Hello my lovelies, I can’t believe that it’s the middle of September already! We are halfway through the first month of Love Yoga Crew @home and I hope that you are loving it as much as I am!! It’s been really beneficial for me to feel calmer and more @home within myself too.

I know that the expectation is that yoga teaches are all super chilled and this is often the case but with a few good practices and helpful wee tips in our daily lives.

It’s no secret that I have at times, really struggled with anxiety and I know exactly how frustrating, debilitating and exhausting it can be. At times the symptoms can be physical and it’s so tough. But I have used a few breathing exercises and techniques to help. I have videos and mp3s available in my online library but here’s my favourites.

To calm the mind, nervous system and heart rate I find that taking a few moments to sit quietly in a comfortable position, (supported by the wall or chair if preferred) closing my eyes are focusing my attention to my breath. I especially like what I affectionately call 2¼ – 1

This is taking one inhale, then another and then a tiny sip more before one long exhale. I find that I can feel a truly calming affect on the body in a few breaths. I like to do about 10 rounds of this, but you’ll know yourself what feels good. If we are needing supporting evidence, it’s pretty cool to watch your heart rate drop on your Fitbit or similar. Though I wouldn’t recommend doing this all the time, it can be helpful for reassurance.

Box breathing is also fantastic for calming the body but also occupying the mind. Again, find yourself a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Then;

1 Inhale for a cout of 4
2 hold your breath for a count of 4
3 exhale for a count of 4
4 hold for a count of 4
5 repeat steps 1-4 for at least 4/6 rounds or for a couple of minutes.

These can be practiced anywhere and anytime, in a stressful situation, when you are feeling anxious, or on the bus, driving or in the shower to practice and have these techniques more familiar in the body.

At the end of a long day we are often exhausted and looking forward to sleeping. If you are like me and find that often this sleepy state is quickly replaced with my mind deciding to overthink, overanalyse and at times think of the most outrageous nonsense, try these!

Over the last few years I have experimented with these and now find that my favourite changes.

The Sleeping Forecast available free on BBC Sounds is a beautiful mix of classical music and the iconic Shipping forecast, the seemingly perfect way to softly drift off for the night.

One of my favourite podcasts is “Nothing much happens: bedtime stories to help you sleep.” Kathryn Nicolai (another yoga teacher) has designed these stories to occupy your mind just enough to allow you to easily fall asleep. She always reads the story twice and I’m nearly always missing the end of the story! There’s a few hundred of these available and I find they work like magic played in a wee earbud or quietly on a nearby device.

My last recommendation for now is a good rain and thunderstorms playlist. I know, tell me you are from Scotland without telling me you are from Scotland!! But I do find this soundscape really soothing and relaxing. A cheeky wee additional benefit of this is, if you have a doggy who likes to go out and sniff the garden late at night but doesn’t like the rain. You’re welcome!

I’m going to be talking about Yoga Nidra next time, another magical practice!

Please let me know how you get on, if you have a favourite and if you have another wee gem.

Love & light

Stephanie💜