5 Ways to Love Your Ordinary Life

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every day yoga, life-changing, love life, mindfulness, positive routine, self-care, yoga daily, Yoga Holiday With Paul, Yoga With Paul

Turns of season are a time when we are vulnerable to mood shifts. I’ve recently come back from an incredible Yoga Holiday With Paul in Cyprus, and have been seeking ways to get my balance back.

Cyprus was such a lovely group in such an amazing place. The weather hot, perfect every day. After class we went straight in the warm, still sea. What more could you ask for?

London, though I love it, can’t help but feel like a bit of a letdown after a week in paradise. It is easy to over-react to the feeling of boredom or letdown by trying to cheer ourselves up, or by wallowing in the feeling. Neither of these is the healthy option.

Yoga teaches us to strive for balance. With that in mind, here are 5 ways to love your ordinary life.

Cultivate positive routines

Positive routines help us organise and make the most of our days. Little rituals like doing 10 Sun Salutations as soon as you get out of bed, or making time to read for 15 minutes before going to sleep, or taking an afternoon break for a cup of tea, are ways to calm and refresh your body and mind.

Photo by Nqobile Vundla on Unsplash

Make time for human connections

We need people. Spending time in face-to-face conversation and proximity is essential to our mental and physical well-being. Instead of constantly messaging your friends, make time to meet up for a coffee, or do a yoga class together.

Don’t let your schedule run your life

It is easy to get sucked into never-ending-to-do lists, always putting off relaxing, or reconnecting, until we get the next arbitrary task done. It is also tempting to say “yes” too often, making ourselves busy when we need to rest. Remember, your schedule is meant to serve you, not run your life. Be the boss!

Get to the studio

Doing yoga every day is the best thing you can do for your mind and body. Doing it every other day, or three times a week, or whenever you can, yields untold benefits. You will be more alert, calmer, more flexible, and able to deal with life’s daily challenges. Plus, it is a chance to socialise (see above) and remind yourself that you are surrounded and supported by caring human beings.

Acknowledge the extraordinary, every day

Our life is only as ordinary as we let it be. When you start to feel bored, dissatisfied, or discontent, remember how amazing it is that you are here on this planet, in this city, with these friends and loved ones, this body, this vocation, this experience. Your life is unique and magical, even when it seems mundane.

How do you appreciate your ordinary days? Share in the comments!

Focus on What’s Right

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mental health, mindfulness, positive yoga, self-care, Yoga Holiday With Paul, Yoga With Paul

Having just wrapped up Yoga Holiday With Paul, it’s time to return to routine and prepare for autumn and winter.

The time in Cyprus was, as always, filled with joy and learning. One thing that impressed itself on my mind was the importance of focusing on what is right in our practice, and lives, instead of looking at what is wrong.

Photo by Michele Guan on Unsplash

It is all too easy to focus on our weaknesses or what we lack. When we do so, we lose the ability to be present and grateful for our strengths and blessings.

There is a great book called Stories of School Yoga that focuses on the benefits of yoga for children and educators. One chapter, by a yogi and counselor named Helene McGlauflin, highlights the problem of focusing on negative behaviour, rather than seeking and praising positive behaviour. She was writing specifically about kids, but this applies to adults as well.

We are often our own biggest critics, and quick to blame ourselves for perceived flaws or failures. It is time to start telling ourselves a different story — one that focuses on the positive and empowers us to address life’s inevitable difficulties with courage and calm.

Read more: Body image boost, Making positive mistakes

5 Reasons to Rise Early

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daily yoga, early rising, habit change, life-changing, meditation, nutrition, self-care, yoga, yoga for insomnia, yoga lifestyle, Yoga With Paul

Getting out of a warm bed can be difficult on cold, dark mornings. If you can overcome that initial reluctance, however, you’ll find there are many advantages to getting up early. Why try a new rising routine for a week or two and see how you feel? You might find you have no interest in returning to your sleepy ways.

Rise and shine!

Here are five reasons to rise early.

Yoga

Nothing starts the day off right like practicing yoga. I’ve taught early morning classes for years and it never fails to amaze me how students (and me) can come in bleary eyed and half-dozing and leave 90 minutes later full of energy and enthusiasm. Even if you don’t make it to the studio, 30-45 minutes of self-practice at home will transform your day.

Breakfast

Some people don’t like to eat right after they wake up; some just don’t have time. When you rise early, you give your body time to acclimate to the day, and you have the time to prepare, eat and enjoy a morning meal. This can help keep your blood sugar level during the day and prevent mid-morning cravings or lunch-time binges.

Quiet time

Most of the day is go-go-go. Getting up before everyone else is a chance to have peace and quiet, before beginning your family/work/life routine. You can use this time to meditate, journal, drink a cup of tea, or take the time for self-care. This sets you up for a calm, focused day, instead of feeling rushed and harried.

Sunrise

Sunrise? In London? In November? Are you kidding? I know, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to see most days, but being awake when the dawn breaks gives your mind and body a boost — even if it’s not a rosy pink sky. Simply experiencing the transition from night to day can boost your energy. And on the rare days when the sun lights up the clouds in glorious colour, you’ll be there to see it!

Routine

Getting up early leads to going to bed early, without fail. If you’re someone who has trouble switching off or struggle with insomnia, rising early will help ensure you are tired and ready for sleep. As you adjust to the new routine, the energising benefits of early rising mean you get more done during the day, meaning more time for relaxation in the evening.

 

5 Step Self-Care Challenge

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meditation, mindfulness, philosophy of yoga, self-care, self-care challenge, yoga, yoga intention, Yoga With Paul

Self-care. Would you believe that in all the years of Yoga With Paul blog, I’ve never written a post with “self-care” in the title.

In a sense, the whole blog is about self-care, so you could say there is no need to spell it out. On the other hand, self-care is something we should be consciously embracing.

Why? Because otherwise self-care can turn from something positive into just another line on the to-do list. What I mean is, when we make a decision to take care of ourselves by going to yoga, eating clean, meditating, or taking time to do an activity we love, it enhances our well-being. We go to yoga with the intention of healing and energising our bodies. We eat choose wholesome food to build us up. And so forth.

If we forget about self-care, yoga becomes another task, eating right is just a duty, hobbies get shoved aside because we’re too busy or too tired.

In other words, intention is everything.

When we approach our life and practice with the intention of self-care we experience the world differently. By being aware and respectful of our own needs, we become more sensitive to the needs of people around us. We learn to slow down and not judge.

Here’s my 5-step self-care challenge:

1. Make a self-care inventory: What keeps you healthy, happy and sane?
2. Write a list.
3. Stick it someplace you can see it.
4. Next time you’re struggling, read that list and pick one thing to do for yourself.
5. Repeat as needed.

What’s your favourite self-care treat? Share in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul