Hello beautiful momma.

Do you know this moment, when you could finally put your toddler down for a nap, you unroll your mat, sit down, take a deep breath and then you hear. . .“MOMMY“!

This is the moment where your mind will probably goes: Oh great. That`s it for today! BUT don`t roll your mat up just yet, mama! Because it just means you can`t practice alone. But you can practice together even if this means you have to minimize or adjust your practice according to your toddler. And if you allow them to anticipate, I promise you will be amazed on how much you can actually do TOGETHER. Further you aid their natural development of movement and increase their own body awareness while you bond with your child on a whole new level. Allowing them to join your practice is also the best way to cultivate their own mindfulness as well promote an active lifestyle from early days on.

And here are tons of more reasons WHY you should go for it:

• reduce anxiety
• improve digestion
• promote better sleep
• boost immune system
• turn fussiness into happiness
• increase neuromuscular development
• cultivate self-esteem and positive body image
• reduce stress and develop solutions with relaxation techniques

How our brain works..

Brain cells do not form neural pathways until they are exposed to environmental stimuli. Stimuli get absorbed through our senses and are then further transmitted to our brain. So each and every experience – if its either listening to music, smelling on a flower, tasting some fruit or playing with sand– all of it stimulates our brain and gives the order to connect with more brain cells and that is how we form new pathways.

Yoga is a conscious movement linked to breath which means it taps right into the sensory-motor system and encourages the brain to build up more connections and bridges every time we practice. That is why it`s so necessary that kids are allowed to move while they are learning because that`s just the natural way of how our brain works. And I remembered I did it all the time. Every time I had to learn a poem or vocabulary the first thing I did was sitting on our swing in the backyard rocking back and forth while repeating the words I had to learn. So in a perfect world schools would encourage the children to move during or after each class.

Since Maya got my most regular student (or better said I got hers) I thought I am going to share a bit of how we like to practice. But consider that this is a simple suggestion. And mostly keep in mind that EVERY DAY IS DIFFERENT. What makes fun on monday can be gone on tuesday. So go with the flow and trust your tot they sure know what they are doing 🙂 All YOU need to do is giving them your time and full presence. 

Rule #1 NEVER ever force them into doing something they feel not ready to do. Never ever. Allow them to play around, experiment or to simply watch. Allow them to have fun and you will too. 

Breath work

First start with doing some breathing exercises. Seriously every one can do this, even your little toddler. We just need to find a way to make it accessible for them. 

• The bee sound: Take a deep breath in and on your exhale start humming like a bee.
• The ballon breath: Imagine your belly is a big ballon. So slowly blow up the ballon on your inhale and slowly deflate the ballon on your exhale. You may want to practice this in a laying down position so they are able to feel their belly rising and falling. They can also put their tiny hands on your belly when you practice your breathing.

Warm up

I like to begin with some gentle stretches and often combine it with a bit of massage. At the beginning it was mostly me massaging her but nowadays she is also very eager to give some back, so enjoy your treat momma 😉 I also bring in some songs which we team up with easy body movement. Ideal songs for that are: Head shoulders knees & toes and the wheels on the bus.

Down Dog & Push-ups

I love to do my down dogs since I have the feeling I can stretch my whole body with one single pose. Down dog is also somehow the first yoga pose little kids catch up on and immediately try to copy. Every time Maya sees me doing one she jumps right into it either next to me or below me. Or she simply uses my down dog as a little bridge to crawl underneath. We sprinkle this pose all over our day – in between cooking, dancing or after napping.

To get a bit of an extra work out on some days I implement some yoga push ups into my down dogs. Mostly Maya crawls right underneath, resting on her back, her little cheeky smile facing me and waiting for her nose to nose rubs every time I push down to the mat. 

Easy Cobra

Lay on your belly with your bellybutton still touching the ground. Have your elbows bent and aligned with your shoulders. Your legs are straight and engaged which means the top of your feet press into the mat.  Press your palms on to the ground while pushing your chest forward. Your shoulders release and push away from your ears towards the floor. Allow your little partner in crime to sit on top of your sacrum (lower back) and maybe you even get a bit of a shoulder rub.

Bow pose

Back strengthening got really important to me especially since having a kiddo. With all the holding, lifting and carrying of my precious baby girl I often forget about my own posture so bow pose is a good one to refer to. It opens your chest while at the same time strengthens your arms, shoulders and upper back. 

Begin on your belly, bend both knees and try to grab the outside of your feet. Take a deep breath in, push into your hands and lift up. Imagine you move your chest forward. If this is not accessible for your (yet) use a strap around your feet.

Childs pose 

This is an amazing restorative posture even more with a toddler on your back. 

Begin seated on your heels, take a deep breath in and on your exhale fold. Your hands relaxed next to your legs or straight forward. Allow your knees to open and your back to naturally round. Imagine you are a rock, a turtle or a shell. All bundled up cozy and safe. 

If your little one decides to climb up onto your back, smile and enjoy. Since that extra weight gives you the opportunity to have a really nice adjustment for your hips.

Foreward fold

An ideal way to stretch your legs while having some toe to toe contact. We like to sing a long to “ row row row the boat“ to integrate some more movement in our upper body and of course to make it more fun.

Flying baby

This is her all time favorite pose. While she keeps flying up and down I can work on my core. So it`s a win win. 

Lay on your back with your knees bent and then allow them to hop on to your chins. Take a deep breath in, engage your abdomen and lift your legs away from the ground.

Just remember to really pull your navel towards the ground during the whole exercise. It feels like your navel goes in towards your spine and your hips move up and away. This action is necessary to prevent your lower back from getting injured! 

Boat pose

This pose allows you to work even more on strengthening your abdominal muscles.

Find balance on your sitting bones with your feet on the ground. Invite your little one to have a seat in the boat aka on top of your hips. Take a deep breath in, pull your navel in and lift your legs off the ground. Have your spine straight (your head pulls up) and your chins parallel to the floor.  Take a couple of deep breaths while keeping your core engaged, exhale and slowly release.

Savasana

Best pose ever. And on busy days this is often all we do. Maya still loves to lay on my chest, her heartbeat against mine. It instantly calms her down when she feels fuzzy or overly tired. And in this moment I am not sure who is enjoying it more.  

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The season I truly miss since living in the tropics, is autumn. When I put on my boots and trudge through streets, colorful wrapped in leaves of all shapes and sizes. The time when I crave to wear my rain coat and jump in every puddle I see. Thinking of this season I also want to soak in my bathtub, sip hot tea and warm my feet in front of the fire place. So to hover in this feeling of coziness, I made this delicious recipe which I love and I am sure you will too  (if you like pumpkins).

All you need

1 cup of pumpkin puree

1/3 cup of coconut sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 1/4 cup of water

What to do with it

Combine all the ingredients and put them in a pot.

Bring to simmer over medium heat.

Keep stirring to prevent the syrup from burning. 

When the texture gets thicker and begins to coat the spoon (after about 10-15 mins) remove from it from the heat. 

Pour it into a container (mason jar) and let it cool down.

Then refrigerate and take out whenever you need it. Lasts up to a week (not with me though) 

How to use it

Spread it on to your toast, pancakes or add it to your coffee (seriously, this is so yum!)

Here my recipe on how to make the perfect Pumpkin Spiced Latte:

Take 1-2 tbsp of Syrup (depending on how much flavor you wanna give your coffee) and mix it with 1 cup of nut milk. You can simply combine it with a frother or put in a blender. Then pour it in a mug and top it with coffee. Add some whipped cream or milk foam and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy with good company or alone with a book!

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ting intentions. This is a really wonderful tradition, through out the year. Still, at the very last day of the year everything seems to get more meaning. We are more sentimental about our dreams and wishes and everything seems to suddenly be possible which brings a very special energy with it. The feeling of a clean slate, a fresh start. The feeling we can start over with whatever feels not right. But maybe it`s also the realization that time is moving faster than we think. Maybe we still find ourselves in the same space we already wanted to change for so long. So here is your time. Make use of this transition. 2018 as another shot, a different opportunity to create the life you truly wanna live in. Even if I think we shouldn`t wait all the way towards the end to perform this action. Further more seeing every day like this. A new sunrise. A new wake up. A new chance.

I love making lists and always have. But sometimes I tend to be too perfectionist in things that doesn`t really matter. So here is my raw and unfiltered version of intentions for this upcoming year. With all the BIG and small things. I mainly copied them out of my journal so here we go:

(SELF) Love

Ditching perfectionism (because who cares at the end)

Accepting what I cannot change (and working around it)

Letting go of what drains me (less screen time, less energy suckers)

Being more patient (one step at a time; fits to the point below)

Trusting that everything comes to me to the right time

Getting Maya to sleep in her own bed, the whole night (this is a big one; since this not just effects my sleep but also cuddles with hubby)

Being kind (connected to the point above; since I can`t think straight and get moody when I am overly tired which mostly effects Chris. And since he is the last person I wanna be moody to, I definitely have to work on this one!)

Health

Going fully vegan! (mastering the last 10%)

Healing my histamine intolerance (after struggling with skin rashes for the past 4 years, always on and off)

Wearing my retainer more (yes you heard me right)

Sweating DAILY (whatever my mom schedule allows. And if its only sweating at the pool)

More jungle time (even if we are living in the tropics since the nearly last 7 years, there is also a lot of AC and haze involved. So finding fresh air is hard. But this year I am working against it. Green it is)

Practicing more self love (Constantly telling myself I can do better. Now starting to tell myself what I have already achieved) 

Getting back my strength (1 minute Handstand, Pincha into Scorpion, Wheel Backdrop)

Meditation!

Work

New look for yogalove (more projects coming up!)

Mastering my graduation in holistic Nutrition

Doing my 300hrs YTT

Holding a Yoga Workshop (somewhere in between)

Living 

Backing my own bread

Avoiding plastic as much as possible (this is hard in Asia!!!)

Organizing a raw food backing class

Attending a Makramee workshop

Learning how to properly braid hair (not just for the sake of Maya`s fast growing hair)

Traveling to Vietnam, Bali (Nusa Penida & Nusa Lembongan) and Australia

So how to manifest your goals? As you see I break them down into 4 categories: (Self) Love, Health (Wellbeing), Work and Living (which includes hobbies like traveling and things I want to try). This is simply a suggestion and can look totally different with you. So whatever floats your boat 😉 

Step 1: Buy a pretty journal which rocks your vibes. Maybe even some new fancy pens which make you feel like you want to fill your journal right away.

Step 2: Set a goal. Make a clear wording when you write it down. You must be clear about your intention. If not the energy doesn´t know where to go.

Step 3: Visualize. Meditate on it. Imagine the outcome of your desire like it had already happened.

Step 4: Believe. The universe has our back. Once you are clear about what you want, let it go and trust that it has been taken care of.

Step 5: Affirm. Repeat it every day. Make little notes around your house, which should remind you of your goal.

Step 6: Gratitude & Patience. Is the key to success. Start to feel grateful for everything you already have. We attract what we put out there. So stay positive and open to receive.

I hope this could inspire you to do your own journal as a step closer to your dreams. Happy journaling! 

yours, 

Lisa

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My absolute favorite right now. Especially during the rainy season which is the only kind of winter you get here in Malaysia. My first Tumeric Latte I had years back in a tiny little Coffee shop in Bali.. since then it got me. But not just me it seems. More and more this ancient recipe conquers the coffee shops all over the world.

In Southeast Asia Tumeric is long known as THE go to remedy to fight cold and other virus infections due to its high amount of antioxidants. But next to that there are some other great benefits to this little yellow (staining!) root:

♥ Anti-inflammatory 

♥ Lowers blood glucose level

♥ Uplifts your mood

♥ Makes you sleepy

All you need is:

1 cup of almond milk ( I was out of almond milk so soy is a good alternative)

1-2 tsp coconut sugar or honey

1/2 tbsp coconut oil (to soluble the curcumin)

1/2 tsp tumeric powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp ginger powder

A pinch of vanilla

A pinch of black pepper (to support absorption of the curcumin) 

What to do:

Slowly warm the almond milk on the stove.

Then add the rest of the ingredients.

Froth it up well.

Enjoy!

TIPP: In need of a kickstart? Then turn the effect around and add a shot in your coffee! Tastes delicious!

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This topic is on my mind for quite a while now. Maybe because its an issue I am still struggling with on a daily basis. The difficulty of asking for help. But why is that so? Why does it feel so damn hard to ask for support? 

And are WE giving enough support for those around us? Or are we too busy and tangled up in our own stories that we might not even recognize when something or someone needs our attention. Everything needs to be in balance. But why does it then sometimes feel easier to give then to accept? Thinking about it now, I guess I declined help nearly every single day for the whole last week. And by that I mean, help which was even offered freely without asking for it. So here some examples: 

Monday. Chris offered me to rock Maya back to sleep during night time, when I was feeling sick and totally out of my power. My reaction to it: No I think I have to rock her, since she might not fall back to sleep or it might take even longer (even if this would have been the case, why didn`t I give it a shot. Instead I was stubborn, played the mommy card aka I know it better while at the same time gave away my opportunity to get some extra rest. Pretty smart.)

Tuesday. I was walking over to the supermarket when a young man offered me to carry the stroller over the stairs. My reaction to it: Very kind, but thank you I got this (I stumbled fully out of breath)

Wednesday. Shopping again. With the baby strapped around my waist. When the security guard offered me to carry my bags to the car. My reaction: Oh that`s very thoughtful, but I think I can handle it. They aren`t that heavy (oh yeah they were)

Thursday. A friend wanted to invite me for coffee when I said: Oh you don`t have to. I already have the money ready (oh what an excuse)

Friday.There must be somehting?! 

Saturday. Chris offered me to give me some ME time to swim or go running. My reaction: Thank you, really appreciate it but I stay with you guys (even if it would have been so needed. Still asking myself why I rejected that one?! )

So replaying this week in my head, lots of questions pop up. When did we start seeing ourself so seperated from the rest of the world and think we have to carry (literally) everything by ourself? Why do we always think asking for it make us look weak? Are we afraid that people might think we can`t handle it by ourself? That we are not strong enough? And why do we automatically assume we bother someone if we ask for a hand? Years and years back this wasn`t the case. And in some countries it`s still not. People living together in villages, communities, tribes.. and EVERYONE is participating in raising the children. The grandma, the aunty, the neighbour, ..  maybe that`s where the saying is coming from: It needs a whole village to raise a child! I don`t know, but I do know that its tiring to constantly keep up this facade of being perfect and that I have everything under control. I don`t. And I think nobody does. I think we are just people trying to do our best. And having that in mind, that EVERYONE feels the same, I think it`s completely okay to help each other out. To feel and support one another. To give a hand to a loved one or even a stranger who might be to afraid to ask for it. And being open and present to what`s happening around us, to be able to see where help is needed in the first place. But also allowing and ACCEPTING HELP when it comes along OUR WAY. And also remind ourselves how good it feels to be needed and to have a positive impact on somebody else`s life. Maybe then we are even able to accept help with gratitude rather then aversion and maybe even reply: Oh thank you! That`s exactly what I needed! 

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Been a little absent in the last weeks. Not just on social media but also in my day to day life. Dealing with some uncertainty about our future plans, makes my mind feeling occupied and muzzy. Exhausted from all the overthinking. Unsolved issues make me more nervous these days then they used to. Craving definitely for more for safety and structure than just two years back. Weird how things change when you become a mom.

In times like this, I am craving for yoga (inner peace!!) even more. So normally I would sit more than just once a day on my mat, burn sage, light up candles and take out my angel tarot cards. But now, every time I wanted to step on my mat, there was something more important coming up (at least I thought so). Something else to do or to finish before my mind felt ready (allowed me) to relax. But by the end of whatever I was doing, either Maya woke up, the postman rang the door, somebody called or anything else happened (because it always does!). So by the end of the day I actually never made it to my mat! And since every time I don’t listen to my guts I get a little universal wink. And also yesterday. So while bouncing Maya to sleep, suddenly and totally out of the blue something in my right groin snapped. And from one moment to the other I could not move my right leg anymore. So there I was, carrying a sleeping baby while having this intense pain where i couldn’t even bare the weight of my right big toe touching the ground. The pain was so intense and sharp that I was afraid to drop my little baby. Not being able to move back or forth I felt kind of paralyzed but still somehow managed to hop over to the cot and put her in (luckily still asleep). I sat down on the bed and then reached for my yoga mat (one always beside my bed). I slowly and on all four settled down into childs pose (hardest thing ever) and immediately understood that this was the universal way of telling me forcefully to finally STOP and get the hell on to my mat! I hugged my knees into my chest while repeating the prayer I surrender and let go. Whatever is out of my hands, whatever I can’t control, I let go. I accept where I am right now and trust that the universe has already a plan layed out for me. Wherever that brings me, I surrender.

By then, I already forgot about time. I think I stayed there at least for about 20-30 minutes. As I tried to move again I could feel how my right side already softened a bit. It wasn’t completely gone but I could at least put some pressure on my leg. Long story short: sometimes all we need is to accept. To surrender. To let go of whatever we think is so important and make time for the REAL stuff. And sometimes this might be just one deep breath. A hug. Or a cup of tea. Listening to the inner voice which so often gets ignored by our mind. And to trust that every thing is going to be okay. At the end it ever will. This little story also proofs what I have experienced so many times in my therapy work, that our physical and emotional pain is NOT separated! Our body is ONE with all its layers. 

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