Staying grounded

I knew it had been quite a while since I last wrote anything on here but I can't believe it's been as long as two and half months! Time really has been flying for me lately and a lot of changes have been coming along with that. Where I was two and a half months ago in my journey is very different to the part I'm at now. With all the craziness and things I've been doing its sometimes difficult to take time out from your to-do list and just take time for yourself. And by this I don't mean just sitting watching TV or something because then you're not really giving your mind a break, just your body! Making sure that I stay 'me' through this crazy period is really important and definitely is a benefit of those around me too!

Yoga is something that always helps me stay grounded and connect my mind, breath and body together as one. While my running also helps me clear my mind it's a different kind of sensation than I get from yoga. I enjoy the feeling of the ground through my mat and physically supporting myself through the moves with my feet and hands. The philosophy of yoga with its element of meditation is also hugely calming and teaches you to empty your mind and connect to your breath; be at peace in your body as you work through your practice. But yoga isn't all serious either! There are plenty of seemingly ridiculous poses I am so far from mastering but it's fun to play around and test my body with the idea that one day I might get there!

When life gets busy it's sometimes hard to find time in your schedule to fit in everything you want to do. My approach now is that my yoga and my running are priorities and everything else slots in around it. This might sound unealistic but it's just about having a different mindset! In my life, maintaining my balance and grounding is fundamental for my happiness and well being; and therefore MUST happen. My friend, Jaki, bought me some gorgeous yogic anklets when I left work to remind me to stay grounded and make time for myself and they even remind me to just stop and take a breath when things are getting a bit mental!

'Yoga with Adriene' is my favourite YouTube channel full of amazing free yoga videos to do at home and Adriene herself is amazing and so inspiring. Her philosophy is 'find what feels good' and I think that's the perfect attitude to approach yoga. Sometimes it can seem really intimidating when you have the idea in your head of these incredibly bendy, flexible people and you feel like you'll never be able to do it but it doesn't matter if that's not the way you are to start with, or ever really! Heaven knows I wasn't - and I'm still not! - but I've definitely come a long way and its just about doing as much as you can and finding what works for you. That part of yoga is also about finding peace with yourself and your body and accepting who you are.

Recently my mum and I have started '30 days of Yoga' with Adrienne. It's the perfect way to find motivation to do some yoga everyday and not have to think about which video to pick because you simply do the next one in the series! You cover all different kinds of yoga and poses and it's a wonderful showcase of what is possible within your yoga practice. I'm hoping it will encourage my mum to keep going with it once I've moved because so far she's loving it! We're on day 15 now and it's definitely a challenge I recommend to anyone looking to start a regular yoga practice. And if yoga really isn't your thing, spend time finding or thinking about what it is that keeps you grounded when all the craziness is going on and share your thoughts! Remember to always find time for YOU.