Bom día! – an update from Portugal 🍀🧘‍♀‍💃⛱️☀️😎🌻

(average reading time: 3 minutes)

Bom día! Tudo bem? Tudo bem! And that’s basically all my knowledge of the Portuguese language. Ok…I also know: Uma mulher tem uma maça, meaning: A woman has an apple. Very important knowledge, isn’t it 😜😅😂? Especially for me, I love apples (not to confuse with Apple, Annet and Apple don’t go along 🥊👎😉).

Ok, enough blahblah, to the point! I had the idea that I would escape the winter in the Netherlands, Algarve should be warmer. Well… I know now that Portugal can have cold winters too! It started mid-December 2020 up to mid-January 2021. Happy that my winter clothes are quite oversized, and that I had brought so many clothes! I was wearing many layers to keep myself warm. The apartment I was in, had no insulation, an aircon to heat up the place, but it was quite noisy so after 10 minutes I had to turn it off. The fire 🔥 place was out of order, because I had put all my yoga stuff there (and I must admit: I don’t know how to make a proper fire and it’s an open fire place, so the apartment would either burn down, including the whole building 🚒 or everything inside would smell like burnt wood). Average temperature in the apartment: 11 degrees Celsius. It was often warmer outside….

I got my lovely winter toes back, I forgot how painful that is. The bathroom was so cold that I was already an ice queen before I could turn on the shower. I wrapped myself completely in the bed covers, preventing my nose from freezing off my face when I was asleep😉. Eventually, it turned out to be the coldest winter since 15+ years. In Laos (October – December 2019) we had 1 week of really cold weather. Why is winter following me… is there a hidden message 🤔? One thing I promised myself (Covid or not): I am on a tropical island from October 2021 until March 2022. No more winter toes 👣, no more winter clothes and a-sexy thermo-underwear 🩲🩳! Just summer clothes, SPF50, bikinis 👙, sunglasses 😎 and flip flops 🩴.

Luckily, the temperature is back to normal (around 12 at night, around 18 at daytime). And I exchanged the apartment for a mobile home at a holiday park😊. I am here for almost one month, and up to now, it is the best move (this is the 3rd place I live in within 3,5 months😅). Currently, we have a curfew 🔒 (8pm – 5am on the weekdays and 1pm – 5am in the weekends, beaches are closed too, unfortunately); luckily, the park is located in the countryside. We can go for a stroll in nature without seeing other people (and also no GNR/police 🚓), and if you want to socialize with people, there is always someone sitting outside on the veranda (except when it’s raining 😉).

All in all, I am living my dream: a lovely tiny home, lovely neighbors, beautiful nature, working now and then 😉 (I started a new job at Meditation Moments – https://meditationmoments.nl/). I can say I am definitely enjoying life 🧘‍♀️🧚🏼‍♀️💃 💫✨🍀💜🙏🥳🍹. Do you want to design your own life too? Stay tuned, I will share shortly what I did to make it happen🙏 😇. Ok, one piece of advice in advance: listen to your heart ❤️, it has all the answers to your questions💜🙏.

💜💚 With love 💜💚
         littlemissyoga                          

P.s.: I started to teach some online yoga classes – see https://littlemissyoga.com/about-littlemissyoga/new-online-yoga-classes/, also check my Facebook-page to subscribe to my classes: https://www.facebook.com/annet.gosens/

P.p.s.: I have put some pictures of my life in Portugal – check https://littlemissyoga.com/gallery/pictures-portugal/.

P.p.p.s: Meanwhile posting this blog, it is raining cats🐱 & dogs 🐶… it looks like autumn in the Netherlands😉.

Why should I practice yoga 🤔?

Dear all,

A short blog this time, as I promised. I hope this article motivates and inspires you to start with yoga today, actually there is no reason NOT to practice yoga😉. This article is just about the poses, later on I will explain more about the 8 limbs of yoga.

How it all started for me: I still remember my first yoga class, October 2015, Ubud, Bali, Radiantly Alive, Ashtanga-Vinyasa (one of the hardest variations of yoga), Acacia from Canada was teaching. She wished me good luck for this class and some people were giggling 🤔😳. No, I couldn’t do all the Ashtanga-moves (and up to now I still can’t do all of them), I almost strained my neck because I had to watch my neighbors at the left and right to see what the Vinyasa (flow) was; I must have looked very clumsy I think😅. But besides of that, the energy I gained during and after the class and her way of teaching had inspired me to start doing yoga. When I started, I was a die-hard smoker and drank (too) much alcohol. By starting doing yoga and later on by taking yoga teacher trainings, yoga helped me to let go of the bad habits (except for eating (too much of) 85% or 90% pure chocolate 🍫😋). Sometimes I drink a glass of red wine, but I quit smoking completely. I turned from a vegetarian into a 95% vegan person. By doing this, I feel better, way better. And that’s it all about: do what fits you, do what makes you feel good. Yoga can be that (perfect) tool to guide you to become the best version of YOURSELF. And isn’t that what you truly want 😇💚🙏👍? Then definitely read the article below 😊 👇🙏🧘🧘‍♂️.

**What Doing Yoga For The First Time Does To Your Body**
Many thoughts will come to mind when you start doing yoga for the first time. As you stand in the back of a class, or unfurl a yoga mat at home, it can all seem like a lot of wobbling on one foot as you struggle to figure out a pose. But even if you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, or confused at first, there are still all sorts of positive benefits to be had.

Right away, you’ll likely feel more space and a lightness in your body after your class. Yoga focuses on creating space in the mind and body so not only should you walk away feeling less stressed and more relaxed but you should feel less tension in your muscles. This is due to deep breathing. Your entire body will be oxygenated from the result of deeper breathing and increased circulation, and this will help you feel present and awake, as well. This loose, light feeling can stick around the rest of the day — which is one reason why folks turn to yoga as a way to de-stress — and it can even impact how you sleep. After you do yoga for the first time, you may sleep really well and find you wake up refreshed and rejuvenated.

That said, if you aren’t used to moving or exercising in such a way, you might notice that you feel a bit sore after doing yoga, too (for some this feels great: no pain, no gain). Holding a yoga pose not only requires core strength, it also requires endurance. The day after yoga you are very likely to be sore throughout your whole body. You can alleviate this by performing a warm-up before yoga, which will get the blood flowing to your muscles before going through the workout, and then following up with traditional cool down stretches. Physical symptoms aside, yoga can also tap into emotions more than you might realize, so don’t be surprised if some unexpected feelings bubble up during your class. We tend to hold our stress, worries, and tension not only in our brains, but throughout our body physically, mainly in our hips and jaw. When people try yoga, it might be their first time practicing breathing exercises (Yogi breath), and it may be the first time they allow themselves to release that stress through intentional breathing and practicing the poses.

If you’re new to yoga, it can be a big release, especially if you haven’t given yourself permission to let go of that tension before. But it can be yet another sign yoga is worth a try — and that you’re doing something good for yourself 😃.  **

I hope that you are convinced to roll out your mat (or blanket or towel) and start your practice today! If you need support with that, let me know, I can definitely help you😊🙏.

💜💚 With love 💜💚   
littlemissyoga                                           

        

Inspiried by: https://www.bustle.com/p/what-doing-yoga-for-the-first-time-does-to-your-body-19296977

Today I rise…✨🧚🏼‍♀️😇🌟

Reading time: about 6 minutes (more or less – depending on how fast or slow you read😉)

My dear readers! Happy New Year! Welcome to a new beginning, a fresh start. Maybe you have set resolutions for 2021, maybe not (like me 😉). I have set short-term and long-term goals and one of the goals is blogging more often, and blogging about what I want to share with the world, so here I am! This blog will be a long(er) one, in the future I will keep them short(er), so I am not stealing your time (one of the Yamas in Yoga: Asteya).

I got inspired by a YouTube video one of my friends sent me on my What’s app a few days ago (link is down below – no commission for me 😉). This YouTube video is showing exactly what I want to set out in this world. And I would love to share it with you because I need you; only together we can make the difference 🌟✨💜💪🙏!  

Today I rise…
Where are you? Little girl with broken wings but full of hope….
Where are you? Wise women covered in wounds …
Where are you? Today is the day I will not sit still and give in anymore

This is exactly what I am going to do from now on, online and offline, not sitting still anymore and giving in. I am fixing my broken wings, so my innerchild can fly again and can follow her dreams, hopes and wishes. I am licking my wounds from all the things I have been gone through, it doesn’t matter how deep or undeep the wounds are… wounds need to be healed first, then I am able to go on, with more power 💪, more self-confidence, more persistence, and with much more love in my heart ❤️. Yes, I did what people told me that would be better for me, I listened to them, they were older and wiser than I, so I trusted them. I didn’t listen to my heart. My heart was whispering all al the time with answers. One day, I woke up and said to myself: You need to make your own decisions, even if that is against all odds. What does make ME happy? Which path do I want to choose: The ‘beknown’ one, staying on the safe side, or the one less travelled by? I haven chosen the last one.

Today I rise
I am bruised but I will get up and walk again
Today I rise
I don’t care if you ignore my beauty
Today I rise
Through the alchemy of my darkest nights I heal and thrive
Today I rise
I move through the world with confidence and grace
I open my eyes and I am ready to face
My wholeness as a woman and my limitless capacities
I will walk my path with audacity

Today I rise
I reconnect with the many aspects of myself
I am in awe of the reality I can create
I am a healer – I am a queen
A wise woman – A wild woman

I will rise and beam
I am a rebel
I will wake up and fight
I am a mother and I am a child
I will no longer disguise my sadness and pain
I will no longer suffer and complain
I am black and I am white
There is no reason to hide

Everything I need, is already within me, everything you need is already within, we already have all the ansnwer. We are one, we are all made of the same energy, we are all love and light, coming from the same Source. That Source is something bigger than us, you can call it what you want, but you can’t deny the power of the Source. There is no reason to hide anymore, because we are all the same 🙏💜.

Where are you … I call upon Kali
To kiss me alive
I transform my anger into power
No more heartache or strive

The world is missing what I am ready to give
My wisdom, my sweetness, my love
And my hunger for peace

I weep with the trees and the rivers and the earth in distress
I rise and shine and I am ready to go on my quest

Today I rise
Without doubt or hesitation
Today I rise
Without excuses – Without procrastination

Today I call upon my sisters to join
A movement of resoluteness and ….concern

Why are we still fighting, why are we still divided, why are borders, passports and different currencies blocking our need, our RIGHT to be ONE? Why do people still believe that MONEY is POWER and that POWER is important to survive? All is coming from the same Source, everything is energy. POWER is just a mask to disguise FEAR. I call upon all my sisters: let’s unite and start to shine our LIGHT to and share our LOVE with everyone, together we can make the difference. It is good to know about LOVE & FEAR, we do need both, but nowadays I ask myself: where is the LOVE? FEAR is trying to take over the LOVE. I won’t let that happen! So, sisters, let’s go hand in hand and make that movement of resoluteness and concern ✌️🤝🙏.

Today is the day I rise and scream
Today I foresee the future of my dreams!
Today is my call to action … I will fulfill my mission
Without further distraction.
Today is the day!
Today I will start
To offer the world
The Wisdom of my heart.

I believe in fairy tales 🧚🏼‍♀️🏰 and they always begin with: Once upon a time… and they always end with: And they lived happily ever after. And I want to have that ending, happily ever after, living in a world of LOVE, PEACE & LIGHT, together with you, you and you, everyone, NOW! I just need 1% of the whole world to create the difference, to create a better world🌎🌍🌏.

I have just one question: Are you with me?

💜💚 With love 💜💚      
littlemissyoga                                        

        

Inspired by this video 👇:

P.s.: Please, comment on this blog if you feel like it, either you agree or disagree, if you have add-ons or want to unite with me 😊. All is welcome!

🙏🏻💜Gratitude 💜🙏🏻

These words came up when I was at the beach, last Monday (13 July 2020). I’d like to share them with you 🤗.

Gratitude
              For this beautiful day
A beautiful day to live for
A beautiful day to die for

Gratitude
              To all my friends and family
The ones I still have
The ones I have lost
              All of you taught me something I needed in my life

Gratitude
              For all the gifts and talents I possess
Some I use
Some are still untouched

Gratitude
              For every day
Sometimes I seize it
Sometimes I let it pass by

Gratitude
              For this word
Sometimes I feel you
Sometimes I don’t
              But you are always there at my side

💜💚 With love 💜💚     
         littlemissyoga                                       

2 months of teaching yoga at Polwaththa have almost finished 🌴🌳🧘🏻‍♀🐒🧘🏻‍♂🙏🏻, a new adventure is waiting 😎🧘🏻‍♀⛱🏊🏻‍♀🙏🏻💜

Finally, a new update! I was a bit offline, or basically, doing other things and had a few retreats in a row which costed me more energy than I expected. But yeah, back on track! Just 1 more day left teaching here. Checking out on March 13, taking a few days off, preparing for my next adventure: Indonesia. ’Again Indonesia?’, I hear you thinking. Yes, again, by accident. I applied for a yoga job on Gili Meno, a few weeks ago already. Completely forgot about it and suddenly I got a reply, including the terms & conditions in my mailbox. Teaching at Gili Meno, my favourite Gili Island, for 1 month. It wasn’t planned, I was about to go to Kalpitiya (beach side Sri Lanka), for another opportunity and after that to Jaffna (in the north). But with my life, you know never know what’s gonna be😬😅☺. I hear you thinking again: ‘So maybe she comes to The Netherlands🙏🏻😇’. I can’t tell now… you will see me when I get there 😉.

⚠Warning⚠: Really long update🙈😇
This update will be longer than the previous ones 😅🙈, maybe you have to break it down into smaller pieces 😉. I put some subtitles, so it may be easier for you to break it down in smaller parts 😊. And, I shortened the story, so I am not stealing all your time (that’s one of the yoga principles: Ahimsa, no stealing😇). For more details, let me know, I am happy to share it with you on What’s app or in a (video) call 😊.

11 February: Dutch, English, Dunglish… 🤔😅
On the 11th of February I had a Dutch man checking in for yoga, but he didn’t book a retreat. He was the only one for a few days, so I tried to teach in Dutch. That’s really hard, after talking English daily. Sometimes it was hard to find the Dutch words🙈. It reminds me of my family living in Canada, trying to speak Dutch 😉. Again, we had a few days of rain (11-12 Feb), luckily not too bad and not for a long period per day 😊. And else, I know what to do then😊.

12 – 15 February: An unexpected yoga retreat🧘🏻‍♀🙏🏻🧘🏻‍♂
On the 12th I received a What’s app of the manager: a new retreat starts today. That’s the way it goes in here sometimes. It was a couple. The retreat was still running with Valentine’s day, I tried the heart shape Vrkasana (treepose), but it failed, because of the difference in length😅. He was 2,05m, she around 1,70m… Anyway, always nice to do something special on Valentine’s Day💜😊.

On the day the retreat ended we had 2 big groups coming, Dutch and British people. That meant buffet style for dinner (and I discovered there was barely nothing for me to eat, all with garlic and raw onion🙄…). The Dutch group were young ladies, and they told me they would love to have a Yin class (11 peeps!), but they cancelled last minute. Like they also did with the dinner… completely unexpected they informed that they wouldn’t have dinner… all the work for nothing! The staff got quite angry, they worked their asses off for what?  So much food left, the only ones which were happy with this food were the wild boars😅.

16 – 18 February 2020: A little lazy😊
On Sunday I had a really Lazy Sunday. No classes after 13 days non-stop teaching. It was good to have no class, although teaching a Yin class is also calming down for me. The day after started with a Monkey Monday🐒🐒. I had to stop my self-practice, tried to chase some monkeys away… but they were with the whole family…30 of them and still making more monkeys, right in front of me🙈. First there were 3 monkeys in a row, fleeing each other. Then a big (apparently male) pushed the one in the middle away, grabbed the female monkey in front of him… Doggie style practiced by monkeys 🐶🐒🤪🤣. After like 10 seconds she got bored and went away. And then, this was really disgusting🤮, he had something white slimy on his hand and put that in his mouth…😳. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pictures (or maybe luckily I didn’t 😉), I was too flabbergasted. The rest of the day was a Lazy Monday. Nell and I went to a local factory where some ladies were sewing some clothes. My gosh… that’s a lot of manual work and for what? A few rupees a day… and we pay a lot of money. Definitely not fair trade!!!

The day after was also a day without yoga classes, which was ok, because after that day I would have 2 yoga retreats in a row, 8 days non-stop teaching and be present/hosting the guests. We had a big group Dutch people coming in on this day, just for 1 night. For one night, the management suggest to take just a daily backpack, so the guys don’t have to carry heavy suitcases all the way up to the cabanas and the next day back down again. But of course… some people can’t read or are too attached to their stuff, that they bring everything… The one who had to give the example, the tour guide, had the heaviest suitcase and he needed to go to lodge 15, the one the furthest away! Some groups and tour guides are really unbelievable. Probably too much luxury hotels they have been to, I guess. Not used to be in the jungle. The guide would have changed his mind if he had to carry his own suitcase for 15 minutes😉. Dinner was again in buffet style, again garlic and raw onion. Slowly I am managing a bit of garlic (I eat 2 spoons max of something with garlic), but raw onion… no thank you.  

The next day (February 18) I did some self-practice, accompanied by 2 playing giant squirrels 🐿🐿, way better than love making monkeys 🙈😜. Later that day, I went out for a walk and I found a perfect spot in the jungle where I could enjoy the sunshine! How blessed I was😇🙏🏻, for 30 minutes full in the sun, yeah👊👏. The walk was good, I needed a different work out. I was even sweating! Hadn’t happened for a long time actually… it’s not warm here 😉. Last night was super cold; I woke up to grab an extra blanket, tried to sleep again, unfortunately, the monks started to chant already… That means… time to wake up… 5.15am 😴.

19 – 25 February 2020:  2 yoga retreats in a row 🧘🏻‍♀🙏🏻🧘🏻‍♂💪🏻 & Re-united with Heike 😊.
The first group started on 19 February, 5 people. A very interesting group, 1 of them arrived at 5am in the morning, started to talk about changing his life during this retreat, since he found out I was the teacher. Instead of my own practice, I showed him the yoga shala and the big cabana with the view. Wow, he wanted to stay in that room (he was already painting after 5 minutes walking, that cabana is 15 minutes away from the restaurant, uphill…a good start to change your lifestyle😉). It was available, so the housekeeping ladies made up the room. After his nap (and I finally had time to have breakfast and self-practice) I woke him up to get ready for the Yin class. He decided to stay in the room they had initially prepared for him… annoying for the ladies. He told me he did some self-study, wrote a lot about his good and bad habits and was willing to change it, telling me this while smoking his 3rd Iqos-cigarette (an E-cigarette) 🤨🤔. When I mentioned this, he felt busted…. Yeah, breaking with bad habits means: stepping out of your comfort zone, and that’s not easy. I offered him to do a guided chakra meditation, he was in for it. The 2nd day, he didn’t want to join the morning yoga (no, it’s too intense, I can’t do that, I feel weak, blahblahblah, fucking excuses😤). And he didn’t want to do the trekking with the group…. Ok, you don’t have to follow the program, but to set up a healthier lifestyle, some movement is good. The worst thing is, is that his behavior was irritating me. It is the same as many people in my previous surrounding. Always complaining, but never changing. As a yoga teacher (and a yogi) I shouldn’t judge people, but as a human being I do sometimes. And now I have to release my emotions as a human being and I think: Fuck off with your lousy excuses! Why should I offer you that meditation if you aren’t able to open up your eyes, take that first step to make that change? Meditation is one of the last steps. If you aren’t grounded, if you can’t look in the mirror and be honest to yourself, then you won’t reach that stage of samadhi (which he is looking for). It starts with awareness, to be completely honest to yourself, and damn, the truth hurts (I am also struggling with that!). But to achieve your goal, you need to struggle; the same as Buddha did to reach that final stage: Samadhi, enlightenment. Maybe it is a typically Western mindset: we want to change but in the easy way, not too much effort, even thinking: if I earn enough money, I can buy everything. Well, you can afford a bigger funeral, with even more fluffy cake and a coffin made of tropical wood or so, but still you can’t buy happiness (ok, you can buy the magazine Happinez, but that’s not what I meant 😉). So, off my chest, time to continue my story 😊.

Luckily, the other 4 people were more likeminded and in for yoga, which gave me energy to go on and do my best throughout the yoga classes and give them a good time (well, basically, I don’t do much, they do the hard work 😉). At the third day, this guy showed changes: he wanted to do a trekking and cooking class, but private. And he wanted to plant the tree. We gave him the hardest task: digging the hole 😉, so he had some extra physical exercises 😜. At the end, he was really happy he went to this retreat, he is even planning to come back! I didn’t expect that… the mind of a human being is really unpredictable 😜😅 (including mine 😉).

The second retreat group came on the day the others left; 4 people. A nice group, a nice energy 😊. Also, my friend Heike came to Polwaththa. I met her 4 years ago, we did the same yoga teacher training in Thailand. She attended a few classes; we went for a small trekking to Pettigala rock, lovely to do this hike with her. We talked and laughed a lot 😃😃. We took a Pick me to drop us off and saved the driver’s number so we could call him for a pick up again. After the lovely and sometimes challenging climb (this one looked a bit like the ones I did in Laos, I loved it, I missed these intense hikes) we called the driver but he didn’t want to pick us up. And there was no Pick-me or Uber available. Ok, let’s start to walk, we will find a tuktuk. We didn’t have to walk far, there was a minivan leaving the temple, with a monk. We waved, the driver pulled over and we got a ride to the temple close to Polwaththa. I tried to give the monk a donation for the temple but he refused. We felt so lucky, the hike was lovely, the weather was amazing (after a cloudy morning) and we got a free ride! Heike left on the same day as the retreat people, she went to Pepper Cottage, a lovely bed & breakfast, 10 minutes walking away from Polwaththa. I went with her, I also love that place. The energy is so uplifting, I can really charge myself.

Heike was leaving on the 28th, to Indonesia (we probably catch up there 😊), on the 26th we had our goodbye dinner at Pepper Cottage, because I was going to Anuradhapura on the 27th and 28th.  Marga, the owner, cooked a lovely non-Sri Lankan meal! After 1,5 years I drank a little bit of alcohol, red wine. This was a good one, but I know now that I don’t have to have alcohol anymore (I am really looking forward for having a nice vegan Chai Latte 🙏🏻☺). My trip to Anuradhapura was short, I spent about 10 hours in buses to go up and down. I went there to visit the new yoga teacher, Tharaka, who’s replacing me on March 12. He visited Polwaththa to talk with the owners about meditation a few days before, so we met here. He told me he wants to set up yoga & meditation retreats at his house, and maybe I could help him, so that’s why I went, just before the next yoga retreat was about to start. I almost had to cancel this 2-day trip, because we had guests and probably they wanted to do yoga… We had 1 couple coming in, that was all… so Remon agreed on my days off.

27 – 28 February: Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura is an amazing place, Tharaka is a special man (really spiritual). Like I mentioned, it took me about 10 hours in buses, to go back and forth, but is was worth it. Out of the jungle, a warm and open city, not too crowded. When I arrived we had lunch and we talked about many things. He had to teach, I asked if I could join, that was ok. There was no one, so I got a private yoga/meditation class with chanting (he is a singer and plays guitar). After class we had some typical Sri Lankan food (string hoppers and curry, then to bed early, because the next day we had to leave early. We went to a big white stupa (temple) and a temple underneath the Bodi tree (the tree where Buddha got his Samadhi aka enlightenment). The first place didn’t touch me, people were worshipping Buddha, and that’s the opposite of what Buddha wanted. The second place was lovely, a real good energy. After that I went back to Digana, because I needed to teach again… I got there at 5pm, and apparently I had people who would love to do yoga, but they went up to the shala already, and no one informed me about that. So I took my evening off 😉.

29 February – 7 March: My last retreats…
On the 29th, 8 people came for the yoga retreat. 3 couples and 2 single ladies. A good mix, the yoga level was mainly beginner, which is challenging to teach for a Vinyasa class. It can slow down the flow, but I managed to create an easier flow, so everyone was happy. There was one lady, she told me a lot about what she had been going through in her private life. It was like I was listening to my future story; I have the same issues where she was dealing with before she began here spiritual journey. This lady is for me an omen that I am ready to start my spiritual journey, to face my demons, to clean myself, to heal myself, to break with patterns😊. What that will be exactly….I don’t know yet, but I will update you once I know it😊.

The last group, 9 people, was amazing. That energy was soo uplifting. 8 of them were young people and 1 was a 72-year old lady, a traveler and a strong independent woman, amazing! I felt so blessed they were my last group, because they gave me so much energy and I learnt so much from them (even though they don’t know they did 🙏🏻😇🙏🏻).

On the day they left, I went with them to Digana, to the vet with Sumitra, Nell and 2 puppies. Sumitra found these 2 dogs, they were basically left alone, in a box. One has serious issues with his legs (his bones and muscles aren’t strong enough to stand up properly, because he hadn’t walked for 5 months). The other one is doing a bit better. The vet told us that with some Vitamin C, D/sunlight and Calcium everything would be ok. And now, after 3 days, they are already walking better. They are adorable, if I shouldn’t travel, I would have taken them to my place. But now that is impossible, I can’t and I won’t take them with me, in and out planes and resorts… Hopefully someone else will take those adorable puppies into their house 🙏🏻. They deserve someone who can give them love and attention, they are soo cute!! Whehehehe, one of the puppies vomited in the jeep on the way back from the vet, it just missed my shoes and pants. He was carsick 🤮, that poor dog 🐕.

8 – 10 March: Quieting down, unwinding, mentally saying goodbye😌🤗
Until now not much people for yoga; we had some groups but they were bird spotters and just drop ins for 1 night. There was one couple, and you know what? I met them at the Forest Monastery in Thailand in 2018, 2 years ago! She came in for dinner, we greeted and then, suddenly at the same time, we said: hey, I know you! We had to dig deep to figure out how, what and where, but we managed it. They have a well-known holistic center on Vanuatu, a small island close to Australia (I had to look it up on the map, never heard of it before). Now, they are looking for a new spot, probably Sri Lanka, to open up a new center and leave the other one behind. Isn’t that amazing! Hopefully we can meet again and who knows, we can work together (yoga, energetic healing, meditation, chakra) 🙏🏻. Today, 10 March, Tharaka, the new teacher comes and a few new people. My last teaching day will be tomorrow (11 March) and to be honest I am happy with that. After 2 months it’s time for a new adventure, Indonesia here I come😊🙏🏻.

I hope you liked this very long update, you can leave your comments/feedback or whatever you want to share behind. Next time I will try to post shorter updates and more regularly 😊. And new pictures will follow soon!

💜💚 With love 💜💚
         littlemissyoga


P.s.: I suddenly realise that I am ending my job here around Full Moon. Full moon means ending of cycles, letting go of things which are not longer serving you 😊. Everything happens for a reason 🙏🏻😊.

P.p.s. If you would love to support The Forest Healing Foundation, you can click on the link below and leave a donation 🙏🏻😊 . Every little bit helps!

Save 7 acres of beautiful forest in Sri Lanka

3 poses from ❄🌨☃ winter to spring ⛅🌱🌦

After more or less 3 months cocooning, staying warm inside the house, enjoying the fire places (or central heaters nowadays), nurturing the body with more heavy food to keep it warm and give energy to stay healthy, a new season is about to start: spring. The meteorological spring starts at March 1, the Western calendar says it starts at March 21.

In the first days of Spring, we see how everything is awakening from a long deep sleep. It is the time to be active and to be awake. Nature is waking up as the days lengthen, plants and flowers start to blossom and the colour green is everywhere. The colours and life around make the spirit feel full, our appetite is less, or at least, we start to eat lighter food, food that is easier to digest. It is the time to cleanse, fast and allow this new beginning of life to start from a clean space. As we clean, we make room (the element Space) for new visions, for new opportunities and new plans to come through without much effort. The energy is expanding and is the beginning of Yang energy.

‼⚠Warning/Disclaimer⚠‼
Be very careful by practicing theses poses, especially when you have none or little experience in yoga and/or sports. If you feel any pain during a pose, back off, take some rest or even stop doing the particular exercise. Respect your body, respect your limits 🙏🏻🧘‍♂🧘🏻‍♀🙏🏻. If you still experience pain after these poses, please consult your GP. ~~littlemissyoga~~ is not responsible for any physical injuries or mental issues.

1. Uttanasana / Standing forward fold
😊😊Benefits: Opens the back of the body, stretches the hamstrings, hips and calves. It lengthens the spine, it creates more space on the back of the body. Furthermore, this pose provides strength to your thighs and knees. Regular practice relieves stiffness in your spine, neck and back.

  • Step 1: Tuck your toes and push into both feet, folding evenly over your legs (picture 1). Activate your abdomen (navel towards spine) to have a better and steadier foundation.
  • Step 2: Bend your knees as much as needed (picture 2), in favour of lengthening the spine and releasing tension in the neck. You can also use blocks (or a thick book/pillow) to put your hands on or cuff your elbows with the opposite hands (picture 3).
  • Step 3: Breathe towards the belly, hold as long as you want.
  • Step 4: To get out of the pose: Bend your knees deeper, let your arms hang loose, tuck your chin, press a little harder in all 4 corners of your feet and roll yourself up to standing, stacking the vertebras one by one. Last part is to lift your chin.
  • Step 5: Take a few moments to observe your body and mind, arms resting alongside the body.

2. Utthan pristhasana / Lizard lunge
😊😊Benefits: Opens and stretches the hips flexors and groins, it even creates some flexibility in the lower back. It strengthens the thigh muscles of the front leg and it opens the chest and neck. With opening up the hips it is possible that you release emotions, if this is happening, just let it be 😊. This pose is a good preparation for practicing hanomanasana (full splits).

  • Step 1: Come on your hands and knees, hands shoulder width, wrists in line with shoulders; knees hip width, knees in line with hips.
  • Step 2: Step your right foot forward, on the outside of your right hand. You can stay on your hands (picture 1) or lower down on the fore arms (picture 2), as long as your hips descend lower than your heart.
  • Step 3: Keep your front knee in line with the ankle and allow your weight to move to the outer edge of the front foot (picture 3). You can even lower down on the fore arms (picture 4), this is opening the hips even more.
  • Step 4: Hold for 5 breathes or more as long as you like before you change legs.
  • Note:    If you hold this pose for a few minutes (like a Yin-pose), you can take a counterpose before changing legs, for example ardha hanoman/half splits, all fours (with hip circles) or even downward facing dog (with hip circles). Most important is to listen to your body.
  • Step 5: After you have done both sides, you can sit down in Thunderbolt (your bump on your heels) or come into balasana /(wide legged) child’s pose.

3. Ustrasana / Camel pose
😊😊 Benefits: Opens up and stretches the chest, abdomen, quadriceps and hip flexors. It improves the spinal flexibility and loosens up the vertebrate. Also, it strengthens the shoulders, back muscles, thighs and arms. It even can reduce fat on the thighs (after doing this pose quite often) and it improves your posture.

  • Step 1: Come to an upright kneeling position, knees hip width distance. You can either tuck your toes or keep them pointed (flat on the floor).
  • Step 2: Keep your hips vertical of the knees, placing the hands either at the lower back for support (picture 1), or one or two hands on the heels (picture 2 & 3), lift your heart into Ustrasana. You can keep the head up or drop it down for opening up the throat (picture 4).
  • Step 3: Keep squeezing the inner thighs toward the midline, extend the sacrum downward toward the knees.
  • Step 4: Try to hold for around five breaths in this pose.
  • Step 5: Come out of the pose by squeezing the legs together and letting the heart lead you up. If you had your head down, you first lift the neck and head to an upright position. Then slowly sit down in Thunderbolt (sitting on your heels) or in balasana/(wide legged) child’s pose.

You can stay in balasana (child’s pose) after you have finished these 3 poses, to calm down the body and relax the breath. Whenever you are ready to come out of it, feel free to do so. And enjoy the rest of the day or have a good sleep 😊.

I hope you have enjoyed these 3 poses and that you feel more energized and opened up, ready for facing spring 😊. If you like, you can share your experiences with me 😊.

💜💚 With love 💜💚        
littlemissyoga                                       

        

Inspirational source:
https://chopra.com/articles/11-yoga-poses-and-a-meditation-for-transitioning-from-winter-to-spring?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=180403-April-Newsletter&utm_campaign=Newsletter201843

Already one month in the jungle… still staying strong 💪👊😜!

Planted an abony tree 😊

Yes, I am back again with a new, short update from 1 February until 10 February 2020 . I hope you like it, please comment, like and subscribe to keep updated 🙏🏻 😊.

1/2/2020: Another Dutch invasion
17 million people in that tiny country, they need more space, let’s all go to Sri Lanka 😉.

Today 2 Dutch families checked in, 2 of them took part of my Yin class 😊. One family stayed for 3 nights, and they didn’t have a planning for 1 day. I told them that if they would like to have some spare time, I could do a bit of kids-yoga. Not really easy with a 2-year old daughter and a 4-year old son. The girl was so cute, the boy was more into building a castle with all the yoga props 😉. The mom was there as well, the dad had finally time to read the news paper with being disturbed 😉. I am not a certified kids-yoga teacher, but after my second ‘class’ kids-yoga I am seriously overthinking to take a training. Even though I can find a lot of examples on YouTube, I am more into taking a proper course (also not an online one) to feel, experience, to share ideas with others. If you have suggestions, let me know 🙏🏻👍🏻.

4/2/2020 – 10/2/2020: 2 Yoga retreats in a row 🧘🏻‍♀🧘‍♂🙏🏻😊
After the Dutch invasion left, a new retreat started on February 4 (Sri Lankan Independence Day, 4-2-1948 by the British Government; the Dutch had already left the building 😉). This time 5 people, 3 singles (well not here with their partners) and 1 couple. 2 of them were officially yoga teachers (1 recently got her Ashtanga-certificate, the other was teaching for about 1,5 years). It was a mixed group, mixed nationalities and also mixed levels. A challenging one, I can tell you that! It was hard for me to keep the ‘group-mentality’; after the 2nd day I gave up on that. Some of them came here to relax only, and do yoga on the side 😉, so they took their ‘me-time’. Also good for me to discover how I am reacting and responding when the group is so divers. To set my boundaries and take my position as a yoga teacher. Normally, a group takes the last morning class, has breakfast altogether and then they go. This group had 3 different check-out times, so I had just 2 people in the last morning class. But it was a fun and great class 😊!

Let me share one experience with you I had with this group. One of the ladies was quite poshy. When I told her about the second-class train and that it was really good, she said: ‘Oh, I only travel 1st class here. And I also don’t take a TukTuk, only a taxi. So gross, a Tuktuk, and all the dust, I get dirty. And it is just a few dollars, compare to my place it is so cheap.’ My face was about to do like this: 🤨🤔😳, but I managed it to stay like: 😊🤐. No judgements😇😅. If I am not teaching, I am a human being, and yes, I judge! The sentence ‘compare to my place’ was heavily repeated in many more conversations. I mentioned that maybe it was a good idea to be in this moment, and to look around and to enjoy everything around her, including the frogs in the toilet and the gecko poo on the bed. I added on that these things probably didn’t happen in her place, so now she was creating new experiences. She didn’t appreciate my comment, the rest of the group tried not to sniffle or laugh 😅. This is just one example, I can write a whole book about it 😉. But that is a new project 😜.
The good thing is, we planted a tree, for the project of Reforestation💪👏👊👍!

In between the retreats I went to Digana with Nell, to buy some sweet snacks, and oats, nuts and raisins for my breakfast (one of my struggles, the breakfasts here barely contain fibers, so I am hungry almost the whole time, and a little variation is welcome 😉). Then we had to go back, because new people were coming and they wanted to do a Yin-class. I rushed myself to get ready, but the guests arrived late, so no Yin-class that evening. The next morning, 7am, we had the kick-off. I decided to do a meditation on the veranda of our ‘honeymoon cabana’, the view over the lake is amazing and also the energy there is lovely. And it was full moon, that made it even more special 😊. These two girls loved it! They were lovely to have in the retreat, especially after the previous group 😊. They were so grateful and happy with everything, so easy going. For yoga I had to do a bit easier class, both weren’t quite experienced, and that was also good for me.

After these ladies no upcoming retreat, a lot of regular guests and one is here specific for yoga, but he didn’t book a retreat. So, non-stop teaching for the next 3 days. Oh, I had a local lady for yoga last week. She told Nell she practiced yoga before. It appeared to be 20 minutes (altogether 😜) on YouTube. But yes, she practiced😅. We did more or less a Yin-class, she liked it. She texted already she will be back next week 😊, maybe with some friends.

New place for teaching… yes/no/yes/no…
In my last blog I mentioned about Rukgala, a yoga retreat centre nearby my current place. It took a while before I got a response, they are now looking at one of their other centres to station me there (close to Negombo). The last message was 4 days ago, still waiting for a reply about the exact starting date and what they will offer. Keep you posted!

Already the last paragraphs 😉😇
So, that’s it for now, I try to keep the blogs shorter for you. I hopefully can post a new one soon, it was a bit hectic and busy here, I even had to postpone my online Dutch class, because of the big groups here (and none of them did yoga😠). Furthermore, a new article is on the way! Focussing on spring time, opening up and letting new, fresh energy in 😊.

Thanks again for reading, you can leave a comment if you want to share something with me as well 😊. And maybe you have some tips for me for kids yoga (in mean time I am checking if I can find a teacher training for it, suggestions are highly appreciated 😊🙏🏻).

💜💚 With love 💜💚                                              
littlemissyoga


P.S.: I had the hardest job during planting a tree… taking pictures🤪😇.

Struggles…😖🙄😠🤔😤(part 1)

Note: This blog has been written between 21/1/2020 and 10/2/2020). Some struggles have been solved already😊.

Sometimes I got some reactions of you as reader, you are asking me if all is always going well. Hell no, I got struggles here, definitely. Different ones than in The Netherlands, though. Let me share some with you.

Anti-vampire food 🧛🏼‍♀ & Feeling like a Bounty 🥥
Because my stomach and my intestines cannot stand garlic and raw onion, I have to ask the cook to modify the dishes. Apparently, this causes confusion and miscommunication. So, sometimes I don’t have a proper lunch, because all is with garlic. Since we are in the jungle it is not so easy to get something else or cook something for myself. I feel that my body is getting weaker, I am lacking important nutrients like protein. We have cow pies (or black eyed peas), lentils and even soy meat, but when it is prepared, it all contains garlic 🙄. Sometimes it looks like you are eating garlic as main dish mixed with something else 🤪. I tried to eat it twice, I got quite sick twice. That was for me the reason to cut off the garlic completely.

I thought it wouldn’t be that difficult to do so, but I feel that I am causing a lot of troubles and confusion and I struggle with it. I got the feeling that they don’t believe me, they think I do it on purpose. They make a lot of jokes about it, my patience to accept all jokes is almost gone… I don’t know if I need to tell them (they will take it personal, that’s part of the culture), or I just let it be. I have chosen for the last option. I just accept it the way it is, and nowadays, they don’t mention it anymore 😊. Lately, I had a talk with the owner, on the day I didn’t feel well because of the garlic. He spoke with the cook about my garlic-issue, now everything is fine. Well, I still have to ask/write down on the whiteboard in the kitchen: NO GARLIC. Another thing is the variety of the food; after 2 weeks I was done with the curries and white rice (which I eat in really small amounts, because it has barely nutrients and for the carbs it is not necessary to eat that much rice), so I am creating new meals in here 😊. Like plain boiled lentils with boiled veggies or salad (salad without dressing, they use too much salt and vinegar, that’s ruining my salad 😅). Pumpkin soup with a little water and fresh coconut milk, no salt, no onion and no garlic and red rice, yummie 😋😋 (red rice is so much more stuffing and tastier than white rice 😊). For lunch I often safe rotti ((it is made of wheat flour, grated coconut, water and oil, it has the shape of a chapati or a rice cracker) and have that with my nutmeg chutney (instead of jam, dahl curry and coconut sambal 😉). Coconut is almost in every dish… I think I am a real Bounty 🥥at the inside right now 😂😜.

Money, money, money 💰🤑
Another frustrating issue is the payment. I hand in a loose piece of paper, all classes, rooms and dates written down for the lady who does the accounting. Unfortunately, she is often asking me for my notebook, to take a picture (which she has done already…) to start checking everything for the payment…. It’s all double work and it makes me a bit (well… way more than just a bit😅) grumpy. The only thing I am thinking: why do I do all this work? It is all for nothing. Frustration, irritation, and then I have to remind myself: breathe in, breathe out, stay calm, be patient (the same things I tell in my yoga classes 😜😇). At the end, all is fine, but the whole way of working… it is so non-consistent, there is no logical order, and then they are complaining that it is so busy… 🤔🙄. For me it is so easy to think: Analyse your way of working, change it if needed, save time, save money. And there we get the magical word: ‘change’! That creates stress here 😉😝. In many things they are really laid-back, but when they need to change something suddenly or quickly, they get stressed. They need more time to get used to another way of working. For me, it is so common to change, modify, adjust for one purpose: work les and earn more (Western mindset😉). After a talk with the owner I changed the registration of my class, I now do it myself, I don’t need to ask the staff to do it (and they are happy with that 😊). Me too, because I know for sure that I get paid😜.

You’re hot 🥵 & you’re cold 🥶
I have had my ‘stress-moments’ here as well, I had that with taking a shower. I had only cold water… There is a note that they heat the water by using a solar panel, but on rainy/cloudy days they need to heat up the water manually (a big barrel and underneath it they make a fire to heat it up). I spoke to the staff to manually heat up the water, no problem. Fortunately, one of the guys was clever, he walked with me to my room, checked all pipes and concluded that the blue tap was my hot water. So, we opened it, let the water run for about 1.5 or maybe even 2 minutes and yes…I had warm water! Lovely, especially when you want to wash your hair or shave your legs. The good thing is, I really appreciate the warm shower, I realised that isn’t that common to have warm/hot water. I am very grateful for that, every time I take a shower 🚿🙏🏻😊.

As you may have noticed, this blog is called ‘Struggles… (Part 1)’. Yes, there will be a part 2! Do I have so many struggles? Yes and no, I just don’t want to post a super long blog 😇.

Do you want to stay tuned? Subscribe to my website and you will receive an email when I post a new blog or article 😊.

💜💚 With love 💜💚                 
littlemissyoga                    

        

Extended update (perfect for reading on a lazy Saturday or Sunday 😀😇)

‼⚠ Warning: long update ⚠

17/1 – 19/1/20: British invasion (trying to escape Brexit 😉)
A big group (9 people and 1 guide) checked in, 8 were British, 1 was Irish. Remon told me that they were here for hiking, so probably no yoga. Uhuh… let’s see! I talked with them after dinner, 3 people said immediately yes, 4 said maybe for the Yin Yoga for the next evening. And I also had 1 Dutch man. Could be 8 people in the class… and I got them all! 8 people, 6 were completely beginners for yoga, but they all loved it. And for me it was a great pleasure to teach these lovely group! That’s the thing in here, sometimes I have no one and then I have 8. That’s my maximum until now, and that’s enough cause I don’t have enough props yet whehehe 😜😅.

On the 19th all British people got Brexit😜, Nell and I went to Kandy by bus. Well, the first part by car, so we didn’t have to hike back (it’s a high slope from the bus to here). Kandy is a city, about 15 kms way from Digana. She just needed underwear, I just needed chewing gum and if there was a good bar of chocolate, then chocolate as well 😉. Well… we bought a lot more whehehe 😂. I bought clothes (I have to send back other ones, ones I don’t like wearing, because they don’t fit well), bought chocolate with 70% cacao (afterwards still too sweet for me) and I bought a bottle for hot water. I immediately tried the bottle when we came back; the bottle got hot on the inside and outside! The water kept warm for less than 2 hours instead of 12. The bottle came with a free pouch, to carry to bottle with you. Or was it to protect your hands for burning 🤔?? Anyway, I will try to return or swap this bottle soon, hopefully it works without a receipt (while writing this, I have another one, Nell went to Kandy with her son and swapped the bottle, this one is ok yeah 😃)  

Oh and, we had an Indian lunch, which is so nice, something different than the curries with rice 😊😇. I already asked to make chapati, but unfortunately, they can’t do it (probably they can but they don’t want to do it😉). So another type of lunch once a while is really lovely.

20/1 – 23/1/2020: Showers echoing on the roofs ☔💦😉
It is raining, paths are slippery, clothes are feeling moist, it is cold. I realised once again I don’t like rain, especially when you can’t get outside to do the things you want to do. So I turned inwards, I wrote about it in a previous blog, if you haven’t read it, herewith the link:

Luckily, I had good company, Bas, from the Netherlands and Gisene, a German lady. They took some yoga classes, both had such a nice energy, it was so uplifting for me. Still grateful for that 🙏🏻💚. I learned a lot from Bas about Pranic Healing and the combination with chakras. I love to share my knowledge about chakras in my classes and connect asanas to it, especially in the Yin-classes. I am still learning more about the chakras, it is so interesting. New plans about this topic are already in my head 😊.

23/1/2020 – 27/1/2020 Norwegian invasion, 3rd yoga retreat  
The first Norwegian I met in Sri Lanka, Vilde, checked in for 3 nights. A powerful, strong lady, with a lot of energy and she loved yoga, so she joined my classes. Allisa checked in a day later for the yoga retreat. We had such a good connection together, that we did most things together. Vilde told crazy stories about her travels (put in jail in Morocco due to overstay, got out the jail by just asking the right person, discovered she had still marihuana in her bag so she couldn’t get to Spain, smoked the whole pack and entered Spain still stoned, we laughed are asses off 😂😂😂, ). She was also the one who told me that they are looking for another yoga teacher at Rugkala Resort, about 30 minutes away from here. I sent them an email, had an application interview on Jan 29, and will have a try out lesson on Feb 2. They are looking for a teacher for at least 1 year, let’s see after the class if I like it, if I am the one they are looking for. This resort is super-duper luxe! It is almost the opposite of where I am now 😅😎. If you are curious, here is the link to the website: https://rukgalaretreat.com/.

The retreat with Allisa (and partly Vilde) was lovely. This time I didn’t join the cooking class, so Charles, the master-cook 👨🏾‍🍳, could use garlic in all the dishes 😊. Allisa loved the classes, especially the Vinyasas in the morning, some were really challenging, even for me sometimes 😜😅. Always good to challenge yourself 😉.

It is nice to have people here for a yoga retreat, it is also quite challenging, because I have to host them more or less. So, I am quite busy all the days. But at the end, it is really worth it, to give them a good experience, to give them a really nice yoga class, to see that they enjoy their stay here. There were a few guests during the retreat, one came from Poland, he joined all classes during his stay here 😊. And, I got 1 Dutch guest, he took his first yoga class, a Yin class, he really liked it. His mom was a yoga teacher when he was young, but he never practiced any yoga. Well, who knows, he will start practicing yoga when he is back in the Netherlands 😉.

28-1-2020 until 31-1-2020: Dutch/Belgium invasion and the 4th retreat
We had a few couples/families from The Netherlands the last days. And also some Belgian people. And 3 persons for the 4th retreat, 1 was from… The Netherlands, the other 2 were a couple, now living in Australia. She was mixed Sri Lankan/Aussie, he was from Brazil, moved to Australia when he was 12. I think this group had the most dynamic, positive vibe! They left together on Jan 31, they became close friends😊. I think this retreat was the best one; we did crazy stuff during class (I did my malasana – bakasana – headstand, at least I tried it while I was explaining… I fell super hard on my chin, result: bruised, now it’s blue/purple, it will turn green and yellow soon I think 😅, welcome to the world of being a yoga teacher 😉), we were laughing during Yin classes (normally these are quite serious), we even did a photo shoot before the Yin class and I took some pictures during class (it was ok for them… new privacy policies 😅).

Ok, that’s it for now, you are all updated, today (1-2-2020) is a relaxing and recharging day, tonight I will teach Yin to 2 French people 😊. Today I will get ready for the class at Rukgala, maybe my new place to work as a yoga teacher 🙏🏻🧘🏻‍♀. Next update will follow, this will be a more personal one 😊.

💜💚 With love 💜💚               
         littlemissyoga


P.s.: I found cacao powder in the kitchen, I finished this update while sipping some of my cacao milk (well, basically cacao powder and boiled water, next time I will try it with coconut milk 😋😋)

P.p.s: You can leave comments below, if you want to keep updated, subscribe yourself. I heard that sometimes it doesn’t work the first time, please try again 😊 (I can’t figure out where the bug is 🤔)                         



3 Very good yoga poses to survive the winter🥶❄🧘‍♀🙏🏻

Are you struggling with the winter time right now? Your body feels stiff and cold in the morning, it is hard to get out of your bed, because it is so nice, cosy and warm after 6 up to 8 hours of sleep 😊. Still, you have to get out one moment (yes, even on your day off 😉)

I have 3 quite easy yoga asanas (Sanskrit word for poses) to warm you up in the morning, to awaken your energy, so you can survive the winter time 😊. It just takes 5 minutes, so roll out your mat (or blanket/towel) and let’s start!

1. Chakravasana – Balanced cat/cow pose (5 – 10 breathes each side)

😊😊 Benefits: Focus, equilibrium, balance, core strength

Step 1: Come on to all fours, hands underneath shoulders, hands shoulder
width distance. Knees and hips stacked, knees hip width distance.
Spread your fingers, relax the toes (picture 1).
Step 2: Tuck the belly, core is working. Neck is long.
Step 3: Lift up the right leg back, keep the hips, knee and toes rotated
down.
Step 4: Lift the left arm in front, bicep along the ear, reach the fingers far
away. Press firmly into the standing hand (picture 2).
Step 5: Hold for 5-10 breathes then do the other side.

Picture 3: To light the fire a little more: add on knee to elbow (3 to 5 times each side, or whatever feels good 😉😇)

2. Utkatasana – Chair pose (5 – 10 breathes)

😊😊 Benefits: Heat up the body, (focus on the core, fire- element), especially with ujjayi breath (like your fogging a mirror, the breath comes from the back of the throat).

Step 1:  Feet together, big toes touching, heels slightly apart.
Step 2: Sink your hips low, knees not over toes (if you look down you can
still see your toes).
Step 3: Squeeze your upper thighs together, shift weight a bit towards to
your heels, toes are light.
Step 4: Spine is long, tuck the belly in (activate your core).
Step 5: Reach arms overhead, biceps along the ears (picture 1) or reach the
arms in front, less tension in the shoulders (picture 2). Shoulders
are relaxed.
Step 6: Breathe towards the belly and hold for 5 up to 10 breathes (or
longer if you like).

3. Balasana – Child’s pose (10 – 15 breathes)
One of my favorite poses and so easy and so effective for your body mind and soul 😊!

😊 😊Benefits: Helps to improve your digestion, calming down the body and mind.

Step 1: Sit on your knees, your bottom on your heels
Step 2: Slowly fold forward, your forehead is touching the floor (or your
cheek if you have compression in the neck).
Step 3:  Hands can be overhead, touching the floor or next to your ankles.
Step 4:  Surrender, and follow your breath, relax completely, hold for 10-15
breathes.

Note: If your chest needs more space, open your legs wide so your chest can
relax more.

This pose can also be done before you go to bed, because it is a calming down, relaxing pose as well. You will definitely have a good sleep 😊. If you do it before you go to bed, you better practice this pose in your bed, so you can go to sleep directly when you’re finished 😊😊.

If you repeat these asanas daily, you will definitely feel the difference. The good news is: time passes by automatically, spring is almost there. If you still have a hard time with the winter, then I have another advice:  escape the winter!! Book a ticket to a warm place and come back when summer starts (like I do 😉, but nevertheless, I practice these asanas every day, because they are good for my body, mind and soul😊).

Soon I will pose an article for 3 good poses for spring time.

💜💚 With love 💜💚             
      littlemissyoga                                  

  ** Inspirational  source: yoga magazine/yoga online, unfortunately I can’t find the link to this article anymore**