Hej! We are the women and voices behind hejhej. Notes from the team are an intimate glimpse into our hearts and minds. Meet us – The people who founded and are building the first circular yoga brand. Journaling today: Camie
The meaning of being, feeling inspired and the source of inspiration is an ongoing thought of mine. Right now it’s the inspiration of autumn. What inspires me truly and how am I ready to receive it? A glimpse into my world of thoughts. When I’m speaking of inspiration I mean this inner thrive that leads me to new ideas, gets me going, and brings me into action. Among other things, one of my tasks is the hejhej Pinterest account. I fill it with new inspiration every day. If you need some for your next yoga session, hop right over!
Inspiration from inside and outside
The first thing I noticed was how I relied on inspiration from the outside for a long time without drawing it from within. I could list so many things I’m inspired by, but I have noticed that I can only see all this as such when I can also gather enough inner drive. That may sound very confusing, I admit! Perhaps it will make sense in a moment.
Difference between inspiration and comparison
If I seek inspiration too much from the outside, it usually ends up in total overload. That’s when I realized how important it is to be aware of the difference between inspiration and comparison. To be inspired is to be awake, and motivated, a spark that ignites. On the other hand, comparing makes us tired, creates stagnation and we might sink into a spiral. Today I’m sharing feel-good rituals and inspirations for autumn.
Valuable rituals that keep me from sinking
Now moving from summer into the colder season might be challenging for some, and I can fully relate to that. As soon as the temperature sinks and the days get shorter, I feel this urge to turn my focus inwards and slow down. It’s been really important for me to allow myself to take a step back and find new feel-good rituals as the seasons change.
Daily practice helps me to nurture myself from the inside out and prepare myself for the colder days. I try to put together a toolbox for myself from which I can always pull the necessary resources. One tool that has become sacred to me over the past year is Breathwork. Connecting with my breathing on a daily basis has made a big difference for me. My favorite way to practice online is with Breathewithjames. I highly recommend his sessions, especially the Coherent Breathing videos. It made me realize how important it is to balance our nervous system and keep it in that state through daily repetition.
Another piece in my box is my yoga practice, which looks different every day and constantly evolves. I like to be inspired by new styles and teachers and then adapt the practice to my personal needs.
A yoga style that inspires me and brings me pleasure at the same time is Katonah Yoga. I discovered it last year at Original Feelings studio in Berlin and it completely changed my own yoga practice. So I was more than excited about the videos we shoot with Toni for our Youtube channel. Have you joined a session? I can also highly recommend the meditation with Brooklyn on our hejhej channel. She takes you on a beautiful journey into your very own universe and brings you into a deeply relaxed state. I like to do meditation right before I go to sleep.
Inspiration and feel-good rituals in harmony with the seasons
I value living in nature a lot right now and I recognize how important it is for my well-being. On the other hand, if you live in a city, it’s also a great opportunity to go to a yoga studio. Practicing together can connect you with others and that may be very necessary, especially on an autumn blues type of day. If you’re still looking for a lovely studio, I’ll share our hejhej partner studios with you here.
Living close to nature gives me the opportunity to experience how the seasons change, how the leaves change colour in autumn and everything gets ready for winter. I can apply that to myself and my inner life to change and slow down in the same way. Especially in a city, I find it a bit hard to do because the pace on the outside usually remains the same. A short getaway can be very helpful. How about a weekend in a tiny house in the middle of nowhere? Our partner cabinski has built great houses, perfect to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a short while. A very great inspiration for your autumn.
So as you can tell what’s important for me is to take it slow, in every aspect of my life. I want to take the time to read a book, speak to friends, cook, listen to whole albums, and just linger around. My absolute buddy for slow yoga sessions and lingering around is our bolster. Since we’ve launched the hejhej-bolster it has become my favourite thing, to such an extent that you can speak of an obsession. The bolster is my autumn inspiration.
What brings you pleasure?
More than ever I need things that bring me pleasure, excite me and nourish me from the inside out. One thing I can definitely recommend is to take some good time away from Instagram. Privat benutze ich es nicht, nur für hejhej, aber ich spüre die Überflutung innerhalb eines Sekundenbruchteils, wenn ich die App öffne. How about ditching it for this week or even a day? It could be a game-changer. Try it.
I feel like finding what brings you pleasure and integrating more of that into your life is a very powerful thing.
Speaking of pleasure, a quote I keep close to my heart is:
Take your pleasure seriously – Charles Eames
Fitting to that topic, here are some more wise words I read the other day: The opposite of pleasure isn’t pain, it’s disconnection. For me, that’s so true. I don’t know where I’ve read that, probably on Social Media, whups. However, I will keep it in my mind as a constant reminder!
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