4 March 2021

Creating The Perfect At Home Yoga Environment

During lockdown we’ve all had to adapt our home to make it multifunctional. Many workers are now taking meetings at their dining table, the spare room is now an office, and our homes are basically now where we do EVERYTHING. Work, play, teach, relax and workout.

One of the fantastic things about heading to the yoga studio is that the mood, the vibe, the ambience, the temperature – it’s all taken care of for you to ensure you have the perfect environment for your yoga practice. It’s a little slice of tranquility away from your everyday life where you can focus on yourself. But we haven’t been able to have much of that during the past year or so.

We’re thrilled so many of you have taken part in our online yoga classes and to say a massive thank you we wanted to share our tips on how to create the perfect at home yoga environment. Enjoy!

Find space

You ideally need to find a space that is wide enough for maneuvering around your mat. You need a space that’s free of clutter and where you feel free to move around without fear of knocking something over.

Calm your space

A light coloured wall gives off a calming effect compared to extremely dark coloured walls – so if you can find a calming light space, great! Plain walls also work better than patterned, busy walls as you don’t want to be easily distracted. It’s best to find a space where you’re not going to be disturbed by a family member or a pet – if you can find somewhere that is just for you it will be perfect.

Clean your space

Once you’ve found your sacred space for your at home yoga practice, make sure you keep it clean and mess free. Keep the ground or any surrounding tables free of dust and clutter to create good, positive and mindful energy that will inform your practice.

Scent your space

Aromatherapy and scents can play a huge role in your yoga practice and the use of natural essential oils can have many beneficial and therapeutic effects. Different aromatherapy oils can have different effects so be mindful of which ones you choose. For example, lavender helps us destress and unwind while lemon energises the body and mind.

Personalise your space

At the end of the day, when you’re doing online yoga classes, your home space has to work for you. So these are only our suggestions and we of course advise you to create a space that you enjoy practicing yoga in!

15 February 2021

5 Reasons Why A Yoga Retreat Should Be Your Next Holiday

Although we may be a little biased, we truly believe yoga retreats are one of the most exciting, rewarding and enjoyable holidays you can take. Here are five reasons a yoga retreat should be your next holiday…

You can take the time to focus on yourself

A yoga holiday gives you the time and opportunity to truly reflect on yourself and your own needs. You are not beholden to anyone else. When you’re on a yoga retreat, you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s wants and needs. Not your boss, not your friends and family, not even your pets. You can allow yourself to be selfish on a yoga holiday – something that is mostly frowned upon within our regular day-to-day lives. But there’s nothing wrong with being a little selfish every now and then. On a yoga retreat you immerse yourself in an experience that is designed to connect you with yourself and fulfill you – and we all need that sometimes.

Yoga retreats are more than just physical journeys

A yoga retreat is more than just getting away from the office and your home. It’s a spiritual journey as well as a physical one. Practising yoga a few times a week in a studio or in your home is fantastic, but after the hour is up, you’re straight back to your regular life. A yoga retreat gives you the opportunity to extend this experience and sustain its benefits. And by exploring what’s inside yourself and forming a deeper connection with your authentic self, it affords you the chance to connect more deeply and directly with your surroundings.

You join a community

Yoga holidays are very personal experiences where you get to connect with yourself, just you and your mat. However, you also get to join a community that is all seeking the same balance and fulfilment as you. During a yoga retreat you can connect and share experiences, helping each other process a little more. It’s a powerful force when people come together in the name of balance and wellness.

It acts as a long-term reset

A holiday is a great little break when you can relax and unwind. But for many, once they’re back to regular life, the benefits of a holiday are easily forgotten and it feels like you never went away! Yoga holidays are different. During your yoga retreat you develop techniques that you are more likely to continue to apply; helping you shift your way of thinking and giving you a long-term reset that you carry with you through life.

You’ll fall further in love with yoga

You think you love yoga now? Just wait until you’ve been on a yoga retreat. Yoga focused holidays allow you to fall deeper in love with yoga and it’s something that you’ll take with you when you’re back in the studio or practising at home. Yoga retreats give you the time and space to focus on what you love most about yoga and we guarantee you’ll leave with a feeling you’ve never had before.

Why choose a YogaLife yoga retreat?

When you come along on a YogaLife retreat you not only get to experience yoga teachers of the highest calibre but also highly qualified and experienced personal trainers. 

We know physical and mental health go hand in hand so whilst you’re on the retreat you’ll be served up nutritious and of course delicious food crafted by expert chefs and nutritionists. That way you’re set up perfectly for a day of yoga and you can replenish your energy at the end of the day.

One of the unique things about our yoga retreats is that we provide inner cell health checks on every single trip.

At YogaLife we are focused on supporting you, which is why we can confidently offer you a safe and worry-free yoga holiday, with booking flexibility and COVID measures in place.

8 February 2021

Staying active while working from home

 There are many advantages to working from home. No daily commute, sweatpants every day, time with your dog and just a better work/life balance in general. But one of the disadvantages is that it’s only too easy to stop being active. Staying active while working from home is so important for our physical and mental wellbeing, and if you’ve been struggling with it, here are our top tips to keep you moving.

Get into a routine

Outlining a routine that includes your regular exercise will help you stay active. Planning ahead and creating a set time will make it a non-negotiable and will make sure you actually have time to get in some activity.

Use what you have at home

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have lots of fancy gym equipment. You can do bodyweight training such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats that will still be beneficial to you. And if you want to up the weight go to the kitchen and grab a bag of sugar or some tins!

Move every hour

It’s not good to sit down for long periods of time but it’s really easy to do if you’ve got settled comfortably on the sofa and you’re concentrating on work. Before you know it it’s been 4 hours and you haven’t moved a muscle! While you might get a lot of work done this way, it can put you at increased risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure – plus burnout! Make sure you get up and move every hour. Set a timer to remind you!

Use your lunch hour to get outside

It’s important whilst you’re working from home to take breaks and that includes a full lunch hour. Why not use this time to get a little fresh air and a walk in? If you have any parks or green spaces near your home even better!

Take advantage of online classes

The digital age has given us access to so many opportunities during this lockdown period and one of those things is a variety of online classes. Whatever you enjoy doing, yoga, HIIT, weight training and whatever your ability, you’ll find the class for you online. So while you might not be able to get to the gym, you can still do what you enjoy with the help of an instructor. We’re running online yoga classes whilst our studios are closed and we’ve had such a fantastic response so far. Plus, it’s been lovely to have some interaction with our regular yogis and it’s been fabulous seeing so many new people join!

 

20 January 2020

Why Yoga Retreats are Perfect for Solo Travelers

Whether you’re a seasoned solo traveler or it’s your first time going solo, a holiday on your own can be a bit daunting. But it can also be so rewarding! If you’re thinking about taking a solo trip, you can’t choose a more perfect holiday than a yoga retreat. Here’s why:

You won’t be the only solo traveller there

Some people may feel self-conscious about the idea of travelling alone but many people attend yoga retreats by themselves so you’re unlikely to be the only one. The nature of yoga retreats attracts solo travellers and they’re designed to appeal to those looking for a solo trip.

You can make the trip your own

One of the great things about travelling by yourself is that you don’t have to consider what anyone else wants to do! Sometimes it’s good to be selfish. Yoga retreats have an itinerary available but byou can pick and choose what you want to do and you don’t have to coordinate with anyone else – your trip is just that. Your trip.

You can meet new friends

With so many other like-minded people on your yoga retreat, you can meet people with similar interests and world views and bond over your shared perspectives. A yoga retreat is the ideal holiday to form friendships that may last the length of your trip, or may last longer!

Everything is planned for you

One of the most stressful aspects of travelling solo is having to plan everything out by yourself. But the great thing about yoga retreats is that everything is planned for you! When you book your place you can relax knowing that your accommodation, flights and excursion is sorted out on your behalf. Even your food is taken care of! All you need to do is show up and enjoy your retreat.

Our main aim of the Yogalife worldwide yoga retreats is to bring amazing people together to some of the most unique and beautiful venues around the world; all whilst trying to change lives! Contact us to find out more information about any one of our fabulous retreats.

 

18 January 2020

Mindfulness Tips During Lockdown

Lockdown restrictions have taken their toll on everybody. And as the whole of the UK is currently in the midst of their second full lockdown, people are having to adjust to the “new normal.’ With that in mind, it’s only natural to experience ups and downs and whilst there’s no “right” way to feel, there are some things we can do for our own physical and mental health during this time.

Here are our top tips for staying mindful during lockdown:

Try and stick to a routine

Many of us are currently working from home, and whilst there are some definitive perks to that, a lack of commute and no shop bought sandwiches for lunch to name a few, it can also take a toll on our mental health. Whilst working from home it’s so important to stick to some sort of routine. Get up at the same time everyday, change out of your pjs and take regular breaks. Just like you would in the office. And remember to set boundaries about working times. Just because you work until 5pm at the dining table doesn’t mean you need to respond to work emails whilst you’re eating your dinner.

If you’re not currently working, having a routine can add some structure and purpose to your day.

Limit social media and screen time

In this day and age it can feel like we’re glued to our screens, and with not much else to do during lockdown, the amount of time we spend looking at our phones and scrolling social media is going up. But this is known to have a detrimental effect on our mental health. Try to limit the amount of time you spend looking at your screen and instead fill your time with other activities. You don’t have to learn a new skill and there’s no pressure to be as productive as possible during this time. Although if you want to that’s fine! But simply having a bath, reading a book, playing a game with someone in your household, listening to music or doing a little meditation practice. 

Practice mindful eating

Because we’re at home a lot more it can be really easy to fall into the habit of mindless eating. Especially being in such close proximity to the kitchen! Now we’re not telling you to go on a diet, that’s far from what we’re saying. But mindless snacking when we’re bored or sad isn’t the best way to enjoy food and can leave us feeling bloated and lethargic. Take the time out to cook healthy and nutritious food and meals that you truly enjoy, savouring them as you eat. And of course if you want to eat something “unhealthy” that’s okay too – but try to stay away from absent minded snacking.

Get moving

A little bit of exercise every single day can do wonders for the mind and body. Exercise can lift your mood and just get the blood flowing to keep us energised. Exercise doesn’t have to be an intense HIIT workout (but if that’s what you like go for it!) it can be something as gentle as a 30 minute stroll around your local park. As we’re only really permitted to exercise outside once per day, it’s worth looking into what online classes are available to you.

Whilst our yoga studios are sadly closed, we’re doing online yoga classes that you can do from home. We’re offering a full online timetable with over 20 classes a week to help strengthen your body and calm your mind during this difficult time. Whilst we love seeing you face to face the great thing about our online yoga classes is that there’s absolutely no pressure, so even if you’re not feeling great you can join in without having to leave your home.