By Nika Bosnic, for Summersalt Yoga

With the arrival of summertime (just a few more days until the summer officially begins!) we see different action plans popping up everywhere: diet, fitness detox plans, you name it.

I’ve never really been a fan of such plans because they would normally try to change your habits overnight and all at once. We’ve all done this. Waking up early, doing HIIT in the morning, meditating for 20 minutes, cutting out sugar completely, getting at least 8-hour sleep, etc. Let’s be honest, the plan lasted for a week or so before we switched back to our old and not-so-healthy habits.

So sticking to a habit can be difficult and we easily get disrupted because, hey, life keeps piling it on. And yet, for every problem, there is a solution and after every failure, there is a success.

So here it is, THE plan that will change your life, turn you into the best version of yourself, and leave you more self-confident and glowing inside-out than ever. Well, not really. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts when it comes to habits, and building new habits that will last more than a week (and that’s the goal, right?)takes time and determination. But the results are definitely rewarding.

The list that follows is basically just my favorite tips & tricks that I’ve learned on my way of trying and failing and that will hopefully give you the motivational boost. Please note that everyone is different. No one should follow my choices exactly — you’ve got to figure out what works for you the best but at least now you have certain guidelines that might help you through and make the whole process much easier.

That said, every plan needs RULES. So the rules for the “FEEL GOOD” Summer Action Plan are as follows:

1. Each day has a different focus or theme for you to remember and follow it easily.
2. It’s a 7-day plan. Wondering why? To focus and devote all your energy on one habit per day and then slowly adding new habits. I suggest to start on Monday (new week – new beginnings) and end on Sunday.
3. Write them down. Just telling ourselves, either loud or quietly, that we’re going to change isn’t enough. So I highly recommend to grab a list of paper or your phone and have suggestions written or even to set reminders for what the theme is each day.
4. Consistency is the key! Practice, practice, and again…practise. You don’t have to devote several hours a day to practice new habits, You can easily fit them into your usual everyday routine. And remember, if you are consistent, rewards will follow.

OK, so now we have the rules but you probably want to know the seven themes. Here they are, my suggestions to make a difference to your overall wellbeing, in my order of preference (yours of course may be different):

DAY ONE: LEMON to kick-start the day

Start your day with lemon water, apple cider vinegar, and warm water- then follow it with another glass of warm water before breakfast (ideally, 10-20 minutes before breakfast).

Drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning can help flush the digestive system and rehydrate the body.

DAY TWO: MINDFUL EATING

Before each meal today, take 5 deep breaths then chew your food well, trying to take in all the flavors. Stop eating when you are full and rather aim to have 3 main meals a day and healthy snacks in-between (such as fruits, nuts, yogurt with chia seeds, little hummus with carrots) if you are too hungry. Also, take time for your meals and don’t have distractions like your phone or the TV around you.

DAY THREE: CUT OFF THE SUGAR

OK, this one is difficult, but you can do it! Try not to have any unnecessary sugar from today until the end of the 7-day Plan. Instead, you can have fruits, dates, a handful of nuts, or some dark chocolate.

DAY FOUR: START MOVING

Challenge yourself by spending at least 30 minutes a day moving.

It can be either a walk in nature, switching your car with a bicycle for a change, trying that new dance class that your friend was telling you about, or trying one of pilates or yoga videos on YouTube. Options are limitless and I am sure each can find something for him/herself. This can be a nice opportunity to find out what really suits you and what doesn’t. For instance, Day 4 can be walking, on Day 5 you can add light running, Day 6 can be morning yoga flow and you may end the Plan with Day 7 doing a short strength training (check Nike Training App for ideas).

DAY FIVE: ME-TIME

Take time for yourself and do something you have always wanted to but had too little time for. Some suggestions: take a bath, visit old friends, read your favorite book again, indulge yourself with a fancy dinner, plan the next trip, or yoga retreat , whatever makes you happy.

DAY SIX: BEAUTY SLEEP

Strive to have at least 8-hour sleep. Do some stretching and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon or golden turmeric latte before sneaking into bed. Sleep tight!

DAY SEVEN: MIND JOURNAL

Take 5 minutes to write down how you feel after a week of developing the new habits. Was it difficult? Were you consistent? Take an extra 5 minutes to journal your wishes, goals, any thought you might have concerning new habits. Have you learn’t something new about yourself, were you surprised by something? Remember, there is no right or wrong answer, whatever feeling you have is OK. This might help you to set your goals and intentions for the future.

AND NOW?

Congratulations, you’ve finished the “FEEL GOOD” Summer Action Plan and you should be very proud of it. It may be a small step toward your goals but you’ve proven yourself that you CAN.  Bravo!

It’s up to you to decide how to continue. You can go on practicing the habits you’ve learned during the first week and slowly (once you are ready) adding new habits. It takes time for a habit to become a routine and for a routine to become a lifestyle. But it’s the journey, not the destination that matters!

The post The 7 day “FEEL GOOD” summer action plan appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

The winter is officially here and with it comes the colder weather, darker days, and the desire to hide and just sleep until the summer!

Naturally, winter is the time when you should take it slow, re-charge, and just be with yourself. However, do not confuse it with being sad or depressed!

According to Ayurveda, the dominant dosha of the winter season is kapha (it governs the structure of the body and has heavy, solid, slow qualities), but if you live in very cold climates vata dosha has also a very strong presence.

Thanks to the Ayurveda philosophy you can adjust your lifestyle, habits, and diet to suit the season. This way you can make winter much more accommodating and pleasant!

Lifestyle adjustments

In winter you need to keep both the winter kappa and winter vata doshas satisfied – the best to do so is to establish and keep up with a regular routine.

–  Get up and go to bed at the same time. According to Ayurveda, in winter it is okay to sleep in a little!

– Eat regular meals (each morning have a cup of warm water) at the same time and have regular patterns for work, exercise etc. as much as possible

–  Exercise and do some asana work. If you are not into yoga – do any kind of exercise, even if it’s following a Youtube video. However – don’t overdo it, be mindful, focus more on restorative poses.

– Do not overbook yourself (especially in the Christmas period!), enjoy the slower life, read, meditate, take long walks in nature. Do not feel bad for wanting to stay in.

– Get sun whenever possible – it is rare in winter and you need Vitamin D.

– Stay warm – wear warm clothes, socks, hat, cover your ears and neck to keep the vata and kapha. Try to avoid colds. According to Ayurveda – colds are actually kapha and vata disorders:  the body builds up an excess of cool and moist kapha qualities, resulting in congestion and a runny nose. At the same time the excess vata reduces the fire (agni) which leads to chills, loss of appetite, and poor digestion.

– Keep your vitamin C levels in check, drink hot water or herbal teas, use natural nose drops to minimize and relieve the nasal irritation.

– Moisturize. Vata imbalance can dry out the skin, so make sure you moisturize enough with oils or lotions.

Diet adjustments

Your digestive fire is strong in winter! It is cold and you need to keep your body warm and that’s why you are craving heartier, fattier foods. A lot too! The task here is to pacify the Kapha dosha and keep the data in control too.

Luckily, our bodies naturally know what they need, so it is not so hard to follow the guidelines.

– Add enough spices and herbs to your meals – they will keep the digestive fire burning and warm you up. There is a reason why we associate cinnamon or cardamom with winter! Try and find out what you like most – black pepper, cumin, rosemary, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, coriander… Don’t overdo it though, a little bit comes a long way!

– Focus on warm, cooked, oily meals that have balanced flavors of sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Root vegetables (in season in winter!) such as sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, radishes should be on your menu as they are heating and hearty. Add spinach or Swiss chard. Legumes are good but don’t overdo it and make sure they’re cooked well.

– Get more vitamin E (butter, and nuts, spinach, flaxseed, and sunflower oils) as well as vitamin C (cabbage, citrus, beetroot).

– Avoid cold drinks and focus and warm teas, warm water.

– Avoid astringent fruit – apples, pears, pomegranate or dried fruit as well as barley, corn, millet, too many raw veggies, frozen foods, white sugar, dairy.

Photo: flickr.com

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda and find some great recipes, these books are a great way to start!

The post Winter Ayurveda – stay warm in the cold season appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Nika Bosnic for Summersalt Yoga 

“Set a goal that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning.”

It’s so easy to say, but it’s very difficult to put into practice. There is some good news though.

According to a recent research, early birds are more proactive than evening people – and so they do well in business.

As we know that beginnings are always the hardest, especially if you are one of those who is always hitting a snooze button, we prepared a list of our favorite morning power boosters that will get you out of the blanket straight ahead. Thank us later!

        Matcha

      yOga

      bReakfast

plaNning

 medItation

mornIng elixir

       Goals

MATCHA

Like green tea but better. The health benefits of matcha tea are numerous and they even exceed those of green tea because when you drink matcha you ingest the whole leaf, not just the brewed water. According to statistics, matcha green tea possesses antioxidant levels 6.2 times that of goji berries, 7 times that of dark chocolate, 17 times that of wild blueberries and 60.5 times that of spinach! But you might try it several times to get used to it as the taste is pretty unique. I usually make matcha latte by blending 1/2 tsp of matcha (powder), hot (but not boiling) water, coconut milk, agave syrup and little vanilla.

YOGA

Practising yoga in the morning will clear your mind, reinvigorate your body, reduce your stress levels and even boost your metabolism. You can read more about the benefits of yoga here or you can commit yourself to our 10-day yoga challenge here.

BREAKFAST

Try to wake up 15 minutes earlier to prepare yourself a breakfast that will fuel your day. Breakfast will not only pack you with the necessary energy for whatever challenges during the rest of the day, but also contribute to your better mood – imagine you have a delicious breakfast waiting for you first thing in the morning and you can indulge in it slowly before the day actually starts!. My suggestions are overnight oats or chia pudding (which you can prepare the night before), bowl of  warm porridge with toppings, toasted avocado bread, green smoothie bowls, scrambled eggs with some veggies or cheese and greek /coconut yoghurt with muesli. Sometimes when I am in a hurry I will have my matcha latte and 1-2 “superfood balls” which you can easily prepare in advance (just put some dates, shredded coconut, raw cacao, cinnamon, coconut oil, little water and pinch of salt in a food processor, mix and form small balls). You can find many delicious breakfast recipes in Summersalt Yoga recipe e-book here.

PLANNING

While enjoying your breakfast you can easily do some day or week planning. This should include your daily obligations and reminders (your mum’s birthday, for example :)) but also events, and meetings that you look forward to. Because, let’s be honest – we all need little motivation to spice up the day.

MEDITATION

It’s no secret that meditation reduces stress, controls anxiety, enhances self-awareness, generates kindness (against yourself and others), reshapes your brain, improves your focus and productivity and much more.

Most people find mornings the best time to practice meditation. For the start I suggest to find a 10-minute guided meditation training on youtube or download the app to help you get familiar with this beneficial practice (my favorite ones are Calm and Headspace).

MORNING ELIXIR

This juice is my morning “Superman” when I need an extra kick. You can, of course, buy 100% juices (no added sugar), grate ginger and simply mix all together but the best one is straight from the juicer.

Ingredients:

– 3-4 carrots (approx.  1 dcl)

– 2 oranges (approx. 1 dcl)

– 1 knob fresh ginger, peeled

– juice from 1 lemon (approx. 1/2 dcl)

– 1 knob fresh turmeric, peeled (or 1/4 tsp ground)

Simply put all the fruits/veggies in the juicer and enjoy!

GOALS

Set your goals and tasks for the upcoming day and prioritize. Prioritizing allows you to identify the most important tasks and goals at any moment and give them more of your attention, energy, and time. It’s an efficient time management tool, which enhances your focus and allows you to spend more time on the right things.

The post Morning power boosters appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Nika Bosnic for Summersalt Yoga

I did my first solo travel one year ago. One week in Bali was long enough to get the first taste of how it feels to travel solo but definitely too short to consider me a well-experienced solo traveller. Yet, I gained some valuable experience I’d like to share with you – not to teach but hopefully to inspire you to do the same.

First things first: I think it was Rachel Wolchin who once said that “if we were meant to stay in one place, we would have roots”.

I’ve always loved travelling, especially the absolute freedom it gives you to do what you want and when you want. I believe that the happiest moments of my life are all somehow related to my travels and one of my earliest childhood memories is our family journey to Greece. So travelling has become an intrinsic part of my lifestyle or even existence if that is what you wish to call it, and it is no surprise that at some point solo travelling crossed my mind. Don’t get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with travelling with your best friends, your better half, siblings or family. I’ve tried all variations so far and cannot say (and will not say) which one is the best. Despite my urge to discover the world, it was only in my late twenties that I felt “ready” to go for the “solo” option. I remember when I first shared this idea with my family and friends and their reactions were, well…let’s just say I wasn’t mad about them

“Young and a blond woman travelling alone – are you crazy!”

“You sure you wanna do this?”

“Why, won’t you get bored?”

Sure, I was scared as I was travelling outside the EU for the first time totally alone. I would lie to say I didn’t have any doubts as to how will I manage to do everything on my own as disoriented as I am. Questions like “how will I know where to go”, “what if I get ill all of a sudden”  and “where am I going to meet new people” crossed my mind at least a hundred times a day before my solo journey actually started.

On the other hand, I knew myself a bit too well to give up when I hit the first obstacle. It’s probably got to do with my stubborn nature which finally came in handy.

And so I did it. And survived. Here’s what I learned about solo travelling.

It helps you grow mentally

This one is obvious. You cannot avoid it. I remember my close friend once said to me that I will never be the same after my solo travel. As cliche as it might sound, she was right. Solo travel changes you, it defines you. You learn how to negotiate, organize your day, master more or less pleasant tasks on the way, stand up for yourself and yes, manage your thoughts which can be challenging sometimes. It takes some time to start enjoying it, but once you do you’ll never look back.

Solo travel for creativity

If I expected no. 1 to happen sooner or later, I surely did not expect that my solo journey would boost my creativity so much. I guess solo travelling gives you the opportunity to step away from the daily routine and habits and forces you to try new things that you normally wouldn’t dare to do or try. The new events, cultures, and people you meet along the way encourage you to get creative. I did karaoke (and believe me, I’m tone-deaf but it’s much easier far from home), started writing a  diary and got the whole bunch of new ideas.

Out of your comfort zone

This one doesn’t need much explanation. Facing difficulties in an unfamiliar environment, among new people, forces you to learn and adapt to a life that’s out of your comfort zone. As a result, you become more flexible, patient and emotionally strong.

Meeting new friends

You don’t need to be a talkative extrovert to meet new friends during your solo travel. In my experience, you meet even more people when you travel solo as you don’t have a constant travel buddy to stick with. When in doubt, try hostels which are the best resource for meeting people.   Remember, you are all in the same boat, struggling with similar difficulties on the way and sharing advice is more than welcome. Also, if you prefer to take it slow you can start with retreats (like yoga retreats or surf camps) which are a great combination of solo travelling, maintaining an active lifestyle and meeting new people.

Go with the flow

Last but not least, apart from the obvious fact that you don’t have to go to work (and can legit eat chocolate for breakfast), travelling learns you the beauty of spontaneity. This lesson was the hardest one for me as I am so used to plan everything, from my career to everyday activities. When (solo) travelling, I learned that you cannot predict everything (like a boat to one of Bali Islands to break down which made me change my plans immediately, at midnight!). What’s my advice in situations like that? Take a deep breath and simply go with the flow. Just like I was surprised to learn that there is suddenly one more boat going to another island (where I’ve had the craziest days so far) so you might be surprised to find out what is waiting for you if you just surrender to follow the flow of life.

The post Why solo travel is a must appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

What is meditation to you? How would you describe it to someone who has not had much or zero experience with it?

For me, meditation is a pathway to connecting with the present moment. Historically, my mind has always darted around constantly, jumping from the past to the future, and taking the highway right passed the present. So meditation doesn’t mean a perfectly quiet mind. Stillness doesn’t necessarily mean sitting still. It means tapping into something that works for you.

How do I meditate – that is a number one question people ask when suggested to try it. What key pointers could you give? Maybe a few different techniques? How often, how long, where should one meditate?

The idea of sitting still for a period of time is what most people find extremely daunting and seemingly impossible, which is completely valid and true. A person would not run a full marathon without training first. A person also would not train for a marathon without preparing the body properly, such as diet and prep exercise. Meditation is the same. Immediately going in to sit is just not going to produce results if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve.

– Start off small. Anything can be meditation.

– Try sitting in a room with no TV, no phone, no computer, and bring your breakfast, lunch, dinner with you. Or even a snack. There is no distraction, just you and your food. Take a bite, and feel that bite. Find the flavors, the texture. How does your tongue react. How does your throat feel. This is the beginning process known as mindfulness.

– Another quick technique to start the process (it’s just a start, by no means will this bring all the answers) – bring your gaze to the tip of your nose. This is called Drishti in Sanskrit. Just stare at this point, see how long you can hold it. Start small! There is no reason to go sit right away. That will come.



Meditating is hard!! That’s another familiar sentence. How to not lose motivation?

It is hard! Know that. And know that there is no right or wrong. Acknowledgement is the first step. I once had someone say to me, “meditation is like sitting on a frozen lake with a fishing hole cut in the ice. You sit on the ice, sliding and sliding, trying to land on the hole. You come short, you overshoot. And then one time you’ll get to the hole and land it, and then you fall through the hole.” Acceptance is key to not losing motivation. It will always change shape and form. Some days are easier, some are harder. Find moments to embrace, even if it’s just 2 minutes.

When do I get to reap the benefits of a constant meditation practice?

There is no formula or time-frame. You can witness the effects after your first attempt. There are many different factors going in to your practice. From your body, to health, to the mental mind stuff. And unfortunately, you can’t be told when it will start to make sense. For me, it was like the light bulb turned on. It was so simple to see, once that light bulb came on. But I can tell you to try this or try that till I’m blue in the face. It will not create a timeline. The only thing I can say is this. The faster you can begin to unlearn what you know and start to let go of a goal, accept there is no goal, you’ll start to see what unfolds. 

How long did it take you to master meditation? Can you actually measure if you are good or bad in meditating?

I am far from a master. I am merely a practitioner. I don’t know that I’ll ever “master” meditation, but it’s a practice that can not be ignored or not taken seriously. I wouldn’t even say that I’m good at it. It’s immeasurable for me. I don’t always commit to the time. I have overshot and come short to the fishing hole many times. I often let my own ego get in my way and it hinders my meditation because I simply don’t do it when my ego is full on. So I’m working on shedding my ego. And I take moments to just be. I look at flowers, or I listen to birds, and in that I find meditation. I dance. Dance is my meditation. Will I ever be an enlightened being? It’s not my goal. But I am on the pathway to empowerment. To be the arbiter of my own destiny. To be…here. Now. And only right now. The past is fabricated and the future isn’t real. I feel my feet, I feel my face, and I feel the breath, and I’m alive. Only right now. 

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By Milda Urban, Summersalt Yoga founder

Did you know that more that 90% of our communication is nonverbal and is done by our facial expressions, body language? It’s fascinating to say the least.  But it also makes you think – am I communicating/expressing myself right then? Does my body language say the same as my words or am I sending mixed signals or am completely misunderstood?

Body language also communicates not only the message but your own feelings about yourself, your confidence, it gives signals to the listener should they trust you, take you seriously or feel superior, dismiss you and your ideas.

Women are still learning

Women still have quite a hard time sometimes to match their verbal message to their stance and body language. We want to be perceived authoritative, taken seriously, be heard and included in the conversation and decision making, unfortunately, our bodies often say otherwise.

Many of that is the result of social conditioning and upbringing – girls have to be small, nice, quiet, sit “politely” and do not make too much noise or take up too much space. It is hard to break out of these habits and norms, but once you do – the outcome is just incredible.

A lot of this may seem taken out of the man’s playbook, however, it is actually from a playbook of general human psychology and animal kingdom as well (yep, that’s right).

Try implementing these tips and tricks and see how does the reception of you and your ideas change.

Claim your territory, take up space

Stop trying to fit into the corner, fold yourself or keep your arms closed and feet under the chair. Lean back, spread and plant your feet, do not be afraid to gesticulate, lean over the table when talking.  Do not cross your arms – remember that open arms show open mind and welcome position and closed arms tell everyone you are not interested, disengaged or stubborn. If it’s hard to kick this habit try holding something in your hands, e.g. coffee cup.

When animals try to claim their space and territory they try to make themselves bigger, showing to others that they are serious and mean business. It shows that you are not diminishing yourself and neither should anyone else. Just look how widely spread most men sit and how tiny women make themselves. See the difference in confidence too?

Point the feet where you want to go.

If your feet are inward or towards the nearest exit it means your direction is also inwards and not to the people you’re talking to.

Steepling. What now?

It may sometimes feel unnatural, especially for women, but pressing the fingertips of both hands into each other (that’s steepling) is a universal sign of confidence. Do that during the meetings or important conversations to send a signal.

Do not fidget (bite nails, twirl hair, touch your face, shake foot) – it shows that you lack confidence and gives the other side advantage or feeling of superiority and takes away your power. It also takes away attention from what you’re saying.

Strong handshake and eye contact

This one is familiar to everyone – dead fish handshake is not only gross, but also tells the other person that you do not feel confident. Same goes for eye contact – if you’re shying away from looking someone in the eye you sure do not take yourself seriously, even seem less trustworthy. We obviously do not suggest crushing someone’s hand or giving the death stare – find the middle ground and stay there.

Stop the nodding

No, the assuring nod does not tell the other person or people that you are confident, have strong opinions and can contribute something unique. It tells that even though you seem friendly, but you are easily impressed, agreeable and possibly – pushover. But you’re not, right? So stop the nodding!

Smile naturally

Eek, that’s a touchy one – we, women, are told to smile so much it evokes stress and combat mode. However, natural smile coming from the heart does not mean we’re trying to be dumb dolls, but are relaxed and confident in our position and ourselves. The serious frown we sometimes take as a mask and armor simply backfires on many occasions and ends up looking like disengagement or worse – comic.

Mirror, mirror

One of the techniques suggested when negotiating or talking at high stakes meetings is to subtly mirror the other person’s body movements and posture. No, you do not have to become a mime, but you can try out this theory by trying to channel their position and so register as their friend and not someone unfamiliar or foreign.

The post Women’s body language – how to signal confidence, authority and valuable ideas appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.