Recently I was talking to my private client about doing a regular home yoga practice. She said ‘Jaina I don’t have one spare minute in the day to myself’. In fact a lot of people often tell me the same thing! We are all living a packed life which often means working hard, running a household, taking care of children or our elders and so much more. When we are living such a fast place life it is hard to stop and take time for ourselves.
In fact just last week Vanaya started nursery and once I knew she was settled into her space I came home to an empty house and thought… now what do I do? I mean don’t get me wrong I have a million and one things that I ‘need’ to do as well as a million and one things that I ‘want’ to do. However when your life is so occupied and full with the presence of a child or perhaps work, chores etc it can seem strange when there is suddenly a new opening or space… which I feel is very quickly going to be filled!
I am consciously not trying to fill the space up in order to give myself some time to reflect and understand how I want to productively use that time. It is difficult though as there are endless chores in the house, paperwork, admin etc. as well as the constant question from others asking ‘what are you going to do when Vanaya is at Nursery?’ However I know the value of space. When we give ourselves space and time to reflect or to simply be, it allows for a new energy, thought or perspective to arrive. When we don’t give ourselves space there is no opportunity for something new to arrive.
So going back to my private client I suggested that if doing a daily home yoga practice seems unattainable than there are plenty of other ways to find time for yourself in and amongst the busyness of life. It could be taking a moment to take a deep breath in and out when you step outside into the fresh air. It could be looking out of the window into the distance for a minute which helps you to see ‘the bigger picture’. Or it could be just looking up to the sky and asking the universe for support.
We also talked about how my client enjoyed drinking tea every morning and felt that was her time for herself. In fact we probably all enjoy a cup of tea in the morning so why not take that time to sit quietly perhaps by the window or outside if the weather is good. To be present and enjoy each sip of tea without thinking about anything else. So I challenge you to find some time and space for yourself and if you need some help here is my favourite tea recipe… chai which I have been drinking for most of my life. Also with the weather getting cooler it will definitely bring a bit of warmth into your life!
Enjoy!
Delicious Digestive Masala Chai
Masala chai has been drunk in India for thousands of years. It is an ayurvedic beverage which is cleansing, vivifying and a great way to start your day.
If you follow a plant based vegan diet than this is a great dairy free chai receipe. If you do drink dairy than you can use milk but you would need 3/4 mug of water and 1/4 mug of milk instead of the measurements listed below.
You can purchase loose Indian tea from an Indian supermarket such as VB & Sons or even amazon. I suggest the Wagh Bakri brand which has a great flavour and taste. If you can’t get to an Indian supermarket you can use a normal tea bag as I’ve used in the pictures. Also if you prefer decaf tea you can use a decaf tea bag instead.
You can also purchase the chai masala from these supermarkets too. I’m lucky enough to get my supply of masala from my mum who makes it fresh at home! Her age old recipe consists of white pepper, black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger powder. The spices used in chai aid digestion, enhances the immune system, reduces inflammation and they have antioxidant properties too.
You can also add sugar into your tea and if you prefer a non-refined sugar you can use coconut sugar or jaggery. You can learn more about jaggery by clicking here. I also like to add mint to give a sweetness to my tea as I don’t take it with sugar. I find the mint cuts the heat and is also good for digestion. It will also leave your breath feeling fresh after such a heavy drink! Today I actually used spearmint as we have some fresh growing in our herb garden.
Chai is fairly versatile so you can play around with the herbs and spices to suit you and your taste. So experiments with the recipe and let me know how you get on!
Ingredients
1 heaped tsp loose leaf Indian tea / 1 teabag
1/2 mug filtered water
1/2 mug dairy free milk
Sprig of mint
1/4 tsp grated ginger
Method
Step 1
Add half a mug of filtered water to a saucepan. Boil the water with a heaped teaspoon of loose indian tea or a tea bag, a quarter teaspoon of masala, a spring of mint or spearmint in my case and some grated ginger
Step 2
When the water boils add half a mug of dairy free milk such as coconut or oat milk and bring to the boil again.
Step 3
Strain into the mug and enjoy!
