Well, if you’ve ever gained weight, been bloated, recovering from disordered eating or genuinely just felt a bit uncomfortable in your body whilst learning to love & settle into it again, then you know what I’m talking about, whenI say that comfortable tights can make a world of a difference when you workout.

The last thing, I personally found and wanted, was to be even more aware of my tummy and the feeling of it squished into a tight pair of tights, when I was just (and still am!) learning to love my body for what it is and how it looks and feels like. But, baby-steps.

I’m here to tell you that there are loads of active-wear brands out there, that are amazing at design and creating figure-hugging & comfortable workout tights for ladies like you and me. Trust me; I feel like I’ve tried A LOT!

So, continue to read on below to find my favourite tights for little tummies that can help you feel comfortable and snug whilst working out and shaping those luscious lady-lumps x

YOGI BLACK SPECKLE TIGHTS FROM NIMBLE ACTIVEWEAR:

I only just got these the other day, and I’m so in love with them. I did Reformer Pilates in them this morning, and they went nowhere!

They have no seams or stitches at the very top of the waist-band that sits on your tummy, making it soft and with no digging in at the love-handles (yay!). You can also roll them down if you prefer a lower waist, and they’d be good for pregnancy as well as they’re so high-waisted. They’re also the softest thing I’ve ever worn, making them perfect to wear from studio to street.

TULIPS MIDI PANTS FROM THE UPSIDE:

As you may have seen on my instagram, I’m pretty obsessed with The Upside and have been a fan of the brand for years and years, because of their prints and great-fitting pieces.

In particular, I like their drawstring models like the Tulips Midi Pants as they are snug where they need to be, without digging into the tummy or being uncomfortable. They also have a great waist-hight, sitting somewhere in the middle of your waist, and creating a flattering look.

The Upside does new prints all the time, so there’s never a dull moment in your wardrobe with this brand.

REVAMP SEAMLESS TIGHTS FROM LORNA JANE:

These tights are serious next level in comfort, looks and flexibility.

I have these (just in purple) and every single time I wear them, I always get compliments or people ask me where they’re from, because they’re super flattering and people can see how comfortable they are because of the seamless fit, which means there are no stitchings which also equals? You guessed it; no digging into the tummy or love-handles (yay!)

The also sit mid-waist, which makes them even more comfortable, whether you’re practicing yoga, pilates or HIIT – they don’t move and they’re easy for your skin to breathe in.

ASTRAL MAP TIGHTS FROM LIQUIDO ACTIVE:

Liquido Active and their range of tights are especially a go-to of mine when I’m practising hot vinyasa (yoga). They’re comfortable and feels like a second skin all the whilst they absorb moisture really well, but still lets your skin breathe. They’re also high-waisted so they won’t fall (or roll) down when you’re moving.

If you’re a keen yogi-bean too, you’ll love all the prints and patterns they do.

SPECTRUM 7/8 LEGGINGS FROM LNDR:

Trust me when I say that these babies suck and keep everything in – comfortably!

LNDR is one of those brands that create all of their styles with the idea that everything starts with function and form. Seams and panels follow muscle lines or movement points that bend. The product development is considered in a way to slim physiques and open up movement points.

They’re easy to move freely in, looks great on and feels so comfy and snug. The fabric is a bit thicker, so these are a bit warmer – great for the winter-months.

PERFECT HIGH WAIST CROP LEGGINGS FROM SPIRITUAL GANGSTER:

If you’re into black and just want to get a pair of (standard) black leggings that are comfortable, flattering and uber-soft, these are your new go-to’s.

After using these for a few months, I now know why this is one of Spiritual Gangster’s bestselling styles from their range. There’s no digging, pulling or uncomfortability with these, it’s all peace & love when you wear them. Namaste!

BACKBOARD LEGGING FROM P.E NATION:

I mean, a pair of tight that are both functional and looks awesome – I feel like you’ve really hit the jackpot.

P.E Nation creating ultimate sportswear since 2016 and never stopped.

These tights are perfectly high-waisted keeping your tummy snug as a bug, and helps to create long lines down your legs due to the flattering white and blue pattern. They also don’t dig in-to your tummy thanks to the inside seams which seems to have been flattened out.

The fabric is lovely and flexible as well

Hope you liked my little round-up of my current go-to leggings to feel comfortable in so that you can focus on feeling the best you in your own skin.

I know it may be a controversial topic, and I am, by no means, trying to say a pair of tights or leggings fixes anything, but I know for me, I want to be able to feel comfortable in my clothes whilst I’m re-adjusting to my body.

I hope you can, too.

Anna xx

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Can you nod yes to the above? And can you genuinely say, hand on your heart, that it hasn’t just been excuses upon excuses continually, that’s been the reason why you still haven’t tried yoga or incorporate it weekly into your exercise routine?

Or, maybe you’re a super keen yoga-bean that’s practising every-day but just want to delve further into the why of yoga?

Well, let’s take a look at my 8 Reasons Why Yoga Is Worth Doing.. Buckle up!

1. Yoga reduces stress and anxiety

The conscious link between the mind & body that we create when we practice yoga, uses a combination of physical poses, controlled breathing, and relaxation techniques that has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, both of which help control our stress-levels and thus regulate our anxiety-levels, too.

2. Yoga can help with depression

Practicing yoga regularly, can help reduce symptoms of depression. In a study out of Alliant University in San Francisco, looked at the effects of Bikram yoga on a group of women between the ages of 25 and 45 found the following results: When these women practiced twice per week for two months, their depression symptoms decreased. “These studies suggest that yoga-based interventions have promise for depressed mood and that they are feasible for patients with chronic, treatment-resistant depression,” said Vollbehr.

3. Yoga can change your life

Do you feel like there’s more to life, than what you’re currently experiencing? That’s because there is.. Getting onto your mat and out of your head can be the highlight of your day. When we step onto our mats, and leave the world at the doorstep, the mat becomes your therapist, your sanctuary, your safe haven to find peace and quiet from all of the chaos and anxiety rattling around in your brain. Your yoga practice will soon begin to embody the life you never knew was simply waiting for you. Just take that step onto the mat; the hardest part is getting on to it, the easy part is when you arrive.

4. Yoga can help with weight loss and toning of the muscles

It’s a common misconception that yoga isn’t a type of exercise that will condition your muscles and help you become stronger. Yoga lowers levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that prompts your body to collect belly fat. By using natural body weight and resistance, the discipline also helps build lean muscle and creates definition. Practice hot yoga or vinyasa and you will quickly see how hard the body works during a class.

5. Yoga will help you detox

Yes, it’s true. Certain poses, especially those of twisting the spine, are great for our bodies and to help eliminate the toxins that will build up inside. Poses can help stimulate your circulatory, digestive, and lymphatic systems, helping you rid your body of build-up waste.

Poses for detoxification includes:

• Revolved Chair Pose
• Revolved Triangle Pose
• Plow Pose
• Headstand
• Supine Spinal Twist
• Seated Spinal Twist
• Revolved Side Angle Pose
• Revolved Half Moon
• Eye of The Needle

6. Yoga helps you find strength in your vulnerability

Many people like structure and predictability and consistency. Adversity can challenge all of these things. Yoga can push you in positive ways that address being strong, while still being vulnerable. The variety of poses calls for aspects of adapting to your body’s needs. This level of awareness you build through yoga training, is incredibly healthy and beneficial.

You may challenge your focus and endurance in given poses and throughout yoga training. This teaches you perseverance and focus on each and every breath, and believing in your progress with steady commitment. Adversity understandably brings pain, and this can make you shut down, or it can encourage you to be more open. Which do you choose?

7. Yoga will help you become more flexible

I know you’re thinking, that you won’t ever be able to do Pose x and definitely neither Pose xxx.. However, please try not to listen to your mean voice inside of you, that is only there to bring you down..
Inevitably, if you continue a steady yoga-practice, you will become more flexible with time. Yoga poses stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion, along with working your cardiovascular system, resulting in long, flexible and wide-range motion muscles and joints.

8.  Yoga helps you cultivate perspective and give thanks

The more adversity we experience, the more relatively calm we are about life experiences as they come forth. This is not to encourage desensitization but to emphasize with perspective, some very strong coping mechanisms. These coping mechanisms are a form of strength found through perspective.

This perspective leads to showing a lot of thanks for simplicity. As you go through your yoga practice, you will have a different perspective and appreciation for the practice after consistent commitment. There are times when the workout may be challenging, however you will feel great for pushing yourself. Your perspective changes from not knowing whether you can push through, to it being the best choice you could have ever made. Be patient. Stay simple.

Did you know the above about yoga, or is it already something you’ve incorporated into your life?

Love and light, Anna x

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You can use this yoga stretching flow when you need a good and much needed release for your sore muscles, or simply as a relaxant before bedtime. It’ll allow you to sleep more peacefully and deeper as you’ll help to release stress throughout the body.

You can move through this as quick or as slow as you please. The slower you move, the deeper the stretch will be. The quicker you’ll move, the more dynamic it’ll become and add to the strengthening of your muscles.

Never try to force a stretch or push your joints into a position they cannot get into.
Flexibility takes time, and you should always remember to honour your body & respects it’s current capabilities so you can remain injury-free.

Enjoy! Anna x

*Wearing The Upside Sport.

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What is Vedic Meditation:

Vedic Meditation is also known as Transcendental Meditation or simply TM. Despite the numerous names, they are all the same form of silent mantra meditation developed by Spiritual Leader Maharishi Mahesh Yogi back in 1955 where his teachings began.

The meditation practice itself involves the use of a mantra and is practiced for 20 minutes twice per day while sitting with one’s eyes closed – you will meditate upon waking in the morning before your day starts, and you will sit in stillness and meditate in the afternoon (around 4-5pm).

The mantra you’ll be reciting as you meditate will be given to you by your Meditation Teacher. Your mantra will be based on your life cycle and where your human body is currently at in this world. It’s important to remember that you absolutely cannot share your mantra with anyone but a meditation teacher. Your Mantra is sacred and should be treated with absolute privacy. Do not write it down anywhere either. Your mind will remember it; trust me..

What does it ‘do’?

As my meditation teacher, Jeff Kober, so beautifully says:

As one meditates, the mind settles down to a state of Restful Alertness where one has a direct experience of the level of Being, the level of Bliss, the place of fulfillment. Like a wave settles down on the ocean, one’s individual self stands aside to make way for the larger Self and one begins to experience life as a place of joy and possibility rather than as a place of suffering.

It’s important to remember that the practice of the technique requires no change in one’s beliefs, meaning the practice is for everyone despite culture, religion or heritage. It has no judgment or segregation of humanity, but only acceptance, kindness and compassion to give if you allow it to.

Meditation will bring you an exponential increase in your awareness of the Self. You will start to build a bridge to your Truth through daily meditation, allowing you to gravitate towards what is real and what is not.

Through meditation you will learn to embrace the stillness, you will learn to embrace the pain & suffering. You will learn that everything is possible to overcome, and you will learn that we often solve the ‘problems’ by coming back to our breath, to our stillness, to our peace & joy, to our truth within.

So, how do I learn?

You will have to do a meditation course in order to be able to become a Vedic Meditator.

I will suggest going to an Intro-talk so that you can understand the the commitment you’re signing up for, but also to understand the practice deeper and how it can change your life.

I will also suggest following your gut-feeling and pay attention to your connection towards your teacher.

To me, it was a very special moment in my life, and I felt held, understood and supported through my journey of becoming a meditator – both through Jeff but also the people in my group, as it was all friends in the intimacy of our own home over 4 days.

If you decide that Vedic Meditation is for you, you normally have to invest 4 days to learn how to meditate. These 4 days will normally only be around 90 minutes each day consisting of a talk and then a group meditation along with any questions that may arise or mantra-check (it’s very normal to forget it, and then suddenly, it sticks!)

Know, also, that there is an investment in learning how to meditate. A few people have asked me what that goes to? Well, meditation teachers live in the same world as us; we all have bills to pay, and they’re taking the time to teach you how to meditate, a practice and study that doesn’t come easy, but has taken years in order to be able to share with students.

I don’t believe in you having to pay $2000 in order to learn how to meditate, but something around $700-$1000 (to me) seems fair.

The reason why you also pay is to honour your commitment to the practice; anything we’re often given freely tend to hold ‘less’ value to us, and we end up scoffing it off. If you’re serious about wanting a better life for yourself, the investment should be the least of your concerns.

A few notes:

1. During the first few weeks of learning how to meditate you’ll be exhausted. I’m sorry, there’s no else way around it. Why? Because meditation is a huge stress-release for your body and mind, and it takes an incredible amount of energy to release your thoughts and feelings into the nothingness.

2. Be kind to yourself during this time (just as you should be, always) and treat yourself with gentle exercise forms that encourage an even deeper connection to yourself like yoga.

3. Start journalling every morning after your meditation. It will help you further in channeling your mind and letting go of what is not real.

4. Ask friends who are meditators who taught them to do so. It often helps to receive a close friends advise.

5. Finally; embrace it, let go, surrender and enjoy the ride.

–Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Anna xx

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