Tag: #yogaeveryday

My favourite spot to chill out: Gili Meno, Indonesia

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I am in love 💜with this island 🏖

In case you don’t have any clue where it is – Google Maps will tell you

Gili Meno is the smallest of the three Gilis, it is the one in the middle. Once you arrive here, you go back in time. No motorized traffic but cidomos (horse cars); they use them as taxis and carry cement, wood, water gallons, and even fridges around the island. No proper roads too, often just sand. Jalan kaki (walking), on a bike or an electric scooter, are better ways to move yourself around on the island.

Cidomo – to transport building materials

Talk of the day on this island is when a chopper 🚁is landing. Yes, a chopper! For people who don’t want to take the boat or are seasick 😉, or just because they can. It’s just 2,500,000 million (roepiah 😉), per person, one way, not that expensive actually 😉(2,5 million is around € 150). It goes straight from Sanur to Gili Meno, definitely faster than the speed boat. I may try it next time😇🤣.

To give you an estimation of the size of the island: you can walk around the island in less than 2 hours (slow walk)! And that includes taking pictures and zigzagging to avoid the dead coral. At least, that’s what I did 😉. In the morning, instead of my usual ritual (yoga on the beach), I decided to take a walk. In bikinis and barefoot, feeling the warm water and sunshine on my body🙌.

The first time I got here, July 2008, there weren’t ATMs, so you needed to carry millions 💰 💰 💰 with you. And when you had spent more uang (money) than you had estimated, you had to take a boat to Bangsal, the mainland of Lombok. Now there are 3 ATMs on the island, but I think 1 is broken haha. Still, 2 left, enough for the few tourists here to get money (so no need to fix the 3rd one😅.

However, I recommend, in case you want to go here, take enough cash with you, just in case the ATMs aren’t working. And because you can’t pay with a card in shops. Even changing a note of 100,000 is hard. I had this after my supper. I ordered gado-gado, Lombok style (enak sekali!), it costed 25,000, I only had 100,000 (around US $ 7), I had to ask 3 places to change it, then went back to the restaurant and paid.
FYI: 25,000 is around € 1,50.

This island has been a healing place for me, ever since the first time I got here. The peaceful, quiet nights (ok, until 5 am, then the show ‘Gili Meno has talent’ starts, or in other words: the prayers from the mosque 😉). The clear blue waters, white sandy beaches, the silent whispers of the sea, the waves touching the sand, the genuine kind people, kids playing around, good food and the tanned beach boys trying to sell their snorkelling trips.

Besides the beach and snorkelling, there isn’t much to do here and I like it. It is stimulating my creativity, my intuition. I slow down and enjoy life much more. I am still working though, not yet enough passive money coming in 😉 (working on that!).

And, I realize how grateful 🙏 we should be for all we have in life! Drinking water from the tap, here it is not possible, not even to make tea because it is salty water. Taking a shower? Salty water. Washing your clothes? Salty water. 1 thing that I sensed is that my soap bar doesn’t foam, probably because of the salty water🤔. Can anyone explain this to me?

Cockroaches🪳 don’t mind salty water, I got one, a GIANT one, on my toilet seat, of course in the middle of the night! The first night I got here! What a nice surprise. I screamed and that must have helped. I haven’t seen it again, thank God 🙏.

Oh, after 3 weeks in Sanur, Bali, I must say: the food here is amazing, although having a food buddy, like I had in Sanur, would make the food taste even better. Gado-gado Gili Meno style and tempe curries, my favorites, really yummy. I even found delicious brownies. The landlady makes especially for me nasi goreng pedas (spicy fried rice) as sarapan (breakfast) and she is surprised at how spicy I can eat without having a runny nose or starting to sweat. Yup, from the inside I am more Indonesian than I look from the outside 😜☺️.

Yummy, tempe curry!

Short summary for my upcoming travels: first Sanur, Bali until 12 September. Then back to Belanda, the Netherlands for a few weeks (not sure if I should be happy 😕). Then cat sitting in Portugal (Algarve) and most likely visit Porto before or after the cat sitting. But…. Changes are coming up🙌. Which ones? I keep you posted!
1 hint: 🎵🎶Welcome to my paradise🎵🎶.

You can find more pictures about Gili Meno & Bali here.

If you like to know more about Gili Meno (good places to stay or to eat), or about the other Gilis or Bali or you just wonder why I don’t gain weight but you see me eating all the time, just ask 🙌😇.

With love 💜 & light✨,
littlemissyoga

P.S.: If you want to meet me in the Netherlands, reach out quickly because I have a full agenda already and I am travelling to Portugal as well in October. I would suggest, visit me in Portugal 😊.

P.P.S.: Who wants to join me for a few days to visit Porto (and you can also meet one of my friends there, whom I met in Laos). Let me know when you are interested 😊.

P.P.P.S: This island is also known as the Honeymoon Island. Who did I bring with me? Let me see… me, myself and I 😉. Hopefully next time I am here with my Prince Charming🤴.

Life-changing decisions and slow down🐌🐌

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I am 1 week in Thailand now, in the area of Ao Nang Beach and Nopparat Thara Beach (Krabi). A lovely destination, but not what I had in mind in the first place.

I was about to live together with a handsome and very kind Portuguese man, in Torremolinos (Spain). We met on the stairs in Torremolinos and there was a special connection immediately. This was in January 2023. All went fast, maybe too fast. Maybe things were too good to be true.

The good moments passed by fast, the bad ones too. And we had quite a lot of bad moments 😔.
But, I was sure he was Mr. Right. I kept a positive mindset and kept the relationship alive.

Mid-June 2023 I went back to his place, to officially live together. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. After two weeks I took the decision to end this relationship. That was not easy; my head, heart and gut feeling weren’t aligned at all. Confusion all over😕. Heart-broken💔, but I had to do this.

I had a short touchdown at my parents’ place (thank you Mom & Dad for being my ‘last resort’🙏). I knew it would just be for a couple of days. I initially did not want to leave Southern Europe but high season was around the corner. Places to rent for longer than a week are rare. And if you find one… it is expensive🫰💰💰.

So… where to go to? Suddenly a voice said: Thailand. Alright. Check Skyscanner. Yes, affordable tickets. But not to Bangkok. Close to the beach, please! Phuket? No, just got there. Where else? Krabi! I found a direct flight to Kraby, for a nice price and found a really nice spot (Krabi Forest Homestay). Perfect location. Shops, cafes, restaurants and 2 beaches are within walking distance. Saya senang sekali (I am very happy) 😊.

I booked the accommodation for 30 days – the maximum length of the visa (FYI: Thailand has a free visa for most European passports😊). On purpose I booked 1 place: no packing and unpacking please for 4 weeks, I did that enough in 5 months😅.

I am here now for a week; I am here to heal my heart💜, relax and chill out🧘, enjoy the rain now and then☂💃 (yup, it’s monsoon season here) and slow down. And that’s the hardest thing.

Usually, I learn new skills quickly, but the skill of slowing down… it is a punishment.

I told myself: no to-do lists, no have-to’s, except for a few like sleeping, eating, taking a shower, going to the toilet and putting on clean underwear daily😉.

Every morning, I remind myself that it is perfectly fine to do nothing. I deserve it.
My new mantra, as I call it. (FYI: the last 5,5 months were a roller coaster🎢)

The first few days, all went ok. Unpacking, taking it easy. But now, after a week… boredom, the urge to start doing things, to pick up new things, to meet new people… to speed up🏃‍♀.

It’s hard not to give in to this voice, to this well-known pattern. But, I manage. I repeat my mantra daily: I deserve to do nothing, I deserve to relax and chill out.

And then I have days like today: a lazy day! I slept in, did some gentle yoga on the beach, sunbathed in the afternoon on the beach, had a late lunch, went back home, worked a bit (that’s an ongoing thing, so happy to have flexible working hours 🙌), and took a little break. I lay down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling, while observing the sensations in my body, feeling my sunburnt skin🦞, observing all the voices in my head, and observing my breathing. No action, just observation.

I dozed off for a few minutes, woke up and thought: going out for food? No, I am too lazy for it, I’ll grab the fresh-cut pineapple I bought earlier today, and some peanuts, with hot choc (yes, I love warm drinks even though the outside temperature is about 30 degrees 😉). And then I felt; let’s write a new blog.

Writing gives me energy, insights, and new ideas. And the little voices in my head are finally shutting up.  And, I can practice the art of slowing down: typing slowly 🤣.

What I realize now, after writing this blog…I might not be such a quick learner as I thought I was, especially about the skill of slowing down. And that’s ok. Because better to learn a new skill slowly, steadily and properly, than too hasty and start again from the beginning 😉.

Maybe you realise after reading this blog that your life is also going too fast and you want to slow down. You want to live your life, not being lived by your life.
Give a shout-out, I am curious about your experiences and how you think you can take a step back.

Oh, and guess what?! While I was typing this, 2 snails were on my terrace (the ones in the picture); I think they were playing catch me if you can😜. Lovely synchronicity💫!

With love 💜 & light✨,
littlemissyoga

My best life & social media: Is it always the bright side of life?

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Today I realized I needed to share something with you that I rarely do: sharing about the less beautiful moments of my life. This topic came across my mind on this rainy day when I was sitting in front of my cabana at Selina Resort Rawai in Phuket, Thailand.

I realized that I actually only share my good moments on social media; me with a big smile on my face, and beautiful surroundings. But, believe me, it is definitely not always glitter and glamour. I have bad moments, blue days, moments that I just want to cry and wish for better moments.

The reason why I write this post is because of some comments I received, after posting something on my Social Media. The most heard comments were:

✨ Your life looks so great, I am jealous (😲).
✨ Your lifestyle is amazing, I envy you (😳)!
✨ I wish I could live like you but…
❌ I have kids
❌ I have a house and a mortgage/rent to pay
❌ I have an office job/non-remote job
❌ I have no money
❌ I have… (fill out your own reason)

I truly considered quitting sharing posts on my social media. But …a better idea came across: from now on I will share the good✨, the bad 👎and the ugly 👺 moments. This is out of my comfort zone but here I go 🚀!

There are moments…
👉 That I feel lonely
👉 That I feel sad
👉 That I cry out loud
👉 That I feel misunderstood
👉 That there is no one around me to share my thoughts and emotions with
👉 That I feel restless and don’t know what to do with myself
👉 That I miss my family and friends really badly
👉 That I don’t want to be single
👉 That I am sick and tired of doing all things by myself
👉 That I am worried about my next destination, especially when my visa is running out
👉 That I am worried about what others will think of me
👉 That I feel that my life sucks and is completely worthless

I guess – actually, I am pretty sure – that many of you are experiencing one or more of these things in your life as well.

So I hope – for the next time when I post pictures of clear blue waters, and white sandy beaches surrounded by palm trees (most likely my next destination 😉) – that you take a moment (or two) before you post something about being jealous or ‘ I wish I could but’. It may look like the grass is greener on the other side but trust me, it isn’t (unless it is fake grass😝).

With love 💜 and light✨,
littlemissyoga

P.S. You can also follow me on Instagram and Facebook

Why should I practice yoga 🤔?

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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

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

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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 ⛅🌱🌦

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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.
  • Picture 1
  • Picture 2
  • Picture 3

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.
  • Picture 1
  • Picture 2
  • Picture 3
  • Picture 4

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.
  • Picture 1
  • Picture 2
  • Picture 3
  • Picture 4

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 💪👊😜!

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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🤪😇.

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

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‼⚠ 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:

Inspirational thoughts thanks to the rain (unfortunately, it’s not raining men 😂😅)

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🥶❄🧘‍♀🙏🏻

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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

  • Picture 1
  • Picture 2
  • Picture 3

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).

  • Picture 1
  • Picture 2

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**

My first week@Polwaththa Eco-Lodges, Sri Lanka

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I got here on January 3, by train from Colombo to Kandy, with the bus from Kandy to Digana and then with a tuktuk to Polwaththa. The sign says ‘steep climb’ when you got to the road and definitely, it is a steep climb! The tuktuk had a hard time to concur the steep climb, but he managed it! A few days later I walked that path, man, it was a hard climb. I think it is just 1 kilometer, it took me 15 minutes! I was even sweating, and I just walked, didn’t even run! A good workout, let’s say that.

I got a bit upset when I heard that I was finally about to teach at the 11th. But now, writing this, I am quite happy with this. I got some more days off, practiced yoga, explored the environment a bit, prepared a bit for the retreat, joined Silvia’s classes, relaxed a bit as well 😉. We first had to share a room, but that didn’t work out. I am an early bird, she slept until late (well… until 6.25am, then she had to hurry up to be in time for the class, 6.45am 😉). The first night in that room was strange, I woke up (actually I had a lucid dream); someone sat on me and was trying to choke me (sleep paralyses, black entities, had it before). It is always a struggle to wake up from that ‘dream’ cause you can’t move, that entity is taking over your body. I finally managed to wake up, fell back asleep after half an hour. Silvia hadn’t noticed a thing, luckily, but I had to tell her. She cleansed the room the next day; I slept like a baby, but she couldn’t sleep anymore. Also the next night. We asked for separate rooms, luckily they had rooms left. She slept better, I slept worse the first night in the new room. But now, everything is ok. I got used to all the sounds and dropping twigs, leaves ore jumping squirrels on the roof 😊.

07/01/2020 Trekking: Dotalugala – 1407meters – leeches!
This day I went on a trekking with Shylo, a lady from the US, she was here with her close friend, who was sick unfortunately, so she couldn’t join us. We left at 9am, lunch box (noodles and veggies) in our rucksack. Namal was our guide, he is a good guide and knows so much about birds, he is more or less a bird spotter! If I had do the tour it would be something like: ‘this is a big tree and this a small tree. This tree has bi leaves, that one has no leaves. And this is a plant with pink flowers, that plant smells good. And there is a big bird, and over there… sat a bird, but now it had flown away…. A terrible guide I would be 😉. Next to birds, plants, trees and mosquitos we saw salamanders, lizards and a big iguana crossing the road on our way back. The tuktuk drive towards this spot took about 45 minutes, good moment to talk. The walk itself was 12 km’s, 4,5km to the top of the mountain and 4,5 back, 3km to see another viewpoint (all over the Knuckels area, a group of mountains more or less in central Sri Lanka). The trekking was a medium one, Shylo and I (and Namal as well) found it very easy. Namal was just wearing flipflops, we had our hiking boots and sexy socks, to prevent us from the leeches (for the Dutchies: bloedzuigertjes). And also a spray with a mixture of water and Dettol to scare these little creepy worms away (it really worked). The funniest thing is the way these little creatures are moving themselves. Like a guenon (stokstaartje), looking up to this victim, then throws himself on your shoe (or herself, I couldn’t see any difference between the sexes 😉) and then it tries to make its way to your leg or feet, to suck your blood. Luckily for us, no leeches had reached our feet or legs, thanks to the sexy socks. The lunch we had was noodles and vegetables and some fresh water from above…it started to rain quite hard just at the moment we were starting our lunch. Another nice experience 😊. The rain lasted for 15 minutes, the sun started to shine afterwards, we dried quickly and continued our trip. On the last part there was a whole crew to shoot some kind of movie, we asked them to join them but they were not amused… so, no 15 minutes of fame for me 😉. On the way back I did some shoppings (local snacks and incense sticks), I took a shower and sat back and relaxed.

08/01/2020: Another day off
A good day to walk around and explore the area. Well, yeah, I got lost. I walked a long way up, not to steep and after almost 1 hour I discovered that there was no T-junction or intersection where I could go left or right to create a loop. I checked Google maps, and it says: 7.3 kms… 1 hour and 45 minutes… that means: uphill and downhill roads. Ok… well, challenge accepted! It was a nice walk! I saw a lot of the beautiful environment.  Walking in the jungle is nice as well, but you see only trees,  plants and spiderwebs (do you know that feeling that you got them in your face all the time? Welcome to the jungle😉). The view of the rice paddies, hills and some small villages was therefore extra nice. Sometimes Google is not really reliable… I almost got to my ‘home’ and suddenly it says: 3 kms, go back. Go back? No way, I was almost there, just another 1 km… but I didn’t know wether I had to left or right at that T-junction. And suddenly I heard: Hi hi, you need tuktuk? Oh no, another tuktuk driver… the man repeated: you need tuktuk? You yogateacher Polwaththa. What?? Yes, that’s me! It was VJ, one of the employees who was on his way to Polwaththa! My life saver! Also because that last part is so steep to climb up! Man, I felt so happy! I was also lucky that I wore my hiking boots, if I had to do this all on flipflops… I would have taken a tuktuk from the moment Google said: 7.3kms 😉

09/01/2020: A short trip to civilisation!?
Today, after my self-practice Nella asked us to join her to walk to Digana, the small city close by. Silvia, Nella and I, we walked down through the jungle (short cut) to the bus station. We had plans to walk all the way, but time was ticking, so we decided to take the bus. I asked to buy some candles and also some muesli, to put over the fruits. Even though the breakfast is great, it is a bit boring already. The pancakes and milk rice are too sweet (which I like sometimes, but not all the time), the typical Sri Lankan breakfast is not my type of breakfast (it is a curry with stringhoppers (a kind of noodles), quite savory, I prefer a bit sweet in the morning), I don’t want to eat eggs (but I think I have to, because I feel less energized, because there are barely vegan replacements here such as legumes, tofu, nuts), so I thought: muesli on top of my fruit gives me some fibres and stuffing. I didn’t expect that muesli and rolled oats were that expensive and it is not even the real muesli, it looks more like cornflakes. Anyway, it is a bit more bite in the morning 😊. Silvia and I didn’t want to go in the first place, but there was no electricity, so no Wifi. We both needed Wifi to work on our laptops… then shopping is a good alternative. Normally, the powercut is just a few hours, this one lasted the whole day. It was because they were cutting the branches of the trees and it is a policy to switch off the electricity so no one gets electrocuted. The power was back around 6pm, the time that it becomes dark here.

Before we jumped on the bus to Digana, we went to the weaving ladies. They are making sarongs and saris, completely handwoven. 3,300 rupees for a sari (circa €16,50) and 1,600 rupees for a sarong (almost € 8). Really cheap it you think about how many hours it takes to makes these clothes. If someone is interested, I can take some pictues of the sarongs and saris and send it to you (my backpack is too full to take it with me all the time).

The shopping in Digana was just for 1 hour, it was enough, this trip to civilisation (I don’t know if it is more civilised than the life in the jungle 😉). We found what we needed, and we were just waiting in the bus back home, when Nella called her son; he was in Digana by car, he picked us up and we drove back altogether. Yeah, no uphill climb for us (woohoo!!).

Oopsie… again quite a long blog. That’s my problem, once I start writing, I keep on going. Maybe I can start writing a book 😉. Or creating an E-book, you just have to listen while you continue your other things 😉. The next blog will be posted soon 😊. And feel free to comment on the blog, I really appreciate that 😊😊!

💜💚 With love 💜💚   
littlemissyoga