everyone likes to partake in a bitching session, and I am not particularly discerning.

My practice also makes me self-reflect. And my recent self-reflection has told me that I haven't been very nice. I think I may also bitch because having someone nod to all my rants just gives my self-esteem a little bit of a lift and helps me feel like I belong. Who cares that it's a little bitchy community that I belong to, as long as I fit in, right?

Here's hoping that realization is the first step to recovery. I realize that to stop minimize bitching will require more than just to announce it to the world, but I'm pretty hopeful that I've made a good start. I know that I have some inner demons to work with (selfishness maybe?) so it's not going to be cruisy!

(Source)

What are your experiences with bitches/bitching?

Challenge: Strong Core has begun

The Yoga Journal 2 Week Strong Core Challenge has begun!

The first day's focus on warming up the core

The videos have been a lot shorter than I thought they would be, so far ranging between 5 to 10 minutes, but we are only up to day two. It feels more like a short little masterclass that bring your focus towards your core as you do standard vinyasa flows or core strengthening exercises to be incorporated into your longer routine. 

I thought I'd put a taster of the challenge, for the first day, in case you wanted to test the waters before committing. 

The little 5 minute challenge today was enough to motivate me to do a little bit more, so I ended up spending 30 minutes on the mat today, which is 30 minutes more than my cumulative total for last week! I'm quite pleased. 

So, what are you waiting for... take the Strong Core challenge!

Update 16 April: The videos range from 5 - 35 minutes in length. Week 2 is a repeat of Week 1. So far, the challenges have been great, they really work your core! 

Challenge: Yoga Journal Strong Core

The last few weeks have been tumultous trying to kick my over-dependence on the interwebs. I've had some good days, when I've squeezed in some yoga, and some bad days where I've been glued to my monitor, too lazy even to make decent meals.

To kickstart my path to recovery though, I've signed up to the Yoga Journal's Strong Core program. I've had a great time with YJ's fitness programs in the past, particularly the 21-Day Fitness challenge, so I'm hoping I'll be self-motivated enough to complete this.

Are you ready to sculpt your core?
(Source: Yoga Journal Strong Core)

The program begins Monday 8 April, which is next Monday! If it's anything like their other programs, there'll be fitness tips, recipes and a daily video which is generally 20-30 minutes long.

Will you be taking on the challenge?

Hump Day Yoga Inspiration

More for me than you, really, considering the rut that I've been in. Inspiring yogis to follow.....

Fran Miller - 91 year old yoga teacher 

Yep, you read right, she's 91 years young! And she only began teaching yoga in her 50s! As they say, you are never too old to yoga (or maybe I just made that up just then :P). Here's a lovely interview with her on Yogadork.

Photo from Yogadork

Adam Levine, Maroon 5 frontman 

I'm going to be honest, I hate really dislike Maroon 5's music. But I do admire Adam Levine as a yogi (yay, I'm glad I can now separate the man and the music, unlike my 16 year old self). My favourite quote?

"There’s a very specific yoga cliché. Eat these foods, wear these clothes, believe only these things. I don’t want to be that."

Plus, Adam knows his asanas.

Borrowed from Yogadork, check out the full article on Adam there. 

I have tried this asana a few times... let's just say I'm not quite there yet.



Sadie Nardini, yoga teacher

I just love Sadie, I think she presents herself well, and I feel that she appeals to a younger demographic. My favourite Sadie quote?

"Being hurt in love doesn't mean you should shut down, or defend. In fact, be proud that you trusted, and loved with an open heart, even if someone else decided to act unskilled with you, or your path was not theirs. Be discerning, set calm, healthy boundaries--but keep your heart available and trust unless shown otherwise. Do not make future people pay for the actions of the past."

Visit Sadie's website for free yoga videos and information

Alanis Morrisette, musician 

What can I say... I was a child of the 90s. I loved Alanis Morrisette during her angsty days of being a Former Infatuated Junkie. And then, she faded into oblivion for a while or I grew out of adolescence (pick one), and she faded from memory until one day, who should graze the cover of my Yoga Journal, but the one and only Alanis!

And looking mighty fab. She also appeared in Weeds round about the same time, and she looks amazing! I'm going to put it down to all the yoga. I think she looks younger now than she did 10 years ago.

My inner schoolgirl leapt with joy when I saw this cover
(Source)

And I think I'ma end this post with a quote from Alanis.

"The mat just stays there, and I just keep coming back to it."

The Internet Detox: Update 1

You may have read that I attempted to take a break from the internet.

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The synopsis of that story: My computer breaks, gets sent for repair, and I decided hey, why not use this time to cut down on my online time? Then, I got my computer back, and that was when things started to get pretty hurdly! The first couple of weeks went well, I kept my computer off most of the time, and I went for runs, read, did some yoga, only browsed Facebook and reddit occasionally. 

It was going so well. 

And then, I have no idea how it happened... but what with researching uni courses, and then uni applications... and gaming... somehow, the computer just crept back into my life and ousted out my yoga and running. That has not happened since the end of uni, 3 years ago. I'd never stopped doing yoga before... it feels weird, even now, especially since I haven't gotten back into it. I have to admit, shamefully, that my computer dependence is now much greater than before. I've been introduced to DotA 2, I've discovered this terrible yet addictive online game called Wartune, and I recently discovered Duolingo which is a fantastic and free language learning site. It's also the only product I will link to because it is, at least, educational so getting addicted to it isn't so bad. :P

I suppose I realized I had hit a low when I purchased a jar of ready-made curry simmer sauce. I know, it's a really bizarre thing to trigger an epiphany, but I haven't eaten any processed foods in a very long while. I make all my own curries, soups, stews, etc when I'm not eating out. Why did I buy that jar of sauce? So I could have more computer time, why else! 

I can't believe this jar showed me just how far I had fallen.
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The disappearance of my yoga practice and fitness regime has changed a lot in my life. For starters, I have a lot of free time that I just don't know what to do with, which then gets spent on the computer (terrible neverending cycle that one...). I have lost weight... about 5kg. I am much weaker physically. My shoulders ache all the time, and I get constant headaches that simply won't go away. I wake up every morning vowing to do some yoga, but what I think will be ten minutes on Duolingo ends up being a few hours. 

I just have to ask myself... what happened? What went wrong? I've always been so disciplined in my fitness routines. How did I lose the plot when my intentions were all in the right place? 

I wanted my internet detox to be along the lines of Susan Maushart's The Winter of Our Disconnect. Instead, I seem to be on a road to Netaholics Anonymous. 

I'm not even sure what my next step is. Besides the obvious of trying to get my yoga and running back on again. I'm not even sure I know what I wanted to achieve with my internet detox... I think my original goal was just to cut down on dawdle time on the internet. 

So, there you have it. I wanted a hiatus but instead got a face full of internet. I've never really failed in anything before, this is a first. What a downer of a post, I guess it's possibly from the lack of yoga :P Hopefully, the next time I update, there will be better news. 

Review: The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen

If you have been following my blog for awhile, you would know that I have taken up ayurvedic traits in my diet. So, I was delighted when I was kindly sent a sample copy of The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen to review, and I have to say that I am impressed by what I have read so far.

Talya Lutzker is a professional Ayurvedic practitioner and Nutrition counselor as well, so you know all the information in the book comes with good authority. She decided to create an ayurvedic book with a difference, that one difference being that all the recipes are vegan! (Just in case that didn't have the impact I desired, most ayurvedic diets are big on dairy, which hasn't made it very vegan-friendly).

Beautiful photos to really inspire you

It's a little bit more than just a cookbook. The book opens with a brief introduction to ayurveda, including general dietary requirements. No cold drinks, no late meals... among others. Then, comes a brief chapter on taste, or rasa (in Sanskrit), which I found really interesting. Who knew that taste could be so complex and even be connected to emotions! An example she gives is that eating sweet foods may make you happy... assuming you like sweet foods of course.

But the biggest selling point would probably be the way the recipes are presented (see below). All the recipes have a dosha section that tell you if it increases, or helps to settle a dosha. It makes searching for recipes for your dosha that much easier, and it's also quite interesting to see what other dosha diets are like. If you would like to learn more about doshas, you can read my previous post about it.

A sample page from the Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen (click to enlarge)

Perhaps the only downside to this recipe book is that the recipes are fairly complex and time-consuming. If like me, you live alone, work full-time, and have to basically eat the same meal over the next 2 days for lunch and dinner, then it may be something to try on the weekend. If you have the time though, there is nothing better than crafting a healthy meal for your family.

If you are vegan or lactose-intolerant and are wanting to try ayurveda, then this is definitely the book for you. I am very fond of my dairy though, so the recipes in this book will probably just be the occasional alternative.

Pros: Great easy-to-understand information about the ayurvedic diet, beautiful pictures, and easy to locate dosha information for every recipe
Cons: Recipes require a lot of ingredients (some that may not be easily accessible), most are time-consuming recipes, so not suitable for the busy!

RRP: USD$9.99 (Kindle store) or AUD$18.88 (the Book Depository)

Yoga for Neck Pain

About a week ago, I had a migraine. It was extremely unpleasant, it happened while I was watching The Hobbit (great film by the way, go see it!) and I had a lingering headache for days, and really bad nausea that lasted a week.

Coupled with all those terrible symptoms, I also began to have really bad neck pain. I've always had tight shoulders, and some neck tension, but this went beyond it. There was even a firm lump in my neck where the muscle had gone really taut.

I began to research yoga for neck pain, because ... yoga cures almost everything physical :P Isn't yoga incredible?

This is a great video by Esther Eckhart, I've been practising this a few times a day. After the first day, my neck pain had improved so much!

The other neck exercises that I've found on the internet were back strengthening exercises, such as locust.

Other poses that I thought really helped with neck pain and relieved my headaches were standing forward bends. In a standing forward bend, you can work on releasing your neck, and shoulders. Poses like wide legged forward bends, and standing forward bend.

Wide legged forward bend
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Standing forward bend
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I have found that threading the needle also opens up the shoulders, and relieve some neck tension as well. That's the strange thing about muscles, sometimes the muscle that's tense isn't necessarily the cause of the tension. 

Threading the needle
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Next time you have a really sore neck, try some of these tension soothers before you reach for your Advil.

Eating the ayurvedic way

I've developed an interest in ayurvedic diets. I have always been intrigued by ayurveda, but was always slightly skeptical of its benefits. I had previously added it to my list of pseudo-sciences, along with homeopathy, chiropractics, and colonic cleansing (eek!).

Yet, there is a lot about ayurvedic doshas that paint me accurately. I am a pitta-vata. Pitta-vatas are normally medium-light build, sensitive, productive, and prefer hot and humid weatlher (if vata) or cold climates (if pitta). More information on your dosha type can be found on the Body and Soul website. If you need to identify your dosha, try doing this quick and easy quiz on the Yoga Journal.

The three different doshas that could affect your diet.
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Recently, I've been experiencing some pitta imbalance - feeling hungry, but experiencing frequent digestive problems, and vivid dreams. The foods that I need to avoid are anything sour and anything hot/spicy. Both are things that I love, so I am slightly distressed. Then again, there is no getting better if I don't take the first step. 

From a non-ayurvedic perspective, it makes sense to cut down on those foods anyway. Sour and spicy foods are generally very acidic, which can't be helpful for digestive issues! I'm also supposed to eat moderate amounts of dairy, which I am doing, one cup of yoghurt at a time.

This will be a hard diet to stick to when I'm on my trip to Asia (homeland of Spicy, oh no!). 

Has anyone else tried any ayurvedic treatments? I would love to read what you thought. 

Review: Learn How to Meditate

You can access the course here 

This is a free course on Udemy. For a free course, it's really quite good.

The course consists of six 2 minute recordings showing you the basics of meditation

• proper posture 
• deep breathing 
• alternate nostril breathing nadi shodhan 
• use of mantra (in a similar vein to what transcendental meditation teaches) 
• candle gazing 
• empathy meditation 

All the meditation techniques above are accessible, and easy to follow. You can choose to do just one of the above, or combine methods such as use deep breathing and alternate nostril breathing to prepare you for a mantra meditation. 

As it's a free course, it's also a great way to see what Udemy is like. I have purchased a few courses on Udemy, so far I have yet to be disappointed. 

Challenge: Yoga Sequence

So, here's a special challenge, special because I collaborated with Tribesports to create it!

Check out the challenge on Tribesports!

You can click on the image for a larger and hopefully clearer version. I really wasn't expecting my face to be a part of the challenge image (else I would have worn my good yoga clothes hehe :P), so apologies for the slightly zoned out expression.

I do realize that this sequence isn't flowy or fast paced enough for a Vinyasa, I had to limit the poses to 6 poses so it became a lot more hatha influenced. You will still reap a lot of benefits from it though!

To experience the full vinyasa sequence, here are my suggestions for the warm up and warm down 

WARM UP

Child's pose
Cat/cow (10 repeats, alternating)
Downward facing dog - plank - chaturanga- upward facing dog flow (5 repeats of one full circuit)

THE TRIBESPORTS SEQUENCE 

WARM DOWN 

Double legged forward bend 
Bridge pose/ Wheel pose
Happy baby
Corpse

I've included links to all the additional poses. If I have some time later this week, I may include some of my own images. For guides to the poses in my challenge, you can find those on the Tribesports challenge page.

Review: Yoga Paws elite gloves and footwear

I'm going overseas in less than a month's time. The thought of going without my yoga practice was daunting to say the least, and as I've mentioned several times in this blog, my Jade yoga mat is hardly travel-friendly.

I was considering purchasing a Mysore style mat, which is a cotton rug that you can use on top of or in place of your regular mat. You can find Mysore mats here if you are interested in checking them out! 

A few weeks ago, I recalled some ads I had seen for Yoga Paws while I was on the search for yoga gloves to assist me with my hyperhydrosis problem. Yoga Paws are not just your run of the mill sticky socks and gloves... they are mats attached to socks and gloves that you can use in place of your mat. These are made from natural rubber, which means they provide excellent grip. 

I thought they would be perfect for travel, so I ordered myself a pair of Elite Yoga Paws, which is the slightly more expensive model. It's US$39.95, plus about US$10 for postage and handling. While you can find these retailing at some Australian websites, they are selling them at Aussie prices of over $60, so it's worth getting it direct from Yoga Paws. 

You can check these out here
Image from the Yoga Paws website

These were despatched the day after I placed the order, and I received them in less than a week! 

Today, I decided to road-test these babies. They were a little snug on my feet, but apparently that's how they are meant to be. It's a little annoying that you choose one standard size for both your hands and your feet (so it's unfortunate if you have massive feet and little hands). They smell a little, as do most natural rubber products until they've been given a little bit of a wash. 

I practiced my regular vinyasa routine today for an hour. These performed beautifully. I was slightly skeptical that the foot grip was only on the front half of the foot, leaving your heels bare, but it provided excellent grip without compromising your feet grounding. You could still easily ground through your heels and not slip, despite not having any mat material there. 

It felt a little unusual performing the chaturanga-upward dog toe flips with these on my feet but I adjusted to them by the end of the practice, and they didn't faze me by the end. 

The only major downside is that there is no padding support for your knees if you have bad knees, as I currently do from my running injury. So, any kneeling poses could hurt. But that would have been an issue as well if I had purchased a Mysore mat, so I'm not complaining at all! 

Here's a little summary of the pros and cons: 

Pros 

• lightweight 
• easy to clean (just handwash in cold water and gentle soap) 
• works as well as they say - as grippy as a good yoga mat 

Cons

• no padding for other parts of your body (eg. knees for kneeling poses) 
• you will need a clean floor, so may not be suitable for most public places 

If you travel a lot and you do not want to be away from your practice, think about investing in a pair of these. They take up less space than a yoga mat, and work just as well. I won't be using these to replace my Jade yoga mat in my regular practice at home though, except on days when I'm too lazy to roll it out. 

Please note that this post is an independent review, and has not been sponsored. 

Keeping a mindful practice

Today was the first day in a long time that I was present in my yoga practice. It's ironic, because I'm doing more yoga now since the wrist injury, but I've never felt more disconnected from my practice. Stranger still is how oblivious I was to how disconnected I have been, until I read Erica Rodefer (the Spoiled Yogi)'s blog on what's really yoga (click to see her post on the Yoga Police). The summary of that post is that we shouldn't judge the "yoga" that someone practices, as long as it holds the meaning of yoga to them.

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The word "yoga" means to unite. It's the unity of the mental, physical and the spiritual realm. By delving into asanas without being present in the moment, I'm not uniting anything. Yet, all this while, I have been too distracted to even notice.

For some time this year, I think I lost my way with yoga a little. A little too much fixation on the asanas for sure, none of the other limbs of Yoga.

When I read Neil Pollack's post on public displays of yoga, it dawned upon me that I was indulging in a period of narcissism. These past few months, especially with my time and involvement on the Tribesports website, have been driven by vanity. Yoga isn't about that at all.

Today was the first day in many where I felt I could connect with myself again, like I could lay in savasana for eternity. I'm making this promise to myself to never take my practice for granted.