Late Bloomer Yoga

Spring rituals for a fresh start 🌞

Today is officially the Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere which marks the official ending of Winter.
(HALLELUJAH!) Listen I appreciate winter and all it offers but I am a summer baby through and through! So sunshine... bring it on babay!

How do you feel during this time of year? Spring represents a sense of renewal & new beginnings a "You can do it!" attitude. We tend to feel a bit lighter with the world urging us to move forward towards a fresh start (which I feel like most of us need after the craziness this year has brought us am I right!?).

But, before moving forward, the Equinox (equal night and day) provides a moment for pause and an opportunity to reflect on the 'light' & 'dark' moments we have faced this year. After all, without the darkness, we can't fully appreciate the light.

A way to really immerse ourselves in the power of the Equinox is through ritual. Bringing ritual into our lives not only helps us to become in tune with the rhythms of nature but it also encourages us to pause, reflect and create meaningful intention in our lives.

Try these Spring Equinox rituals:

1. Make space
Clear out your home, give away things that you no longer need, sort through messy draws etc. Making space can also be mental. What things are occupying space in your mind that no longer serve you? Write it out, talk about it, release it.

Questions to ask yourself:
What are you needing to release in all areas of your life?
Perhaps there are old habits that no longer serve you?
Which people in your life are holding you back from living the life you want and from being authentically you?
What is taking space in your mind, body and heart that you can release?

2. Get outside & connect
Take some time to celebrate the new life that surrounds you in nature. Watch the sunrise and/or sunset, go for a walk in the park, take a bike ride, lay in the grass, or take a hike. As you do so, observe all the new life beginning around you.

3. Set intentions
What metaphorical seeds are you planting this season? How will you water them? What desires and dreams do you have? Choose 1-3 positive intentions to really hone your focus.

You can read all the anti-anxiety advice in the world, but none of it matters unless you take action. To feel more relaxed, to sleep soundly at night, and to put energy into what matters, you have to stop wasting time on tasks that don't matter.⁠
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Knowledge is NOT power, APPLIED knowledge IS power!⁠
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What are you spending most of your time worrying about? What are you doing about your overall well-being? I used to spend hours, days, weeks worrying about the same stuff and doing nothing to change my life! When we decide to take accountability for our lives and take action to actively work on feeling more joy & ease we will start to experience a major shift in how we feel.
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Read more self-help books that inspire you and put them into action, take time out to get to know yourself, explore new hobbies, REST if you need rest, see a psychologist, write out pros and cons of a big life decision, go for more walks, lie on the grass & soak in the sun. Just DO THE DAMN WORK! ⁠
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It's time to end the excuses and start taking care of your wellness💙⁠
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Bloom

Bloom where you are. Bloom despite the weeds & grow tall & beautiful anyways. Bloom right where you are even if you wish you were elsewhere. Take in all of the light when the sun is shining & know that the rain is necessary when it's not. Know that everything you need to bloom is right inside of you- you already have the strength and capability to grow. Nourish yourself. Take care of your body & grow your mind.
Bloom into who you are meant to be.
-Walk the Earth

This Wednesday on the Bloom Through Anxiety community group on Facebook we have yoga instructor & ray of sunshine Claudia who will be helping us find a deeper understanding of our energy centers & understanding energetic changes through Yantra Yoga. Claudia will also be leading us through some gentle breathing and a relaxing meditation to end off the day ✨

If you would like to join us for these weekly chats then head on over to the BTA community group and be welcomed with love ❤️

Start noticing how you are moving through life. The key to releasing unwanted emotions and negative thoughts & cultivating more joy and ease might be right under your nose. Are you paying attention?

This we will be joined by the lovely - a mindset alchemist helping people release fears and limiting beliefs that have been hindering them from living a successful and joyful life. This Monday on the BTA community group Janine will be talking about the Chemistry of our thoughts, words & feelings. Join us by heading to the Bloom Through Anxiety community group on Facebook ✨

How to get through emotional triggers.

What is a trigger? Something in our present moment gives that us some sort of emotional reaction. This can happen daily and for some many times a day. The reason the feeling is so big is that typically we are reacting to something that is much more than what is happening at that moment, typically it's something we are carrying from past experiences, pain or unmet needs.

Perhaps a parent left you as a young child & now any situations to do with someone leaving sets you off into an emotional spiral.

Sometimes, we allow our critical inner voice to speak up and we can get so upset with ourselves when we react to emotional triggers or perhaps the people around you are critical of your reactions to certain situations? It's important we offer ourselves kindness and compassion & start becoming aware of what is triggering us so we can acknowledge the deeper rooted issue and find ways to move forward.

Here are 3 steps to ease emotional triggers:

Step 1: Breathe
Focus on some deep belly breaths with slow long exhales to help you calm the nervous system & the emotional reaction. (Practice daily! not just when you're experiencing triggers)

Step 2: Witness the ego as the observer
When we are triggered by something we often come up with a story to go with the thought & that triggers an emotion. Ie if you haven't received a call from your partner instead of heading straight to the story "my partner isn't answering my calls because he doesn't want to be with me." you need to train yourself to just observe the story you have created instead of believing in it. Remind yourself that there are other possibilities ie your partner has been busy with work or is driving at the moment. Don't allow yourself to latch onto your own belief and don't look at the current situation through the lens of your past experiences. We need to keep observing the stories we create on a daily basis.

Step 3: Practice self-acceptance
Honour the fact that your feelings are very valid at that moment. And it comes from a very real place of pain. Pushing them away won't solve anything. It's ok to feel, these emotions need tending to in order to release over time.

Another beautiful full moon 🌕 another roller coaster of emotions 😅 anyone else been feeling it? If you’ve felt a little emotional the last day or so or have been noticing you’re acting in a way that you don’t like- maybe jealousy, overreacting, getting frustrated etc, (I cried in the printing store yesterday 😂) then use this time to reflect. Use this time to turn inwards and be kind to yourself and ask yourself what you need to let go of. What old habits, beliefs, stories do you keep telling yourself that are inhibiting you from living the life you deserve ? X

In a time when so much is out of our control, setting intentions and following through on them can offer relief from anxiety — and lead to healthy new habits.⁠
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It’s easy to feel unsettled because there is no indication of when things will normalize economically, socially and in terms of our safety. A technique that can help is the practice of setting clear intentions about what we want to get done — and then implementing those intentions.⁠
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Setting intentions for an area of your life where you do have control can be helpful in terms of providing a sense of well-being. ⁠
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To start, think about what you need more of in your life, or what you feel like you're craving. Sometimes this takes a little digging past the initial “more exercise”, “more money”, etc. What are you really truly desiring? To love yourself? To practice gratitude? Remember there is no right answer, there is no way to “win”, this is just a practice.⁠
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Next, find a piece of paper and write them down. The physical act of writing out your intentions (I like to do this on a monthly basis) helps them really stick. We are much more likely to remember something that we've written down versus just thought about.⁠
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Write out your intentions in the present tense, not what you’re hoping to do. Write them in a journal, on a Post-it note to stick around your home, or doodle your intentions and hang on your wall – whatever reminds and inspires you! I like the idea of having something to look at.⁠
Refer back to this intention as often as you can. I like to ask myself daily " What have I done or can I do today that aligns with my intention?"⁠
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let me know what your monthly intentions for this coming month are.

@ Silvermine Nature Reserve, Cape Town

Life’s greatest heartbreak is being untrue to yourself.

We spend so much time trying to please others, trying to look and act a certain way for the world around us. This can cause anxiety and eventually deplete all our energy resulting in depression.

“Perfectionism is the belief that if we live perfect, look perfect, and act perfect, we can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgement, and shame. It’s a shield.” ~Brené Brown

In order to live our best life, we have to calm our anxiety about disappointing other people and not being good enough, and find the courage to be true to ourselves.
It is one of the hardest decisions you will ever make, but it will also be one of the best.

The key is not to run away from who you were, but to run toward who you want to become.

While people might have expectations for you, the world desperately needs the power that comes from you living your most authentic life✨

It’s time to take a deep breath, be compassionate with yourself, and decide who it is you want to be.

📸 .alessia

Many of us are feeling drained, anxious, maybe frustrated or experiencing a sense of lack or deprivation at the moment. Using various techniques for manifestation & intention setting is a powerful way to help you get ‘unstuck’ & get clear on what you want so you can begin to cultivate the feeling of what you want to experience in your life.

I am so excited to have the lovely Sonja from joining us this on the Bloom Through Anxiety community group to talk to us about the power of Vision Boards, intention setting & manifestation. All are welcome. ✨

Welcome to another ☕️
This week we have the lovely Thalea - a Food and body freedom coach, who will be joining us to talk about how we are meeting our 6 core fundamental needs and how we can be more mindful in meeting these needs in order to reduce anxiety and fear. Thalea will also be ending this beautiful session in a short guided meditations ✨
Reminder that all are welcome, so if you aren’t already part of the BTA community group or know someone that would love this then tag them and feel free to click the link in my bio 🤗

Grateful for how long my legs look in this photo😆

How do we find Gratitude when we're anxious, stressed or depressed?

I've heard so many people say "Just be grateful." "Be grateful and you won't feel sad." "Find gratitude and you will stop being depressed and anxious."

If you're experiencing stress, anxiety or depression you will know that's it's not that easy to be grateful in those moments. It's not easy to get out of that headspace and see the good around you.

When we suffer from anxiety, we often get trapped in our thoughts and therefore our heads. With gratitude, you’re switching your focus from your head to your heart. This pulls you out of anxious thinking and back into your body and a relationship with the world around you.

Studies show the incredible long-term impact gratitude has in rewiring the brain to focus more on the good things in life.

Gratitude is not about OH WOW look at all these wonderful things that I have 😍It's not about excitement or faking it with a cheesy smile.

It's about saying, my brain is telling me I have nothing but I know that's not true. The lens I'm seeing the world through or myself through right now is giving me a very narrow scope of reality. I know that there's more outside the narrative I'm currently seeing the world in. There is more to my life than this tiny little lens is allowing me to see so let's take a look and see what I do have in my life.

By shifting our perspective we can see there is more to us our life than anxiety, stress, depression etc.

Gratitude will help to distract you from your anxious thoughts so you can see beyond the anxiety, and connect to the present moment. When we’re in the present moment, there’s a lot less to feel anxious, sad or stressed about and a lot more to feel joyous about.

Start practising by finding 3 things to be grateful for each morning. Even if the only thing you can feel today is some compassion for yourself for going through whatever you are struggling with at the moment, that is still gratitude 💗

It’s 👏😁 and this week our guest speaker will be talking about her decision to write a book as a form of therapy 📖 Gabi will chat to us about her journey and the incredible discoveries she has made along the way.

💫 All mindset Monday chats are completely free so please join in on our weekly virtual chats in the Bloom Through Anxiety Community group by clicking the link in bio. See you there x

Anxiety wants you to seek certainty when every moment is nothing but uncertain.⁠
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Seeking certainty is a perfect anxiety trap because you can spend a lifetime searching for it without success. There are endless possibilities in each moment, so its best to just embrace the uncertainty of life.⁠
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📸.alessia⁠
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Finding more time for conscious self-lovin'💗

I don't know about you guys but I have really missed being around friends, family and even strangers. I miss grabbing a beer at the local pub and chatting to the table next to us, and giving my students a giant hug after yoga class.

Being around people is incredibly important for our mental health. Even the most introverted among us crave social contact from time to time. Simple face-to-face contact increases dopamine, releases oxytocin and lowers cortisol which are all super important for reducing anxiety and other mental health issues.

What's just as important as social interaction? Me-time! Don't ever underestimate the importance of dedicating time for yourself. Like actually setting aside time to be alone and enjoy your own company.

For many of us being alone with our thoughts, and giving ourselves the space and unstructured time to let our minds wander without social distractions, can sometimes feel intimidating. Studies show that when we are by ourselves, what is uncomfortable is the lack of stimuli that we usually rely on to shape our experiences.

The freedom of not having to follow the lead of others, with no pressure to do anything, no pressure to talk to anyone, no obligation to make plans with people, is a great way to process and decompress.

How to get started? Treat yourself as you would treat others. Don’t cancel your me-time plans. Be open to exploring new interests. Make space in your life and put in the time, even if it’s just spending 30 minutes a week reading at a cafe.

If you’re having an especially hard time listening to the thoughts inside your head, journaling can be a great way of working through and evaluating those emotions.

I would love to know what things you enjoy doing alone :)

Let’s Breathe🗣As most of you know, I am slightly obsessed with that thing we do all day everyday - breathing! Understanding & being concious of it really transformed how I feel physically and mentally and I want to share it’s power with you. Join me today for our usual Mindset Monday- tea and chats, let's get to know each other and lets talk breath. Understanding how to breathe properly to relax the nervous system and the power of conscious breathing & how you can add this to your everyday life.
Click the link in bio to join the BTA community group✨See you then # # # Sam

When I decided to come off anti-depressants and anxiety meds I found the transition to be really difficult. I was on edge & even though I had a list of coping tools & techniques I still felt I needed some help to ease tension & stress in my body & mind.

I started hearing about the benefits of CBD for mental health. Although I'm a huge advocate for plant medicine I still wanted to research the S**t out of CBD to find out how it all works and if this was going to work for me.

My insights were super interesting! I found out that we all have something called an endocannabinoid system. This is a complex set of routes equipped with neurotransmitters & receptors which are in charge of maintaining homeostasis in the body. This system looks after things like:
Memory
Appetite
Mood
Emotional behaviour
Pain perception

Sometimes, factors like excessive stress, age, poor nutrition and other general imbalances in our system, our body can become deficient in these important cannabinoids which can cause an imbalance in our bodies system. This can result in issues like inflammation, brain fog, deficient stress response & high anxiety.

The good news is that we can actually supplement our bodies with natural plant-based cannabinoids which include CBD, CBDV, and CBG, in order to bring our systems back into balance.

This incredible plant helps to get to the root problem of this imbalance instead of masking the symptoms which a lot of medication does. Once this imbalance is restored, the rest of the body can start coming back to homeostasis.

I also learnt that CBD IS NOT A QUICK FIX! Taking CBD once or twice is not going to solve anything. Just like most things in life it takes time to create sustainable benefits in the body. CBD IS ALSO NOT THE ANSWER TO ALL LIFES PROBLEMS. CBD definitely helped me feel calmer & better able to focus and deal with challenges but along with the CBD I also made sure I was practising various tools & techniques to help me feel grounded & calm and also taking the time to nurture myself.

If you’re battling with stress, anxiety or depression then I highly recommend investing in a good CBD product! Link in bio for more info💛

The Upside of Feeling Down.
Emotions that provide us with unpleasant feelings have traditionally (and unfairly) been labelled 'negative emotions.' People tend to want to avoid them, force them away, or silence them as soon as they emerge.

The truth is, there is no such thing as a negative emotion, since each emotion has its own role and purpose.

In the book, The Upside of Your Dark Side, the authors say that in order to attain happiness, one has to welcome every emotion (pleasant or unpleasant) and learn how to make the best of them. It is not the emotion that is problematic but rather the way we deal with them that can be. Instead of pushing these emotions away, we should learn to welcome and listen to the important messages these feelings are trying to communicate to us.

As we seek answers to the problems posed by our feelings, it may be helpful to appreciate the positive role feelings are meant to play in our life. The more we can align our feelings with a positive understanding of what they can do for us, the more we can try trusting them to carry us forward in our lives.

I used to fear feelings of anxiety and depression and now I look at them as my super powers, guiding me towards more of what I need in my life and showing me what needs work and what I can let go of.

When we live in harmony with our emotions, we become more in touch with who we are. We gain insight into the real core emotions that are causing our reactions, and we can be the one at the wheel, choosing our actions. By focusing on emotion with compassion and curiosity, we can discover who we are and what we want.

There’s an assortment of articles about helping us build healthy relationships with our partners and loved ones. But we don’t hear nearly as much about the most important relationship in our lives: the one with ourselves. This Mindset Monday our lovely guest Ndi who is a yoga instructor, councillor and activist will be sharing her journey with mental health and the importance of cultivating an intimate, compassionate and nurturing relationship with oneself.

I have found that forging a deeper connection with myself has been so incredibly powerful in my journey and I know many of you are battling to feel love and compassion towards yourselves especially in the moments you need them most.

The lovely Ndi is going to be sharing how to improve your relationship with yourself and why it should be your priority if you want to live a happy & fulfilled life.

Feel free to tag friends who need a little more self-love and join us in the Bloom Through Anxiety community group by clicking the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/204545013922839/. We look forward to seeing you there # # #

There are many reasons why we sometimes don’t know what to do next. You may feel completely overwhelmed because you have too much going on; you might feel vaguely uneasy for no apparent reason; you might feel that you could do better at work but you don’t know how and the list goes on.⁠
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There’s a very simple trick you can follow to sort out your frazzled mind and deal with life’s endless demands and distractions that keep you from discovering enjoying your life. AND, It won’t cost you anything and it requires no special effort. It's writing! ✍️ Not typing but physically writing. ⁠
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Here’s what you do: Write everything down.⁠
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Take a piece of paper or a journal and write everything down that’s going on in your life — things you are worried about, every task, large and small, all projects, social obligations, projects you have to do, promises you to have to keep. From doing the dishes to doing presentations and everything in between.⁠
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The trick is not to write things down in order to sort out your mind – just write everything down indiscriminately.⁠
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Through writing it out you will give yourself the opportunity to empty out your mind, center and reorganize your thoughts, process your feelings, and eventually begin to discover what’s really bothering you, what has been obscured by incessant worrying and obsessive repetition of the same thoughts, comes to the surface as clear as daylight.⁠
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If you aren’t already journaling or writing on a regular basis, you’ll want to start ASAP, schedule it into your daily routine. The act of writing to get your thoughts out of your head and onto paper can literally transform your life.⁠
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Learning to take things one step at a time.👣
We live in a culture of instant gratification, everything we need is at the click of a button. We have become so used to many things in our lives being quick and simple that when things aren't, most of us battle to accept and overcome these challenges.

Mental Health is one of those things that take time. Unfortunately, there are no magic buttons that we can press before bed and wake up in the morning feeling enlightened and s**t. It takes time, effort, and consistency.

Most people with anxiety experience a perceived lack of control, so it's important to not neglect yourself and let your anxiety consume you. Rather take small steps and add back things into your life that you do feel in control of, such as your diet, making time to get into nature, practicing slow deep breaths, finding time for the things you enjoy, & expressing your thoughts and emotions through things like writing or talking.

Once you have started with these small steps make sure to keep them up and then you can start to build on them and you will be up and running soon. And just like getting physically fit through exercise makes it easier to maintain physical fitness, these changes will help maintain your mental wellbeing into the future.

Enjoy my free guided meditation for deep sleep 💤https://gum.co/GMdTO . We all know how important sleep is for our overall health and well-being. Unfortunately sometimes getting to sleep and staying asleep feels impossible 😒
Here is a list of some awesome tips to help get a good nights rest🥱

If you’re still battling to sleep even after implementing these tips into your lifestyle, then it’s time to clean up your mind!
Your mind is clearly needing a good detox and here are some ways to do that.
•Stop worrying about your sleep patterns, stop thinking about how it’s affecting your body. Your mind is powerful, stressing about it is worse than not getting enough sleep.
• Set aside 10 minutes every day to acknowledge and write out your thoughts. Notice which thoughts are toxic and repetitive. Become aware of how you feel. By writing it out we give ourselves the opportunity to get it out our head and separate ourselves from it so we can physically look our worries and see what needs some attention in our life.
•Once you have uncovered some underlying stresses & worries start seeing how you can take action to solve the problems at hand. What small steps can you start taking to reduce your stress. Talking it out with family/friends or a professional can also be a helpful step in finding a solution.

Wishing you all a lovely nights sleep 🛏

The wondrous benefits of Ghee. I recently did an online workshop on Ayurveda and mental health and we spoke about this incredible superfood that offers a wide range of benefits for the mind and body. Ghee or clarified butter is that beautifully golden yellow substance left over after the impurities of butter have been melted away.⁠
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Ghee heals wounds and rashes, draws out toxins from the body, strengthens the effect of herbal medicines, It is also a beauty product, used to nourish the skin, and for massage. But what I found most interesting is the positive effects it has on the nervous system. ⁠
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I'm sure by now most of you have heard of the gut-brain connection. When our guts are unhappy we are unhappy. The strength of our digestion not only helps us to assimilate nutrients and digest our food but also to digest our emotions and experiences.⁠
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Ghee contains a fatty acid called butyrate acid, which repairs the stomach lining and reduces inflammation in the digestive tract. Ghee sustains healthy microbes in the gut, promoting healthy digestion and strong nutrient absorption. It also lubricates the body and intestines improving digestion. ⁠
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This little miracle contains choline and omega-3 fatty acids which are known to nourish the brain and nervous system. It is beneficial for mental and emotional imbalances, as well as a depleted nervous system. ⁠
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How to use Ghee? ⁠
Spread it on toast instead of butter.⁠
Add a teaspoon of ghee to your hot breakfast cereal.⁠
Add ghee to your coffee—sounds strange, but it’s delicious!⁠
Melt over steamed vegetables, potatoes, or rice.⁠
Sauté your culinary spices in ghee and add to soups & stews ⁠
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