om mind
Kath Anderson chats to yoga teachers to find simple ways we
can be at our best all day, every day
commence the day. “Say it three times in the
present tense like it has already happened- remember ‘I will’ never comes, but ‘I am’
does!” Some examples she likes to use are
‘I am happy and I am at peace’. This can
be done while you’re brushing your teeth,
making your breakfast or even on the train
during the morning commute. Taking the
time to appreciate what you are will help
to set you on the right track, she says, and
the track you want the day to take. And this
is the track that allows you to be the best
version of yourself.
At home
After a long day at work many of us just
want to lie down on the sofa, but instead,
here are some ideas and ways you can
use your time at home to refuel energy
levels making it easier to be the best version
of yourself.
Once you are at home you have much
more control over your environment and
activities but we all have mundane tasks we
need to complete throughout the week. One
way to reduce the negativity towards such
tasks is to try and make them enjoyable.
McCrimmon suggests: “Prepare food with a
friend or put on a podcast while you clean.”
Adding a social or educational element to
these tasks helps us to feel as though we
are benefiting more from them rather than
having our time snatched away from us.
She adds: “Recognise what you need to feel
nourished and balanced and try and build
them into things that you just have to do.” I
know personally that constantly furthering
my education and learning is how I feel
nourished, mentally nourished. Therefore,
while cleaning I like to listen to podcasts
which means I am learning while completing
a mundane task, leaving me feeling much
more balanced afterwards rather than
deprived of my own time.
At home we also need to think about the
physical environment. Yoga studios are great
examples where you can find an atmosphere
of peace and tranquility. Take the same
attitude to your own home; make your
home your own haven. Ask yourself: “Am I
making my home space somewhere I can
feel peaceful and can explore what it feels
like to be my best self?” If the answer is ‘no’
then start small. Select a corner in a room
where you can roll out a yoga mat, sit with a
book or a musical instrument in peace. Then
allocate small amounts of time to spend
there and nourish your soul.Before you go to bed
The end of the day should be a time of
reflection not a time of stress. One of the
most important ways in which you can
be the best version of yourself is through
gratitude. Glasgow yogini Katrina says: “Life
is like a wave – there are ups and downs.
The next time you are on the up write down
five things in your life you are grateful for
and the next time you’re feeling down write
five things you are grateful for to remind youL
ife can be hectic; many of us
feel as though we do not have a
minute to spare. Everywhere you
look people are selling products
that claim to make you the best
version of yourself, when in fact no product
can help you do that – it is down to you. But
don’t worry we aren’t leaving you without a
little guidance. We have made things easy
by giving you ways to incorporate elements
of yoga into your day-to-day life to guide
you to be the best version of yourself. With
the help of some of the country’s up-and-
coming yogis we have looked at life in small
segments – at home, at work and in your
relationships – to point you in the right
direction. At each stage we’ll show you small
and manageable ways to increase your
happiness and enlightenment and to help
you be the best version of yourself. Simple!When you first wake up
One of the best ways to start your day is
to set intentions. Often this is something
we associate with being on our mat during
our practice but it can be something we can
do off the mat too. Glasgow-based yoga
teacher Philippa Rose has a simple way to
do this: “Have a pen and paper beside your
bed and write down what you want your
intention to be for the following day. When
you wake, read and remind! This allows
your brain to let the info sink in and really
hit that manifest button. And remember
your intention doesn’t have to be anything
complicated. It can be something as simple
as ‘take time to breathe’.”
Another way Rose suggests we set
ourselves up for the day is through
meditation. She suggests the best way to do
this is when we first wake up. Simply “rest
your hands on the lower belly and imagine
your stomach as a balloon. Using your
hands as a guide take five counts to breathe
up into the hands before exhaling for five
counts. Take five rounds of this breathing
pattern; then, whenever feels comfortable,
either on the floor in Lotus or seated in a
chair, try for 10 minutes.”
However, many people may already be
thinking that they just don’t have time every
morning, so another way to start the day
with purpose is through giving yourself an
affirmation. Another teacher, Katrina from
the Kali Collective, recommends the use
of the words ‘I am’ as a powerful way toAt work
Being the best version of yourself at work
doesn’t just mean doing your job to the
best of your abilities but instead taking
the time to ask yourself some questions.
Laura McCrimmon from Love Yoga,
Aberdeen suggests you ask yourself
these four questions:1. Does this job make me feel like I am in
alignment with my highest self?
2. Am I letting what people say to me at
work affect my confidence?
3. Am I taking responsibility for how I allow
people to treat me and how I interact
with colleagues?
4. Am I taking responsibility for my career
and life choices?The answers will shine a light on how your job
is impacting you and how you are impacting
the job itself. This may highlight that a change
is needed but this could be the change that
helps you to develop as a person.“Being the best I can be
is, I believe, the entire
purpose of this yoga
practice. I believe that
being the best I can be
comes from feeling at
peace and at one with
myself, with others and
with our environment.”
Laura McCrimmon,
Love Yoga Aberdeen