Wellness Warriors: Winter Woes

I first met Kelly in 2012 at a blogger's brunch before going to my first ever Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show. We sat beside each other. We chatted. And from that moment until basically now, we remained online buddies. I've watched her journey of embracing her passions through her ever changing blog and life. In the past year or so, she really caught my attention with her posts about self care, anxiety, nutrition and overall health. 

If you're a frequent reader, you'll know my passion for self care. The more I read Kelly's blog and as she appeared in my social media feeds, the more I felt drawn to her. Her posts are helpful and relatable and many have to do with taking good care of yourself. With our shared interests, I felt like we could make something really cool together. That we did! And this right here is what was born of our chatty coffee date. 

I first read Wellness Warriors on one of Kelly's Facebook posts. 

A-ha! 

I loved it so much. It made me so happy. I felt like Yes! THAT is me. That is Kelly. That is so many people!

So many of us are fighting everyday for wellness. For ourselves. For others. And we truly are warriors. I resonated so much with these two words that we decided to call our collaboration Wellness Warriors. And it's not just for Kelly and I. We are Wellness Warriors. And so are you. We all are, really. 

For this post, we wanted to help you along this Winter season with some practical tips for lifting your spirits and making your insides warm. I'm going to share two Kundalini exercises to fight Winter woes. Here in Canada, this season lasts for half the year and it shouldn't be spent hibernating. Let's live, yes? 

Kelly has a passion for holistic health. The big picture. She knows her food and which ones to eat to feel awesome. And the best part is she's going to share her tips with you! Head over to her blog to learn about the benefits of drinking tea this season and which ones will do your body good. 

I hope you enjoy! Please share YOUR tips with us in the comments and on our social media. The more we all share and support each other, the better, amiright? 

Happy Winter-ing! 

Here are TWO things you can do every morning to feel better this season. Special shout-out to Kundalini Queen and dear friend, Christine, who has taught me these moves. You should definitely attend one of her classes, you'll be hooked (in a good way). 
 

1. Right Nostril Breathing

This breathing exercise will help you feel more alert and energized. It has something to do with increasing oxygen to the left part of your brain, which is associated with alertness and activity. 

How to do it:

Sit comfortably. Close your left nostril with your right index finger. Close your eyes and breathe long and deep only through your right nostril. Continue for 3-5 minutes. 

2. Frog Pose

This is your chance to bring out your inner child and act like a frog. This pose is way harder than it looks but does wonders. It will wake you up and help you feel more energized. It does this by bringing more blood flow to your brain and by stimulating the nerve endings in your finger tips and toes. 

How to do it: 

Squat down like a damn frog. Make sure your heels are raised and touching. Toes pointing outwards. Finger tips are in front of you touch the floor. Palms aren't touching the floor. Inhale. Raise your hips and straighten your legs. Exhale. Return to frog position. Continue 26 times or as many as you can. Modify this exercise to your capabilities. If you can't straighten your legs all the way, that's ok. This one is hard to describe with words so here is a GIF and see the video above.