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This podcast will weave together ancient wisdom with modern science to share the best tools and techniques to cultivate calm in your life. Armed with a degree in behavioural science and a decade of running a thriving yoga studio, I'm here to share my wealth of knowledge on the science of stress, the art of relaxation, yoga philosophy, breathing, and meditation, all with a hint of personal development. Yoga transformed my life from being a stressed out IT professional to a calm and relaxed yo ...
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So many of us struggle with overthinking. Trapped in an endless cycle of ruminating thoughts, it can feel overwhelming and like there’s no way to come out of it. Thankfully there are ways to calm a busy mind and today I’m talking about some of the reasons why we overthink, how it impacts our mental well-being, and sharing some effective strategies …
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How to ditch the self-criticism and stop beating yourself up
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Many of us grew up thinking we had to be hard on ourselves to succeed. We believed that criticising ourselves was the only way to improve. However, constantly criticising and being hard on ourselves often leads to feelings of shame and hopelessness. It drains our mental energy, makes us feel unworthy and puts our nervous system into freeze mode. So…
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I'm often asked if yoga helps people with anxiety, and as tempted as I am to say that yoga is the cure for everything, it's not so straightforward. Learning to manage anxiety is a journey so today I’m sharing some practical tools to help you care for your nervous system and feel a whole lot better. To address anxiety effectively, it's important to …
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If you’re like many people and your mind is bombarded with busy thoughts, I’ve got something really special for you today. In this episode, I’m sharing a guided meditation and breathwork practice that will help you sink into a deep state of peace and tranquillity. This ancient technique dates back over a thousand years and holds the key to unlockin…
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Why feeling our feelings is the key to healing
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Today I’m diving into a topic that holds immense power in our healing journey: our emotions. In previous episodes, I’ve talked about the effects of the nervous system on our well-being but today I’m exploring how suppressed emotions can cause stress and hinder our physical and mental health. Join me as I share my own healing journey and how I exper…
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Our nervous system has two main branches: the parasympathetic and the sympathetic. The parasympathetic branch is associated with relaxation and calm, while the sympathetic branch triggers the fight or flight response when it perceives a threat or danger. Chronic stress can disrupt the balance of our nervous system, triggering prolonged fight or fli…
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Have you ever set goals but found yourself repeatedly falling into patterns of resistance, procrastination, and self-sabotage? If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. Today I’m diving into the concept of resistance and exploring why it's not simply laziness or a lack of discipline that hinders our progress. By understanding the deeper rea…
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Everything you wanted to know about Yin Yoga
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Yin yoga is a deeply relaxing and calming style of yoga that has loads of benefits for everyone, from beginners to elite athletes. Today I’m going deeper into the principles of yin yoga to explore why it’s so good for the physical body, nervous system, emotions, and the mind. During Yin yoga, we focus on slow, long-held poses that primarily target …
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Ten years ago, I made the life-changing decision to quit my six-figure career and open my own yoga studio. Today I’m sharing my personal story of how I fell in love with yoga, the significant impact it had on my life and why I’ve never looked back. My real journey with yoga began when I moved into a house with a yoga studio conveniently located at …
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Relax your body, calm your mind (and fall asleep)
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I have a special treat for you today which I know you’re going to love. In this episode, I’m guiding you through a Yoga Nidra meditation to bring your mind and body into a beautiful state of relaxation and calm. Yoga Nidra is often referred to as yoga sleep. It’s a deep relaxation exercise where you’re guided to rotate your consciousness through di…
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Gratitude wasn’t always my thing. In fact, I used to roll my eyes when yoga teachers talked about gratitude. But life's twists and turns led me through some of my darkest moments, including divorce, a battle with breast cancer, and my father's terminal illness. It was during these tough times that I discovered the power of gratitude. When life take…
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A rest and self-care practice for busy people
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I must confess that I have a tendency to overwork. In the past, I wasn’t very good at rest and self-care, until a sudden breast cancer diagnosis forced me to listen to my body’s needs, say no, set boundaries and prioritise my wellbeing. In this episode, I’m opening up on a deeper level about my journey toward real self-care and sharing a guided pra…
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Getting Angry in Yoga (and why it might be a good thing)
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If you've ever found yourself fuming on your yoga mat or you’ve been experiencing a deeper set of emotions during practice lately, this episode is for you. Today I’m exploring why anger can unexpectedly surface during your yoga journey, why it's actually a sign of progress, and how embracing your emotions can reduce anxiety. Most people think of yo…
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Over the last decade at my yoga studio, I've witnessed thousands of clients go through menopause. Some of these women were overwhelmed with menopause symptoms, while others sailed through with minimal inconvenience. The key for the women who went through menopause with relative ease was that they learned how to manage their stress. Menopause is a s…
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Yoga is often associated with physical flexibility, but I can say from personal experience that it is so much more than that. Physical poses are one beneficial aspect of yoga, but many more components help bring us into the realm of mental peace, stillness and happiness. Yoga is like a ladder with multiple rungs, and more than half of these rungs a…
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I’ve got something a little different for you today - a guided yoga and relaxation session designed to help you get a good night's sleep. This episode is one that you can come back to again and again whenever you need some help winding down before bed. As you listen, I encourage you to find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. You’ll need a …
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Learning how to set boundaries is a skill that can profoundly impact our lives. Whether you struggle with saying "no," you feel overwhelmed by the demands of others, or simply want to enhance your relationships and personal well-being, this episode will empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to set boundaries as an act of self-care. Boun…
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If you find it hard to relax, you're not alone - relaxation doesn’t come naturally to everyone. It's a learned ability to shift into the parasympathetic state, the relaxation response, which requires practice and guidance. Today I’m sharing five challenges associated with relaxing and how to overcome them. So, take a moment to pause, breathe, and j…
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One of the reasons why yoga is so good for relieving stress is because of the breathwork component, Pranayama. Even if you’re not moving your body, you can still harness your breath to calm your nervous system, relax your mind and body and manage stress, which is exactly what I’m talking about today. In this episode, I uncover some of the secrets o…
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If you’ve been having sleepless nights, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with insomnia so today I’m sharing some tools that can help. In this episode, I explore some of the causes of insomnia and how the practice of yoga can be the key to achieving that elusive restful sleep. We'll cover the science behind sleep, essential sleep hygiene pract…
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Anxiety is like that uninvited guest that sneaks into our lives, convincing us that we're the only ones wrestling with it. But the truth is, anxiety is far more common than we often realise, affecting even those who seem to have it all together. Many individuals with anxiety are high-functioning, expertly managing their jobs, social lives, and dail…
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Welcome to the Cultivate Calm podcast. I'm your host, Monica Rotman, and the founder of Cultivate Calm Yoga. This podcast will weave together ancient wisdom with modern science to share the best tools and techniques to cultivate calm in your life. Armed with a degree in behavioural science and a decade of running a thriving yoga studio, I'm here to…
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