Hello! Welcome to our Yamala Yoga Monthly Newsletter for October.
Some exciting news to start this newsletter off – one half of Yamala Yoga is expecting a baby in early March! Little yogi Henry & his mumma are very excited to get a little cousin & niece /nephew in 2019 🙂 As such, Meg will start winding down her yoga practice over the coming months, but will continue to teach our Tuesday night classes for term 4. Our Term 1, 2019 Tuesday yoga will take a little break so that she has time to welcome the little one, but if all goes well she plans to be back teaching again for Term 2, 2019. We will keep you updated via email in the new year regarding this anyway.
Weekend Yoga Classes! Are you or your family/friends interested in weekend yoga classes at Paddington? For Term 4, we are willing to start these up again however we won’t lock anything in until we get the numbers. So, if you are interested in a weekend yoga class (suitable to all ages and levels!) please send us an email with your preferred time and we will see what we can do. If we don’t hear back from anyone we will assume you are busy little things with loaded weekends 😉
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✽ General Yoga at the Paddington Annexe, Paddington. Our classic Yamala Yoga style class with plenty of flows, deep stretches and meditation suitable for everyone (including beginners, children and advanced yogis!). Casual Classes are $15 or $100 for a 10 Class Pass. Please note that these classes run in conjunction with the state school term.
- Tuesday evenings @ 6:15-7:00pm
✽ Mums & Bubs Yoga at Soul Pantry, 31 Wolverhampton St Stafford: Each Wednesday @ 9:30am-10:15am are a real treat! Prices for the Mums & Bubs Yoga is only $5!! Practice yoga in the gorgeous surrounds of Soul Pantry, as your little one plays with our gorgeous babysitter (Meg) and the other kiddies OR get them involved with the stretches. Tell all your friends, kids from 0-5 years old welcome. It’s a lovely class, with coffee and chats to follow at the Soul Pantry Cafe. **Onsite Parking available.
Just a reminder that unfortunately we don’t have eftpos facilities available at this time. So please remember to bring cash or do a bank transfer for your passes. Just ask us for bank details if you don’t have them already.
THIS MONTH’S TOP STORIES
Easy ways to work a little more Gratitude into your life.
No matter who you are, how much you have to be grateful for or how positive you tend to be- it never hurts to introduce a little more gratitude into your life each day. Sadly negativity is just too easy for most of us, so practicing gratitude can be really difficult. Some psychologists believe that our human brain is actually hardwired for negativity (anticipating danger is actually what kept our species from dying out over the years!) So even though life is much easier now that it once was back in the past (for the majority of us anyway), practicing gratitude and positive thinking really doesn’t come naturally for us.
If negativity comes naturally to you, don’t go beating yourself up over it! I mean, heck. My life is pretty damn awesome- but I still need to remind myself daily to work a little more gratitude in my life. Why? Because there is always something to worry about. Remember….evolution screwed us on the whole staying positive thing. Gah!
Here are some easy ways to incorporate a little more gratitude into your day.
- Keep a Gratitude diary.
Setting aside 5-10 mins before bed to write down what you are thankful for is one of the easiest ways to cultivate more gratitude in your life. I get it. Sometimes flopping to some Netflix before bed is just too easy. But I promise…..even just every other day of journaling either in the morning or at night is going to do wonders! - Aim to live in the moment.
Ok. This one is a little more tricky. We so often get caught up in what should have happened in the past or what we want to happen in the future. Try to engage your senses next time you find your mind escaping the here and now. Try to find something in your present situation that you are grateful for. - Remember the bad times.
So it might seem a little counterintuitive….but if you remember those shitty times in your life and how you overcome them. Boom. You have something wonderful to be grateful for. - Make time for the favorite people in your life.
It’s simple. If you want to live a more grateful life, spend quality time with those that you love. - Make exercise a habit.
This one makes a whole lot of sense to us too! Physical fitness and gratitude are linked, and it’s no wonder. People who practice gratitude exercise more than those who don’t and they are more likely to suffer from any dietary restrictions and substance abuse issues (because you love yourself and your life!). So try to find some exercise that works for you, and try to either take it outdoors or really focus on spending some quality time with mother nature. - Aim to think about what you have, not what you want.
Another pretty obvious one, but one that we so often forget. There is so much pressure in life to have more and be more these days. But you know what?! There is nothing wrong being being content, while working towards what you want. “The happiest people are those who are content with what they currently have, not with what they lack.”. Try focusing on all the good stuff in your life instead of berating yourself for not being where you think you should be (either professionally, personally or financially). - Focus on the small things.
So you might not be where you want in life. You might have had a terrible breakup, or you are just in a bit of a funk. Focusing on and enjoying the little things in your life are really going to help boost your mood. If it’s pizza on a Friday night with your sister. Or a nice walk at sunset. Whatever it is, enjoy it. - Don’t forget to say thanks.
To the barista who made your morning coffee. To your friend who messaged you to see how you are doing. Saying thanks out loud to people in your day is a sure fire way to help you on your way to becoming more aware and more grateful for what’s in your life.
Something a little extra….
Easy & Delicious Chia Pudding
It’s spring time and that means delicious breakfasts that keep you going and taste like heaven! So, here is one of our favourite breakfast (or snack!) ideas to use those beautiful berries that are in season RIGHT NOW! This particular recipe comes from https://www.eatingbirdfood.com (sounds healthy!!)
Ingredients:
- 6 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut, almond or cashew milk.
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup, honey or sweetener of choice (optional)
- blueberries and strawberries, for topping.
Method:
In a bowl or jar, mix chia seeds, milk, maple syrup and vanilla. If you’re using a jar, you can make it easy by shaking to mix!
Once the chia pudding mixture is well combined, let it sit for 5 minutes, give it another stir/shake to break up any clumps of chia seeds, cover and put the mixture in the fridge to “set” for 1-2 hours or overnight. The chia pudding should be nice and thick, not liquidy. If it’s not thick, just add more chia seeds, stir and refrigerate for another 30 minutes or so.
Our favourite thing to do (and also a massive time-saver in the morning!) is to prep the pudding the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, divide the mixture between two bowls (or take it to work in a little jar!), top the pudding with berries and enjoy.
*Note: You can make this your OWN by adding flavours that you LOVE! Think cacao powder for a chocolatey way to start the day, or add peanut butter for an extra protein boost! Also great with yoghurt on top, or you can even mix the berries through to make it a super berry breakfast. Go crazy!♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
❝It’s not about being good at something. It’s about being good to yourself.”- Unknown.