To celebrate National Yoga Day we turn to Rachel Brathen, aka Yoga Girl, for her top wellness tips. Rachel, a wellness ambassador for Philosophy, has been practicing yoga since she was a teen. She travels all over the world to lead workshops and help people incorporate yoga into their everyday lives. We asked Rachel to share 5 wellness tips to help us take a deep breath and create some calm in this stressed out, fast-paced world:
1 - Create sacred mornings. Give yourself the time and space needed to have time to start each day off right. Light a candle, sit in meditation for a few minutes, practice yoga, eat a good breakfast. Set your intentions for the day! Rushing out the door sets a hectic tone for the day. Make your mornings sacred and the rest of the day will follow suit.
2 - Drink hot lemon water in the mornings. It works! Think of it as a way to completely reset your system, so anything you ingest after that (coffee, breakfast, a bagel munched down on the train on your way to work) will have a better chance of settling in a good way. Don’t bring yesterday with you! Hot water with lemon is cleansing, gets you metabolism started and gives your body a fresh start.
3 - Practice yoga. I’m not saying you have to be a super yogi and spend 90+ minutes sweating on your mat every single day, just do what makes you feel good! 30 minutes a few times a week on your mat at home is a great start. Focus on the parts of your body that feel tight or sore and that you know need a little bit of extra love. Or go to take a class at a studio close to your home! Creating community is a big piece of making yoga a permanent routine in your life.
4 - Let yourself feel. By this I mean - allow yourself to have ups and downs! Don’t push things down below the surface but make space for your emotions. Holding in frustration, pain or grief is the fastest way to ensure bad health. Our physical bodies are a perfect manifestation of how we feel within, so take care of your heart! Speak to friends about things that trouble you. Write a journal. Share! It will make you feel lighter.
5 - Be thankful. By focusing on the beautiful things we already have in life, we start attracting more of the same! Keep your attention on the positive, and say thank you as often as you can. Gratitude is the best attitude.
[Images courtesy of Ben Kane]
