December is here, bringing with it the sparkle of the holiday season. For many of us, this time of year is filled with joy, celebration, and connection—but it can also bring stress, fatigue, and a sense of overwhelm. The shorter days, packed schedules, and heightened emotions that often accompany the holidays make it more important than ever to prioritize self-care.

This soup brought me so much joy that I couldn’t wait to share it with the world! Maybe it will bring joy to you too.

During my summer vacation in Helsinki, I discovered an amazing green gazpacho that I just knew I had to recreate. On a one hot and sunny day, after a long search for the perfect restaurant that would satisfy both the adults’ and the kiddos’ taste buds (not the easiest task!), we finally ended up at a charming restaurant called Krog Roba with a lovely terrace in a secluded yard.

During a restorative yoga session, you withdraw from the external world, creating a unique opportunity to be fully present with yourself. This inward focus enhances inner awareness and provides a break from the constant input of the surrounding environment. The mind becomes conscious, the body and breath relax, and a state of enhanced inner awareness is achieved.

My students often tell me that a significant barrier to practicing yoga at home is uncertainty about what to do. I completely understand this feeling, as I've experienced it myself. You step onto your yoga mat, and then what? This challenge is one of the reasons why I'm fond of straightforward sequences like Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). Once you know the movements by heart, flowing through the sequence becomes like a moving meditation. Such sequences are invaluable, particularly on days when time is scarce or when you're unsure which yoga practice to engage in.

Some days we run a marathon first thing in the morning and other days we hang out in pajamas until late afternoon. Such is life, and it's perfectly fine! Not every day unfolds according to a preset script, which, in my view, adds to the beauty of life. Constant change is a fundamental part of our existence, and we humans possess the remarkable ability to adapt and savor a myriad of possibilities—if we choose to. By understanding what truly matters to us, we can always find ways to incorporate the essentials into our days.

Many of us know too well how to constantly be on the go and stressed but not well enough to just be&relax. This is why I find it very important to learn and share simple ways of bringing more calmness into our everyday lives so that we can truly enjoy life, and feel curious, optimistic, and creative instead of constantly trying to perform and achieve.

In the constant motion of life, whether it's the physical exertion from a workout or the mental strain from long hours at the office, our bodies and minds yearn for a moment of equilibrium and peace. This is where the remarkable practice of Viparita Karani, a restorative yoga pose also known as 'legs up the wall', comes into play. This pose is excellent for calming the nervous system and helping the body transition into a restful state.

Welcome to explore some of the wonderful benefits of restorative yoga; a gentle yet profound practice that embraces physical, mental, and emotional wellness. In a world where stress is commonplace and relaxation often feels like a distant memory, restorative yoga emerges as a source of calm and rejuvenation. This modern adaptation of ancient yogic principles and techniques offers a unique pathway to tranquility and well-being.

Relaxation plays a crucial role in restoring the body's equilibrium, mitigating the adverse effects of chronic stress on the health of the lower back. By integrating Yoga practices into your daily routine, you have the potential to improve the health of your lower back and enhance your overall health and well-being. Let’s have a look at how restorative yoga, meditation, pranayama (breathing), and asana (yoga poses) can make us feel more relaxed and support the health of the lower back.

The diminished physical activity levels associated with the season can lead to muscle stiffness, reduced joint mobility, joint discomfort, diminished muscular strength, and imbalanced gait. To counteract these potential negative effects on hip health, it is important that we incorporate regular physical activity and movement into our daily routines, even as the colder months approach. In the world of yoga and holistic well-being, this transition brings new opportunities to align with the rhythms of nature.

For those of you who have attended my yoga classes, you know that I'm quite fond of guiding you through hamstring stretches. But have you ever wondered why? I'm certain I've mentioned some of the benefits, but I also recognize that sometimes, the information we hear quickly exits one ear without leaving a lasting impression in the brain. Let's delve a bit deeper into the world of hamstring muscles and review some of those advantages.

To truly understand ourselves, we must learn to attune to our physical sensations. Our bodies communicate through a language of feelings and sensations, and when we neglect to listen, those important messages start to talk louder in an attempt to be heard.

I'd like to share a personal journey with you—a story I hope will shed some light on the therapeutic potential of yoga and inspire you to become an active participant in your own well-being. So, let's embark on this narrative together, as I guide you through my recent encounter with low back pain and lingering hip issues.

To help support your wellbeing in the midst of a sometimes hectic life, I'm sharing with you a short yoga practice that is targeted to create space and release tension in the upper body area. This 17-minute recorded yoga practice just might be exactly what you need to transform your (work)day for the better.

It all started with three ripe bananas, two hungry kids, and one frustrated mother. Have you ever walked around the kitchen opening the fridge and pantry like ten times in a search of something yummy to eat but despite thoroughly investigating the contents of every corner of the kitchen haven't found anything that would satisfy your craving for something that you don't even know what it is that you're craving for?

Is an overactive mind, stress, or aches in the body preventing you to have a good quality sleep?

I'm a mother of two, a yoga teacher, an entrepreneur, and a wife whose daily life oftentimes is rather busy and hectic. I used to sleep very badly mostly because of stress and constant thoughts and worries running through my mind day in and day out. It was only when I started to intensively study and practice yoga asana (the physical poses), meditation, and breathing that I managed to calm my brain and my nervous system before going to bed. This made a huge difference in my sleep quality! Well, this and creating myself a calming evening routine.

What a year it was! Despite all the sad events in the world, in my personal life the year 2022 wasn't that bad in the end. There were tough moments, feelings of uncertainty, one canceled vacation, and too many days spent in bed with the flu. However, there were also moments of joy, excitement, happiness, adventure, growth, and laughter. In February it felt like the whole world is gonna come crashing down but after dwelling in the misery of the world (spiced up with a flu) for enough time, I decided to shift my focus, emerge from my cave, and turn my face towards the sun.

One of the biggest physiological changes relating to breathing, during pregnancy, is a blood volume increase, up to fifty percent. This means that there is proportionately less hemoglobin and that the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is reduced causing breathlessness. Additionally, the heart rate increases so that the body can circulate the increased blood volume. When the expectant mother becomes fully aware of her breathing, she can reverse some of these negative physiological changes in her body.

Being comfortable is nice, doing things you're good at is easy, and never failing is a sign of success. Or is it? Staying inside the borders of our comfort zone makes us feel like we have it all under control; life feels like taking a walk in the park with all the potential dangers and challenges swept away somewhere outside of our comfy bubble. It's very humane to want to spend time in this zone because it makes us feel more secure and in control of things.

Do you remember from your childhood how your mother, teacher, aunt, and many other adults always said: SIT UP STRAIGHT? I do and I also remember how annoying it felt to be constantly reminded of how to sit but now I know that these adults had a point and good intentions in their minds. Now I’m going to explain to You, why you should care how you sit and why it is important to maintain mobility in this naturally more rigid part of the spine.