Learn how eating according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can benefit your health! This is our third blog post in the series about vegetarian, healthy food.

Feed your body and wellbeing with TCM

We eat every day, and it is such a beautiful opportunity to do something good for our body, mind and spirit.  When I was studying shiatsu massage – a type of Japanese massage that works with pressure points – I also learned about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Food and herbs have an important place in this tradition. It was so inspiring! To me, it was such a new way to look at food.

While Western medicine focuses mainly on the content of the food – like vitamins, calories and minerals – TCM focuses more on how the food works energetically in the body. We look at how food can support our physical and emotional well-being during varying times of the day, different seasons and even during different phases of our life. It is all about creating balance, harmony and a natural flow.

5 tips from Traditional Chinese Medicine about food

• Keep your stomach nice and warm: In TCM we look at whether foods are more Yang (warming or even hot), neutral, or Yin (cooling or even cold). Our stomach is seen as a little soup pot and our spleen as a fire that heats up the ‘soup’ (food) in our stomach. When the ‘soup’ is nice and warm, we can extract the nutrition well from our stomach, and we also digest and process the foods well. If the ‘soup’ doesn’t warm up well, we can eat a lot, but still lack nutrition.

• Hydrate yourself with ‘wet’ meals and warm water: In TCM, the best way to hydrate is considered through ‘wet’ meals, like warm soups, stews and sauces. This way of hydrating is the most gentle on our stomach. Water in itself, besides being physically cold (if not heated) – is also considered energetically cold. On a summer’s day some more cold water won’t hurt you, but the general advice in TCM is to drink preferably warm or hot water. Coffee and tea are not recommended in large quantities: They are considered medicine due to their strong qualities (and thus be taken in smaller amounts). Their ‘bitter’ nature also makes us dehydrate and pee.

Photo: Elaine Lilje

• Choose the right ingredients – neutral or warming as the base

1. Neutral and warming ingredients are generally those that have a mild and slightly naturally sweet flavor. Think of grains such as rice, oats, wheat and quinoa, but also of mild sweet vegetables, like carrot, pumpkin, beets, cabbage, potatoes, corn.  Proteins that are warm or neutral are eggs, beans, peas, old hard cheese.
2. Cold food: Lettuce, spinach, celery, cucumber, zucchini, pack choy, tomato, eggplant. Basically, lots of leafy greens and also some fruits. Many fruits are cooling or cold: like bananas, melon, pineapple, apples, pears and plums. Eating fruits on a hot day, is therefore a nice way to cool down (not all though, as we'll see later).
3. Hot foods! Think of chocolate, coffee, ginger, chili, raw onions, avocado, lamb, pungent cheeses, garlic and shrimps. Also, certain fruits, like mango, pomegranate, lychee and cherries. It’s important to keep the balance. If you have a tendency to have lots of ‘heat’ and much upward energy – like in the form of headaches, red face, tensions in the upper body, then it can be good to reduce the hot foods. Even more so on a summer’s day, when it’s also hot outside.
4. To a certain extent, we can influence the cooling and warming effect of foods by the way we prepare them. Grilling and drying foods, brings a hot and warm quality. The other way around, making a mango into an ice cream or a smoothie will make its effect on our body colder. In essence, the quality of the ingredient stays the same, but we can nudge them a bit further down the Yin-Yang spectrum.

• Dairy is special in TCM: Think of milk, soft cheeses, yogurt, butter, cream and so on. Most dairy belongs to the cooling foods. But beside being ‘cool’, dairy is said to create a dampness and slime in the body that makes us more slow, it can make us tired, a bit phlegmatic. No worries! TCM doesn’t say not to eat it, but to eat it with the right measure, in smaller amounts. Dairy that is fermented, like kefir and yogurt, are also considered more beneficial.

• Play with Yin and Yang foods and find your way: We are all different. Some of us have a tendency to be more cold and slow, and some of us are more warm and maybe fast. What we eat can help us find a comfortable and happy balance.

Nice summer salad

Well… lots to play with! I hope you enjoyed these insights and principles. I will add a nice summer salad to this recipe that has a beautiful balance between warming and cooling elements, so it’s refreshing, yet nicely supportive to our digestion. Millet salad – with roasted veggies, orange and almonds

Mundekullas Gröna Kök – want to buy Stephanie's book?

Mundekullas Gröna Kök won the Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2021 for Best Vegetarian Cookbook in Sweden and Best Hotel Cookbook in the World. The book features more than 70 vegan and vegetarian recipes and 10 chapters on playing with flavors and textures, how to design and plant-based meal or buffet, the love for cooking farm-to-table. Buy the book here

The series about healthy vegetarian food

• Back to Basics – How to eat sustainable, plant-based and delicious?
• The most important ingredients for creative cooking – love & curiosity!
• Recipe: Panzanella with fennel, orange & plums
• Recipe: Lukewarm gnocchi with broccoli, spinach, radish & tarragon

Breathing & yoga online to cool you down

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Mundekulla retreat center

Mundekulla is an ecological course and retreat center in the Småland countryside. At Mundekulla, people meet for courses, conferences and festivals, focusing on personal development, mindfulness, creativity, nature and of course beautiful nutritious food! Since its start over 20 years ago, the center has been built on sustainable principles. With traditional building methods and green energy, as well as with a focus on social justice and promoting various peace projects. The whole idea with Mundekulla is to create and co-create learning, art, music, community and health. The best thing is all the wonderful, meaningful encounters with other people. That's the core. Find out more at mundekulla.se

Photographer: Elaine Lilje

Curious about healthy, sustainable and plant-based foods? Let me guide you through the basics of healthy and sustainable food and give you my best tips for cooking tasty, and healthy, food!

Inspiration to healthy eating

Many of us love to live a life that feels healthy and balanced, with care for ourselves and the environment. That is joyful, inspiring and nourishing to our wellbeing. Food can be such a beautiful way to work with all of that, and at the same time it can sometimes feel challenging too! May this blog series, where you'll get recipes and learn more, be an inspiring contribution to your personal journey and exploration. Whether you are new or seasoned on this topic.

Food that help you to a sustainable and healthy life

What to eat? How to cook for ourselves and others? How to make sure you’re getting all the nutrition you need? For me, when I first started cooking vegetarian and vegan, a whole world of possibilities opened up. While I expected to feel restricted by a more plant-based kitchen, it rather felt like the opposite: it was a doorway to a whole new world of ingredients, flavors and ways of cooking. Did I mess up sometimes during my experiments? Sure! And still do occasionally. Did I discover delicious and sustainable jewels along the way? Oh yes! Majority of the time. Before we dive into more in-depth topics, let’s start with some basics.

Healthy and sustainable foods

• Plant-based meals: Whether you choose vegetarian or vegan, eating more plant-based meals is good for our bodies and for the environment. Filled with minerals, fibers and vitamins.

• Organic ingredients: Grown on healthy land and soil, with limited or no use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers or genetic modification.

• Local and seasonal produce: Working with local and seasonal produce is a great way to reduce transport emissions, support local farmers and eat in line with the season.

• Fair trade: Products that are made with dignity and a better income for the people who produce them. Especially important in certain sectors like cacao, coffee, banana, etc.

• Ecological products: Ecological products can include being organic, however ecological points more towards how the products are produced, processed, and packaged. For example, with recyclable packaging, green energy, no waste policies, and so on.

Photographer: Elaine Lilje

5 tips for creating nourishing and delicious plant-based meals

• Get the full picture.
  For a healthy plant-based meal, look at the full picture of all ingredients. I usually like to take the raw food pyramid as a base (also for cooked foods): Vegetables and greens as the base, grains or starches as the next level, followed by proteins. Then fats and herbs and spices in the top. Don’t forget those healthy fats! They also play an important role. You could think of seeds, avocado or extra virgin olive oil.

• Become friends with plant-based proteins.
  Proteins are important building blocks for our body, and they help us to feel satisfied and full after a meal. Good protein sources are legumes such as beans, lentils and peas. You can also use nuts, almond and seeds. sprouts, tofu, tempeh and quinoa. If you eat vegetarian foods, you can add eggs, thick yogurt and cheese to the list. With ‘becoming friends’ with your ingredients you’ll know better how the ingredient responds, what other ingredients they like and what brings out the best in them.

• Experiment!
  Many of the plant-based proteins are either dried or frozen, and therefore easy to store and use when you feel inspired or when you need them. What happens if you use the ingredients a little differently than before? White beans to make a humus? Tofu in a creamy tomato sauce?

• Discover the wonders of umami.
  Umami is considered the fifth base flavor in the Japanese kitchen and i s often associated with meat, however, there are many ways to bring umami into a plant-based meal. Through ingredients such as fermented vegetables like sauerkraut or kimchi, soy sauce, sun-dried tomato, mushrooms, miso, smoked paprika. But also through cooking techniques like smoking, grilling or making pickles. At best, umami is subtle and well-balanced. It should be used in moderation, same as with a good perfume.

• Be prepared to eat a fantastic meal and also be prepared to fail!
  I love to think up new ideas in my head and then see how they work out in the kitchen. Whether it turned out delicious or not, I learned just as much! A bit of laughter, compassion and curiosity are some of the best ingredients.

Recipes & inspiration

I wish you beautiful cooking! In the blog her at Yogobe you'll also find one of my favorite recipes for early spring: Lukewarm Gnocchi with broccoli, spinach, radish and tarragon. The next part of the series is coming in June – stay tuned!

Book (in Swedish) – Mundekullas Gröna Kök

Mundekullas Gröna Kök won the Gourmand Cookbook Awards 2021 for Best Vegetarian Cookbook in Sweden and Best Hotel Cookbook in the World. The book features more than 70 vegan and vegetarian recipes and has 10 chapters on playing with flavors and textures, how to design and plant-based meal or buffet, the love for cooking farm-to-table.

In May, you find a great price for the book – buy it here! 

You can also follow my kitchen adventures on Instagram: @stephanie.verstift

Photographer: Elaine Lilje

Mundekulla – what kind of place is that?

Mundekulla is an ecological course and retreat center in the Småland countryside, in Sweden. At Mundekulla, people meet for courses, conferences and festivals, focusing on personal development, mindfulness, creativity, nature and of course beautiful nutritious food!

Since its start over 20 years ago, the center has been built on sustainable principles. With traditional building methods and green energy, as well as with a focus on social justice and promoting various peace projects. The whole idea with Mundekulla is to create and co-create learning, art, music, community and health. The best thing is all the wonderful, meaningful encounters with other people. That's the core.

Read more at: mundekulla.se

Meditations to appreciate the food even more

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Photographer: Elaine Lilje

What exactly is endurance and what does it mean for your body? Endurance and cardio training are connected to different systems in the body, and we train them in different ways – keep up when I sort out the concepts!

The difference between cardio and endurance

Many people think that endurance and condition are the same but this is not true, you also train them in different ways. Endurance is tied to the nervous system and muscles, while cardio training is primarily tied to the heart. A combination of both of them is fantastic for the body – being enduring and having good condition makes you both fast and enduring/tough.

Endurance training is often specific, when for example a cyclist needs to train endurance, they must train close to the branch – ie cycling. So to be persistent in an area, you need to train in the area where the right muscles are trained.

Cardio training, on the other hand, can be trained in different ways and with different exercises, which train the heart and lungs.

Build strength and endurance

When I talk about being strong and enduring, I mainly mean being able to work for a long time without feeling that you run out of energy. When I do strength training or run intervals, I want to be able to perform the entire workout without feeling the need to take a break. For me, this is to be strong and enduring.

Benefits of exercise & movement

• You feel more alert and overall healthy. As the body becomes more relaxed through physical activity, your experience of stress decreases.

• Job, school, yes the whole everyday life usually works better as the ability to concentrate is improved during physical activity.

• Regular loads and shocks improve the skeleton and make it easier for you to stay injury-free, etc.

• The effectiveness of the immune system improves and you become less susceptible to infections.

• I experience that I feel happier and as a better version of myself when I move regularly. Try and find out what it means for you!

Finally, all the movement that is actually done is good. Movement should be fun because then it will be done. Becoming strong and enduring does not happen in one day – it requires continuity of training. Let the process take time and enjoy the journey. I hope you want to try my classes and give yourself a gift of movement!

Exercise online – for endurance in everyday life

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Power yoga is a dynamic form of yoga that focuses on strength, endurance, balance and flexibility. It was developed in the USA in the 80's with inspiration from ashtanga and vinyasa yoga. A sweaty yoga form that gives the body a real workout and sharpens your focus.

Power yoga – the story behind the yoga style

It was in the late 1980s that Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest developed power yoga. It then spread rapidly across the United States, became trendy with several famous names that appeared with a yoga mat under the arm and the yoga form continued around western Sweden during the 90s and 00s. The two founders developed their similar yoga forms at about the same time but independently of each other, one on the east coast of the United States and the other on the west coast. They had both the same but also a slightly different entrance to the purpose:

Beryl Bender Birch trained ashtanga yoga herself, which is an athletic yoga form that requires strength as well as flexibility and endurance. Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is also the yoga form, which is performed in strict series where you perform the same positions in the same order every time and only when you pass series 1 can you move on to 2.

Beryl realized that many positions were too difficult for the majority of participants. She therefore designed a scheme with the aim of better fitting stiffer bodies, especially athletes and runners she chose to focus on. At first she thought that the form would be called yoga for athletes, but then landed in Power yoga just to show that the form is physically demanding "a true work out" and not just meditation.

Bryan Kest rather wanted to create a form of yoga that suited everyone and played for a while with the name "Grandma yoga" so that all grandmothers and grandmothers could feel welcome in the hall.

Fitness yoga that "meets the participant where it is"

Over time, power yoga became a common name for several different forms of more physically demanding vinyasa yoga classes, with or without a heated hall, usually with music. The plan is usually to start with breathing exercises, sun salutation A and B and then follow standing positions for strength and balance, and ending with stretching positions and relaxation. Breathing, often ujjayi breathing, is basic through the class and the mental focus as well.

The yoga philosophy is not mentioned in the classes, as power yoga is seen more as a fitness variant of yoga. The two founders have the philosophy with them but push to "meet the participant where it is" and if it is for fitness reasons, then that is where you start, they say. Through the physical positions, attention, body presence, and listening to one's limits are practiced at the same time. To practice yoga as it feels good for oneself and not how one thinks it should look or be. In this way, they wanted to make yoga available to a wider mass.

Baron Baptiste was one of those who popularized the yoga form and Ulrica Norberg was one of the earliest to spread power yoga in Sweden. In 2002, she published the book Poweryoga, which describes the yoga form as being able to become “as fit and strong as an athlete, agile and graceful as a dancer. You achieve a mental strength, higher body awareness and an inner peace. Here it is important to listen inwards, follow the feeling and work with the body, not against it! ”

Benefits of power yoga

• Increases physical strength, endurance and stability
• Mobility and agility are trained
• Increases heart rate and increases blood circulation
• Promotes body presence
• Focus on breathing and mental focus provide meditation in motion
• For those who find it difficult to relax, the physical challenges during the class can help to release tension in the body and more easily relax in savasana at the end and then get their beneficial recovery.

Source: One flow yoga and Power Yoga by Ulrica Norberg.

Read more about yoga, power and breathing

• What is ashtanga yoga?
• Find your inner motivation, by Satu Tuomela.
• Breathe life into your life – part 1, by Ulrica Norberg.

Videos with strong and powerful excercises

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Here are some tips to make the rest of your summer active and joyful. You also get a quick workout that you can do virtually anywhere. There are no pointers here – you should do what you want to do, what gives you energy. Think joy rather than achievement!

Focus on movement, play and joy instead of performance

Something very interesting is happening and, in my opinion, fantastic about us Swedes when the summer and the sun comes. We bloom, comes out of our nest after winter. We're happier and take every chance to catch every few rays of sunshine. During the holidays we do not want to miss any sunny opportunities or time with loved ones. This can make it difficult for some of us to keep our workout routine and that may lead to increased stress.

Would it be easier to keep on excersising during the vacation if we change our thoughts on how it "should" be? I think that's the case for a lot of people.

What if you choose to focus on movement, play and joy instead of performance? Reduce the amount of stress trying to manage everything you think you should, by changing your "I have to" to "I want" . See if you can find what you want to do and why you want to do it. If you find your "want" and "why", it is easier to stick to it.

Find natural moments of movement

Another way to keep training during the summer is to use the natural occasions for physical activity. Exercise together with friends or family on the beach or why not play beach football or something else while there. These interruptions from your ordinary routine can develop you physically when you challenge yourself in doing something you are not used to.

If you have children, play with them or spontaniously excersise together. But don't forget to include joy and playfulness. Most of us have a high level of stress in our daily lives and we don't have to bring that stress into the holidays as well.

Try outdoor yoga

Exercise comes in many different shapes and forms and can easily be adjusted to the outdoors. I think that outdoor yoga is amazing due to the opportunity to connect several senses, which enhances the experience. Feeling the wind and the rays of sun against your skin, hearing the summer breeze, the birds singing and maybe the cricket playing and the gentle scents of smell of grass, trees and flowers.

If you feel like you don't really know what to do, there is lots to choose from online. Yogobe offers a lot of inspiration and online yoga classes you can do any where, any time.

Think creatively – use what you have

What if I don't have access to the gym? Yes, I have been asked that question many times. And I answer the same here as I have in the past, you have a body and it goes very far and if you want to burden your body with more than body weight, you can find things to use everywhere. It can be pet bottles full of water, logs, old car tires and more, only the imagination sets the limits. You can also bring with you a rubber band, that take no major place in the bag but can challenge your workout.

When it comes to training, you can also find a lot of inspiration and workouts online here at Yogobe. At the end of this blog post, you get a workout where you only need your body weight.

Enjoy nature

Hiking and running in nature is fantastic for recovering. You reduce stress in the body just by staying in nature, by the water, in the forest or the mountains. Bring a friend and go out, hang out and have a walk and talk or run instead of having a coffee. Often the conversations are actually better when we move than when we sit still.

You can also take family or friends on a run or hike with a packed lunch in your backpack. Stop at some nice places and have a picnic, it will be a lovely experience for both the body and the mind.

Despite the uncertainty we still live in, try to make the rest of your summer stress-free, playful, physical and joyful!

Quick workout for the summer

Do 2-3 turns of the following:

• Squats 20 reps
• Lunges with rotation, 10 reps on each side
• Hip lift, 10 reps
• Push-ups, 10 reps
• Superman, 10 reps
• Alternate Jack Knife Crunch, 10 reps on each side

Read more about exercise and meditation

• 15 minutes of meditation – like a vacation day, by Bianca Barck
• Run, Flow, Let Go – a five minute workout that makes you feel REAL, by Neo Moreton
• Training with resistance band, by Julia Glutz

Strength and mobility training online

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Have you missed the opportunity to take online classes in real time with our skilled instructors in Team Yogobe? Now we are finally launching LIVE-streamed classes. Read more and sign up for the free week here!

LIVE - a bridge between digital and IRL

After this year, we have seen a clear need for community. We are many who miss being able to meet at the gym or yoga studio and share our energy, exchange a few words or smiles together. And our fantastic teachers miss to interact and share their knowledge human to human.

With the hope of creating a loving bridge between digital and IRL, which will make you feel both seen and inspired, we will expand our service with LIVE-streamed classes, workshops, lectures and online courses together with Team Yogobe.

All classes are free for all members June 7-13

You can already start registering for all upcoming LIVE classes that are available throughout the month of June and then WE GO LIVE with the first classes on Monday the 7th of June. Between June 7 and 13, all classes are free for our members! After that, you who are a paying member with us always get a 30% discount on all LIVE sessions.

Read more about LIVE and sign up for the free classes here!

Check out this month's LIVE calendar

Several classes every week - the same schedule for one month
We will run on one and the same weekly schedule for a whole month - so that you will have the chance to take part in different classes and teachers. We have several classes every week and the first month you can try classes like Good Morning Soul with Ulrica Norberg and SOMA MOVE with Linus Johansson. You can find the schedule here!

In order for more people to have the opportunity to participate, we have classes at different times, spread over morning, lunch and evening. We have also tried to take into account your different needs and therefore cover several different practices and forms of exercise such as SOMA MOVE, yin yoga, pilates, pregnancy yoga, Embodied Flow, mindfulness and more.

Do you want to influence the content of the LIVE calendar?

We are super grateful if you want to be involved and influence the content of the LIVE calendar by filling out this survey.

If you have any questions or concerns about our LIVE classes, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] ♡

A few minutes a day of activity can give you significant health benefits. Run, Flow, Let Go is a training format that strengthens your body and nourish your emotional being. Discover an experience in training and emotional intelligence – read more here!

What is Run, Flow, Let Go?

Run, Flow, Let Go is a new training format weaving together energizing movements designed to strengthen your body, improve your cardio health whilst nourishing your emotional being.

Each Run, Flow, Let Go video is 5 minutes and includes these three stages:

• RUN – cardio energising exercises based on the essentials of interval training & running.
• FLOW – yoga-inspired movements linked with the breath.
• LET GO – techniques to express & release pent up energy.

In each stage you will be fully ON for 20 seconds & then totally OFF for 10 seconds of rest.

In each video during the LET GO stage, there will be a focus on accessing and releasing one of the primary emotions – MAD, SAD, BAD or GLAD. The session ends with moving into the emotion of GLAD by celebration and wild free dance!

Can a 5 minute workout be effective?

When many of us think about health and getting fitter, we imagine the long, hard slog at the gym for hours or running for miles on a lonely road.

And yet a mountain of science is now accumulating around the merit of micro shifts or micro interventions, short bursts of activity we can do anywhere with next-to-no equipment. The latest science in exercise and health clearly shows that any activity is better than none, and that more is better than a little. The UK health guidelines in 2011 stated we should aim for 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week in bouts of at least 10 minutes with muscle-strengthening activities twice a week, in that order. That advice was changed in 2019 to “some is good; more is better”. The Run Flow Let Go videos are designed around this micro shift format, because we know that as little as five to six minutes a day of objectively measured increases in activity have been shown to deliver significant health benefits.

Let go – train your emotional intelligence

While surgical procedures date back as early as Christ, our exploration into mental health didn’t really start until the mid-18th century, and even then, it was only looking at dysfunction, not how to improve mental health. The consideration of emotional intelligence emerged in 1964, although it didn’t gain traction as a concept until science journalist Daniel Goleman popularised it through his book. Since then, studies have shown that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence tend to have better mental health as they’re able to take a constructive perspective of the ups and downs of their life, and because they’ve developed a level of emotional literacy and mastery over their emotional state.

We need the right vocabulary to articulate to ourselves what we’re feeling and why. If we want to improve how we feel, we need to begin by becoming more aware of what we’re thinking, then change our thoughts accordingly. A simple exercise is to pause and connect to the feeling you’re having — mad, sad, glad, or bad — and think about what might be causing you to feel that way. Emotions are signals, not invitations to take up residency. Run Flow Let Go trains your emotional intelligence by inviting you to move into and let go of the various emotions of mad, bad and sad and we always end in glad, letting go into celebration of life!

Real is where the gold is

I sense that, as a species, we’re at a crossroads. We’ve tried all these different extremes to attain some measure of peace or happiness: success, power, money, stuff, bigger houses, faster cars, nicer clothes, better holidays … but none of it works. We lurch to the other extreme: meditation, shrinking needs, simplicity, deep work, and a quest for enlightenment. It also doesn’t work. It may feel better and more authentic, and we may be able to manage the angst better, but even with glimpses of enlightenment, something is still missing.

And that’s where en-realment comes in. It’s the daily actions and effort to be real that give us the changed reality — not the glimpses of enlightenment, however profound they may feel at the time. I’m forever grateful for the experience, but it’s the daily mantra of being real that has truly changed my life. Life invites us to immerse ourselves in that chaos and wonder, using our real experiences to illuminate our path; to learn, grow, make mistakes, take risks, and seek to become more tomorrow than we were today. Real is where the gold is. It’s also where the heart is (and sometimes the heartache), but it’s worth it.

Further reading – Run, Flow, Let Go, yoga and wellbeing

• Read more about Run, Flow, Let Go
• Design your life – create good habits with the help of yoga and meditation, by Emma Öberg
• Exercise for long-term wellbeing - here’s how you get started, by Tanja Djelevic

Video recommendations – try Run, Flow, Let Go online

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Each of us have our own way of coping with the stressors that we are faced with. This last part of a mini blog series on self-care strategies is about action. On how to move from reflection towards action. Take my suggestions and develop your own self-care toolkit! Remember that you are not alone nor helpless in this.

This blog article is the third and last part in a blog series about self-care for yoga teachers in light of Covid-19. Read the first part about Recognition here!

Take action as a yoga teacher

As we have reflected on one’s professional role and responsibilities towards oneself and one’s profession, part three of this article series sheds a light on how to move from reflection towards action. Reflection and action are not seen as two completely separate concepts, instead they interrelate and co-exist with each other in a continuous and evolving process. When combined together they generate a momentum which can drive us forwards from a place of substance and wisdom.

Without a grounded foundation upon which to stand, one in which the yoga teacher is aware of their professional role; responsibilities; and, duty of care within that role, what comes next would be nothing but superficial “how to’s”. However, if the yoga teacher remains integrated in themselves and their purpose, then they can approach these suggested coping strategies as well as developing their own, in a way that carries more weight.

This article takes into account that not all individuals respond to stress in the same way. Therefore, each person will also have their own unique way of coping with the stressors that they are faced with. As a yoga teacher, you can draw from your vast experience to develop your own self-care toolkit. The suggestions in this article are just that, suggestions. They are not dogma nor are they complete instead they aim to serve as a spring-board form which you can develop your own creative solutions.

Remember that you are not alone nor helpless in this. Even by asking for help you are taking initiative into your own hands and off-loading some of the professional pressure that you may be experiencing right now.

Lean on a trusted network

Your social environment will impact how you feel therefore it is important to surround yourself with meaningful influences. Lean on a network of a select group of colleagues that you know and trust. This is your platform of support where you can vent in a constructive way and follow up with problem-solving where solutions are co-created through the brainstorming between colleagues. Use this network to ask for feedback and/or have your work ideas validated. Have a think about who you would like to include in this network and reach out to them.

Key words: social, trust, support, constructive, problem-solving, brainstorming, validation

Compassionate adaptation
With the drastic change of work environment and moving from teaching in person to online, many teachers are at risk to start doubting their abilities and some may experience a drop in confidence. Ask someone you trust to tell you one thing they like about your work. If you feel unsure about something, ask them for constructive feedback. Small boosts of confidence and guided support are important to keep you going.

There may also be a sense of loss and loneliness as a response to the limited interactions that you are now faced with as you teach your students through a computer screen. There is a lack of physical- and personal contact which the teacher would normally feedback from and not having that to lean on can make one feel a bit astray. Make sure to explore other ways to connect with your students in which you can still experience a sense of uplifting community and connection. Perhaps by setting up an informal book club or a weekly meditation practice where the role of the facilitator is shared between the group members. This is where community matter more than ever!

This period of adaptation and uncertainty is where managing your expectations and practicing compassion becomes highly important. Give yourself a realistic amount of time to adjust to the new changes and have courage to try different things while you navigate this new turf.

Key words: manage expectations, compassion, adjustment, confidence boosts, navigation

Structure your finances
Financial difficulties can be scary and overwhelming, and the strong emotions that come as a result of this can make it difficult to think clearly when having to make important decisions that concerns money.

Give yourself space and time to detach a bit from the emotional turmoil that may come with this. Once you have calmed down slightly it is time to get practical and work towards finding both short- and long-term solutions that can support you financially. As you do so, remember to moderate your energy so that this does not lead to excessive amounts of work. Stay calm and tactical.

A basic template for yoga teachers and their business

You may have probably done much of the above already, but it can still be useful, even if it is just to validate your own process and to know that you are on track. Here is a basic template to get you started: 

• Ask a trusted friend for help, whether it be practical or emotional support.

• Inform yourself about any governmental aid that you are entitled to. If needed, ask your supporting friend to help you apply.

• Get your basic budgeting in order and reduce unnecessary expenses and find new ways of generating income through yoga.

• Diversify your income. Are there any other professions you can gain an income from during this time?

• Contact everyone from your bank to your landlord and inquiry about possibilities to reduce relevant fees.

Key words: calm, practical solutions, moderation, tactical, budget, diversify income

Categorise your job tasks
Most yoga teachers are in charge of several other job tasks that come with the territory. This has been elaborated on further in part one of this blog series.

As a self-employed it is easy to get into the habit of doing as much as possible oneself, but this is a time where it is more important than ever to thoroughly evaluate one’s responsibilities and priorities.

It may be helpful to categorise all your different job tasks that are part of your profession and dedicate each category a title and an estimation of time spent on each category. Once you have a broader overview of your scope of tasks, it will become easier to decide you’re your priorities need to be. Once you pin down your priorities, it is time to delegate, reduce and/or eliminate certain tasks. This is an important part of the process and remember, less is sometimes more!

Key words: evaluate, prioritise, categorise, delegate, reduce, eliminate, less is more

Summary of all three articles

To maintain a sustainable and constructive lifestyle, yoga teachers need support to sustain good health and work-life balance while offering their services.

• Recognition of a problem is the first step towards constructive solutions.

• Burnout is often caused by the social- and organisational structures in which someone works. Most of the time it is not solely down to the individual themselves.

• Define your job description to get an overview of what your professional role entails.

• Decide on what your priorities are, what is the most important to you?

• Categorise your job tasks and then reduce, delegate and/or eliminate!

• Set professional boundaries when caring for others.

• Identify and tend to your own needs.

• Community is more important than ever, lean on a trusted network for support.

• Look for solutions where they are needed.

• Manage your finances in the most practical way possible.

Final notes from the author
It is with conflict that I write this article series, because these suggestions put the majority of responsibility on the individual teacher. As the first article in this series suggests, the underlying issue, which is systemic in nature, remains and I do not think any individualistic approach will suffice in creating long-lasting change. What this article suggests are mainly coping strategies that helps the teacher to deal with the symptoms, but the change needs to ultimately stretch further.

I therefore reach out to all yoga teachers, studio owners and entrepreneurs in the business of yoga, and invite you to share your ideas, thoughts and comments on how we can together find ways to contribute towards a more equal work environment in which we can all thrive.

E-mail me at [email protected] to share your insights. These may then become selected, with your approval, for publication in a follow-up of this article series.

Inspiration for yoga teacher

• Self-care strategies for yoga teachers in the light of Covid-19 – Part 1 & Part 2, by Eleonora Ramsby Herrera.
• (In Swedish) Vad händer när all yoga går online? av Johanna Alvin.
• Living after cancer – growing after cancer, by Sara Ivarsson.

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Photo: Tania Cappelluti