Instructor Insights: Kate R
Kate
Hailing from Australia, Kate is one of BECYCLE's most beloved Flow, Align Yin Yoga and Meditation teachers.
Fit-focused Qs:
What is your go-to breakfast on a busy morning? Right now I am obsessed with oats - perfect thing for the cold mornings! I don't drink cows milk, so I generally cook my oats in water and a plant based milk such as rice or hafer. While cooking them I always add in some fresh chopped apple pieces to make them sweet, and I also grate quite a bit of ginger in to make them a little spicy and also boost immunity. Once they're cooked I usually add in some chia seeds and whole hemp seeds and let them soak for a few minutes - this is good for protein and fibre and the hemp makes them nice and crunchy. I also often add in a few pumpkin seeds, coconut chips and half a banana. This is the most delicious breakfast ever and I swear its the ginger that gives it that special something! Also before I eat or drink anything (other than water) in the morning I always drink warm lemon water.
What's your best strategy to stay motivated? Staying motivated can be difficult, especially when its so cold and dark outside. I definitely have days where I opt to stay indoors and nice and warm sometimes, and I think it is also important to allow yourself these days without berating yourself for it (as we all have this guilty internal dialogue sometimes). What I do is I keep a journal, this helps me with a lot of things in my life, but it also helps me keep in the forefront of my thoughts what does and doesn't make me happy. When you write something down you're more likely to come back to it in your thought processes, so I guess I just try and remind myself that I know 100% I will feel better after a bit of yoga and/or exercise if I just make that move to get out and do it - I suppose I try and remember the feeling I know I get after being active.
The best thing we can do for ourselves after a workout is… STRETCH - and I am not just saying that because I teach a lot of yin yoga. You really have to give your body some recovery time. When you stretch, especially for a few minutes in each position, you help break down any little broken cartilage fibres that may have built up in your fascia, kind of like scar tissue in the muscles. Pretty much your muscles are just protein fibres wrapped in fascia, so it's important to look after this stuff...long hold stretching helps release blockages in these connective tissue fibres and break down these strong little things we know as 'knots' - Also, working out is just as much about detoxing the body as toning the body - so when you stretch, allow yourself to calm down and activate into your parasympathetic nervous system again (rest and digest) therefore pumping some fresh blood into organs rather than just your muscles, and also helping to disperse the lactic acid build up in your muscles from the activity.
Is there a special dietary regime you follow? What changes have you seen or felt since you have started it? I am a vegetarian and have been for about 3.5 years now, and although I am not a vegan I also don't drink any dairy products and I really try and limit anything with egg or cheese. I can honestly say that ever since cutting out most animal products I just feel so much more energised and that my body (especially my digestion which I really suffered with when I was much younger) works at a much higher level. I feel lighter and more aware of how things affect me, I have become much more aware of my body I guess. I also like the thought that by not eating meat and not much dairy I am helping out the environment out a little as well, I have a clearer conscious about my impact on the planet.
What are your top three yoga exercises to do at home?
1. Supine twists - They feel amazing and they are really detoxifying. 2. Heros Pose - I get much tighter in my quadriceps muscles than hamstrings so this helps me release here. 3. Inversions - for some reason I sometimes just have the urge to hang out upside down for a bit, so this is what I do. I really love a few minutes of headstands or if I am feeling stressed to do a supported shoulder stand with my legs up the wall - Both are really good for stress and just calming everything down.
What are your tips to have energy all day?
Listen to your body and rest when you need to. Take a few minutes to just time out during the day if you feel overwhelmed. Take a few deep breaths or rest your forehead on your hands for a minute or so just to reset if you need it... Its always better to take a few moments to gather yourself than push on and potentially make a mistake because your not 'all there'. Get enough sleep. Drink as much water as possible - even when its cold outside, I drink loads of just plain hot water!
What's your favourite motivational quote if any? I just always have and always will love this little one: “It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” - Haugh Laurie. And this one: "To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. You don't try and grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink. Instead you relax and float" - Alan Watts
Quick-fire Qs
Favourite smoothie at MyGoodness: Oh Kale Yeah
Best Restaurant in Berlin: Chay Viet - I love this place, such delicious vegetarian and vegan vietnamese food and literally just over the road from BECYCLE
Best Bar in Berlin: I always like to try new ones but I guess my local with friends is Luzia in Kreuzberg.
Best Place to dance in Berlin: Sisyphos in summer - nothing beats it!
Favourite exercise: Even though technically its not an exercise, this is what I spend most of my time doing and what keeps me fit - Yoga of course :)
Least favourite exercise: Swimming - I could never master the whole thing of swimming in a straight line haha.
Silly Qs:
© Joseph Till
Dog, cats, neither? Why? Dogs - Im allergic to cats and I think that there is nothing in the world that greets you with such enthusiasm and pure love when you come home than a dog.
What's your personal theme song? Haha I actually have a few, but I guess I really love Maggie Rogers - Alaska. It's a bit of a girl power song I guess and I remember when I first heard it it just made me so happy.
You're stranded on an island. What's the one thing you'd wish you had and why? An indestructible satellite phone with unfailing reception so I could call my dad and ask him to come pick me up!