First there was “hygge,” the Danish concept of embracing winter, staying inside and cozy, relaxing and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Now there’s another European trend aimed at helping us cope with our stressful lives: niksen. Continue Reading
relaxation
Sunday Purrs: The Art of Relaxation, Feline Yogi Style
Guest post by Pippy
People often ask me “Pippy what is your secret for always being so relaxed and calm while running a yoga cat mat business and keeping your humans in line?” First of all, I am a cat and by nature we are relaxed and calm. For those of you of the human species, it will take a bit more work, but I am happy to share some of my secrets. I am after all a Feline Yogini and this is my area of expertise!
I practice yoga poses and breathing exercises several times throughout each day on my Yoga Cat Mat.
Sunday Purrs: Yoga for You and Your Cat
Guest post by Paige Guthrie Hodges
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few decades you’ve no doubt heard about the benefits of yoga. Our overall health and well being can thrive with a regular yoga practice, but did you ever stop and ponder how your feline friends can reap the rewards as well? Just the mere possibility is enough to make one roll out the yoga mat and start practicing some serious downward facing cat poses!
Cats are the ultimate yogis and they certainly don’t need us to mentor them in the art of relaxation, meditation, or how to stretch their bodies. They do, however, need us to create the ideal home environment so we can support them in being the little yogis they were meant to be.
Yoga is the purr-fect practice for investing in you while also benefitting Kitty at the same time. Continue Reading
Sunday Purrs: Rest
Guest post by Angie Bailey
No one has to remind a cat to get plenty of rest. When kitty feels tired, she drops what she is doing, curls up and relaxes or dozes until her body feels ready to resume activity. Felines are masters at listening to subtle mental and physical cues. In a world where more is better, most humans still have a difficult time jumping off life’s treadmill and getting the rest their bodies require. Rest doesn’t always mean sleep (although sleep is very important); rest means taking both mental and physical breaks from activity.
I have always had the tendency to go-go-go and then fall into an exhaustive zombie state at the end of the day. I sometimes feel like if I don’t get everything done in a day, I am failing in some way. Sure, I usually accomplish a lot in a day, but at what cost? And who is telling me I “have” to check all the items on my to-do list? Me. I’m the one making the rules and I’m the one who gets to make moment-to-moment choices. As a longtime Type A personality, it’s been a challenge for me to loosen up a bit and consciously build downtime into my day. I feel guilty and think, “I could be doing XYZ instead of reading a book or taking a nap.” The truth is, I always feel refreshed, in a better mood and more mentally alert when I’ve chosen to break from the mad rush of the day. I am undoubtedly grateful I made the choice.
Cats don’t even have to think, “Should I stop birdwatching and take a nap?” Continue Reading
Sunday Purrs: Just Breathe
Show me a good mouser, and I’ll show you a cat with bad breath. – Garfield
We take about 20,000 breaths a day. It’s such a natural thing that most of the time, we don’t give much thought to it – we just do it. And yet, many of us don’t know how to breathe properly.
Incorrect breathing can cause tension, exhaustion, and vocal strain. Most people are shallow breathers, using only the top portion of their lungs, thus causing the body to miss out on the full benefits of a deep breath. Deep breathing raises levels of blood oxygen and promotes health in ways ranging from stimulating the digestive process to improving fitness and mental performance.
Cats know naturally how to breathe correctly. Continue Reading