Prana / breath is the life giving force that is responsible for how you exist on the planet today. Focusing on it can truly change your life as it alters your thought process & ultimately your life for the better. If you’re a yoga practitioner, you will likely have experienced a class ending or beginning with a focus on breath and setting an intention for the class. To those who don’t believe in the undulating power of breath & this step in a practice it may not mean much, but to do those who believe, breathing is the ultimate beauty & mental health elixir. When you take 20 minutes out of your sacred time and dedicate it to breathing regularly you will see a remarkable difference in how you do you. Try it once at least to agree or to disagree.
Breathing yoga – Pranayama increases your immunity, calms your mind and is associated with mental wellness too. It also helps clear out Chakra imbalances by releasing energy blockages in the body. It also helped me with my digestive system & has given me great skin in the process too as it corrects any imbalances in your body from an Ayurvedic perspective. You will get rid of stress and anxiety and will feel all round calm no matter what the external situation is. I kid you not you feel positive about life & if combined with asana practice you get a sense of stillness that is incomparable to most workouts for me.
Breathe In & Let go
The practices may be strange if you are new to yoga, however, with a little practice you will get used to it. Remember to sit in a comfy seated posture for this. Perhaps a chair if cross-legged doesn’t work for you. Here’s a list of my favourite asanas and how I incorporate them into my life:
Kapalbhati Breathing – Kapalbhati is an asana that was reignited in India by a famous Yogi Baba Ramadeva. No matter how hairy he looks he reminded us of how great Yoga is and what it can do yet as I have travelled outside India I find non-Indian practitioners do better than us. Perhaps we simply don’t appreciate what we were born into or may be it’s just a case of preferring a different workout, each to their own I guess. This type of breathing involves short & forceful exhalations. Take a deep breath and follow it with forceful and quick exhalations, as many as you can do without getting dizzy. For detailed flow watch Yoga By Adrienne on Youtube. Tip: I usually start my morning with this on empty stomach and time it for 5 minutes.
Anulom Vilom / Alternate Nostril Breathing – Fold three fingers on your right hand or left and use your pinkie & thumb to do the work. a) Place thumb on right nostril breath in through left b) Block left nostril with ring finger, simultaneously release thumb, & exhale c) Inhale through right & release through left d) Switch fingers and continue alternative nostril breathing Complicated when I say it so check out this video by Yoga by Adrienne. Tip: I follow it up with Kapalbhati and continue for 5-7 minutes.
Bhramari / Bee Breath – Bee Breath is so cool and mind-blowing for me. Sit in your comfy posture and place your four fingers on your forehead / eyes ensuring eyes are covered. Place your thumb in your ears and take a deep breath in & exhaling making an Mish sound. It’s like saying the last part of Om = mmmmmmmmm. Repeat three times and done. When you do this you sound like a bee & once I come back to normal I will super relaxed for some reason that I don’t know of yet. Tip: This is step 3 of my morning practice. Usually will not take longer than 2-3 minutes.
Deep focused breaths & meditation – Just do some slow & steady breaths before floating in to a good spot of meditation. I leave the remaining time for a quick meditation from the app Insight Timer.
Have you tried breathing yoga? Want to give me some tips & tricks? Comment below or email or think of me and I’ll know..wink wink..Until next post. xo
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Burn out practically happens when you lose motivation as a goal or a job or relationship fails to give you the desired results despite you putting in all the effort. You may feel it’s unfair and that the world is scheming against you. For instance, you expected to be rewarded for going over and beyond your role in the last year, even stepping in when your Boss resigned, however, you don’t get recognised for your time and hard work. Over time you will believe that there is no point to contribute as you busted your ass last year, probably spent less time with family & friends, only to be walked all over. You will also feel that organisations don’t value you and you’re just a number in the system. Unless you really talk to someone about how you’re feeling, say from your boss to a therapist, you’re kinda out the door.
Burn outs are very commonplace in corporate culture. Unfortunately not many people talk about it openly for fear of you being labelled as someone who’s not capable of performing. From CEOs to young graduates everyone has faced it in some way or form. I’m going to give you some steps to avoid one.
1.Morning Ritual
If you haven’t already browsed our Morning Ritual challenge, perhaps you should. I say this because there is a massive improvement in the quality of your life when you have time to reflect on what’s happening and also you don’t feel like you’re rushing to catch up with the world. You feel rather like you’re on top of everything and do things as they come to you. Check out our Hour of Power challenge as it shines light on possible options for a good ritual. Give it a go and see what works for you. I specifically like the part about planning your weekly agenda / goals.
Everyone talks about mindfulness and meditation these days but I can’t stress the power of just taking a little time for yourself. I remember I had a very stressful time at work many years ago, I coped with it by doing daily 1 hour breathing yoga at 6 am. May be it was psychological that I was taking some steps or channeling my stress / frustration in a better way or it was the de-stressing power of focusing on your breath it really worked for me. I was focused, effective and unaffected by anything that came my way. I cruised through life like a monk and it was a feeling I crave to get back to now. There are various apps that you can try as well for this. From Calm to Insight Timer to Headspace. Find one that suits you. This could also be a part of your morning ritual.
Remember in times of stress you need to check-in with your feelings more so even though you feel you have no time just taking some time out to meditate will actually make you feel better. If you find things or your job or a relationship is not working, have the courage to make changes because you only live once make sure you give it your best shot. As it can be challenging go through a change always find some support in family, friends and / or a therapist.
Equally powerful is the power of prayer. When you believe in a higher power greater than yourself and devote yourself in prayer it brings immense satisfaction and peace. A good prayer can almost put you in a trance state.
People at work often priortise meetings, some idiots even keep back-to-back meetings around lunch time. In the corporate world, it is hard to say no if the big-wigs have all accepted a meeting too. While I get all of that you can perhaps plan your food better. If you know you have back-to-back meetings all day long on the previous day you can prep food / order food / enroll into a monthly meal plan and pop some food in between meetings.
Possible heatlhy and easy snacks:
a) Keep some almonds / dates / any other dry fruits around you to snack on.
b) A smoothie in between to keep you energetic and healthy.
c) I also quite enjoy a bit of granola during such times when I need energy but don’t have time.
d) I will also add Kefir as a summer favourite of mine.
Also, perhaps learn to say no to stupid meetings that actually lead to no results.
Tip: Get a nutri bullet and keep it in office, keep the fruits and veg in your fridge and whip something up when you can. Or just keep yoghurt, pop some fruit and nuts into it and you’re done.
Keep track of your screen time. If you have an iPhone then you have easy phone usage monitoring stats. Pick apps that you spend a lot of time such as Instagram and put a daily time limit. On the iPhone you can also turn on downtime so it’ll disable everything except phone calls between 10 pm and 7 am. I would also recommend to not access your phone two hours before going to bed and two hours after waking up. The idea is that you control your device and not the other way round.
I also recommend limiting the time you spend taking in news from non-credible sources. Focus on your life and let external things be external. Don’t let them overwhelm you. We’ll be launching a challenge by our Life Coach – Yana tomorrow so watch out for the video on Youtube or join the webinar at 11:00 GMT + 4.
Exercise is so needed given the demands on our time at work, with family / friends and life itself. Definitely include a power warm-up in your morning ritual but also try to commit to an evening work out like pilates, yoga or dancing or even zumba so that you have an outlet for all the frustration, stress, anger, sadness or any other feeling. When you end your day with a work out it is the most amazing feeling. I love yoga and for me days when I could do yoga post work 6 days a week were my calmest weeks. You even sleep better, your digestive system gets better too and your skin glows.
6. Beauty Sleep
It is so important I can’t stress it enough. If you have difficulty sleeping because of stress then exercising may help you. It could be that stress has really gotten to you and keeps you up at night then I would definitely suggest getting some professional help.
If you’re fortunate enough in today’s isolated world to have friends / family, with whom you can share your problems without judgement then you should count yourself as super lucky. If not find a good therapist and / or a Life Coach to talk you through your woes and to perhaps make some life changes. Not expressing yourself also leads to depression, anxiety and other health woes so don’t ignore your feelings.
8. Water
This is so important. Try to drink up to 3 litres in a day and try consuming it in smaller regulated sips throughout the day so you avoid the excessive washroom trips. If it happens anyway don’t care because you’re hydrating yourself and your body will thank you for it. So go pee as many times without any shame. Don’t pay attention to societal norms.
Try to be closer to nature. Get some plants, go spend time at parks, on the beach, anything that makes you feel at peace and closer to Mother Earth. There is a strong healing power for your senses when you spend time with nature away from technology and concrete jungles. May be even try a retreat away from your usual surroundings.
The healing power of art is unbeatable. It could be in the way you dress up, in cooking up great food, or painting your feelings out, may be enrolling into a pottery lesson. The list of possibilities is unlimited. For me cooking is turning out to be really therapeutic with all the spices, colours of vegetables and the constant mixing of the ingredients during cooking. All the colours give me eyes immense happiness. It also ties in with the theory that humans were made to move so we will only achieve happiness by doing rather than being on our couch and watching tv.
Let me know if my tips helped you in any way or form. We’ve have also designed the Detox Your Mind course, which might help you.
Trends have a pulling power making you feel like that’s the next best thing to upgrade your life. But always verify as this may not always be true. While bulletproof coffee is all the rage now it is not entirely a new thing. Having indian roots it was very common for our great grand dads and the like to add some ghee into their coffee / tea. I’m told it is for energy giving purposes and also to ensure you’re loaded with good fats. Apparently adding Ghee into your coffee / tea it has its roots in Ayurveda.
I normally make mine at home using Davidoff coffee, adding a teaspoon of Ghee into an already small cup. I use it as an addition to my breakfast as it gives me energy to keep me going through the day. Without coffee in general I feel like a zombie, I’m sure a lot of you can relate. As per the internet there is a practice of replacing your breakfast with a super-sized one loaded with Ghee and coconut oil as this suppresses your hunger and results in weight loss. I stick to a smaller portion as I don’t really follow any diet and want to get in the other nutrients that my body needs as well.
Do a lot of research before you get into this type of coffee as a daily habit as you need to ensure that it completely suits you and doesn’t harm your body in any way. For instance, if your fat / oil intake is already too high in your overall diet, when you add bullet coffee this may lead to weight gain.
People benefit from the point of weight loss, increased focus and energy levels. I can definitely say that on days I would consume this at 6 am my 1.5 hour drive to work would feel much better. I was more focused and energised during a long drive to work in Abu Dhabi. I’m not a scientist or a doctor this is just my personal experience.
Bulletproof Coffee at Wild & the Moon
If you’re skeptical or unsure just try it at a local coffee shop. Wild and The Moon in Dubai does some really great bulletproof coffee. It’s made with coconut oil, grass-fed ghee and good old coffee. It’s a large portion though so you may have to substitute a 3 egg omelette or something equivalently filling with a small savoury muffin or fruits along with it.
My version of bulletproof coffee
Have you tried this? What was your experience? Do you have a different technique? I would love to know more…Until next post..
I have always been into healthy and green things. If someone told me I could eat something to get good skin consider it done. I often try one new fad to the other over time of course I have learnt many things about fad culture. The most important being that fads are called fads for a reason and we must pick and choose and perhaps even wait for some scientific research to really know if it’s true or apocryphal.
Despite my cynicism about fads I have hopped onto the Matcha Latte band wagon and can’t seem to drop off anytime soon. Here’s my recommendation of the 3 best Matcha Lattes by varying taste buds and portion sizes to suit you.
1.Baker and Spice – Souk Al Manzil
This is I think my most favourite matcha Latte to date. Been indulging in this one for at least two years now. I call it an indulgence because it is sweet, perfectly balanced, refreshing and satisfying. You can also ask for almond milk instead of regular milk and it’ll still taste very good. They also add honey which makes the taste balanced as opposed to the bitter matcha lattes available sometimes. I by no means want to offend bitter matcha latte but the sweet one is more to my liking and gives me the morning mojo or afternoon pick me up to keep growing and glowing.
2. Wild and the Moon
This place is really interesting and vegan and refreshing and from it’s roots in Comptoir 102 has really grown. It has by far the largest serving of matcha latte made with spirulina, almond milk and maple syrup. Matcha and spirulina are great anti-oxidants with regenerating and detoxifying strengths. I’m confused whether this or the matcha latte at Baker and Spice is my number one. To be fair they are both slightly different. I would say the touch of spirulina changes the taste and makes it a healthier version compared to the Baker & Spice one. Although a turn off for me is the large serving because I’m a tiny person and I like to exercise portion control relative to my body size and exercise levels.Besides the matcha latte here I also recommend the bullet coffee, which I will talk about in my next post. Promise.
3. Myocum
This comes in third place for me. It’s the right size, perfect taste in between bitter and nice and just like everything else Myocum is simply amazing. In case you haven’t been to Myocum it is worth adopting as your frequent haunt for healthy foods. I remember having an amazing tofu scramble and some colourful looking poke bowls. I also would laud this place for its great decor so urban and cool with crystals and greens.
4. Ladurée
Ladurée never disappoints and they certainly didn’t with a matcha latte as well. Served in their classic plan and pastel coloured cups. It is perfectly sweet and refreshing for an afternoon pick-me up. Perhaps not as potent for a morning boost as the baker and spice one but this could just be a personal opinion.
Thanks for reading. If you have any recommendations on matcha latte recipes or other places to try in Dubai please do let us know in comments.
Thank you, next went viral when Ariana Grande crooned in her slightly sexy yet sweet yet heavy voice. While for her it was a reference to moving on from lovers and becoming friends with herself this phrase may have wider resonance in modern day life. Ever feel like you have reached your goal and say thank you, next, without feeling any excitement for what once seemed an unsurmountable task or conquest that if achieved is the missing piece to the happiness puzzle. Because where you’re at without a goal is normal and unexciting and unhappy. While jumping from goal to the next we lose sight of what is really important, it’s the journey to the goal and of course giving thanks to yourself and any other circumstances / people that led you to your goal. If you ever want to feel genuine happiness it is important to take a moment and reflect on all that you have accomplished.
Gratitude not only makes you appreciate your life a bit more but also boosts your confidence as you take stock of all that you have been able to achieve. To give you an example, we at Team My Happy Bae give thanks for the opportunity to be able to create this amazing happiness program to share our happiness to be able to live a balanced and healthy life. The three founders Yana, Slava and Kritika (myself) also give thanks for the opportunity to use our friendship to build an amazing business that helps explore our creativity and talents.
Team Hey Happy Bae
I personally am thankful for so much from the bad to the good as it’s all a lesson. But today I’m thankful for:
I am thankful for fashion and how it influences people and culture.
I thank God for the opportunity to be able to live in Dubai and learn and grow over the last 7 years. From changing careers to meeting new friends this has been a rollercoaster one that I don’t regret jumping on.
I’m also thankful for My Happy Bae to happen to me at a time when I really needed to change my career path slightly to doing something that lights up my eyes when I think about it. Seven years of doing a desk job have somewhat taken a toll on my health and body. I needed to take a step back and what better way than to create a product of love with people you love so so much.
I’m totally thankful for a body that heals and loves back, sound mind, loving family and friends and also for the abundant opportunities that exist in the world that could be my accomplishments someday.
What are you thankful for? Share your gratitude in comments below…
We have to be really living on Mars if no one has heard about Marie Kondo’s Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. While I didn’t get around to reading it, I did get around to giving up 3/4 of my wardrobe as a result of moving into a smaller home. At first I resisted and tried to fit things into my 3 skinny doored closet, but eventually sanity prevailed when my daily dressing routine got down to picking the pile of clothing out from closet and dumping onto bed for what seemed like eternity. And believe you me a clean home with only things that you need can be such a game changer. If you’re looking for a new direction in life do check out our Detox Your Mind course.
While I was not exactly clued in on Marie Kondo’s ideology back in 2017 I gave away things that no longer brought me joy but most importantly no longer made me look my best. During this period I may have also grown out of my late 20s and into my early 30s. From being the crazy person to don the unthinkable man-repelleresque clothing I had changed to this person, who only liked minimalistic simple clothes with a slight edge. My former self can be seen here. All of a sudden everything needed to meet a need or have some purpose in my wardrobe. I’m not sure if it was a reason of growing out or a change in perspective but decluttering my wardrobe did really change my life.
Although my reasons for the cleanse were not very Marie Kondo-esque I did experience joy, mental clarity, appreciation for the new found time and ease of dressing up and also a reduced dry cleaning bill.
Today I have just one IKEA closet, a chest and a half of drawers with lots of space to spare. This has changed my life because I now only have sufficient clothes all of which I circulate from time to time and when I don’t or no longer feel like it fits me I put it out of circulation by donating to charity. I also don’t spend a lot of time deciding what to wear.
Ever since getting into this minimalistic phase I have also focused on the quality over quantity aspect giving up on fast fashion. When I gave up 3/4 of my wardrobe I realized that I had spent shit loads of money on Zara and Topshop and although it may have seemed like a smaller dose of spending every now and then in reality I had spent a lot more. There was the answer I had been looking for to the frequently asked “Where does all my money go?” question.
I must admit thought that I still haven’t read Marie Kondo rather gathered her ideas from her many praises sung online. As minimalism is kicking in just like today morning’s coffee, I’m now on a journey to collect my staples. All of my new insights coupled with the money spent I also began to get a little woke as they say and learnt about the impact of fast fashion and how fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world. More on that for another time……
