Yoga Challenge - IT'S DONE

Hey everyone!

Yes, I've done it. For the past month, I have done a bit of yoga every single day, which means that the 30 Day Yoga Challenge is now completed. 

Like I said in my last post, I am honestly very proud of myself for sticking with this. I can quite easily commit myself to something whole-heartedly, but sometimes I tend to lose interest after a while, especially when it comes to exercise. 

Now - what difference has this actually made? I would be lying if I said that I was, all of a sudden, a whole new person who is extremely flexible and fit. 
I'm not, and I never expected to be after a month only. 
BUT a few things did change:

1. I am more flexible than before. 
2. I can sleep better. I never had massive issues going to sleep or anything, but I have noticed that I tend to fall asleep quicker and feel more energized when waking up. I think this is mostly due to the fact that I have consistently been doing exercise every day about an hour before going to bed, so it has become part of a nice routine of switching off in the evening.
3. I am better at dealing with homesickness. Although I have lived away from home for a while now, I always find it hard to go back to uni and especially when I've had a bit of a rubbish day or don't feel too well, I can get homesick quite easily. I'm not sure why this is, but going back to uni this year has felt easier than usual - no, let me rephrase that: not necessarily easier in itself, but easier to deal with. Now, that could just be because of growing up, being a year older, all that kind of stuff, but I do believe that yoga played a part in it, as well. 
4. Body confidence. This is something I have definitely noticed. Again, I never had serious confident issues, but everyone gets those days where they feel very insecure. Last year, I had quite a few of those days and since starting yoga, they have kind of stopped. 
5. General happiness. Again, I'm not a completely transformed person. I am not suddenly cheerful 24/7 (although I think that this would be quite unusual anyway). However, I have, since starting yoga, felt much more energized and yes - happy.

So yes - thank you, Yoga Challenge. I'm quite amazed about how much it has helped me (because I never truly believed that it would make a difference). I decided that I would try and redo the challenge, because I don't want to stop now :) I definitely still have yoga goals to reach (touching my toes for a start - still not quite there yet), so I will continue with it.

Have a great evening xx

Only 3 days to go - A Yoga Challenge Update

Hey everyone!

Over the past few days, I've not been posting about the Yoga Challenge as regularly as I used to because I was busy with uni, so I thought I would give you a more general update instead of talking about the challenge day-by-day. 

In fact, although I've not been posting about it, I have actually continued the challenge which means that today was Day 27 out of 30. It is crazy how quickly this has gone - in the beginning I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to stick with it and that I would just lose motivation at some point and stop. And yes, it wasn't always as easy as I wanted it to be; sometimes I honestly felt like not doing it, but this Challenge was something I had wanted to do for a long time so I forced myself to continue. 

And all of a sudden, I am on Day 27 and there are only 3 more days to go. This is crazy. I still cannot quite touch my toes, although I have come pretty close today, but there is still some time left and just seeing the improvement makes me happy. 

I will be back with another yoga blog post once I have completed the challenge. Keep your fingers crossed that all will go to plan and I will be able to actually finish it now that I'm so close! xx

Songs that I've been loving: January 2015

Hey everyone! 

What's better than starting off 2015 with some new songs to get you through the dark winter months of January and February?

Like my previous music post, this will feature loads of different genres because I personally think that there is something fascinating about every single one of them.

I hope you enjoy, and here we go:

Ludovico Einaudi - Life 
I'm in love with Einaudi's music, both to listen to and to play on the piano. I chose this piece to recommend to you because I think that it is perfect for a new year: There is so much variety in it (just like life itself, I reckon) which is incredible for making you feel energized and inspired. 

Hozier - From Eden
I have been obsessed with Hozier's voice ever since listening to 'Take me to Church' for the first time. What fascinates me about this song is how beautiful and honest the lyrics are. The melody is very catchy, too, which means that I sing along every time. I also love 'Work Song', which is also on Hozier's album, and 'Arsonist's Lullaby'. 

James Blunt - Satellites
I got my mum his album for Christmas so I've been listening to it a lot when I was in the car with her. I've never been a massive James Blunt fan, but this album is so relaxing and easy to listen to. 'Satellites' it's a great feel-good song with great rhythm and melody. It's recipe is simple: It cheers me up, is easy to listen to and catchy. I also love 'Face the Sun' from the album, which is a song that starts off very slow and then gradually builds up to an incredibly energetic mid- to end part.

AronChupa - I'm an Albatraoz
This song is very different to anything I would usually listen to. When I heard it for the first time, I immediately loved and hated it at the same time. I'm yet to fully decide what I think about it, but it's definitely catchy and I find myself humming the melody pretty much constantly. 

BANKS - Beggin for Threat
Last, but not least, I have fallen in love with BANKS. Her voice has such a deep, warm tone to it that it's very hard not to like her songs. 'Beggin for Threat' is great if you are looking for a powerful song to sing along to. 

Let me know what you think about the songs that I've been loving lately. I would love to hear any recommendations you might have because I'm always on the search for new music to listen to xx

A (short) rant about London in the rain

Hey everyone!

The weather in London is pretty miserable at the moment: it’s very windy and rainy, so umbrellas are popping up everywhere. Massive puddles become a dangerous free shower possibility for everyone who walks too close to the road (busses and cars, I’m looking at you). And as always, everyone you see looks grumpy and done with the world.

I cannot say that I particularly enjoy this weather either. In fact, I’ve probably been quite grumpy myself this afternoon when I walked back from a lecture, hungry and annoyed by the weather. Yet, it could be a lot worse. It’s not too cold, only about 12 degrees which means that the wind is annoying, but doesn’t make you want to stay in bed all day with a hot cup of tea. Also, by the fact that there ARE umbrellas everywhere you can tell that the wind isn’t too dramatic either.

Most people - me included - don't enjoy being out in the rain. However, that doesn’t mean that I accelerate my bus or my car right before driving through a big puddle when there are people walking close to the road. It also doesn’t mean that I hold on to my umbrella and barge through a crowd of people without thinking about potentially hitting them in the face.

That is exactly what happened to me today. I had to hectically jump because I could hear a bus approaching with such speed that I would have been soaked from head to toe, and I felt like I was constantly trying to avoid being hit by someone’s rampaging umbrella.

That’s all I have to say. What a fascinating blog post on the weather…I know. :') 

But I’m sure you can empathise. Yes, bad weather is unpleasant, but it doesn’t make anyone’s mood better if people are extra inconsiderate. xx

Going back to uni after Christmas

Hey everyone!

Apparently most people who drop out of university do so after the Christmas break. There's something about going back in the cold winter month of January after a few weeks of festivities and family time that is difficult. 

I remember that last year, I was in tears when I went back, not because I didn't like uni but simply because it suddenly felt like I had never truly left home. 
This year, it was a lot easier for me - maybe because I remembered how, after a week or so back at uni, I was completely fine again. 

For me, the worst thing about going back after a break at home is to actually leave. 
Arriving is okay, and so is staying. Honestly, if there was a way of just teleporting myself to and from uni, that would solve so many problems haha! 

I guess it's really all just part of growing up. I also think that especially in first year, not many people talk about feeling sad after Christmas. At least from my experience, people were still a bit too worried about settling in and finding a group of good friends to be completely honest about how they are feeling. As time goes on, this changes though and everyone is generally more open and honest. 

Have a lovely day. If you just got back to uni (like me), then try to distract yourself from feeling a bit homesick in your first week. Even if there isn't much going on at uni, try to (Warning: this will sound lame) enjoy going to your lessons. It will definitely make you concentrate on other things :)
xx

'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Challenge: Day 23

Hello! :)

So Day 23 was about relaxing the neck and the shoulders. I had to improvise a bit, because I don't have a yoga mat at uni so kind of separated the poses into standing up ones which I did on the floor and lying down ones which I tried to do on my bed (not the best place to do yoga, so I might have to find some other solution). 

Anyway, it was a good Yoga practice, I enjoyed it :) xx

'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 22

Hello! 

So yesterday's Yoga was a very nice one as it was all about doing some relaxing stretches and twists. I honestly can't believe that it's that far into the Challenge already…it seems like yesterday that I started! I hope that I can stick with it until the end though because uni is about to start again but I'll try my best :)

Hope you had a lovely day xx

How (NOT) to do a headstand - 'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 21

Hello! :) 

Apparently it takes 21 days to create a new habit. Does that mean that I’m now in the habit of doing a bit of exercise every day? Hopefully!

Day 21 of the Yoga Challenge taught us how to do a headstand. I was worried about this one because I absolutely hated doing headstands/handstands in school and was always far too afraid to do one properly.

And I tried – but I quickly realised that I just wasn’t quite there yet. The instructor said that doing a headstand requires leg flexibility and that we should only do it if we feel comfortable (and confident!) I didn’t.

I was a bit disappointed afterwards thinking that I should have tried. But I still think I made the right decision: I’m going back to uni soon and really didn’t want to end up injuring myself.

So here we go: Day 21 is done; I cannot do a headstand, but maybe one day.

Let’s see what Day 22 brings :) Have a lovely day! xx

'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 19 & 20

Hello!

Days 19 and 20 were very difficult - it was all about twists and shoulder strength which was tough and didn't involve the most enjoyable poses.

Yet, only 10 more days to go so I'm totally getting there xx

A day without Internet

Hello :) I hope you are all doing well!

Two weeks ago, on Christmas Day, I arrived at my granddad's house and it turned out that the Internet wasn't working, at all. I had also forgotten to top up my phone which meant that I had a full day without any Internet access at all. 

And here is how that went.

I belong to the generation Internet, the generation who - as many might say - is incapable of talking to a friend face-to-face without checking the Internet every few minutes. I refuse to agree with this. The truth is that I have no choice BUT to constantly use the Internet so that I can communicate with people who just happen to be online most of the time and also to do work. Even at the start of secondary school, loads of homework required Internet access, so how can you blame young people for being on the Internet this much if we have been brought up that way? #rantover

Despite all of that, I always thought that I would be perfectly fine without going online for some time, at least two or three days. It cannot be this hard, right?
In a way, I wasn't. I had brought a book with me so I was reading and spending time with my family. Surprisingly, I didn't miss checking my phone or my laptop all that much throughout the day, but what I did miss was unwinding in the evening googling questions that I had always wanted answered (like "What do people eat for Christmas in Sweden?" seriously, I would love to know!), searching for new music I might like, checking if my favourite artists have brought out anything new and watching some youtube videos.

It is that kind of 'me' time on the Internet that seems to have become SUCH an important part of my daily routine. Maybe it's because i feel like I would not do anything truly productive at that time anyway, so I might as well spent it on the Internet. Then again, I could just be fooling myself into thinking that. I'm generally most creative right before going to sleep, so who knows how much more productive I would actually be if I stayed offline every evening. 

Yet, that day without Internet meant that I was truly disconnected from the online world for a little while. And to be honest, that felt good - perhaps I should really try and have some Internet free evenings more regularly.
xx 

'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 18

Hey everyone!

I just did Day 18 of the Challenge and I absolutely loved it. Again, it was practically a full body workout and a bit of everything which is great. It was quite exhausting and I must have looked pretty ridiculous…it was quite fast paced today which meant that I completely lost balance at some point and fell over.

But yes, it was a good Yoga day :) xx

'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 17

Hey everyone!

Day 17 of the challenge was an all-round yoga practice. It was one of my favourites so far, probably because it was diverse and the poses that I don't like were only a small part of it. 

Excited for tomorrow! xx

THE SPLITS - 'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 16

Hello!

As you can probably tell from the title, the yoga challenge today was about the splits.
Now for me, doing the splits is probably the last thing I ever thought I would be attempting to do because in my head, that was something I would categorically be unable to do.

In a way I was right - I was nowhere near doing the splits, but when I was doing the stretches, it actually felt as if I might be able to get there in the future.

Now that all the festivities are over - :( - and I'll have to really get going with doing uni work, I can totally feel how relaxed doing yoga makes me feel. When you are actually doing it, it often doesn't feel that way because the poses can be hard. But afterwards, I (almost) always feel proud of myself.

If I told my younger self this, she would most probably laugh at me because yoga was NEVER something I considered doing, ever. 
If this is you, then just try it. If I'm honest, I felt very silly for the first few days (and felt silly yesterday and the day before because I disliked the exercises!) but it does really help :)
xx

Review: The Q&A a day 5 Year Journal

Hey everyone!

For Christmas, I got the Q&A a day 5 Year Journal from my parents. I have always been terrible at keeping a diary, because I initially loved the idea of it (I think I have started about 4 in my life), but then very quickly got bored and years later wanted a new one. The concept of this one is pretty simple – Inside the book, there is a page for every day of the year with five columns and a question at the top. Every day you answer one question and after five years, you will have, hopefully, written down your thoughts on every page five times. You can then look back and see how much your answers have changed over time.

I absolutely love the idea of this, but what really fascinates me about the journal is its design. In real life, it’s A LOT smaller than you would think it is. (it’s definitely smaller than your average book!) Also, and I hope that you can see this on the picture, each page is gold-edged which looks super pretty. (It sparkles!!!)

Just to give you an example, yesterday’s question was “Can people change?” and today’s is “What are you reading right now?” This constant change between deep questions to really think about and answers that you can quickly jot down makes the journal a lot of fun, because you never know what to expect. I honestly look forward to writing in it every single evening.

Oh, and I think my parents got it off amazon and I don't think it was that expensive either so it's definitely worth having a look if you like the idea! xx

HALFWAY THERE - 'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 14 & 15

Hello :)

The last two days of the challenge were pretty much all about stretching the legs which was good, because that's what I find most difficult, but not very rewarding at the same time because I felt like I didn't really get anywhere. 
On the plus side, my downward dog is definitely getting a lot better! My heels are only a few centimeters away from touching the floor. 
Also, I've made it HALFWAY. 

That went quickly! xx

Hello 2015 - as inspired by Sprinkle of Glitter

Good morning everyone! 

The above picture is taken from sprinkleofglitter's new blog post. She wrote down her New Year's resolutions and encouraged her readers to post theirs, so here we go…

Before I start I just want to say that this is the first time ever that I make resolutions. I've always set myself little goals throughout the year instead (like the Yoga Challenge that I've been doing for a while now), but 2015 is a fresh start so I will brave making resolutions. 

1) Eat less chocolate - I am IN LOVE with chocolate and whilst I am lucky to have a fast metabolism which means that I barely put on weight, I know that I would feel much better if I just ate a little less chocolate. 

2) Do more exercise - Again, this is all about feeling healthier. I have started this resolution last year when starting the Yoga Challenge and I hope that I'll be able to stick with it. My whole family is very sporty, my mum always says that my grandma could still do a handstand when she was 75 and I want to be just a bit fitter myself. I'm not truly awful I don't think - I can run quite fast if I REALLY want to, but that's about it. (Also, I never feel like running so that just doesn't ever happen) Generally, my level of fitness is appalling, so I definitely want to improve.

3) Be more proactive - I like my routine and sometimes I get stuck in that routine quite happily but then feel like I've missed out on stuff afterwards. I want 2015 to be a more adventurous year, I want to take opportunities, say 'yes' to more things and step out of my comfort zone a bit more. That being said…

4) Work hard - …I really want to focus on my degree. As last year has been a struggle, I definitely want to work hard for the upcoming exams and do the best I possibly can. If it doesn't work out, then it doesn't. But I want to be able to say that I gave it everything I could.

5) Be kinder to myself - Lastly, I want to be a bit kinder to myself. Everyone has these days where they feel a bit rubbish and whiny about themselves. If you think about it, there really isn't much point in doing that, so I want to try and take a step back, be more positive and not beat myself up about tiny things that I can't change anyway. 

Those were my five New Year's resolutions. I am super excited to see how 2015 will pan out and how good I will be at achieving those resolutions. 

Let me know what yours are and thank you to Louise from sprinkleofglitter for letting me use the picture in my post xx

 

'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 13

Hello everybody!

Day 13 of the challenge was all about the lower back and the hip. It was, all in all, a good day with loads of different exercises. I have definitely started to feel the effect of all those stretches: my forearm hurt a bit today from yesterday's yoga which felt strange because I never truly acknowledged the muscles there! 

Anyway, I'm almost half way through this challenge which is incredible in itself. I have found the past days less enjoyable though and I have lost motivation a bit, so I hope that tomorrow's video will be more fun for me. 

Hope you had a great first day of 2015 xx 

Happy New Year and 'DoYouYoga' 30 Day Challenge: Day 12

Happy New Year!

I wish you all a wonderful and happy 2015 :) How crazy is it that it's January all over again??

I could not be happier to leave 2014 behind because it wasn't a very good year for me, and I'm super excited for what 2015 will bring. Well, for a few more days it will bring yoga, I guess haha. 

Today's - or yesterday's challenge, or last year's challenge, actually - focussed on the wrists and hands. As the instructor said, you never really think about those parts of your body that much and that is so true. I don't think that I ever had particularly tight hands or wrists but it definitely felt good to stretch them. Also, it wasn't a very difficult day of yoga which was quite nice. I feel like after the relaxation exercises yesterday and the hand stretches today, I am ready to start 2015 with some more exhausting poses!

If you're still up, hope you have a wonderful night. Oh and I also just realised that this post will come up under the new heading of '2015', so technically, I've been doing this blogging thing for 2 years now - kinda. How time flies  xx