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yogakaliofficial

🧘‍♀️| Yogi mom-to-be sharing mindfulness tips, yoga flows & life musings
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Today I was dreaming of living in a house near the

Today I was dreaming of living in a house near the sea and taking care of my own garden. So if there's such thing as "precognitive dreams," I truly wish it was one of them.
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When my mind is cluttered, I try different things: breathing, meditating, moving, drawing... But the effect from all these activities gets 100x times stronger when I'm outside in nature.
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If you feel the same, your case isn't unique. There's even one large study that showed that people who live near parks and green areas get sick less - even if they don't visit them often.
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I guess even looking at the green space from the window is good for our "city brains." But somehow I still keep meeting people who prefer bright downtown lights and skyscrapers to the calm of the park.
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Which side are you on? 😄

There's this yoga saying that goes smth like: The

There's this yoga saying that goes smth like: The yoga pose you avoid is the one you need most.
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But oh boy, do I hate all sorts of pushups! If there would be a competition for the most avoided poses, I'd give the prize to Chaturanga.
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So I often replace the traditional Vinyasa (Chaturanga - Upward Dog) with this sweet transition from Child's Pose to Upward Dog and back to Child's pose.
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Why is it great?
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1. It builds strength in the upper body, but is more accessible than a traditional pushup;
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2. It opens the hips and stretches the shoulders which feels great after hours of sitting.
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You can add this little movement to your usual routine or practice it independently whenever you have 2 min to jump on your mat.
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Whether or not you're a Chaturanga fan, diversifying your movements is never a bad thing. So give this Child's Pose - Upward Dog move a try and let me know how it feels 😄
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P.S. place your hands on blocks to give your body more space ;)

I believe core drills should be an essential part

I believe core drills should be an essential part of every physically-focused yoga class. 💪 Why? Because it's the strong core that helps us do daily activities with ease, from getting up from bed to walking up the stairs and carrying grocery bags.🛍️ It's the strong core that allows us to perform those challenging balances and inversions (and show off at parties).
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So when @yoga_basics were compiling the list of the best yoga poses to improve balance, I couldn't resist tossing in my two cents. 😅 (Thanks @yoga_basics for featuring me in your article 🙌)
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Can you guess what yoga pose I've mentioned? Hint: This is a great core stabilizer that you can practice even during pregnancy so you could return to doing those cool headstands post-partum 😉
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🏃‍♀️🏃💨 Head to yogabasics.com to learn the best poses to build balance & strength both on and off the mat.

Have you heard of the butterfly effect? 🦋 . It'

Have you heard of the butterfly effect? 🦋
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It's an idea that a single flap of butterfly wings in one part of the world can cause a tornado in another. While these events may seem random and chaotic, the hypothesis states that there's, in fact, a connection between the two. .
Though the idea derives from the chaos theory, I think it partly echoes what yoga has been trying to teach us for years - *the world is interconnected.* .
Our seemingly small and insignificant actions can have a substantial effect. .
A "harmless" racist/sexist joke feeds prejudice; a covert microaggression strengthens biases; silence towards displays of casual racism halts social change. .
I wish we'd all considered "the butterfly effect" in our lives. Because even if we're not living in the US and can't join a protest, we can support the battle from wherever we are.
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How? By learning, listening, self-reflecting, and recognizing that what we do and what we say, even if it seems as unnoticeable and harmless as the flap of a butterfly's wings, can cause harm to your loved ones, your community, and even those you've never met and will never meet.

𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
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Remember those mystical Yamas and Niyamas everyone is talking about? They might be exactly what we, non-Black yogis, need to start practicing to break the vicious cycle of racism & stand in solidarity with Black communities.
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Here are some examples:
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👉 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗮 [compassion] - take action to stand up to injustice. Donate, amplify Black voices, have discussions with your friends & family about racism, support Black-owned businesses, join the protest…
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👉 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘆𝗮 [truthfulness] – open your heart to the truth. Make space for different opinions and know that your truth is not the only one. Do your research on systemic racism, listen, read.
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👉 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘃𝗮𝗱𝗵𝘆𝗮𝘆𝗮 [self-study] – take time to contemplate and reflect on your mind & what you feel when reading about such terms as white fragility or white privilege. How do you react when someone expresses points of view that are different from yours? Do you feel defensive, angry, uneasy? What do you think is the reason? Be honest with yourself. If you’ve never practiced journaling before, this is the perfect chance to start.
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👉 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘆𝗮 [non-stealing] - learn to unlearn the destructive white behaviors that we’re born into. The benefits we get due to our white privilege come at the cost of someone else.
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👉 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘀 [self-discipline] – commit to doing the work. Spoilers: It gets dirty and uncomfortable real fast. Have the courage to step into conflict with yourself and your closed ones. Conflict is where growth happens.
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We often hear people telling powerful stories like "Yoga has made me physically stronger" or "Yoga has made me love myself."
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Let's also use yoga to fill our hearts with love and compassion toward others. Let's use that love and compassion to grow stronger mentally so we could take a stand against social injustice and our prejudices.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳?
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I'll be brutally honest with you - there is no such thing. 😕
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Do you know why?
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Because the best yoga postures for stress are the ones that work for you.
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Let me explain.
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I love Shoulderstand, and they say that it calms down adrenal glands – the major source of stress hormones. But maybe you feel discomfort in your neck. Or maybe you can't breathe naturally in the pose.
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So, it might happen that instead of reducing stress, Shoulderstand will make you even more nervous.
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Besides, always remember one crucial truth:
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𝗬𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
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Often lying still and breathing in Savasana has a much stronger calming effect than racing through 20 best yoga poses for stress relief that you've seen in some journal.
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𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟲 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻: 1️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱'𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗲 - perfect for hiding like an ostrich 😂 from the world & people around you
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2️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗱 (I like the wide-legged variation with clasped hands) - for times when you're angry and can't breathe
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3️⃣ 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗣𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻 - for "chair warriors" with tight hips
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4️⃣ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 - I lovingly call it the pose for party poopers because they say it helps with digestion and might relieve blues (and I'm sorry, I do have a terrible sense of humor sometimes)
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5️⃣ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁 - when life is twisting you in different directions and you just need to re-balance
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6️⃣ 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝘀 𝗨𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹 - great for your legs and find after a day of running errands and dealing with life.
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If you enjoy these poses too, also check out my "Stretch the stress out" yoga flow and download a free cheat sheet to practice anywhere anytime. #linkinbio

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