Hello! I’m Mireya. Yoga found me a couple of years ago and I’d love to share with you what it has since then brought into my life.
¡Hola! Soy Mireya. El yoga me encontró hace un par de años y quiero compartir contigo todo lo que desde entonces me aporta.
As we glide through the last days of this [fill in the gap] year, I want to take the time to reflect back on some crucial personal realizations that I adamantly want to carry over into 2021 (and beyond).
I am only back from a one week yoga retreat with KaliYoga in the south of Spain. When people hear “yoga retreat” they imagine some sort of paradise where you practice yoga, relax and do little more. A place where you find yourself, where all problems disappear and you come back all zen and enlightened.
And I do feel more connected after having had the gift of time to disconnect from the crazy day to day. However, my life has not changed after this week. I am still the same person, with the same monkey mind, with the same fears, anxieties and mental exhaustion who packed her bags a week ago. What this week has given me is the space to come back to myself. That pause that I so much needed to remember who I am. To recognize what I need and what I need to let go of. The time to be amongst strangers who have become part of my life after only a few days together.
“Enjoy the gift of time”
Let me tell you a little more about my experience and also some tips for those of you who are on the fence of booking such a trip because of the investment it requires (economic, time, etc.).
The Good
Yoga and meditation
The morning meditation sessions in the astonishing beautiful ‘shala’ made my days. Morning yoga was dynamic and evening sessions where more ‘yin’. Although my practice is different to what I experienced, Lely and Arantxa (yoga and meditation guides) helped me walk a little closer to myself.
The People
There were 13 of us. Two couples and the rest solo travelers. We all had different ages, experiences, nationalities, backgrounds, lives. Every conversation has been incredibly interesting and respectful. I have learned so much from these companions. In such a group I cannot say that I felt the same affinity to every soul, but there were some that touched my own. I will forever be grateful for that.
The Space
From the venue itself – a place in the middle of nowhere – to the yoga shala (yoga room), the bedrooms, everything felt really welcoming and cozy. It made it easy to feel at ease and difficult to leave.
The Demanding
The (so called) Healthy Focus
The absence of alcohol and coffee was no struggle for me, but the food was. I have been vegetarian for more than half my life and have a diet based rich in unprocessed fruits and vegetables. And yet this week I have really struggled at times. Evening ‘mocktails’ were far from healthy with loads of sparkling water and honey or other sweeteners. There were 3 chefs cooking for us on different days of the week and, liking more one than the others, they all abused so much of nuts that I honestly can’t take an almond, walnut, hazelnut, pistachio or anything of the kind anymore. My stomach has had enough cheese that the mere mention of feta or goat cheese makes me nauseous.
The Wind
I was lucky that the rain made no appearance during the week despite the weather forecast. We did get unusual strong winds everyday instead that made sleeping at night challenging and encouraged my monkey mind to move faster and faster. After the first days, I decided to embrace the challenge of finding inner peace despite what was going on on the outside. An example of mindfulness at its best!
Was it the best time I have ever had? No.
Would I return? Of course!
¿Sabes cómo puedes recuperar movilidad y flexibilidad la zona afectada tras una intervención quirúrgica?
Si has padecido alguna intervención, por ejemplo de cáncer de pecho, es normal que tiendas a sobre proteger la zona y encojas los hombros o evites mover el brazo del lado afectado.
Sin embargo, es importante mantener flexibles los tejidos durante la cicatrización para mantener el rango de movimiento. Este simple ejercicio te ayudará a cicatrizar y a abrir la zona afectada de manera más natural. Además ayuda al drenaje natural de la linfa.
¿Te quitas la camiseta?
Do you know how you can recover mobility and flexibility after going through surgery?
After breast cancer surgery, for example, it is normal that you tend to protect the affected area, hunch your shoulders or avoid moving the arm of the affected side.
However, to maintain the range of movement, it’s crucial that to keep the scar tissues flexible. This simple exercise (video in Spanish) will help you open the affected area in a natural way as well as draining lymph through the body.
Want to take the shirt off?
Cuando pasas por una cirugía es importante que el tejido afectado cicatrice bien para no limitar el rango de movimiento y flexibilidad en la zona. Practicar este sencillo ejercicio puede ayudarte a recuperar movilidad y sanar la zona afectada. Pásate por Jaque Al Cáncer para saber más.
After breast cancer surgery, it’s important that the wound heals correctly to prevent the loss of flexibility in the affected area. This short video (in Spanish) shows a simple exercise you can do to help the healing and increase the range of motion. Visit Jaque al Cáncer for more information and tips.
Los sofocos son uno de los efectos secundarios más comunes de los tratamientos contra el cáncer. Aprende a manejarlos mejor con este vídeo super corto. Pásate por Jaque Al Cáncer para saber más.
Hot flashes are one of the most common side effects of cancer treatments. Learn how to handle them better with this super short video (in Spanish). Visit Jaque al Cáncer for more information and tips.
La ansiedad es uno de los efectos secundarios más comunes del cáncer y de sus tratamientos. Pásate por Jaque al Cáncer y aprende cómo esta sencilla técnica de respiración, que puedes hacer en cualquier lugar te ayudará a calmarla.
Privilegiada de colaborar con el equipo de JaqueAlCancer en una serie de vídeos que te ayudarán a sobrellevar mejor los efectos secundarios del cáncer.
Muchos de vosotros ya conocéis a Mireya. Estuvo en Jaque hace algunos meses. Nos trajo un post muy interesante sobre la relación del yoga con el cáncer. Nos hablaba sobre los efectos secundarios qu…
Summer is giving way to autumn, a time of preparation and change for the colder days to come. It is also the season with high Vata predominance.
According to Ayurveda, Vata has the following qualities:
What influence can Vata have on me?
On the physical aspect, you might notice:
On the mental aspect, you can experience:
What to do to better flow through this transition period?
Vata’s element is air, so it is best to incorporate lifestyle choices that balance this element. Nourish your body and mind adequately to encourage a sense of warmth and grounding.
The best advice is to incorporate to your diet foods that are in season. Nature provides products that help harmonize our body with the environment.
Some examples of great foods and spices to cook with these next few months are:
Remember that a strong body is more able to overcome changes and challenges in the colder months to come. So make sure to take good care of yourself: mind and body.
(scroll down for English)
El calor aprieta en Madrid. Huye de él con estos simples pero eficaces remedios:
¿Utilizas otros remedios? Compártelos comentando abajo.
These last days of August are being hit with extreme temperatures. Beat the heat with this simple yet efficient remedies:
Are there any other techniques you use? Comment below to share them.
mireya semelas 