It all started with a brand new yoga outfit. You have done it for maybe two, three or even four times! The times that you did it, it felt good. It made you feel energetic and gave you a healthy blush on your cheeks. At the same time you felt more relaxed; for a short while, that rushed feeling was gone. Those were the exact reasons why you started doing this. You were motivated to keep on going, but slowly your routine started to slip, and your motivation disappeared. You went from doing it once a week, to not doing it at all anymore. Such a shame, because it made you feel good. You would love to get back into the saddle. But how do you maintain online yoga at home?

Online yoga at home

Do you recognize yourself in the above? Rest assured, you are not the only one. Research shows that from 83% of people who start doing yoga, only 17% keep on doing it. And that is a shame, because regularly practicing yoga brings many health benefits. Surprisingly enough it seems that there is one specific reason why people start slacking. This reason seems to be the same for everyone. As soon as you know what this reason is, you will never forget about it and will be able to fully enjoy the positive effects of yoga.

What is your motivation?

In the Netherlands, more than 1.6 million people practice yoga, and it’s growing rapidly given the new 1.5 m society. According to NOC*NSF, yoga is currently one of the fastest growing sports. But why are we all choosing for yoga? One of the most common reasons to start is because it reduces stress and makes your body more flexible. But, before you roll out your yoga mat it is essential that you think about your personal motivation. Your motivation is very important if you want to belong to the succes group of 17%. But knowing why you start your online yoga classes is not enough to make you succeed. The trick is in writing it down.

Write it down!

It’s very motivating to know what the reason is for you to start practicing yoga, and the strength is in writing down this reason. You don’t have to write entire books about it, a few lines can already be enough. Specifically writing down why you want to do online yoga at home and how you are going to approach this, ensures that the motivation remains. You can of course write it down in the notes on your phone. But whoever takes a pen and paper to do this, increases the chances of belonging to the group that actually lasts.

Continue to work on it

One of the biggest advantages of the (live) online yoga classes of 100%YOGA is the unique structure of the classes. Next to a variety of classes, ranging from 2 to 60 minutes, all classes are in HD quality, which ensures a sharp image. During classes you can zoom in, which allows you to clearly see how to do a certain yoga pose. Additionally, yoga instructor Esther uses a wireless microphone that’s nearly invisible, but ensures optimal sound quality. The online yoga classes are easy to follow, because of her clear explanations. You can even do it with your eyes closed! Several options are indicated per yoga pose, so that you keep control over the intensity of the class. And lastly, because of Esther’s enthusiasm for yoga it feels very personal and as if you’re in the studio with her.

Would you like to experience how yoga can give you energy? Take a look at these six free online yoga classes at online yoga school 100%YOGA!

Every month there is a theme at the center of the NiceDay blog. The month of August this theme was “Vitality”.

Vitality: the energy to live. What ensures that you get more energy in life? And which things can you better leave out? For this theme we focused on all the things you can do to feel more vital; whether this is in the field of nutrition, work, or mental health. Would you like to read more about this? We have listed all recent blogs for you:

Do you sometimes feel that everything is just too much for you? Do you get upset about the smallest things? Too much tension can break you up and can have a major impact on your vitality. Psychologist Sandra Martens explains how you can look at your stress according to the bucket metaphor.

Difficult periods come and go: they are part of life. We don’t feel so good for a while, and that’s okay! In this blog I will give you a tip to stay vital in difficult times.

In the Netherlands, more than 1 in 3 marriages ends in divorce. As humans, are we made to stay together for a longer period of time? Love, relationships and our happiness therein play a big role in our vitality. In her blog, psychologist Maaike discusses the success of a long-term love relationship.

An important part of going through life healthy is exercise! Esther from 100% yoga shares some of her yoga videos and the best tips for beach yoga in the Netherlands.

Taking good care of yourself is important, both physically and mentally. It ensures that you stay healthy and vital, that you know what you need and that you can be there for others without passing yourself by. Do you want this too? Then read on!

The dark winter days are not pleasant for everyone; some people feel lethargic and suffer from winter blues. In this blog I will give you tips on what you can do against winter blues. This way you get through the dark winter months energetically!

While we are in the midst of a pandemic, it can be all too helpful to have a positive outlook on life. Working on a number of health pillars can make an important contribution to your health, vitality and happiness in a bizarre period. Read more about it in this blog by Martijn.

The new season has also brought new corona rules, and we will be working from home more and more. But how do you ensure that you stay vital, even though you stay at home a lot? Psychologist Alison gives some useful tips in her blog!

Do you have periods when you feel lethargic, get irritated easily and can cry about everything? It may have to do with the menstrual cycle, you can read more about this in this blog!

It might not be the first thing you think off, but the Dutch beaches are ideal for beach yoga! Not only during the Summer months, but more than three quarters of the year the weather conditions on the Dutch coast are ideal for beach yoga. With more than 60 beach yoga locations in the Netherlands, you’re always sure of a location near you. In this blog, I will share some of my own beach yoga sessions, interesting facts about the Dutch beaches and an overview of the best beach yoga locations in the Netherlands.

Sandcastles

Below are some interesting facts about the Dutch coast:

  • The Dutch coast is 432 kilometres long. Our beaches consist of 82% sand. The remainder mainly consists of human made structures, such as sea walls.
  • To maintain the coastline as much as possible, 12 million cubic meters of sand is moved every year. The sand is brought in from places a few kilometres outside the coast.
  • The beach of Schiermonnikoog has the largest average width (430 meters wide) in the Netherlands. Terschelling comes in second with 270 meters. The Zeeland beaches are the narrowest: for example, Vlissingen beach is only fifteen meters wide.

Sunshine

Many of us know that practicing yoga brings many health benefits, and yoga combined with the Sun has even more! Beach yoga is the way to go for an extra boost of vitamin D. Besides, sunlight has a cholesterol-lowering effect and it improves the oxygen level in the blood, which keeps all body tissue fit and healthy.

Beach yoga locations

There are more than 60 different locations on the Dutch coast where you can follow a beach yoga class. On the website of Buiten-Yoga you can easily find out which beach yoga location is near you.

The back muscles are one of the largest muscle groups that the body has. Actively training the back muscles improves the overall body posture, prevents injuries and RSI complaints. it also gives your metabolism a boost. In short, it is a good idea activate the back muscles more often.

What Yoga does for you

Scientific studies all show that Yoga has a very positive effect on the body and brain. Doing Yoga regularly, makes these positive effects last longer. This is what you can expect from Yoga:

  • Boosts the immune system and metabolism: it makes you physically healthier.
  • Increase flexibility in joints and muscles: you regain your natural flexibility.
  • It strengthens the muscles: your overall body position improves.
  • It helps clear the head: you experience more rest and relaxation.

60 minute Yoga Class for the back

Try out a lesson! The poses will keep you back muscle smooth and health.

14 minutes

Don’t have time to take a 60-minute class? No problem! Take a look at this blog: I selected 14 Yoga poses that effectively counteract the negative effects of sitting. They keep the back fit and flexible and each pose will only take up one minute of your time.

More Yoga

Since we are more at home than ever before, it has become even more important to stay physically active for positive physical and mental wellness. I would like to inspire as many people as possible to keep moving.

With the code “HEALTHYHOME” you receive a free Namasté Membership. This membership gives you seven days of unlimited access to all live online Yoga classes and the online Yoga library of 100% YOGA. Which is filled with even more Yoga classes, podcasts and meditations. Please note that this code has limitations on the amount of free Namasté Memberships.  

In addition to yoga, running is one of the most effective sports to physically maintain the body. Just as with yoga, you do not have to be a trained runner immediately if you want to experience the benefits of running. Regularly a short morning run or running during your lunch break all contribute to the many health benefits that this sport provides.

This video shows the effect of running on the body:

Seven muscle groups

You use more than seven muscle groups during running. The video (with a robot voice-over) below shows that you use the muscles in the lower body during running, namely: hips, hamstrings, quadriceps (thigh muscle), glutus maximus (large buttock muscle) and the calves. The biceps (upper arm muscles) and part of the abdominal muscles have a supporting function during your run. 

Benefits of yoga for running

These muscle groups and joints have to endure a lot when you are running, even if you are a trained runner. It is therefore always important to do a good warming up and cooling down, so that your body can recover well and remains injury-free. Yoga can be an enormous added value for every runner. Not only do yoga poses contribute to a faster recovery, it prevents injuries. In addition, by regularly practicing yoga the muscles and joints can function (even) better; so improving your personal record is within running distance.

In addition to practicing yoga, I am a runner and have listed a number of yoga poses that my runs benefit from:

Yoga For Runners – Back Special
This video is 9 minutes and show you 6 yoga poses that your back will benefit from: 

https://youtu.be/UTu1tV8Ps04

Yoga For Runners – Hip Special
This video is 7 minutes and shows you 9 yoga poses that your hips will benefit from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46LctStOSsA&feature=youtu.be

Yoga For Runners – Leg Special (9 min)
Watch this video below and find out which yoga poses are good for your legs:

https://youtu.be/N2_WpIpfVzI

More information about yoga and running? Go to the blogs of Esther on her website.

For someone who worries a lot, suffers from negative thoughts or has trouble falling asleep, meditation can help. But also when you are feeling perfectly fine meditation is beneficial, you will feel (more) energetic and your mental resilience will grow. You can find thousands of meditations on the internet: you can visualize, focus on your breathing or meditate while in motion. Finding a type that suits you well can be a bit of a search. Yet it can bring you a lot! We list a few meditation forms for you.

Vipassana Meditation

This form is about observing. Observing your body, your thoughts and your emotions without attaching a value to them. One of the first things you learn when you start using a Headspace module. You soon learn that you can see your thoughts as cars that pass slowly or quickly and all you have to do is look at these cars. Sounds easy, but we tend to run after thoughts or try to stop them. This form of meditation trains you in such a way that your thoughts won’t take a run with you and find peace faster. This type of meditation is good for when you worry a lot. 

Visualisation

We can all visualize, we do it without even noticing. During a meditation session with visualization, you consciously consider the images in your mind. You can recall images of something that has already happened, something that is yet to come or you can, for example, pretend you are on the beach. The sun and the sound of the sea will let you relax. You can also imagine how your day will go. For example, do you have to do presentation which you are nervous for? Try to play this moment in your head with a positive ending, for example enthusiastic reactions from the audience or an overwhelming applause. In the beginning it is difficult to take up this type of meditation alone. There are a lot of guided meditations, they help with stress, anxiety or make sure you fall asleep better. 

Yoga

Yoga is a moving form of meditation and Yoga also has many different forms. During Vinyasa Yoga you focus on your breathing and move from one position to the other based on the rhythm of your breathing. Focusing on your breathing improves your yoga flow and ensures peace of mind. You are constantly on the move, unlike Yin yoga. During Yin yoga you will find peace because you take the time for the different poses. You use the postures to feel what goes on in your body. It is good to do this form of yoga when you have already done something active (Vinyasa yoga or swimming, running). Our Yoga expert Esther shares something new about yoga every month. Don’t know where to start? Follow a video of Esther!

Breathing meditation

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth.” You can do breathing exercises (or meditations) anywhere. It is nice if you have a number that you can do in between, when, for example, you experience stress. Meditating does not have to take hours at all! Just taking 5 minutes for yourself can make a world of difference. For example, try this is: breathe in deeply through your nose as far as you can and then hold your breath for 5 seconds. Then release your breath through your mouth. Repeat this a few times and feel how you react to this. You immediately released some tension!

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about being in the “now”. We are often lost in thought and think of everything we need to do later. Mindfulness is “living with attention”, focusing on what you are doing now. Imagine you are in your car, you are in a traffic jam and your thoughts begin: what groceries do I need, what is the quickest route to the supermarket, what is a quick recipe so that I am on time at the gym … Mindfulness means that you let go of these thoughts and look at the cars around you, the scenery, listen to the sound of the engine, feel the hills on your way. You perceive everything as it is, without judgement and you do not cling to it. Mindfulness improves focus and performance.

“Don’t hate, meditate”

Experiment and learn

There are a lot of Apps, videos on YouTube and meditations on Spotify to get you started:

Apps to meditate:

  • InsightTimer: various meditation teachers, meditation music and sounds all in 1 app. Easy to use in English and Dutch. For example, search for stress, anxiety or sleep for specific meditations.
  • Headspace: probably heard of it;)! The modules of Headspace let you get acquainted with meditation in a nice way, good for beginners.

Nice playlists on Spotify:

  • NiceDay Binaural Beats: This playlist is full of music that allows you to fully relax.
  • Yoga feels: not just instrumental but nice tunes to relax with or to get your own yoga flow

Yoga from your own home

 

Which form will you try? Or do you already have a favorite? 

 

Yoga, you can do it anytime and anywhere. Easy from your own home, in one of the many beautiful yoga studios in the Netherlands or when the summer is in the country on a beautiful location: the beach. By far the best summer location for yoga! In this blog you will discover interesting beach facts and special beach yoga locations in the Netherlands.

Dutch beaches 

Although the Netherlands does not have summer temperatures all year round, the Dutch beaches are perfect for beach yoga for at least three quarters of the year. Below a few surprising facts about “our” beaches: 

  1. The Dutch coast is 432 kilometers long. It consists of sand for 82 percent. The rest is mainly formed by human constructions, such as sea walls.
  2. In order to maintain the coastline as much as possible, we move twelve million cubic meters of sand annually. This comes from places that are a few kilometers off the coast. 
  3. Schiermonnikoog beach has the largest average width (430 meters) in the Netherlands. Terschelling comes in second place with 270 meters. The Zeeland beaches are the narrowest: that of Vlissingen is only fifteen meters wide. 
  4. Fortunately we do not notice it, but under the bath towel on which you lie on the beach, about eight million microscopic creatures crawl. In total there are about fifty different species of animals on the beach that are larger than one millimeter.

Read the Quest. for these and more surprising beach facts. 

Plastic fantastic!

A less pleasant fact is that on average every hundred meters of Dutch beach there is around four hundred pieces of waste. Fortunately, that waste can be converted into usable products such as yoga clothing. HOESSEE is a specialist in the field of sustainable yoga clothing made from recyclable materials. Not only by choosing sustainable materials, but by using sustainability as a starting point for the entire production process. Curious how that works? You can read it here.

BeachYoga

There are more than 60 different locations on the Dutch coasts where beach yoga is given. On the website of Buiten-Yoga you can easily do a search and discover if there is a location near you. Are you not in the mood for a 60 or 90 minute beach yoga class, but do you want a yoga workout? These four different yoga videos each last a maximum of 1.5 minutes and give the body a full workout. Ideal to combine with a beach day!


 BeachYoga Work out 1: https://youtu.be/FJKguRXrXvs 

BeachYoga Work out 2: https://youtu.be/XYoEe47t_qo

BeachYoga Work out 3: https://youtu.be/Kn0FQukH5XA

BeachYoga Work out 4: https://youtu.be/H6NdMOP7RkY 

 

We check our smartphone 221 times a day on average. The average active screen time is between 90 and 160 minutes per day. That is excluding navigating and listening to music via the smartphone. That is a total of 23 days per year if you spend 90 minutes checking your phone. If you are on your phone for 160 minutes a day, it’s 40 days a year. A study by CBS shows that we spend an average of 10 hours per week behind a computer screen. That is on top of the screen time of the smartphone. Frequently looking to a screen has an effect on the eyes. It can lead to dry, watery, irritated eyes and even a decrease of eyesight can occur. To prevent this I share with you 5 quick yoga exercises to prevent eye complaints and tips how to reduce screen time.

Eye Roll Exercise – 2 minutes | 2 sets of 10 reps

  • Sit or stand straight. Keep your shoulders relaxed, neck straight, and look ahead.
  • Look to your right and then slowly roll your eyes up towards the ceiling.
  • Roll your eyes down to your left and from there, down towards the floor.
  • Do this in the clockwise and anti-clockwise directions with eyes open or closed.

Rub Down Eye Exercise – 3 minutes | 1 set of 7 reps

  • Sit or stand comfortably and briskly rub your palms together until they feel warm.
  • Close your eyes and place a palm over each eyelid. Feel the warmth seeping into your eyes.
  • Don’t press down with the palms on your eyeballs, but let them gentile cover them.

The Moving Finger Eye Exercise – 2 minutes | 1 sets of 7 reps

  • Sit on a chair. Relax your shoulders, keep your neck straight, and look ahead.
  • Take a pencil in your right hand and hold it in front of your nose. Focus on the tip.
  • Extend your arm fully and bring it back to the nose.
  • Switch to the left hand and go again.

Eye Press Exercise – 1 minute | 1 set of 5 reps

  • Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a deep breath and slowly exhale.
  • Place the middle finger on each eyelid and press very lightly for about 10 seconds.
  • Release the pressure for about 2 seconds and press slightly again.

Eye Massage – 2 minutes | 1 set of 10 reps

  • Sit straight with your shoulders relaxed.
  • Tilt your head back a little and close your eyes.
  • Place your index and middle fingers gently on each eyelid.
  • Move the right fingers in the anti-clockwise direction and left fingers in the clockwise direction.
  • Repeat 10 times before changing the direction of the circular motion.

Alternative Eye Relievers

  1. Hot and cold
    This can be a great reliever at the end of a (hard and long) day at work. Take a bowl of hot water and another of cold water. Dip and lightly squeeze one washcloth or cotton pad in each bowl. First, place the hot compress on your eyes and eyebrows. Feel the warmth and savour it for about 5 seconds and then switch to the cold compress for 5 seconds. Repeat at least 5 times.
  2. Take a nap
    Sleeping or taking a short nap is the best way to relax and rejuvenate your eyes. In fact, taking power naps can improve your productivity and enhance brain function. So, give your eyes some true rest with a power nap.

Reducing screen time

For RTL News psychologist Anna van Oenen shared practical tips how to reduce screen time on smartphones. Watch her tips in this video (Dutch).

Yoga To Increase Your Health

Of course having a healthy lifestyle contributes positively to your eyesight. These yoga exercises will increase your overall health. Click here to watch the video.

On average, we spend 90,000 hours in our lives at work. We also spend an average of 8.7 hours sitting each day, every day in the Netherlands. A good sitting posture not only ensures a fitter and healthier body, it also provides more oxygen to the brain which makes you more productive. And it helps you to handle (work) stress better. In this article I will discuss some yoga exercises which are especially good for office workers and people who sit a lot during the day.

The effect of having a desk job

Do you regularly have cravings during work? Do you think that exercising after work counteracts the negative effects of  sitting so much? This video shows what happens in the body and brain when you sit for hours and hours.

The benefits of a good posture

Your physical posture is the basis for every movement that the body makes and can determine how well your body adapts to (work) stress. This video explains the benefits of good posture.

Yoga for office workers

Working a lot behind a desk? Are your shoulders, neck and back tense from sitting too long? In this yoga video I will show you which exercises you can do to keep your body fit and healthy throughout the day. And the best part is that you can do these exercises at work while you are behind your desk. Give your body a break and watch this video!

We have all heard it before when you think positively and act on that, more positivity will be in your life: who does well, meets well. But how does that work exactly? What is positive energy and how can you attract and use it to achieve your goals? In this blog more about how you can use the tool called energy to making positive changes.

What is energy?

There are many descriptions of the word “energy”. Physically it is described as the mechanical reaction between the law of conservation of impulse with the law of conservation of energy. The dictionary gives a more simple description: “The possibility to bring about a change.” Although the energy itself is not tangible, everyone knows what energy is. And as the dictionary indicates, it is a tool that you can use to implement positive changes.

Where is energy?
Energy is literally in everything; all solids, liquid and gas forms. Albert Einstein said: “Everything is energy and that is all there is. Match the frequency of reality because you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy, this is physics!” Because energy is ever where, it is also in your own thoughts, beliefs and feelings. That also means that you can use the energy of your own thoughts, beliefs and feelings for what you want. In addition, if you also see what you want (visualize), the universe reacts very strongly to it. This is also called the Law of Attraction. Attracting likeminded means that life responds to the energy you send out. “Life is not happening to you. Life is responding to you.”

How do you convert energy to what you want?

Attracting more positive energy to reach your goals starts with yourself. When you have positive thoughts, beliefs and feelings, this is automatically picked up by your environment. If you constantly think of the worst, if you do not believe that you can ever achieve something, if you do not believe that someone can be good, if you constantly complain, if you always see the negativity in situations, if you regularly put others down, if you are a negative person, you will develop negative energy and in the end you will only attract more negative situations in your life. The way you see things and start by eliminating negative thoughts and negative beliefs will help you change your energy so that you start to attract what you want. This means that you focus on positive situations, understand that things will work, are looking for solutions instead of complaining, have more understanding instead of getting angry, try to look at things from a different perspective, embrace change, seek out to opportunities instead of problems and no longer believe that the worst will happen. In the beginning this will not be easy, but because you constantly change the way you think and see things, you will naturally attract more positive situations in your life.

Is it really that simple?

Yes, the power of energy is strong and when you use it correctly it can make an absolute contribution to your goals. What’s not easy is to always stay positive. To always see the-glass-half-full. To hold on the belief that you can even when things don’t work out. That is simply hard work in the beginning, but there is a turning point. Then positive thinking goes automatically and you do not get irritated by a situation, but you see the extra possibilities it gives. Then you do not feel like standing with your back against the wall, but you see the space that still is there. The more often you think positively, the more clearly you visualise your goals, the more positive the path towards them.

Full steam ahead!

I have been using the power of positive energy for years. It has not only helped me to set up two successful companies, to find my big love, but also to have more fun in the everyday things of life. And sometimes it happens to me that a lot goes on and a negative thought happens or for I feel irritated. Sometimes complaining feels like a wonderful way of relief. In the beginning I found it difficult to approach everything positively. These are my personal three tips that have helped me to discover and retain my positive mindset:

  1. Take distance, let go
    Sometimes there is so much around you or going on in your head that it is difficult to get an overview. That stress gives a negative flow. To get out of it, it can help to let things go and do something else: walk, listen to music, play sports or go to the cinema spontaneously.
  2. Keep repeating
    When it feel like everything is against you, not working out and you’re wonder why, focus on the ultimate goal and why you want to achieve it. Forget about the rest, forget about the setbacks, they do not matter. You visualize your goal and visualize you will achieve it.
  3. Have fun
    Nothing is easy to hold on to when there is no fun involved. Enjoy visualizing your goals, throw in some humor, blow up some balloons, laugh at yourself: just have fun with it.

 

Yoga For (More) Motivation

Every Wednesday I share a yoga video with a special theme. This week exercises that will boost your motivation: https://youtu.be/jN0-H7dKUPI