My 2020 Story

Be Here Now

There’s a very good reason why the present is called the ‘present’ – what you have in this moment is indeed a gift.

Our minds always want to wander – pondering over events gone by – how we could have handled them differently; hopefully learning the lessons each event has offered us; hopefully then letting go of endlessly worrying about those things passed which we can’t change. Planning for the future – running possible options through our head ‘just in case’; often when some of those things are thoughts associated with worry – is it our worst case scenario that troubles us? Planning for the future with dreams, hopes and with a sense of joy? The latter is preferable of course – as what we think and give our energy to somehow miraculously tends to materialise in our life!

Perhaps focus on those things we can change and let go of the things we can’t – and if there are lessons to be learned along the way accept them with grace.

Planning for the future is all very well – it’s good to have direction, dreams and a plan. But when all said and done, the present is where life happens. Be here Now – it’s the only way.
Just a thought.

Left or Right?

It is said that we are either right brain or left brain dominant – this means that either the right or the left side of our brain generally overrides the other in our day to day decision making.

It is also said the we are either right or left sided in the way we predominantly use our body. Which hand we choose to write with, which foot we kick a ball with and even which foot we move first when we go from standing to walking.

On the physical side, once we are aware of our habitual body use we have an opportunity to make changes. We might choose to do this if, for example, the habitual carrying of a shoulder bag on one side has caused shoulder pain, or the constant leg crossing on one side is causing lower back or hip pain. Awareness is the first key to change. Gently persuading the body to move more symmetrically could be the second step.

On the mental side, by the same process of awareness and gently allowing thoughts to percolate the whole brain can we alter our deeper thought habits? Meditation and alternate nostril breathing are 2 techniques which may have this benefit.

Dentistry

Yesterday for the first time ever I saw a news article about dentists feeling under pressure. The current situation as bee the straw on the camels back for many dentists with many considering leaving the profession via early retirement – or just to take a different career path.

This is nothing new. As dentists we have always been subject to pressure from all angles – patient numbers, regulations, staff, business worries and not least, the ever-increasing risk of litigation. I left the dentistry in 2016 after 30 years and would cite stress as the reason. It’s not at the top of the suicide charts for nothing.

I’m still not sure that dentists will ever get the sympathy of the public. Fear of a visit to the dentist and what might happen is a huge barrier for the patient – that fearful patient placing an additional stress on the dental team of course. The image of the cool professional with their fancy car parked outside – the confident professional manner of the dentist greeting patients. Does it hide, far too often, a huge lake of stress?

Not just the high suicide rate but also those dentist who drink too much routinely? Broken marriages? Poor work life balance? Those who have to stop their car on the way to work for a cry before they arrive at work? The list goes on. All hidden from the public view because as professionals dentists are required to always appear in control.

When the pressure gets too much it’s time to take stock and move aside before it all gets too much.

Social Pressure

It’s interesting, isn’t it how an idea that at one time might have seemed absurd can quickly become accepted, and once accepted by a few can become accepted by the many; then the majority. Until eventually that idea can, by those who have accepted it, become an ideal to such an extent that those disagreeing with it must seem at best foolish and at worst social terrorists.

Those who hang onto the previously-accepted normal may have somehow missed the memo – somehow haven’t taken onboard the enormous amount of social media coverage in the same way as the majority. The majority are happy because – well, they are the majority. And the minority remain isolated until eventually, one by one, the are drawn by social pressure to fit in with the majority. Maybe.

Stranded – with Intent

Just of the coast of at the North side of Whitley Bay there is a small tidal island on which there is a lighthouse. The island is home to many seals and sea birds and when the tide covers the causeway the only way off is by boat. Today myself and 6 yoga students became stranded – with intent to practice yoga in peace and quiet on that island.

I have the privilege of an occasional opportunity to rent space above the shop to the side of the lighthouse in which to hold a yoga mini-retreat. We go over to the island as the tide comes in and begin our yoga session as the tide covers the causeway – and all other visitors are asked to leave this lovely little island. The windows to 3 aspects of the room offer views over the sea with a fabulous opportunity to view the baby seals (today present in abundance) and large amounts of birds resting on the rocks below.

Yes. we did yoga – the theme was a watery one with a trip up a mountain and a rest at a waterfall – and the second session a return to the beach for a deep relaxation. All travel by the power of the mind, of course. To go with the flow in these times of constant change is a useful skill – and remembering that the sea refuses no river a comforting concept.

I’ll next be Stranded with Intent in September. Come with me – you know you want to!

Back in the Studio

Today marks the return to the studio for us teachers of yoga classes and other fitness classes. It’s been a long time away: a whole year to learn and deliver classes via the internet.

I’ve broadcast from my kitchen, lounge, conservatory and garden. I even broadcast from the beach at sunrise at the Autumn Equinox. I’ve made a YouTube channel and posted many videos – some private, some public. These are not skills I’d ever imagined attaining!

And to return to face-to-face meant digging out some long-rusty skills. Especially since I was simultaneously zooming for onw lady who wasn’t yet ready to return face-to-face: plus half of the class were completely new students.

Hey ho. Mic’d up, camera rolling, music on and students assembled. There was work ongoing in the studio and they ripped up the plastic covering on the floor as we waited outside.

Lights, camera, action – Yoga for a Healthy Back Take 1. Back in the studio!

The importance of being me

… And why it’s important for you to be you.

It’s a common mistake made by those who care for us – our parents, teachers and maybe even our friends – to reflect their personal unmet ambitions onto us. Perhaps they had a desire to be a dancer, a swimmer or a doctor – and they pushed us towards that goal. Perhaps it felt reasonable – a worthy goal and because wo loved and trusted them we went along with it.

The problem comes when we continue this pattern of allowing ourselves to go after goals that are not truly inline with our own. Perhaps its just easier to go along with it. I feel like many of us live too much of our lives not really in alignment with our true selves. Perhaps, however, in doing that – in not expressing our true self, in not really allowing our personal truth to be heard we are setting our self up for future disease?

It’s true that we hold onto past harms, unmet needs and stress of all kinds within the physical body. Unless we release those stresses they inevitably contribute to discomfort – at first physical then to a deeper form of dis-ease. There is a well documented correlation between such stress and disease manifestation.

It’s time for me to be me and for you to be you. Separate, whole and unique. Only then can we live our best life. And when we are as individuals our best selves then we are able to contribute more to our relationships, partnerships and society as a whole.

That’s what I think, anyway.

A Weekend of Crossfit

This weekend saw the Age Group Online Qualifiers for the Crossfit Open series. The top 10% athletes in each of the age categories were invited to take part in this stage of the competition. It’s my aim to qualify for this every year whilst I’m in this age group (55 – 59).

With 5 workouts to do over 3 days the pressure is on. Even worse that they had to be video’d. Sorting the video was the most stressful part – well that and realising I had to climb a 15ft rope which I haven’t done in 4 years.

The rope climb, as it turned out, went reasonably well – just pysched myself up at the start of each one and with the knowledge that there was a crash mat below – just went for it. Did you rope climb at school? we did – as part of some crazy pirate game in the sports hall. I wonder if todays children will have this skill?

So 2 workouts on Friday, 2 on Saturday and one on Sunday. Featuring a range of quite technical stuff – thankfully after 7 years of Crossfit I have at least that in my favour. In the end I finished at 98th in the world (that’s well inside top 5%) and 3rd in the UK.

Biggest tip for success in this category? – Just keep going – and don’t get injured. Happy Crossfitting!

Zoom-comfortable..

In under 2 weeks I have in-person yoga classes planned. I’ve done no advertising and no prep other than to write it in my diary. 2 weeks will come around too quickly I fear!

I’ve visited the venues and booked space and times. And though I’ve taught in-person classes for a good while now it feels like a while new beginning. This year of Zoom classes, though daunting at first, has become a new norm – and to be fair, quite a comfortable new-norm. It’s pretty straight-forward to slip into the conservatory, kitchen or lounge, switch on the tablet and music to simply teach on Zoom. Perhaps I’ve become too comfortable with that.

But life is always changing – circumstances constantly evolving – and to go with the flow and adapt to those changes with ease is the challenge we constantly must face. So this evening I will find my list of people who have previously attended and contact them – as well as setting out promotion social media posts.

That Zoom-comfort needs a bit of a shuffle..

The Best Meditation

The best meditation? What is meditation?

Meditation is simply that still point – where there is no noise between the spaces. Stillness. I once had meditation described as a still pool – perfect stillness.

The benefits of meditation are undisputed – better sleep, clearer thinking, lower risk to many common diseases, better immunity – to name a few. But the way into that state – not so much agreement.

Perhaps if we use the analogy of the state of meditation as being in that pool of water, then we can talk about the many ‘routes into the pool’ – in other words, the many techniques of entering the meditative state.

From Transcendental through Kundilini, breathing techniques, body awareness and mantra: all these are valid. And in the same way you can choose how to make your morning coffee, you can – and should – look at as many options as feel right to find your ‘Best Meditation’ .