Firstly quick update on week one. Did you manage to go to turn your electronics of 30 minutes before bed time? I did....just not every night. While I believe in this concept to promote good sleep, seems for me at least the cancer fighting medication I take has other ideas. Sure I was able to fall to sleep quickly, but my wide awake night sweat 10 minutes later meant overall no improvement. I believe in a mere 6 months time when I am finally off said drugs my sleep will go back to normal.
How to see obstacles as opportunities
There are a lot of parallels when I think about training for a marathon (or any distance) and the journey of life. You start out with a dream or vision of what you want to achieve (be that just finishing, enjoying the event or a specific time). You set a course of action to get you there that is not just physical but emotional, strategic and that requires continual course correction along the way. And then you move forward, sideways, sometimes backwards, gaining experience and growing along the way.
Look inside yourself for buried treasure
I believe being your happiest self is one of the most important jobs you have in life. I call it a job for a reason. It doesn't come automatically, it requires work. I'm all about finding those behaviours, character traits, beliefs and thoughts that position me for happiness. Sure I get off track at times (guilty of being human) but the key is getting myself back on again. My mantra of embracing the good stuff helps me stay the course. I think adopting something of a mantra yourself is a good way to stay focussed.
Move your body
Everybody knows on some level how important it is to keep active. The primary reason being that being physically fit reduces your chance of developing a raft of illnesses. It's also credited with helping maintain a healthy weight. Which is somewhat related given obesity presents similar health challenges.
May all beings be happy
As we were driving to yoga on Saturday morning, my friend and I were discussing her newly broken relationship and feelings. She had spent the night restless and having felt shock and sadness to this point, anger was beginning to surface. There was a certain relief along with enormous frustration as she expressed herself. Not surprising and all very normal in dealing with grief.
I really dislike people I love being so unhappy, it's awful. But when it comes to feelings there is no magic wand. All you can do is offer love, comfort and company. Of course I reminded her that this too shall pass, but it's not all that helpful when the pain is fresh.
Tribes and friendship
The word tribe has become super popular as a descripter of close knit groups in recent years. But what does it actually mean? And what is the difference between your tribe and your friends (if there even is one)?
I've been thinking about this a lot after spending my weekend with a group I feel honored to call my tribe. They are my #iguanatribe christened when we met on a yoga retreat in Costa Rica, at the Iguana Lodge. We just attended the Wanderlust yoga festival in Squaw Valley together and there was something incredibly magical about this coming back together. Trust and intimacy increased. Bonds were strengthened, love blossomed. It felt like being with your tribe should. Easy, fun, deep and powerful.
Digital detoxing
Last weekend, I unintentionally went on a digital detox retreat. What I mean by that is I signed up for a yoga retreat and didn't read the fine print. What the fine print said was that there would be 1/ no alcohol 2/ no technology (outside of cameras) and 3/ copious amounts of mindfulness. In full transparency I may not have booked myself in for all this serious stuff had I been more across the agenda!
