The first few days of my yoga teacher training I struggled to rise at 6.15am. It is two hours before I normally wake up and in addition I had to try and eat something before our two hour long morning yoga session finished around 11 am.

Then one morning I looked at the leftover rice and almond milk in the fridge and got the idea to make the simplest rice pudding possible. I stirred some precooked rice and unsweetened almond milk together in a pan with a bit of cinnamon. It was perfect. Simple to make, easy to digest and a little bit warming. Some of the SF mornings happened to be quite chilly. 

Since we are back in Dublin, I have been making a saffron version with my homemade almond milk. 

It goes something like this

Saffron rice pudding
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked rice
3/4-1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
5-8 saffron threads
1 tbsp boiling water
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt (optional)
raw almonds, chopped

Put your saffron threads in a bowl. Add the hot water and start to crush the saffron with the back of the spoon to release the flavour and the beautiful sunny colour. After one minute, place aside. 

Add the rice and almond milk to the pan. Stir it gently over medium heat until it has a creamy consistency. Add the saffron and cinnamon and mix carefully. Serve in a bowl and decorate with a few chopped almonds. 

Sunshine in a bowl!

At 18 years old I started practising yoga to recover from an ankle injury. At the time, I loved the mental freedom I felt from running; I must admit that I was impatient to see my body heal. 

Six months of yoga and I started noticing some changes. Physically, I felt more connected in my body. My torso, arms and legs were working in unison. You might think, well how could they not? But the difference I am trying to describe is that this time I was conscious of it in a new way. And I liked that feeling, my body felt healthier. 

I also began to like my body better than ever before. Although I was doing less cardio in yoga compare to running; my body felt more toned. This enhanced my confidence a whole lot, with a good timing as I was just about to graduate from high school.

The following year I moved to London. My sister gave me a pale blue yoga mat as a leaving gift. It was the first thing that entered my suitcase. On my mat I continued my home practice, at times several times a week and at other times the mat stayed rolled up next to my bed.

For the next few years I worked in retail and I was standing on my legs at least 10 hours a day, oftentimes even longer. If I could share some of the postures I know now with myself back then, I would. 
One such asana is Supta Baddha Konasana. It is just so amazing for the lower back and it really helps me to relax. 

Fast forward and I started to attend yoga classes. Hatha, Vinyasa, Flow, Ashtanga and Bikram. My passion for yoga reawakened. I learnt about Pranayama. I met other yogis and we began to exchange our experiences. 

In the midst of all commitments of a busy London life I started to show up for myself on the mat. I started to use the same mind-trick as I had often done to get off my butt and out for a run. 

Simply, tell yourself to go for a 10 minutes run only. After all, the toughest step in running is the one through the doorway.  

Now I apply this to my yoga home practice, I tell myself to roll out my mat and sit and breath on it for 10 minutes. Or perhaps do some stretching. Then I find myself doing sun salutations or other exercises. 

Thanks to my yoga teacher training I have gained independence, knowledge and confidence in my practice. Yoga enables me to live in close synergy with my body. I wish to share this with others. Yoga is a personal thing, A personal thing that is best shared.  

Me and my mat before some teaching.

Wonderful community yoga in Grace cathedral in San Francisco.