Yoga for Mindfulness & Wellbeing

Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash

When I truly began to take an interest in the environment and about the things that I could change in my life that would have less of an impact on the earth, I felt as if I needed more focus. It was as if I couldn’t fully invest myself in the present moment, as my mind was busy with a traffic jam of thoughts. It was chaos in there.

In order to become more focused, I began exercising regularly and eating well. A while ago, I ended up beginning a two hour daily commute for work. I allowed myself to fall into a habit of neglecting exercise and not eating as well as I should have. When I would return home from work I would make up excuses as to why I wouldn’t exercise, blaming the commute for how tired I felt, instead opting to lie on the couch, munching on treats and indulging in mindless tv.

Realistically, it was when lockdown occurred that I took a step back and wondered what I had been doing for a year. I had been treating my job as if it was the only thing that mattered, as if it was on a pedestal above all else. I would tire myself out in work, and even further on the commute home. At no stage did I even consider that my physical and mental health might be suffering, the two being interlinked. When Covid happened, even though I was still working as normal, I realised it was imperative that I make some changes in my life. These didn’t need to be changes that required a massive commitment, but ones that I could insert easily into my lifestyle and daily routine and that I wouldn’t dread doing.

I began by going on a 20-30 minute run after work nearby my home, in order to increase my energy levels for the rest of the night after the commute. I soon realised how unfit I had become, which actually motivated me to increase my fitness level. Feeling very adventurous, after a week or so, I introduced a 20 minute daily yoga session. Since beginning my yoga journey, I feel much more focused, clear-minded and calm. I am definitely a person who gets stressed quite easily, so I find that practicing yoga definitely helps me.

My experience with yoga has been a positive one. After time, you’ll become much more flexible and at ease during your yoga practice. At the beginning, I was stretching in ways I never thought possible. My utter confusion at being instructed to go into the ‘downward facing dog’ was no doubt plastered across my face (luckily nobody was present to see). I soon learned that ‘child’s pose’ would be my favourite (my inner laziness strikes again).

When beginning my yoga journey, I was lucky enough to have stumbled across Boho Beautiful – a yoga channel on Youtube which is perfect for beginner yogi’s and which is free and accessible here. Juliana is a wonderful yoga and meditation teacher and her practices are incredibly relaxing and peaceful. I’ve tried numerous yoga channels on Youtube, with this one being by far my favourite.

If you haven’t already introduced yoga into your daily routine, I promise that you can only benefit from doing so. All you need is yourself, a yoga mat and 20 minutes out of your day. A small commitment for something that’s both good for your body and mind.

Namaste ❤

Homemade Dry Shampoo

Hi All,

Beauty related post incoming!

I am definitely impartial to buying an array of hair care and beauty products. However, after realising just how much dry shampoo I was getting through each week, I decided to make a small change which would significantly reduce the amount of packaging waste I was creating. Not only that, but I would also be using a natural hair product which would be of benefit to both myself and the environment.

This eco-friendly, natural dry shampoo can be made using a mixture of 3 parts cornflour to 1 part cocoa powder. It’s incredibly effective, cheap and sustainable. I apply mine to dark coloured hair at the root, with an old make-up brush. For light coloured hair, just cornflour by itself works a treat. I store mine in a glass jar that I’ve reused, with a bow (because it’s cute). I also have a very small jar that I fill with the dry shampoo to take with me whenever I’m travelling. I generally make a large jar once every 2-3 months. This is definitely a positive change, as I used to get through at least one tin of dry shampoo per week. Plus, smelling like cocoa powder is a dream!

Please see cute jar attached. 🙂

Much love,

Loren x

 

Reusable Cups & Water Bottles

Hi All,

Imagine the difference one human being could make by carrying around a reusable cup and water bottle when going about their daily life? Well, there’s no need to imagine, as this is possibly one of the easiest ways to reduce waste.

The most difficult part about this, is getting into the habit of remembering to bring your reusable cup and water bottle with you. However, once you get into the habit, it becomes a very natural action. On the odd day that you do manage to forget, it almost feels as if you’ve lost a limb.

By investing in a reusable cup and water bottle, not only will you be saving the planet, but you’ll also be saving quite a bit of money each week too. Many coffee shops offer a discount when you bring your own cup. When you combine that saving with the amount saved from wiping out the cost of bottled water, it really does add up.

As for how you will refill your bottled water, a website now exists for if you’re out and about and need a refill. This very convenient website will tell you the locations of refill points that surround you, via a ‘Tap Map’. Many of the refill points are that of local, eco-conscious businesses. This map can be accessed at refill.ie.

Soon, we’ll wonder how we ever survived without these essential everyday drinking vessels.

❤

Not only environmentally friendly but also bright and quirky.