5 Yoga Poses For Beginners

Yoga is a super trend, and will continue to be. Studios are blossoming, maybe even you heard Steve from the IT department mentioning he is a killer at tree or down dog pose? So let me explain what he’s talking about and show 5 yoga poses for beginners.

What is really yoga?

I could mention its ancient Indian roots, the uniting philosophy behind it, and spiritual values it is transmitting but I will cut it short here: Yoga is probably the best tool I know for you to balance your hyperactive life.

How does yoga work?

If you like the expression ‘work hard party hard’? Well – with yoga it is ‘work hard, relax even harder.’ Yoga works with as less than your own body weight, a yoga matt, few props (fancy legging not included here) and your own breath. You can do it at every-time, everywhere. With Yoga, you will achieve small wonders in terms of general wellbeing, stress reduction, flexibility, self-awareness and sleep efficiency. And you start feeling the benefit of this practice from Day1.

Why should I attend a yoga class?

Technically a class combines a sequence of poses called asanas. Simultaneous concentration on movement and breath makes your brain shut down. You feel an immediate calming and soothing effect. Heard about inner peace? And please drop the idea yoga is for women only, 1/3 of the classes are already filled by gentlemen and this numbers are showing an unceasing increase. Not ready to jump directly into a regular class? Here are 5 yoga poses for beginners you can try at home. Still hesitating? Than book me for a private session, so we can go through the basics and set you up a daily routine. 

5 Yoga poses for beginners

1. The Tree

You start in a standing position, shifting your body weight to one leg. The hips face forward. You press your foot inside your tight, knee pointing down. You extend the arms in the air, the shoulders relaxed. You keep a strong core and play with your balance. Breathe! tree yoga

2. Warrior 1

This pose asks strength and flexibility. Feet are planted on the ground. Front knee on top of the ankle. Back leg straight, foot on the floor with a 45° angle. The hips are facing forward. You lift your upper body with the intention of lengthening the spine. Inhale you lengthen, exhale you press the feet stronger into the ground. Breathe! Warrior 1

3. Warrior 2

From Warrior 1, the back foot opens more allowing your hip to follow the movement. You open your arms to the sides, relaxing the shoulders. The middle of your back foot is online with your front heel. You press the legs against each other’s, lifting your upper body up and pressing the hands further away from your upper body. You keep a strong core and Breathe! Warrior 2

4. Reversed Warrior 2

From Warrior 2, the legs stay put. The hand comes on the back thigh and slides towards your knee and back foot. You gaze is pointing towards your back foot. Extending the upper arm towards the ceiling, you give your side a good stretch. Breathe! Reversed Warrior 2

5. Downward Facing Dog (3 leg variation)

You place both hands on the ground, index pointing forward, pressing all the knuckles on the ground. Elbows face each other’s but shoulders are relaxed. Your intention is to shift your body weight from the hands and arms towards your feet. This pose can be done with both feet of the ground or lifting the leg keeping the hips squared. Downward Facing Dog

Who Am I?

Did you try all yoga poses for beginners and it’s time to do some more exercises?  My name is Florie, Your new Yoga Teacher! I’m a Frenchie leaving in Zürich and practicing for 10 years Yoga. Now a 200H RYS Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Flying Yoga and SUP Yoga teacher with my own practice at Kolly Gallery in Seefeld.

Also teaching in various studio in town as well as in private and corporate practices. Contact me to discuss your personalized program [email protected]

yoga poses for beginners
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Hong Kong Guide – The Best 10 Hotspots

hongkong

After my very relaxed first class flight with Swiss, I arrived in Hong Kong. It’s an incredible city and meanwhile definitely on my top 3 in the world, which is why I show you a Hong Kong guide with the best 10 hotspots.

Hong Kong Guide – about the city

Hong Kong is a so-called ‘Special Administrative Region‘ of the Republic of China. In the 18th century the city was occupied by the United Kingdom and was later declared a British colony. In the 90s, the handover to the Republic of China took place.

Population

The city has around 7.5 million inhabitants, is very densely populated and is considered one of the cities with the highest cost of living in the world. The majority of the population consists of approximately 95% ethnic Chinese, about 500,000 inhabitants are foreigners and expats.

Geography

The two most noteworthy areas are the Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island, separated by the Victoria Harbour Strait.

Climate

I travelled in the month of July, which is about the hottest travel season. Especially the humidity is with up to 80% enormously high, so it is strongly recommended to always have enough water with you. For those who like it cooler, spring is recommended.

hong kong guide

Hong Kong Guide – The Best 10 Hotspots

Photographed with the Huawei P20 Pro

Now it’s time to get down to business: our Hong Kong Guide. It’s a great pleasure to present the article from the lens of a Huawei P20 Pro – all shots were taken with the new flagship of Huawei. Worth mentioning: it’s equipped with the best smartphone camera available on the market at the moment. I clearly became attached to this fantastic smartphone, especially the night shots are absolutely brilliant – but I think we let the pictures speak for themselves.

Hong Kong Hotel

The choice is huge and there are plenty of great hotels.  We like it small but fine.

1. The Fleming Hotel

Address
41 Fleming Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Website
http://thefleming.com

About the hotel
The Fleming Hotel is located in the heart of Wan Chai. A very stylish and urban hotel at reasonable prices. This small but fine boutique hotel has a very pleasant ambience, it smells good everywhere and only the best materials had been used to build it.

The rooms are generously furnished and come up with chic retro details.

Price
Double room from 200.00 CHF per night

fleming hong kong

boutique hotel hong kong

hotel hong kong

hong kong hotel

Lunch in Hong Kong

For an authentic and delicious lunch we have two very reasonable hotspots in our Hong Kong Guide.

1. DimDimSum Speciality Store

Address
7 Tin Lok Lane, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai

Website
http://www.dimdimsum.hk

About the restaurant
Here you can get very tasty dumplings in the middle of locals for an unbelievable price.

Price
Lunch including drinks 100.00 HKD (about 12 Swiss Francs).

best dumplings in hong kong

2. Streetfood on the market

Address
Central, Hong Kong

Website

About Streetfood
We already noticed in Bangkok: the most authentic is on the street. At the Central Market in Hong Kong there are a few ways to enjoy the so-called’street food’ – a treat for the palate!

Price
Lunch including drinks 70.00 HKD (about 9 Swiss Francs).

streetfood in hong kong

Excursions during the day

Of course we also have a few destinations in our Hong Kong Guide for all those who like to stroll through the city during the day.

1. The PMQ

Address
35 Aberdeen St, Central, Hong Kong

Website
http://www.pmq.org.hk

About PMQ
Start-up scene & Co-Working spaces meet creativity. On several floors you meet young and creative entrepreneurs, artists and all those who otherwise like to live out their artistic talents.

pmq hong kong

pmq

pmq hongkong

2. Markets in Hong Kong

Address
– Central Market, Hong Kong
– Tung Choi St. Mong Kok

Website

About the markets
There are various markets in Hong Kong with all kinds of concepts. We particularly liked the markets in the districts of Mong Kok and Central. It’s worth taking a walk through here, looking at everything and being inspired by the fresh and perfectly clean products.

hong kong market

market hong kong

3. Chin Lin Nunnery

Address
5 Chi Lin Dr, Diamond Hill

Website
http://www.chilin.org

About Chin Lin Nunnery
A beautiful Buddhist complex with garden, it is definitely worthwhile to stay here a bit to see the whole thing.

chin lin nunnery

chin lin

hong kong chin lin nunnery

hong kong garden

hong kong temple

Dinner in Hong Kong

An elegant gourmet dinner is a must in this city.

1. Hutong Rooftop Restaurant

Address
28/F, 1 Beijing Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui

Website
https://hutong.com.hk/

About Hutong Restaurant
Outstanding location, high above the roofs of Hong Kong – a fantastic view is guaranteed. The food is excellent, the prices rather expensive.

Price
Dinner incl. wine per person approx. 1.200 HKD (approx. 150 Swiss Francs).

hong kong skyline

hutong

hutong restaurant hong kong

 

2. Osteria Marzia

Address
The Fleming, 41 Fleming Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Website
https://www.osteriamarzia.com.hk

About the Osteria Marzia
What about something other than Asian food? There is excellent seafood here, especially the fish is delicious!

Price
Dinner incl. wine per person approx. 700 HKD (approx. 90 Swiss Francs).

seafood hong kong

seafood restaurant hong kong

Bars in Hong Kong

Below are two of the best bars I’ve ever seen. The reason? They both have something mysterious.

hidden bars hong kong

1. Stockton Bar & Cigar Lounge

Address
32 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong

Website
www.stockton.com.hk

About the Stockton
From my perspective, one of the best bars in the world – the Stockton is simply magical. Furnished with thick leather armchairs from the colonial era, wild cocktails and a hidden cigar lounge.

Price
The prices seemed moderate, nothing extraordinary to note. The cigar lounge requires a minimum consumption.

hotspots hong kong

2. Frank’s Library

Address
8 Ice House St, Central, Hong Kong

Website
https://www.facebook.com/frankslibrary/

About Frank’s Library
The entrance looks a bit like the movie Kingsman. A jazz club like it’s in the books. In the evening there is live music, cocktails and a hidden bar.

Price
The prices seemed moderate, nothing extraordinary to note.

fran's library

hong kong secret bars

hong kong hidden places

Swiss First Class – Our Flight to Hong Kong

swiss airlines first class

I just came back from the maybe craziest and coolest big city I’ve seen so far – but that story will follow in a different article. Today, I’m talking about the most extraordinary form of travel: the Swiss First Class. 

Swiss First Class – Our flight to Hong Kong

About 4 hours before departure I arrived at Zurich airport. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the airport so early, because I wanted to enjoy the Swiss First Class service as long as possible and to the fullest.

new first class lounge zürich

The Swiss First Class Lounge at Zurich Airport

With a separate check-in and your own security check, you will float past the masses and end up in an oasis of well-being in a class of its own. The Swiss First Class lounge at the check-in opened its doors this spring, so everything still smells very new. The finest materials have been used, its rooms are characterised by warm colours and fine wood – the First Lounge shines in a very pleasant ambience.

first class lounge zürich

swiss first class lounge zürich

swiss first class shower

Comfort is very important here

It has dozens of magazines to read – including the international press, over 100 grappa and whisky varieties, an à la carte restaurant, a self-service zone and a front cooking area. The lounge is also equipped with showers, beds and a smoker’s lounge.

But before I left, I wanted to have a look at the second First Class Lounge, if desired you can be taken there with your own driver – unbelievable.

The Swiss First Class Lounge Gate E

Clearly another highlight on my journey! This lounge is just great. 5-star à-la-carte restaurant, two hotel rooms, mini suites and a wine humidor right at the entrance. The special thing here: you can enjoy a great view of the airfield from the terrace.

swiss first class lounge gate E

With the Boeing 777-300ER to Hong Kong

The service

I guess that I looked a little perplexed, the flight crew knew name and started to chat with me about my magazine A Gentleman’s World. They were excellently prepared – for every single passenger.

mobile boarding pass

Space and comfort

The first thing that stands out, is how much space and privacy there is in the Swiss First Class. The designers have also paid attention, one immediately recognizes the common thread to the lounge at the airport. Also, a huge screen catches one’s eye, it should be the biggest in a plane.

first class seat

The food

Then follows a delicious culinary treat: pickled salmon from a Swiss farm, beef tenderloin, Bordeaux wine, Sauternes for dessert – what more could my heart desire?

flying first class

first class frühstück

Quality of sleep

After dinner, my bed was prepared with courtesy, a toilet bag and comfortable pyjamas were of course also available. I fell a sleep and woke up in time for breakfast – top marks for sleep quality.

Arrived in Hong Kong, we were picked up by ground staff and accompanied to the exit by security.

swiss first class

Hong Kong to Zurich with the Swiss First Class

After a few days in Hong Kong I headed back to Zurich. Here again, I took a few hours time to discover the airport as much as possible. 

first class swiss

First Class Lounges in Hong Kong

It should be noted that Swiss does not have its own lounge – it is shared with Singapore Airlines and/or Thai Airways. The First Class Lounges in Hong Kong were a disappointment after the experience in Zurich. It’s all a little dreary, furnished with little love – I would have expected more.

Return flight to Zurich

Back to the oasis of well-being. Also the return flight was absolutely excellent! I was positively surprised by the way the crew handled an almost newborn baby, with a beautiful naturalness and lightness.

The Swiss First Welcome Service

The Swiss Welcome Service is new on offer and is offered to all Swiss First Class passengers in Zurich. Arrived in Zurich, we were picked up by a friendly employee directly at the aircraft door, taken to the limousine and driven directly to passport control. Afterwards it goes either to the lounge or to the baggage claim area. Conclusion? The Swiss First Welcome Service is a pleasant additional service that we appreciate!

first class welcome service

Our Overall Résumé

It’s been an incredible journey. The staff was sincere, friendly with a lot of attention for the detail. Flying Swiss First Class is an experience on its own level – a 5-star journey up in the air. Thanks for having me.

First Class Zürich – Hong Kong prices start at ca. 10’000.00 CHF

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