Practice Ways with Nadia Narain
Glimmers
Practice Ways is an ongoing feature sharing notes from writers, makers, coaches, and creatives, offering perspectives on what balance looks like in this real life.
Nadia Narain is a yoga teacher I met at just the right moment. Over a decade ago I had just moved from Seattle to London and was looking for community and connection. We drank tea together and she welcomed me into her Soho class, and I shared with her how I hoped to become pregnant. Some weeks later when I discovered our first baby was on the way she was one of the first people I wanted to share the news with. At that time she was working in depth with pre- and postnatal women, and created one of the UK’s first Pregnancy Teacher Training programs. Needless to say she became a supportive anchor throughout my own pregnancy before somewhat spontaneously (and incredibly generously) supporting my partner and I as a doula. I’m forever thankful for her presence, and inspired by the way she approaches her own practice and teaching. Nadia is a glimmer of a human, truly.
Now splitting her time between London and California, she’s co-authored three books with her lovely sister Katia Narain Phillips, including Self-Care for the Real World, Rituals for Every Day, and their newest creation, Glimmers just out this month. It’s a beautiful, vital book, offering practical tools and inspiration to soothe, heal, and balance your nervous system, and to tune into the glimmers all around you, every day. I’m savouring it and hope you will, too.
“A Glimmer is a tiny moment of joy and connection, which signals to your body that you feel safe… Glimmers are the tiny moments that open a door to some transformative ways to regulate our nervous system and change our lives and behavior for the better. And through glimmers we find the easiest and most accessible ways to feel that we can better handle whatever life throws at us.”
– Nadia + Katia, Glimmers
Read on for Nadia’s thoughtful notes on the themes of balance and practice…
What’s feeling really good to you in this season?
It is an interesting season for me because it is literally winter, and I like the inward feeling and staying close to myself in winter, but it happens to be when our new book Glimmers comes out, which means lots extending outward in new and different ways that are not always comfortable to me. What is feeling really good is lighting candles in the morning and at night. Keeping a gentle routine in the morning and early nights and being aware of my limits.
What does balance look like for you right now?
Balance looks like ensuring I do what I need to do for the book and take care of myself in the process. Our last books came out six and eight years ago. Way before I was heading into menopause. I worked full time, wrote and put a book out into the world. This time around I am much more aware of filling myself up as well as giving out. Getting rest is important. Drinking bone broth every morning is important. Cooking is important. Not making too many plans outside of what I need to do is important, and all help me feel more balanced in this process.
What practices support your sense of balance?
A simple morning movement and meditation before I turn on the phone. I go inward before I go outward. It can be as long as 60 minutes and as little as 20 minutes depending on what is asked of me that day. A walk in the park is now a non negotiable. Prepping food for the week. It is really important that I have what I need to support me through the week. I never really thought about this before.
What’s one gesture toward center you’d invite everyone reading to partake with you today?
Give yourself even a minute extra between things. I am practicing not rushing. I am not good at it. But a pause between zooms, or a few minutes before I teach to ground, to check in to take a breath. Ideally its more that a minute, otherwise we rush through the pausing :) but in everything thing we do, in every transition, noticing if we can not rush. Not even slow down, just not rush, and then take a breath.
Nadia Narain has spent nearly thirty years exploring movement, breath, and healing, working with everyone from pro football clubs to pregnant women, performers and CEOs. She spent over two decades teaching Triyoga in London and created one of the UK’s first Pregnancy Teacher Training programs. Today her passion lies in workshops and retreats guiding movement, meditation, and breath work to create space for deep transformation. She also co-founded Love Supreme Projects, a vibrant community space in London.
Learn more and practice with Nadia at nadianarain.com.
beautiful. two of my favorites in one post :)