Spring has officially come!!!! Well, here in South-Western France the warmer season has been quite shy so far and we're still waiting for the big celebrations. But the sun has been shining more and more and we can't wait to get ready for soaking up all the sun rays during the upcoming months.
This is also the time to get out from our comfy wintery shell and be ready to say hi to the world with the best attitude! :)
That's why I asked my friend Shaini to share with us today some essential tips to stay nourished and healthy during the seasonal changes. They are actually really great all year long and you definitely don't want to miss this post.
Let's get ready to welcome the new season with a renewed energy :)
Want to stay nourished & healthy? Here are 5 essential tips to nourish you on all levels!
Keeping you calm, re-energized & glowing.
“May we love ourselves enough to give our minds and bodies the most nourishing foods, both physical and spiritual”
1. Warm water & lemon
A morning ritual I do not live without. As it greatly improves my digestive system & I feel like any toxins that I might have gathered from the day before get flushed away.
How: Very simply prepare some luke warm water add a bit of freshly, squeezed lemon to it and voila, enjoy!
Benefits: Aids the digestive system, rich source of vitamin c & essential nutrients, balances PH levels in the body.
2. Daily yoga pose: Paschima baddhanguliyasana
In our day to day life feelings of anxiety & stress are getting more common. These feelings can cause your heart area to close as your shoulders slump forward. Paschima baddhanguliyasana is one of my absolute favourite yoga poses to counteract this condition and a great one to add to your daily routine.
How: Stand with feet hip width apart in mountain pose, clasp your hands behind your back (or place a belt around the wrists if shoulders are very tight) straighten the arms. Now keeping the clavicle bones wide, move the top of the shoulders back, trapezium down & shoulder blades in, hold for 30-60sec. Then change the interlock of the fingers and repeat the same actions.
Benefits: Relieves feelings of anxiety & stress. Opens up the heart space, shoulder joints & chest.
3. Mindful observation
“Allow yourself to be where you are”
Cultivating mindfulness just a few minutes a day is deeply nourishing, as it reduces stress, anxiety and negative emotions. How do you cultivate mindfulness? There are different ways , but one of them is to observe the beauty of our natural environment. This exercise is simple but incredibly powerful.
How: Take a few minutes a day to simply focus your attention on a natural object from within your immediate environment and focus on watching it for a minute or two. This could be a tree, a lovely blooming flower or even the clouds or the moon. Don’t do anything except notice the thing you are looking at. Simply relax into it’s harmony for as long as your concentration allows.
Benefits: Roots the mind in the present moment.
4. Dry skin brushing
This is one of the simplest wellness trick that only takes 5 minutes a day and keeps your skin glowing & lush. Your skin the largest organ of your body, is an organ of elimination. One third of your body’s toxins are excreted through the skin and dry brushing helps to unclog pores and excrete toxins that become trapped in the skin.
How: Use a natural bristle brush (long handle is best, as that way you can reach all areas of your body). Stand naked in your shower or bathtub and start brushing from your feet upwards to your heart. Give your whole body a good/ firm brush, but be more gentle around the sensitive areas, like breasts. Once you have finished have a nice shower to wash away any dead skin. I love to add a yummy layer of coconut oil after finishing with my shower.
Benefits: Exfoliate dead skin. Stimulate lymphatic system. Promotes healthy, breathing skin.
5. Connect to the ocean
“Get me near the sea it’s earth’s most potent remedy”
Wether it’s surfing, going for a long beach walk or taking a nice refreshing dive in the ocean. The nourishing benefits of salt water are endless. Being near the ocean calms & relaxes us, giving our brain a well needed downtime. It also has numerous effects on our health & beauty like healing cuts & sores and acting as a natural shampoo. And if you don’t live near the ocean, no worries, sitting by any river or lake and gazing out over the water can induce a nourishing, calming state.
Benefits: Induces a calm state. Miracle treatment for acne & semi-permanent scars. Heals cuts and sores. Natural shampoo. Clears nasal passageways. Natural exfoliant if you do a sand scrub on the beach.
Shaini is an Iyengar based yoga teacher and practitioner, she is also an avid longboard surfer & healthy cooking addict with an integrative nutrition certification. She is the owner of Yogaion, through which she organises wonderful Yoga, Surf & Nourish retreats combined with super healthy, delicious food on the stunning South West coast of Portugal. Here she has settled down in the middle of a coastal national park with her boyfriend and their lovely dogs Sky & Flynn. She teaches weekly yoga classes and lovingly hosts the inspirational Yoga, Surf & Nourish retreats.
Check her out on:
www.yogaion.com
www.facebook.com/yogaion.retreats
www.instagram.com/yogaion
twitter.com/Yogaion
Shaini is an Iyengar based yoga teacher and practitioner, she is also an avid longboard surfer & healthy cooking addict with an integrative nutrition certification. She is the owner of Yogaion, through which she organises wonderful Yoga, Surf & Nourish retreats combined with super healthy, delicious food on the stunning South West coast of Portugal. Here she has settled down in the middle of a coastal national park with her boyfriend and their lovely dogs Sky & Flynn. She teaches weekly yoga classes and lovingly hosts the inspirational Yoga, Surf & Nourish retreats.
Check her out on:
www.yogaion.com
www.facebook.com/yogaion.retreats
www.instagram.com/yogaion
twitter.com/Yogaion
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