Breath

One thing we do everyday and we sometimes forget to do is to breath. Of course you’ll never really “forget” to do it because it comes so naturally from our body. But how about concentrating nothing but breathing. When did you do it last time ?

It’s such a great feeling, to feel the cool air flow into your lung, go through your body and your mind, slowly out of your nose along with all the worries. In Hindu yoga, breathing is called “Pranayama“. It connects deeply with our mind and body, leads you into a hynosis state.

Before my morning yoga, I usually drop one essential oil in my palm and breath deeply into it, it takes me immediately into the yogi mood. Among which I use most often are Frankincense, wild orange and peppermint.

Here’s an article about the unity of yoga and essential oil from DoTERRA.

Strictly speaking, yoga is composed of three parts, in my opinion: asanas (physical postures), pranayama (breathing technique), and meditation. Yet, it’s not obvious to combine all three of them, it takes a lot of time and practise. However like everything, it’s essential to start somewhere, the rest is just the journey, you don’t have to worry anything anymore, since what’s important is not the destination but the journey.

Namaste.

February 21, 2017 by Mad margarita Categories: Life style, YogaTags: buddhism, lifestyle, meditation, mind, nature, yoga 5 Comments

To meet your soul

Few days ago, I met a couple who works for “doTerra“, an America based essential oil company, which awake my interests to the oil. My knowledge to oils are limited, I know they can be used aromatically and with or without dilution. But I didn’t know if the oil is pure enough they can even be used internally. For example, add a only one drop of lemon/peppermint oil to water or tea.

Jökulsárlon – Iceland

I always believe we are what we eat and be the food your medicine . The history of Chinese herbology or Zhong Yao in Chinese can back to 2800 BC. I still remember when I was little, my grandmother boiled herbs, the smell is “awful” if you are not used to it. But when you drink it, first it’s very bitter, then come the scene of sweet and fruity. You can even addicted to it. Unlike the western medicine, which has most often immediate effect on your body, the Chinese herbs work slowly but entirely from inside out of your body.

The nature has a lot to offer. We should respect and be humble. There’s lady named Kristbjörg in Iceland, she established a company “Blómadropa” (flower drops in English). She was first of all a yoga teacher and a spiritual flower hunter as I like to call. She will go to the very remote area in Iceland, meditate in the mountains and pick up wild Icelandic flowers, then refine the essential oil from the flowers. Very similar to the essential oils that I know of, they are from flowers.

Yesterday after dinner, I had a friend coming for a long chat. We started talking about the babies, relationships etc. She herself is a mother of two beautiful children and a learnt yoga teacher. She also believe very much in the power of Nature and meditation. She gave me some advices on how to meditate as beginner. She said you could imagine yourself a flower. And you slowly climbing on to the pedals, then inside the flower, be there, observe the flower around you, protect you, give you energy, and slowly climb down when you finished. Another way to meditate is to scan your body, from the top of you head to the tip or your toes.

Nowadays, everyone is busy occupying others’ business. What we should do, is to sit quietly and have a conversation with our inner soul. How’s your body feel like ? What’s on your mind ? Do you truly love yourself ?

 

February 16, 2017 by Mad margarita Categories: Life style, YogaTags: iceland, lifestyle, meditation, nature, Photography, yoga Leave a comment

Meditation is in everyday life

If you ask a person has he/she ever been meditated ? The answer would probably be no.

Meditation seems to be a big word that scare people away, “Meditate ? Are you nut ? I’m no monk or saint. I’m too busy.”

But what actually is meditation ? In my opinion, it’s all about doing something mindfully, with your full attention, whatever it’s cleaning, cooking, making bed, listening rock n’ roll or sitting in peace and quiet.

We have a friend, he meditates through heavy mental. In the beginning, I’m really surprised how could he stay focused and have peaceful mind in such a “noisy” surrounding.

This morning, when I was changing bed sheets, I meditated. I did the whole thing slowly and carefully, instead of hurry things up and think it’s an annoying task. My husband told me that once he dated a lady who worked in hotel and had to change bed sheets everyday and she had the most beautiful muscles on the back shoulders that he ever known.

Yesterday on the radio, there’s a man talking about his meditate. He said that he practising yoga frequently and meditate through an APP. You can turn the APP from 15 minutes up to 2 hours’ meditation. This is pretty smart I think. It’s a combination of technology and ancient wisdom. As a person spend quite a time on internet, I started googling. The first APP came up was “Calm“. It also has the feature to help improving sleep. I think it’s essential for everyone to find their own way of meditate.

 

February 13, 2017 by Mad margarita Categories: Life style, Psychology, YogaTags: buddhism, happy, health, lifestyle, meditation, mind Leave a comment

Better tomorrow

Something happened today made me reckoned myself.

What is feelings ?

Is it real ? Or it’s just some chemistry in our brain that makes us think …

It is true that we feel the way we think. The question is: can we control our thinking ?

I like to believe that we do can control our thought by practising meditation, mindfulness, yoga, or under the help of psychologist.

Yet the reality is more crucial. Sometimes our mind is just a wild elephant, no way to control. And before we even know, we already did or say something that we should not be doing.

I consider myself a very calm person, I don’t judge people, I let things happen. Therefore, I don’t have this “line” like some people have. The “line” that nobody would across.

Is it a good thing or a bad thing ?

My husband is the opposite of me. I admire him, for his enthusiastic, his compassion and his honesty. When he was a boy, the teacher told his mother that he had ADHD, but his mother said: No, my son is just a hard-working boy ! His mother not only accepte him how he is but encourage him to be himself.

Northern light from our house

The time is 1:22 in the morning and I really want to fall asleep. But my mind kept me awake. 

I’d like to wake up totally fresh and full of energy . We shall all embrace life instead of living in the past. I’d like to say goodbye to yesterday and never think about it, just let it go. 

“Chaque jour est un arbre qui tombe” (everyday there’s a tree who dies), but everyday there will also be a new life, a new hope, a new start. 

I truly agree that it’s never too late to start doing something, to make some changes.

Everyone makes mistake, either you live with it or you fix it.  – Sense 8

Oil painting from a friend

Be the strength with me cause I can feel it! Every time when the baby kicks, I know I’m not alone. I don’t want to think anymore, I’ve been thinking too much. Actions speak louder.

I have faith tomorrow will be better!

 

 

February 10, 2017 by Mad margarita Categories: Life style, Psychology, Yoga 3 Comments

Love is all around

After having watched “love actually”, for me, Christmas has officially began. Even though we don’t have tradition to spend Christmas in China, being in foreign countries for 8 years, I find its extreme cozy being around the people you love and love you, wherever they are.

December will just float like water, decorations, gifts, food (lots of salmon, herring and smoked stuff). I shall keep up with my icelandic and hot yoga. And to conclude the November resolution, I did break it by having Champagne twice! (It’s impossible to resist). Yet I love green smoothie, it’s not a diet but a life style.

Therefore for December, I will try to stick to the green smoothie/toast plan for lunch and eat more protein for dinner. I have to put on some weight and get to the balance, because, from January, I’ll be going to school.

December 6, 2014December 6, 2014 by Mad margarita Categories: Life style, YogaTags: balance, christmas, green, happiness, health, lifestyle, love Leave a comment

November resolution!

Halloween is coming to an end and X’mas is just around the corner. I must admit, November is kind a dumb month, yet it’s a great opportunity to make some resolutions to welcome the X’mas.
For me, it’ll be the cleaning month, meaning:

1. no alcohol
2. 30 days green smoothies challenge
3. More effort on Icelandic
4. 3 times yoga per week at World class
5. Last but not the least, no craving!

To encourage myself, I’ll keep posting the the smoothie recipes I’ll be drinking for the next 30 days.

October 31, 2014October 31, 2014 by Mad margarita Categories: Food, Life style, YogaTags: healthy, icelandic, yoga Leave a comment

Guilt

Let’s talk about guilt this time. Guilt with the big G.

What is guilt? when do you feel the most guilty and why?

Who is the devil behind?

Is it after cheating on your loved one? or after craving 20 cakes plus chips? or not achieving the goal which you really really believe in and work hard on it?

Is it only some chemical reaction in your brain?

Guilt is an emotion that occurs when a person believes that they have violated a moral standard that they themselves believe in.

-wikipedia

In French, “guilt” is “la culpabilité”, which descends from the Latin concept of fault (culpa). The concept of culpability is intimately tied up with notion of freedom and free will. In explanations and predictions of human action and inaction, “la culpabilité” is a measure of the degree to which a person, can be held morally or legally responsible.

Culpability marks the dividing line between moral evil, like murder, for which someone may be held responsible and natural evil, like earthquakes, for which no one can be held responsible.

-wikipedia

Therefore, it’s a “point-to-yourself-kind-of-blame”, yet YOU are the one who make the consequence and YOU know exactly what’s going to happen before the action. If so, why on the earth YOU could not avoiding it happens, just say to yourself “hey I’m not gonna do this”. No one likes to feel miserable, don’t we?

One of my favorite rappers Eminem wrote a song called “Guilty Conscience”, about the conversation a boy named Eddie has between himself and his self-conscience before robbing a liquor store.

           {Meet Eddie, twenty-three years old

Fed up with life and the way things are going
He decides to rob a liquor store
But on his way in, he has a sudden change of heart
And suddenly, his conscience comes into play}

Alright, stop!
(Huh?)
Now before you walk in the door of this liquor store
And try to get money out the drawer
You better think of the consequence
(But who are you?)
I’m your motherfuckin’ conscience
That’s nonsense
Go in and gaffe the money and run to one of your aunt’s cribs
And borrow a damn dress and one of her blonde wigs
Tell her you need a place to stay
You’ll be safe for days

if you shave your legs with Renee’s razor blades

Yeah, but if it all goes through like it’s supposed to
The whole neighborhood knows you and they’ll expose you
Think about it before you walk in the door first
Look at the store clerk, she’s older than George Burns
Fuck that! Do that shit, shoot that bitch
Can you afford to blow this shit? Are you that rich?
Why you give a fuck if she dies? Are you that bitch?
Do you really think she gives a fuck if you have kids?

Man, don’t do it, it’s not worth it to risk it
(You’re right)
Not over this shit
(Stop!)
Drop the biscuit
(I will)
Don’t even listen to Slim yo, he’s bad for you
You know what Dre I don’t like your attitude

I have a confession. I craved into breads, whole-grain biscuits and nuts again few days before. This makes me feel sick and guilty. It’s not only about the weight, but the self-control and discipline.

Here I am, again, in a Health Hotel. A friend of my boyfriend is running the hotel. Since he went to Norway to advertise his hotel, we decided to be a guide for his guests over the weekend when he’s away. They are here for a detox programme, which I was in last year. During the programme, you only eat fruits, vegetables, and lots of teas to clean the body. Yet we’re not in the detox this time, I like the atomosphere here.

So this morning I took a yoga session, it was wonderful, breath, stretch, relax, focus, listen to the body and soul. I was a rabbit, an eagle, a camel, a butterfly, a lotus flower, a child, a hero, I was everything. I believe that practising yoga can really change one’s life. Not only it does good to the body also to the mind.

Meditate could be the solution to defeat guilt.

The photos are from a New-Yokais photographer Ted Sabarese. The models are dressing the real-food that they craving for. 

March 16, 2014March 16, 2014 by Mad margarita Categories: Life style, Photography, Psychology, YogaTags: detox, health, mind, Photography, yoga 1 Comment