Taking time to pause and be mindful throughout the day can make a big impact on your mood and mind. Lunch is a great time to intentionally pause. Here are a few simple ways to make your lunch break more mindful.

• Eat outside

  • Step out of the fluorescents and into the sunlight. Find a calm, quiet place to sit and relax. If your office doesn’t have outdoor space, try to find a nice window or quiet area away from your computer screen to breathe. If there is space, take a short walk after to move your body and unwind your mind. (Packing your lunch will help you save money and have more time to sit and unwind).

• Enjoy silence

  • Try eating in silence. Sit in a quiet space by yourself and let your mind refresh.

• Eat more mindfully

  • Pay attention to how you eat. Notice how each bite tastes, observing the details. Observe how the body chews. Focus your attention on eating the food before you.

• Sit and rest your eyes

  • Step away from screens, close your eyes and breathe. Even one minute of this can make a big difference. 

• Read 

  • Allow your mind to escape to a far off place, guided by your book. This is a great way to give your mind a pause and restore.

Have you ever wondered why people choose to invest in private yoga classes? There can be many reasons why someone opts to invest in yoga to support their mental and physical health through private sessions. Here are 5 reasons why should try a private yoga session:

1. Tailor the practice to meet your needs

It can be very tough for an instructor to meet every student’s needs in a group yoga class. One of the huge benefits of private lessons is having someone tailor the practice to meet your specific needs. Private lessons establish a strong relationship with a teacher who can help guide you in your practice.

2. Establish a consistent, sustainable routine

In order to make long term changes in physical and mental health, you have to develop sustainable practices. By investing in weekly or bi-weekly private classes, you set out a time to dedicate to yourself that fits within your life and your schedule.

3. Feel peaceful in your home

It is not uncommon for the home to become a source of stress. As you enter your house, you might be reminded of a list of to-do’s, chores to be done, and ongoing maintenance. These things will not go away, but you will learn how to settle in, and develop a sense a peace in this space. It is important to develop this sense of calm in your home so that you can carry it with you when you step off the mat and back into your busy life. 

4. Modify for your body

Every body is different. In order to make sure the practice is sustainable and supportive for your body over time, it is very important to practice safely for your body. Private sessions offer the opportunity to more verbal and hands-on adjustments to help your body move into the poses a way that best meets your physical needs. 

5. Develop skill sets to carry off the mat

Private lessons help you develop skills that support you even when you step off the mat. By working one on one with your teacher, you deepen your understanding of the 8 limbs of yoga and the ways the can support your life beyond your practice on the mat.

Dogs are welcome!

Sitting at the desk all day is tough on the body and the mind. After a few hours, it is common to feel stiffness in the body and mental fatigue. Take a moment to pause and recharge to feel more energized and focused throughout the day.

1. Breathe

Feel your seat on the chair. Feel your spine straighten and lengthen. Bring your shoulders to your ears, and drop them down the back. Take 3 deep breaths. 

Breathe in for 2 seconds and exhale for four seconds. The exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system and tells our body and mind to calm down. Bringing awareness to the breath brings us into the present moment. 

2. Alternate Nostril Breathing

This breath helps balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain and is great when you need to pause and redirect what tasks you are working on.

Benefits of Nadi Shodna (alternate nostril breathing):

• Lowers heart rate, stress, and anxiety

• Balances right and left hemispheres of the brain

• Improves lung function and endurance

• Stimulates digestion and metabolism

• Purifies and balances the body

• Rejuvenates the mind

3. Gentle Movement 

Seated Cat/Cow

Take a few cat and cows to release tension in the back and shoulders. 

Down dog at the Desk

Take a moment to stand and do downward facing dog. This brings blood flow to the brain to increase energy and concentration levels.

4. Finger Tapping

1. Touch the thumb to each finger on your hand

2. Each time your thumb touches a finger, repeat a grounding phrase to yourself

   Ex. I am safe, I am breathing, I am here, etc.

This brings us out of the mind and into the body. This brings us into the present moment. 

5. Take 5

Give small, simple tasks for the mind to focus on. Draw attention into the present.

1. Find 5 things you can see

2. Find 4 things you can touch

3. Find 3 things you can hear

4. Find 2 things you can smell

5. Find 1 thing you can taste