No matter how rich we are — in money, power, houses, cars, or sex — it means nothing if we do not appreciate and respect life’s pleasures. At the same time, if we live in harmony with spirit and experience the feeling of joy and satisfaction, we will be happy just to be alive. This month we will discover our breath and our power to educate the brain into balance. This is the first blog post of  four. Now, let's begin our journey into the art of breath. 

Meditation is a word that often triggers expectations of how we are supposed to practice it. When I introduce mindfulness meditation to people who are new to the practice, they often respond with a degree of resistance and hesitance.  In situations like this, it can help to approach meditation from a different standpoint, which views it as a life-long practice.

Yohanna Mannelqvist writes about how yoga came into her life eight years ago. Her life in London was glamorous but hectic and she was constantly working, training, traveling, and socialising. Although she was living her “dream” in all areas of life she started feeling empty inside. 

Yogic philosophy claims that we have all we need inside. All the resources are there for us to lead a great life. We have capacity and potential. It is just our stressed and imbalanced minds that tell us we don't have enough and can’t do enough. What we need is balance. But how do we find it? 

A yoga practice is meant to fuse together opposites in order to attain balance, or equanimity. In life as well as in yoga, we want to add what is not there, to find better balance. So if we are stressed, rushed, and on-the-go, we need to add more relaxation, pausing and doing less, in order to get ourselves back into a better flow of life. The most intelligent choice in hectic times is to destress and to restore.

We have taken away many natural pauses in our daily living here in the West. Our fast way of life  comes with the cost of higher and higher tension- and stress levels. We also see many new diseases that are stress related.  I think one part of the answer is to add more pauses and slowing down our pace. For me it is a question of integrity. Of intention. Of asking oneself with what kind of energy I wish to wake up within two years from now. 

As babies we breathed full, complete breaths, then somewhere along the way we lost track of this breath. In the yin yoga practice the full complete breath is a marvelous tool. The breath is also the force that your attention travels on. Learn how you can find your way back to the full complete breath. 

Since the start of civilization we have emphasized the active life (yang) in some cultures and the contemplative life (yin) in others. Now we have the opportunity to explore both and find the appropriate balance between the two. But how do we find time to figure out what we need when everything around us is spinning so fast?  What does mindful living mean in a modern world? 

Are you running to fast and tend a bit lost? You are not alone! This is why I would like to invite you to a month filled with yin and restorative. To find inner peace in Christmas time, and a harmonious ending to this year. We'll start these four weeks tomorrow, but get a sneak peak here! 

Yoga teacher Frida Starvid (fd Boström) asks her self if there really are some yoga forms that are better than others or more true? And does it really matter as long as you find the yoga form that suits you and your needs?

What if you should just leave your job and go to the other side of the world to live your dream? That is what Maria Paulsson Rönnbäck did. Here she shares her story about her yoga- and surf adventure in Sri Lanka. 

Do you long for a more natural skin care? With the ancient wisdom of ayurveda as a pillar stone, Dr. Venu Sasikumar, skin specialist, here shares with you some of his best remedies and tips for a healthy skin. 

Time for fika? Check these raw carrot cake bliss balls from GreenStreet out! They're based on nuts, dates and carrots and are quick and easy to make. Perfect for some afternoon snacking! 

We are happy and proud to present not only one but three new members to our Global Team here at Yogobe - all the way from Down Under! A big welcome to yoga teachers Lara Zilibowitz and Brooke Elliston and to Gwyn Williams - founder of Zenthai Shiatsu. Many of you out there have been requesting more videos in English. We are therefore extra happy to present and introduce you to these wonderful guides and teachers. We hope that you will find their classes rewarding, enriching and that you'll enjoy spending time with them on your mat. Read more about them in this blog post, watch the introduction videos and find their videos in our library!

Luke Bache wants you to be aware of what it is you really want to cultivate through your practice. Are you on the right path?  Be curious and ask questions! For example if it is ok to ask yourself if the teacher in front of you is a person who inspires you both on and off the mat. Does their philosophy match with their everyday actions? When we take our first step on a spiritual path it is important to ask these questions to know what the path is really cultivating.