Can you believe we are nearing the end of summer already? Seasons seem to be changing a little sooner than they used to, children growing up a tad faster than you ever remembered and Christmas somehow arriving quicker every single year. More than ever before we are living at a faster pace than years that have passed. If you watch a 50’s or 60’s movie you will notice how slow the pace is. Modern technology has been designed to speed up our everyday tasks and make things easier, but somehow have had the opposite effect. 

Is it time to slow down, take a breath and return to walking pace?

What is Slow Living?

Slow living is the concept of slowing down the pace of our everyday life, enjoying the journey and becoming more mindful of our actions. Instead of running on autopilot, those who embrace slow living will take in their surroundings and enjoy the little things life has to offer. A beautiful side effect of this is decreased stress, less anxiety, better quality relationships and improved physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Where do we sign up?

Slow living practices include…

• Doing one thing at a time
• Digital detoxing
• Enjoy the little things you usually overlook
• Embrace slower and more calming music
• Daily yoga practice
• Cutting out the background noise 
• Saying no to things you don’t want to do 

Slow Living Benefits

The concept of slow living does not only allow you to enjoy more of your time, friends and family, but it also comes with countless benefits to your overall well-being. 

Benefits of slow living include…

• Less stress

When you are running at 100mph your body is being fuelled by adrenaline and stress hormones. When you stop and take a breather, your body will decompress and allow you to enjoy the ride with less anxiety. Remember, rushing doesn’t equal increased productivity!

• More time in your day

When you trim down your day to things you only have to do and want to do, you will find more time in your day for things you love… like yoga!

• Improved relationships

With more time you will see an improvement in your relationships. You will be more present with the people around you and embrace the quality time that this brings. 

• Being healthier

By walking more and driving less, preparing your own cooked meals, improved sleep and decreased stress your body will enjoy becoming healthier and ready to tackle any of life’s challenges.

• You will be happier

After embracing slow living as a way of life, you will soon find yourself less stressed, with more free time, in harmonious relationships and healthier. What a perfect recipe for happiness. 

Incorporating yoga into a Slow Living Morning Routine

How many of us throw ourselves out of bed after hitting the snooze button one too many times, only to be sipping coffee we didn’t have enough time to let cool, whilst simultaneously plunging legs into trousers and packing lunch bags for the day? It is exhausting just reading that!

The tone of your morning sets you up for the rest of the day, so start how you mean to go on… slowly. Getting up just a tad earlier will allow you to enjoy the warm morning sun, whilst sipping your perfectly cooled coffee. Why not also incorporate yoga into your morning routine? This art is a beautifully freeing way of embracing slow living. Roll out your Yogi Bare mat and begin by stretching out stiff muscles from your deep sleep. As you work through yoga poses, empty your mind from the day ahead and embrace the freedom that yoga brings you. 

To help you unlock your freedom after lockdown, we have created our 70’s inspired Yogi Bare mat. Lockdown had us dreaming of road trips, sunny scenes and Californian beaches. To bring out your free spirit and that holiday feeling to you, we designed our fun and wacky print. Hello interior goals!

Our Teddy Nevada Yoga Mat is lightweight and portable so you can take your little piece of freedom to your socially distanced yoga classes, to your local park, a staycation or even to your front living room as part of your slow living morning routine. Move like art and enjoy slow living beautifully.