The Yoga Diaries | Week Seven

Hello, Lovely People!

So this week I was back at yoga class after a two week gap due to my girlfriend being in hospital. I was definitely excited to be back at yoga this week but the class was a little up and down as far as my ability went. As the class began I realised how achy and for lack of a better term "Not stretchy" my body was as a result of not doing yoga for two weeks ! I actually got concerned that I might have to leave the class and try again next week, but I persevered and everything quite quickly became easier, in fact I was immensely proud of myself by the end of the session! I felt I managed the whole of sun salutation A fairly well and I only had to go into child's pose once to take a break In the whole session ( I might be glossing over the fact that I stayed in child's pose so long trying to catch my breath that the instructor stopped the class to check ( and I quote ) that she "not broken" me ) . Overall I'm feeling pretty proud of myself and am going to try and do some very gentle yoga at home this week and see how that goes !

What went well: Sun salutation A went extremely well and I was really getting into the flow of it after a few goes ( I even demonstrated it to my very confused looking girlfriend when I came home and was telling her about my class )

What I need to improve: Allowing myself to enjoy the class

How I'm going to improve it: I found that when I focused on my breathing and exhaled and inhaled when the instructor told me to, the poses were actually much easier and much easier and more enjoyable. So I'm going to focus more on myself and trust myself to listen to and work with my body.


What have you done this week that you're proud of ? I'd love to hear about it in the comments !


Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

One Simple Way To Maintain an Exercise Routine

Hello, Lovely People !

In my February goals post ( You can find it here if you missed it ) I mentioned that this month, I would like to exercise at least 3 times a week. The more observant of you might of noticed that this was also one of my goals last month and I stuck to it for the first few weeks and trailed off a little in the last two. However when I was exercising and eating well I noticed a massive change in my energy and my emotions. I felt fantastic! I was full of energy and after the first week I was raring to go and excited for the next work out. Unfortunately you have to go through that rough patch to get there and there will always be days when you'd rather watch Netflix and eat a whole pizza to yourself than go to spinning class, but I've found a way to make sure you get that workout done EVERY. SINGLE.TIME. Using one simple technique; negotiables and non-negotiables.

A lovely woman told me about this techniques a few months ago but only recently have I began to practise it in my everyday life and see the benefits. Now, you might be thinking " What on earth are you going on about Marianne ? " but I promise this is worth your time.

What is a negotiable ?

Everything that you do in life falls into negotiables and non-negotiables. A negotiable is something that you can do but you have the option not to so even though it might be good for you, you may choose not to do it. This might include things like having a salad for dinner, going to the bank or even, yes, you've got it, exercise !

What is a non-negotiable ?

Meanwhile non-negotiables are things we just do because we think we have to. For example, brushing your teeth or changing your pants, these are things you don't even think about getting out of because it's just not an option in your head.

How can you use this ?

The trick is, you have to make exercise a non-negotiable. Make exercise something that in your mind is as essential as brushing your teeth. By removing the option to get out of it, you're far more likely to go.

How I use this.

 In my week of exercise I have three non-negotiables and one negotiable workout, so my week look like this :

Monday : Yoga Class ( non-negotiable )
Tuesday : Spinning Class ( negotiable ) I go spinning every other week
Thursday : Swimming (non-negotiable)
Saturday : Gym ( non-negotiable ) 


This way I give myself some flexibility but I absolutely will exercise three times a week in the same way I will brush my teeth twice a day, everyday !


So why not give it a go and let me know how you get on in the comments ? I'd love to hear from you so we can all motivate each other ! If you want to be kept up to date on my weekly exercise progress then follow my social media (links below ) because I'll be tweeting every time I exercise to make sure I'm getting my 3 non-negotiables every week.


Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)


Lots of love, Marianne xxx


Twitter : @MyHappyBubbleXx
Facebook : Don't Burst My Bubble
Instagram : myhappybubblexx
Bloglovin : Don't Burst My Bubble...

The Yoga Diaries | Week Six

Hello, Lovely People!

This week at yoga I did feel a little stronger but nowhere near the strength that I want to be, but still, I was much happier with how long I held downward dog for. I think I'd like to start doing weights in the week but don't have the money to buy weights, any suggestions? I'm definitely not where I want to be but I'm on my way, it's easy to get down because you want to be somewhere but it's not the movies, we can't have a music sequence of me going from falling over onto the guy next to me to me being at the front leading the class in the grand total of one and a half minutes. Real progress takes time but I honestly believe it's worth it and I fully intend to follow through to find out if it's worth it so I will let you know when I get to the other side!  As for now, I shall tell you a little funny story about yoga this week! Towards the end of the class ( about 15 minutes before we finished ) two middle-aged men came in saying that they'd booked the room so badminton, so my yoga teacher explained that we were in the middle of a yoga class and that we'd be done in 15 minutes so could they come back then. In reply to this, the men said "It's okay we'll just watch" and we were all quite taken aback at the idea that these men wanted to stare at a bunch of young women in all sorts of positions. They then continued to stare and chat until one woman turned to then and said " Can you zip it for five minutes and get out! " it was hilarious, you should've seen their faces!

What went well: I really enjoyed the floor work today!

What I need to improve: My downward dog seems to have got worse again after it improved in week 3

How I'm going to improve it: There's a lovely lady in my yoga class who gave me some help with my positions a few weeks ago so I might ask her if she can show me how to do downward dog properly again before this week's class starts.

This is the ragdoll pose and it's good for lower back pain and I find it really calming to hold ragdoll for a minute or two whilst swinging gently from side to side! 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

The Yoga Diaries | Week Five

Hello, Lovely People!

This week I went back to yoga for the first time following the Christmas break. I was a lil bit nervous about the session because if you recall week four of yoga did not go quite as well as I hoped because I went to circuit training first and was exhausted to the point of almost fainting by the first 15 min of Yoga. If you missed week four then you can read all about it here. So, it may not come as a surprise to you but this week I gave circuit training a miss and instead had some me time whilst my girlfriend went and then she had some time to herself whilst I went to yoga, I really like this new plan because it's helping me meet my January goal of having more me time. I definitely felt more capable in yoga and although I didn't feel as strong as I did in week 3 ( to be fair though that was a month ago ) I knew that I was holding poses for much longer and I even did a little better on the flow routines that I usually struggle on! I'm really looking forward to next week and improving my skills, I know I'm the worst in the class and that makes me feel a lil bit rubbish sometimes but it's okay to embrace being bad at something if it's making you happy.

What went well: I coped better with the fast pace of the flow routines.

What I need to improve: I feel like my lack of confidence in the class affects my focus and therefore my performance.



How I'm going to improve it: I'm going to buy some of my own equitment, only the basics like a yoga mat and a nice yoga top but enough to give me some more confidence. It will show myself that I am worth making an investment in myself because I do have the ability to be good at this if I keep trying no matter what everybody else thinks.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

The Yoga Diaries | Week Four

Hello, Lovely People !





After last weeks joyful success in yoga class and where I could feel myself improving and my body strengthening,I'm actually pretty sad to have to post this post. However I promised to share with you my yoga journey in complete honesty so that's the good and the bad. This week I went to yoga but I thought I'd go to the circuit training class straight before, after circuit training I was absolutely exhausted, boiling and had no energy left in my body to do a yoga class, but I went anyway. Unfortunately, because I was so utterly exhausted I was pretty much useless in yoga, I was hyperventilating and over heating and actually thought I might faint at some point. I genuinely considered just walking out of the class half way through because I was just Incapable of anything but I managed to force myself to stay ( the one thing I am proud of ) until the end of the class and can whole heartedly say that I tried my best. I ended up in tears after the class, I just felt so disappointed in myself for accidentally savaging my progress in yoga by going to another high energy class first. So, that's how this week I fell down a few places on my development. I wanted to share this with you because I think it's important that people know that learning any skill from yoga to knitting, is not linear. It's a big squiggly lines of ups and downs and it can be really hard sometimes to pick yourself and go to the next class especially when you start to feel like a failure. You're not a failure, you're learning, and I believe in you.

What went well : I stayed for the whole class even though I wanted to give up

What I need to improve : Understanding that my energy is not unlimited.

How I'm going to improve it : I'm going to prepare for every yoga class by drinking lots of water and having some quiet time before to get me in the right frame of mind.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

The Yoga Diaries | Week Three

Hello, Lovely People !

I've just got back from my third yoga class and I have got to say, I'm feeling the benefits far faster than I imagined ! Today in class, I was doing downward dog ( If you've read my previous posts you'll know I struggle with this ) and was waiting for myself to collapse into the extended child's pose when the instructor called out for us to move to the next position! I managed to hold it for as long as the rest of the class ! I'm not saying I didn't struggle but It was nothing compared to the aching and pain of the last two classes.I think in total I collapsed down from a pose twice and fell over only about four times ... which is pretty good for me. All through the class I couldn't help but think, how amazed I was by my progression over that week and I felt so proud of myself. After the class, I was full of energy and felt wonderful. To top it all off, on the way home my dad offered to get a Chinese and I declined. I was really pleased with myself for this because it just shows how yoga is helping me move towards a healthier mindset !

What went well : I could really feel an improvement in how long I could stay in each pose for !

What I need to improve : I think my accuracy in how I do the poses is affecting how well I do them and how long I can do them for so I'd like to improve my accuracy.

How I'm going to improve it : I'm going to watch some videos on YouTube with step by step instructions on how to do yoga poses, if I find any good ones I'll let you know in next week's update.

I'd love to hear from you guys in the comments, what have you done this week to make you feel proud ? Also, do you feel more inclined to eat healthily after exercising ? I'm curious to know if it's just me !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

This is the cat's pose, we use this a lot in flow yoga with the cow pose which I will be sharing next week ! 

The Yoga Diaries | Week Two

Hello Lovely People !

So this week was my second yoga class and I had one notable thought throughout the class... OH MY GOSH EVERYTHING ACHES SOOOOOOOOOO BAD ! However it was bearable, I know this because I persevered and put up with the aching. I also learned that it's okay every now and then to let go of the pose and take a second to regather your strength. No one in the class is judging you, they're all too concerned with their own aching limbs so remember to listen to your body and do what feels right. My struggles with Downward dog continued, but a lovely lady in the yoga class moved her mat to be next to me because she saw me struggling and offered me some tips ( It turns out everything's easier when you're doing it right, who knew eh ? hehe ). She was really kind and helpful so I think I'm going to pick her up a box of vegan chocolates in the week as a thank you !

What went well : My Downward Dog is definitely improving.

What I need to improve : Being able to hold poses for longer.

How I'm going to improve : I'm going to do weights every day to improve my strength.

What've you done this week to improve yourself or make yourself proud ? Let me know in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

This is my current efforts towards the extended child's pose ... it's a great pose to relax into when you're struggling to hold more difficult poses for as long as the rest of the class ! 

The Yoga Diaries | Getting Started

Hello Lovely People !

Welcome to the beginning of a new series that I'm hoping will motivate and inspire me ( and maybe even you ! ) to take up and stick with yoga. Yoga has a lot of brilliant benefits for both your mind and your body and I have recently become determined to improve my mental and physical health. In today's post I thought I'd share a little with you about what you can expect from this series and answer any questions you might have ! At the end of these questions I will write my first entry in my yoga diary for this week all about my first yoga session, but more on that later.

How does this series benefit me ?

I'm hoping that the series will be a good form of motivation to keep on track with Yoga and get to class rather than just getting the bus home and snacking on cake !

How will this series benefit you ?

Yoga can seem hard and unattainable when you first go to a session because it's made out to be so easy and in comparison everyone else in the class looks brilliant and the moves seem effortless. In reality they're practiced a lot and worked very hard .. but as a beginner that can leave you feeling a little useless and disheartened. In this series I'm going to give you an honest account of yoga and how your skills and strength can develop from the very beginning so nobody will feel alone or disheartened.

Can we work together on this ?

We're all beginners here, so maybe it's something we could do together. If there's any point in the series when you feel inspired to take up yoga then perhaps you could leave a few sentences about your journey in the comments.

Why Yoga ?

Yoga is a fantastic way to focus on mindfulness and develop a connection between your body and mind that has endless benefits on your mental and physical health. It can be a great reliever of anxiety and for any mental problem, the focus on a goal of improving your yoga skills can be real motivation to get out of bed and in turn improves your health.

What will be in each post ?

Each post will only be a short paragraph. You're busy people with busy lives and I understand that so have adapted this series to fit in with your everyday life. I will give a brief summary of that weeks yoga class, talk about what I struggled with and what I enjoyed. I will also talk about what I need to improve and how I'm going to work on that in the week. At the end of each post I'm hoping to include a picture of me in a yoga pose that I've got to grips with that week ( these will be very basic at first but I'm hoping they'll develop with my skills ) .

I really hope that this answers any of your questions about the series but if you have anymore questions then feel free to ask away in the comments !

The Yoga Diaries | Week One | 07/11/2016

This week as I ventured into my first yoga class I was a lil bit apprehensive, everyone was dressed in expensive yoga clothes and was so flexible that I was worried I was going to tear a ligament just watching them ! However the teacher was lovely, she smiled at me and said hello. There was an incense stick burning which made the room smell gorgeous ( I'm definitely going to burn one when practicing at home ). I enjoyed the floor work but I found I struggled with downward dog, I don't seem to have enough strength in my arms to hold myself in the position. I also had trouble with keeping my balance and successfully fell flat on my face in almost every pose ( Honestly it must have been quite beautiful to watch hehe ) apparently I don't have very good balance

What I need to Improve : Downward Dog, I think my main problem here was my strength

How I'm Going to Improve : I'm going to start doing weights in the week. I realise this will take a few weeks to take affect but I'm feeling determined !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Yoga and Well-being

Hello Lovely People !

For the last year every so often you'll of heard me say things such as " I really want to get into yoga" or "I went to yoga on Friday and really enjoyed it so I'm going to go every week". I'll only give you one guess to work out which half of that statement was true ( spoiler alert , it was a lie that I was going to go back ). However it wasn't that I didn't want  to go back it was that I simply wasn't dedicated enough to make the effort to keep going back, plus ... it kind of hurt. Yoga is hard work and I'm inflexible and very good at comparing myself to others. So I gave up.

However a few weeks ago I was talking with a wonderful woman who focuses a lot on yoga and well-being. She told me that yoga is about listening to my body and learning to give it what it needs. If the hardest pose is hurting my body then I need to stick with the less advanced and build up my strength. That conversation about looking after and listening to my body as a way to increase my mental and physical well-being inspired me to change my eating habits ( I've become vegetarian and gradually transitioning to vegan , let me know in the comments if you'd like to read some posts about that ) , focus on mindfulness and start doing yoga .

As a way to keep me focused on Yoga I'm starting a series called "The Yoga Diaries" and if you have any better ideas for names for the series I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments. It's going to be an honest documentation of my journey with yoga and mindfulness. I will share new poses I've learnt, breathing techniques, resources and how my strength gradually ( hopefully ) builds up . These posts will be up every Friday. I will be also be posting on another happiness and well-being based post on Tuesdays as part of my new posting schedule. If there are any posts that you'd like to see as part of these please let me know !

I can't wait to start this journey with you ! I'd also love for you to leave your suggestions for amatueur blogs ( under 1000 followers .. preferably under 500 ) that posts about well-being, positivity and health ! I really want to start reading more blog in that area ! I can't wait to read your suggestions.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)

Lots of love, Marianne xxx