Yoga studio app review

As my wedding is drawing closer, I have been doing more yoga in order to de-stress and tone up. I have noticed results after a few sessions. I was looking for a long time for an app that would allow me download classes and also provide me with a variety of classes. I finally found one and it's called Yoga Studio. It costs £3 (quite a lot for an app) but a yoga class at my local gym costs £5.30 a session, therefore this is better value long term.

Here are some screen shots from the app: 

The best thing about the app is the fact that you can download a class and save it on the home page and use it anywhere! Perfect if you're away on holiday and you have no internet connection. 

There's also a list of poses with detailed instructions and the benefits of the specific poses too.

There are a variety of classes too - from quick yoga fixes to yoga for runners.  There's also a set of meditation videos. You can even create custom classes to ensure you keep yourself challenged. 

Also, the voice in the videos is so soothing - I genuinely enjoy doing it! 

All in all, this is a fantastic yoga app. It is available on both Apple and Android phones. Here is the link.

I also love working out using my sister in law's new T-shirt:

Please check out her shop here.

Weight loss update

Writing about my weight loss journey is one of my favourites things to blog about.

If you follow me on Instagram (@roshas) , you will know that I am getting married this year. Getting married has been the biggest motivation for me in terms of getting toned up. I joined the gym last year and started working out pretty intensely. I mostly go to workout classes as I find working out on the treadmill pretty boring. My favourites classes to attend are: body pump (a weight based workout which involves high reps), circuit training, GRIT cardio (high intensity interval training) and yoga. The gym I attend is a short drive from where I live and where I work, hence I have no excuse to not attend.

When I first joined the gym, my blood pressure readings and blood sugar levels were taken. My aerobic fitness level was also measured. I had these same readings checked four months later (after going to the gym at least four times a week) and my blood pressure dropped (it was never high in the first place), my blood sugar level dropped, and my aerobic fitness level improved so much that it was in the elite level (I am very surprised by this lol). This just shows that exercising is not just about how you look, but also about how you feel. Your body is MADE to move - use it. My weight only dropped by one kg but my body looked far more toned. Don't just rely on the weighing scale, as it does not tell you if you have put on muscle or fat.

 I have recently started having personal training sessions, and to be honest, I wish I had started them earlier. My stomach has finally toned up after a few sessions. My personal trainer pushes me to my limit and does not take no for an answer, for example, I lifted a 24kg kettle bell which I never would have done before. I am also trying new exercises tailored for my individual needs. Moreover, my PT shows me how to do exercises properly, and tells me which muscles are contracting whilst I am doing them. I have lost a bit more weight too since started PT sessions - even people at the gym have noticed. My aim is not to lose much weight, I just want to tone up. At one point I did feel that I looked too thin, so I have started eating even more to stop myself from losing any more weight.

Here is a before and after photo:

The first photo was taken over six years ago, and the second photo was taken last year in November. If you read my original weight loss story, it took me about ten months to lose weight. Going to the gym has really shaped up my body. I am much stronger than before, and I feel more comfortable wearing dresses. I do find it hard to workout at home, therefore the gym is a great option for me. I used to do workout DVDs but I felt that it was harder to motivate myself to do them.

Tips:  

• Remember, it's never too late to start being healthy. Pick yourself up and move on. I often have a week where I eat badly and avoid the gym, but I don't make myself feel bad about it 
• Start working out slowly, for example, aim for two workouts a week and increase this steadily until you do four workouts a week
• Get a personal trainer! It's expensive but it's an investment for your body. At the end of the day, you are going to be in that body for the rest of your life...
• Try to join a gym near your home and work - it helps with the excuses! 
• Get out of your comfort zone, switch up your workouts, aim to put your all in every workout
•  If you cannot go to the gym, then there are plenty of workout videos on Youtube. My favourite channels are 'Fitness Blender' 'Yoga by Adriene' and 'Pop Fitness'
•  If I cannot workout at the gym, I count walking 10,000 steps as a workout. If you have a smart phone, then download an app that counts your steps.

I hope you found these tips useful! 

Bali

 Since I was a child, I have always wanted to visit Bali. The weather, the culture and the beautiful surroundings always intrigued me. Here are some photos from my trip to Bali.

We started off by going to the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Nusa Dua. The hotel was absolutely astounding - music played as you entered the hotels, the flowers were adorned around the hotel, and the atmosphere blew us away. I also got to devour some freshly made buttermilk pancakes - these were hands down the best pancakes I have ever eaten! 

Grand Hyatt, Nusa Dua

Grand Hyatt, Nusa Dua

Spa, Grand Hyatt, Bali

Bali is known for its' temples. We visited the Ulun Danu Bratan Temple, which was even more stunning in person.  There was a festival going on when we went to Bali, therefore it was very crowded. 

Walk to the temple

Walk to the temple

Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

Prayers near the temple

Surrondings near the Ulun Danu Bratan Temple

Mount Batur Volcano

We also asked our driver to take us to a Balinese home. Here is a photo. The rooms are scattered all over a plot of land. It was fascinating to see how they lived (without electricity too)

 For the next part of the trip, we stayed in a hotel called 'Komaneka at Tanggayuda' situated in Ubud. This was truly one of the most luxurious hotels I have stayed in. The service was impeccable. For exmaple, I went to a yoga class, after I finished, all of the staff members knew that I went to yoga. Also, they developed a personalised Vegetarian menu for us! Here are some photos of the hotel:

This photo was taken in the Komaneka sister hotel (Bisma)

Infinity pool. I am so scared of heights, which is evident in this photo

The delicious breakfast at the hotel

Beautiful decor outside the spa

I would definitely go back to Bali. There is still so much left to do in Bali...

Malaysia

Hi everyone, I have decided to start blogging again. My last blog post was back in 2014 and I want to aim for several blog posts a month. I feel that I am much more organised with my time now.

I went to Bali and Malaysia last year. In this blog post, I am going to show some photos from my trip to Malaysia. I stayed in Kuala Lumpur. 

We started off our trip  by visiting the Petronus Twin Towers, which look even more magical at night time. You could also go inside the tower but we chose to just take photos outside of it as it was truly breathtaking. 

 Next, we visited the Batu Caves, which has the second largest Hindu statue in the world. We had to climb over two hundred and fourty steps to reach the top. There were monkey's everywhere - if you ever go, cover your whole body (as a sign of respect) and never walk around with food as the monkey's will jump on you and try to steal it off you. 

We also visited the Thean Hou Temple in Kualar Lumpur. It is a Chinese temple The atmosphere was really serene inside.. Here are some photos:

Incense sticks inside the temple

Beautiful candles inside the temple

Street in KL

Overall, there are some beautiful things to see in Malaysia, if I go again, I would probably visit other parts of Malaysia. Two or three days is enough in Kuala Lumpur.

My next blog post will contain photos from my trip to Bali so stay tuned!

Dubai in photos

A few weeks ago, I went to Dubai with my mother. Needless to say, it was my idea of heaven - lovely people, perfect weather (25 degrees), luxurious as well as scrumptious food. 

My mother and I decided to make the most of each day as we were only there for seven days. We stayed at  The Oberoi hotel. I booked this hotel because it was close to the tourist attractions in Dubai and it is also renowned for its' food and great service. This hotel exceeded my expectations - I would recommend this hotel if you want to go to Dubai.

Here are some photos from my trip:

On the first day my mother and I went on a 'Dhow Cruise':

The next day, we decided to go to Dubai Mall:

Yes, they have an aquarium inside the mall!

 The mall was very grande, and very expensive. We just looked around and didn't buy anything - most of the shops in the mall can be found in London anyway (for a lot less money)

We also embarked on a city tour in Dubai:

The Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world!

The Burj Al-Arab - the first seven star hotel in the world

 The breakfast in the Oberoi hotel was to die for:

 We also went to eat dinner at Pai Thai which is in Al-Qasr hotel - you can access the hotel by boat. It was the most surreal experience - the food was delicious too. We were also given a free fruit platter too ;)

We went to Meena Bazaar (a place in Dubai which is full of sari shops). I ended up buying my wedding and reception outfit (it is not the one in the photo below)

 We went on a desert safari in Dubai. I have been to plenty of jeep safaris, and I was not impressed with this one. It wasn't scary enough and the entertainment afterwards was pretty boring.

 Have you been to Dubai before?