Small steps into routine making

Even though yoga and meditation don't require too much equipment from your end, it is hard to understand it being bombarded with content of beautiful costumes and even fancier yoga mats all over social media. It looks impressive, but can also cause a lot of pressure and make you believe that until you have collected all the goodies, you are not set to start your journey with yoga. 

Don't be fooled. It should not stop you from taking your first steps into the calmness and self-awareness. You can start on the carpet, the floor, even a blanket will do. Put on something comfy and get into the flow. 

That is just for the start. An important yoga mat while exploring your practice becomes essential at some point, and depends very much on how much you sweat. I needed to find a very "glimmer-free" yoga mat in order to be able to get through a demanding practice in a stress-free way. I chose Casall 4mm, nothing too fancy, although, as you can guess, pink was the other requirement. I find it essential to surround myself with colours and objects that make me happy. I would not have gone for a thicker and more foamy one since I find them unstable for hand-stands and getting the right grip with my hands and stabilise the wrists in for example, a down-dog position. So, spongy is good but not too thick! Being closer to the floor might give you a feeling of grounding, and that is essential when practicing your zen. 

Same goes for smells, for every practice I pick an incense stick or a candle that particularly suits me at that time of the day. I might go for a sandal wood in the morning, and chose some lighter smells such as vanilla and cinnamon in the evening. 

This was a daily input from me, I hope you can use it for your own routine and find your ZEN on this snowy and cold Monday.