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My life on and off the mat

English Yoga Berlin Mitte Prenzlauer Berg

Blog post #1 Surviving the holidays 

Guess what? This blog post was written on New Year’s Eve. Hence, this is not the typical guide to ‘how not to gain weight’ or ‘how to stay calm’ over the holidays, but rather a personal diary. 

True, as a yogi, a 9 day Xmas holiday with family, I was a bit worried. The endless amount of food, alcohol and cookies constantly being offered to me by the in law's at times actually made me REALLY worried. I wanted to be polite and at the same time enjoy the treats that I normally don’t allow myself, but the guilt of not practicing enough was creeping in, and the horror of being in tights on the mat in a week time was unbearable.

So here I am, breathing into the fifth butter cookie melting in my belly, while actually craving a light quinoa salad. 

7 days more to go. So help me god.

What was really happening that moment, is that I fell again into the trap of the victim role. It was as if all of that is aimed against me and my values. Once recognized, it was easier to snap out of it. at least for a bit.

I found my personal practice again by going on the mat every morning without an agenda, a peak pose or high self demands. My only goal was to find flow, and quiet the judging mind. It felt terrific, and kept my fire going for the week to come, even with a non vegan cookie every now and then. 

And as this is still the internet, here is my top 5 must do list for surviving the holidays:

1. Drink lots of water, eat fresh fruit (even if you have to insist on it)
2. Take long walks, preferably in places you haven’t been before. 
3. Find 15 minuets a day without any distractions, no kids, parents or partner to practice your own ritual.       Anything more than that is a pure bonus.
4. Catch up on sleep and books
5. Put your phone away

And lastly, try to remember this is not a detox yoga camp, there are other values to be celebrated.
Happy new year
xx sis