My favourite way of starting a day

My mornings

As I am a morning person I like to wake up bright and early around 7am. I usually give myself at least 2 hours before I need to be somewhere.

First of all my alarm should be nice and soothing melody so I can wake up slowly with no stress. Of course I love snoozing my alarm… I do it at least twice before I get out of bed.

First thing I do when I get out of bed is oil pulling – (rinsing mouth with coconut oil). You can choose any oil of your preference, but in my opinion coconut oil is the best. I rinse my mouth for about 5-7 minutes, spit it out and brush my teeth. (Oil pulling is good for getting rid of all the toxins in your mouth, natural teeth whitening, better breath and healthier gums)

Get dressed, have a large glass of room temperature water. It should always be first thing in the morning you put in your stomach (It purifies and wakes up your body’s internal system). 

Yoga class at home or in a near by studio (Ashtanga yoga, preferably self practice as then you can do what you want and in your own pace) At the end of class I like to do at least 10 minutes of meditation.

I feel so energised and at the same time calm after this routine.

Nice warm shower and after I apply coconut oil,  (I do it on wet body as it is much easier to apply than on dry body). Next I lightly dry my body with a towel.

After drink some more water and I am ready for my breakfast, cold pressed juice and a small cup of coffee (shouldn’t get too carried away with the coffee, but its okay to have it once in a while) Coffee is okay to drink, but its better not to have it in order to wake yourself up as it gives a shock to your body. It is much healthier to wake up in a natural way.

My breakfast

Poached egg on a slice of seeded toast, topped with steamed spinach with some chilli flakes and coriander and avocado and asparagus on the side.

Ingredients

1 Seeded slice of bread (toasted)
1 Poached egg
2 handful spinach leaves (steamed)
Chilli flakes
Fresh coriander
Half an avocado (sliced)
3 large green asparagus (grilled)

A freshly made cold pressed juice

Ingredients

1 Pomegranate
10-15 Strawberries
Fresh ginger (size of the piece by your choice)
200ml Coconut water

Now I'm ready to conquer the world :)

Ujjayi Breath

Ujjayi Breath step by step

Ujjayi is one of the principal pranayamas, not only in itself, but also because it is important in the practice of the asana. Ujjayi is the breathing method used in Ashtanga and in many other styles of yoga.

One of the meanings of Ujjayi is “victorious” –powerful breath that helps the practitioner master a meditative state, where he has the control and power over his mind. 

In Ashtanga it is very important to master the synchronization between the movement and breath and when you learn it you enter a calm meditative state in your body and your mind.

Step by step pointers to practice Ujjayi breath:

1)   It is characterised as a deep, hollow sound coming from your throat. It is sometimes easier if you think of your breath as ocean waves.

2)   First sit in easy crossed legs, half lotus or full lotus (you need to be comfortable so don’t force a lotus if you wont be able to sit in it for a while)

3)   The breath starts from your belly, moves into your diaphragm expanding your ribcage, your chest and finally moves into your throat.

4)   Start with deep, equal breaths. 4 counts inhale and 4 counts exhale. After, try to lengthen your breath to 8 counts inhale and 8 counts exhale.

5)   Begin with practicing exhale. When exhaling whisper a sound “Hhhhaaammm” . Practice it a few times with mouth open and when you have mastered it continue the same with mouth closed (in your mind keep saying “Hhhaaammm”) . Pay attention to the throat, the glottis is slightly closed and the air is flowing through the back of the throat and back of your nostrils.

6)   Now keep your glottis in the “whispering” slightly closed position and start practicing your inhale. If your throat is in the right position your inhale will also make the hollow soft noise. (keeping your chin to your chest might help you master the closing of the glottis)

7)   Finally practice Ujjayi inhale and exhale. It might take some time to master it, but when you get it, it will always stay with you :)

When you learn the Ujjayi as Pranayama then you will be able to apply it in your asana practice. It will make your practice more grounded, meditative and rhythmic. Furthermore, Ujjayi breath is the best way how to oxygenate your body, as the air flows through your lungs much deeper than in your every day breathing. 

Meditation

Meditation and its benefits

When I just started meditation I found it very difficult. I could not sit still for even 5 minutes, my mind was wondering off and I had all kinds of thoughts rushing through my head. Also my body was feeling anxious and waiting for the 5 minutes to be over sooner. But the more I was meditating the easier it became and after a few sessions I started realising that it is becoming pleasant and my thoughts are calming down. Now my mind and body is even asking for it.

Our daily lives are so busy and we always feel that we are running out of time and there is no need or time to devote to ourselves. What we need to understand is that even 15 minutes of time to ourselves(not watching TV shows or going to manicures or pedicures, but actually being sill and relaxing our mind and body and being mindful) our mind and body will benefit greatly from it. We will improve our relationships with ourselves and with others and we will become more productive at work and any other field of interest, as we will learn how to calm our minds and deal with stress.

When we are feeling lonely or anxious, most of us have the habit to look for distractions, which can be eating when we are not even feeling hungry or surfing the Internet, reading, watching TV shows mindlessly. Instead, try to meditate.

Meditation is a means of transforming the mind.  It encourages and develops concentration, emotional positivity and it lets us stop and see the beautiful things around us that we might have never paid attention to.

There are so many different ways of meditation. It is easier to start with a guided meditation, which you can find online or go to meditation classes. With time you will realise that you don’t need anyone to help you with it and you will be able to practice it and enjoy meditation by yourself.

Conscious breathing is a good way to start. Sit down comfortably and take a few mindful breaths. Your breath will naturally become more relaxed and it will help the tension in the body and mind to be released.

With first few breaths silently or in your mind say: I am breathing in and I am breathing out  or just say the key words (IN and OUT) . Then you continue by saying or thinking: I’m taking a deep breath and exhaling slow (DEEP and SLOW).  Continue with: Breathing in, I’m aware of my body and exhaling I calm my body (AWARE and CALM). Next: Breathe in I smile and breathe out I release (SMILE and RELEASE). Finally: Dwell in the present moment, breathe in and enjoy the present moment breath out (PRESENT MOMENT and ENJOY)

If you realise that your mind starts to wonder off try to get it back to your breath. It will wonder off at the beginning, but with time you will realise you can stay focused and relaxed for longer and longer. If you do start meditating, at least 5-10 minutes each day, it will very soon become part of your daily routine and you will feel the benefits of it almost straight away.

Benefits of meditation

• Increase concentration
• Will calm your mind
• Improved communication
• Reduces anxiety attacks
• Lowers high blood pressure
• Reduces tension related pain: headaches, insomnia, joint pains
• Increases serotonin levels
•  Increase of energy
• Better problem solving skills
• Emotional stability increase
• Creativity increase
• Sharpens the mind
• Expands consciousness