My 2020 Story

February Reset?

Today feels like a good time to press the reset button. With the sun shining from sunrise, the golden glow welcoming in what genuinely feels like an actual spring day.

It’s Monday 1st February 2021. First day of a new week and first day of a new month. Filled with optimism and joy I was even able to teach my yoga class in the quiet warmth of the conservatory. Roll on summer!

January always feels like it’s going on forever – worse this year as the UK is in lockdown and there’s no nights out dancing or gigging to punctuate the week. Even the gym is closed and I’m having to make to with workouts in the garage or (if it’s very cold) in the kitchen. This does not make me happy. January, however, has finally passed – as all things must.

It does strike me though that maybe February would be a better time to start the New Year than January. At least in my mind. Feels like a great time to pass the reset button. Who’s with me?

Roll on Spring

With the sun shining this morning I’m feeling somewhat brighter and even hopeful that spring could be on the way. Nothing is more dreary than weeks of rain in January, and I feel like many are feeling the same levels of disorientation and demotivation lately.

There are daffodils in the shops, crocuses beginning to show their bright colours through the icy soil and a noticeable sign that the days are gradually getting longer as the sun sets later with every passing day.

This time last year I was beginning to plant up some seeds in the conservatory – I must shake off this winter blah and repeat that for this year! Those crocuses which are still to be planted definitely need to go underground. The change of the seasons doesn’t hold back just because we’re in lockdown.

Embracing the change – roll on spring!

Kitchen Workouts

Far less fun than going to the gym. Too cold to contemplate the garage – plus I’d have to move the car out. Too warm in the kitchen once I’ve done a few sets. Kitchen workouts are just lacking somewhere.

16kb kettlebell, 12.5kg dumbbell – and a plan of action. Girls from the gym ready to join a zoom call for team motivation. It’s as good as it’s going to get.

Tabata for a warm up, a few sets – a lot of burpees, dumbbell snatches and air squats. In fact a lots of all things bodyweight over this period. Roll on spring when we are likely to feel more inspired to go outside (and for me, that needs a lot of inspiring!) – but needs must and loosing years worth of fitness is not an option.

Kitchen workouts require creativity and a friend or 2 on zoom. Can’t wait to get back to the gym!!

Family Zoom

Are we all still family zooming? Family quizzing? Digital family gatherings?

Is the family zoom any kind of substitute for real life connections with family who you haven’t seen for well over a year. Only 200 real life miles away – but might as well be the other side of the world? Are we kidding ourselves here?

In the past families used to stay connected by living in the same street – at worst the same town. Now we go far and wide – chasing better jobs and knowing that those extra miles are easily travelled in a few hours. Are we paying the price for that freedom now?

The family zoom is no substitute for being in the same room. I’m looking forward to the day – hopefully soon – when we can all get together.

Fresh air

It’s too easy to look outside and decide you’re too busy – or it’s too cold – and avoid going out. Yesterday I mad a pledge to myself that no matter what I would go outside and walk or do some gardening every day from now.

Fresh air (and preferably sunshine) boosts the mood – gives headspace. Gives time to think – slow down – enjoy the journey. All the things I tell myself that I should be doing. So today I headed to the beach in the car , parked up and strolled down. There were many people queuing at coffee shops, loads of walkers and even someone in a bikini taking a quick dip in the sea.

It’s too easy to think that random ‘to do’ list must be completed in a certain time. Too easy to avoid piling on the layers if it is cold out there. Like many things we know are good for us and that we can avoid for many reasons – fresh air is worth going out for.

So from here-on moving forwards I’m prioritising a daily walk. How hard can it be?!

Gravity Yoga

Gravity Yoga – as taught by Lucas Rockwood of Yogabody – is a systematic approach to stretching. A system to increase neuromuscular health, flexibility and movement .

The course to graduate as a student of the Yoga Teachers College in which he teaches his system is thorough, well described and interactive. It’s flexibility training with a selection of poses and modifications based on his 3 principles – and I’d be giving nothing away by outlining those principles as they’re readily available on his website http://www.yogabody.com.

Principle 1 ‘Wet noodle’ – relax – let gravity help the position. Think wet noodle.

Principle 2 ‘Nose to mouth breathing’ – in the ratio of 4:8. Deeply relaxing breath ratio.

Principle 3 ‘Meet or beat your hold time’ – with the intention of continual progress, aim to gradually increase time in each posture.

Other recommendations include a careful choice of which postures will benefit you, paying attention to injury or pain in the body and daily practice for best improvements in your flexibility.

I’m almost finished my 25 hour teacher training in this specialism. Online theory exam passed at the first attempt (Anatomy, Biomechanics and Principles or Gravity Yoga) and the practical ‘teaching’ video to be submitted by Sunday.

Gravity Yoga – another string to my bow.

Zoom workouts

How do you stay focused and committed to your workout routine? It’s all very well to sign up to online services – but possibly too easy to ‘skip today’ : after all, who would notice?

I do Crossfit – and one of the things I enjoy about Crossfit is the camaraderie. You book your timeslot, turn up (it would be wrong to not turn up!) and once you’re there you do the prescribed workout. If you didn’t feel like working out before you got there – no matter – you do it anyway – and most likely work out harder than you would have done had you gone to a regular gym> At least that’s my experience.

No gyms open at the moment though and motivation could easily sap away as my home gym is my garage – and colder than my fridge at present!! So a few of us have joined up and make a daily commitment to workout together. In a zoom room. Same music, same workout, same timeframe – and so that level of accountability is there.

The occasional discussion about diet challenges, family and home-schooling challenges take place – and importantly we’re all staying fit together. A thumbs up for zoom workouts.

Blue Monday

Today is ‘Blue Monday’, a day, we’re ‘told’ is the most depressing day of the year. Caught between the excitement and sparkly lights of Christmas and the longer days of spring. Days are still short and the evenings cold and dark. Probaly made worse this year as we’re in Lockdown with nowhere to go – no dancing parties to keep us connected, no restaurants or pubs to enjoy that cosy, collective companionship.

I’ve certainly been feeling more like staying in – hot bath as the daylight fades and straight into pyjamas. Does that sound bad?

It struck me this morning, though, that I need to move more – make more of a point of getting out when the sun is shining and get some daylight. And so this afternoon I popped down to the beach.

Blue sky, calm blue sea. Fresh air and all of those negative ions to boost my immunity. Guaranteed to blow the cobwebs away. What’s your go-to pick-me-up?

12 Rules of Life?

I came across this book a good few years ago and find myself coming back to its simple, wise words every so often. 12 simple truths that may not cover every eventuality in the exact terms in which they are written – but with a little reflection can help solve many of life’s dilemmas.

In summary this is those rules –

“Stand up straight with your shoulders back”
“Treat yourself like you are someone you are responsible for helping”
“Make friends with people who want the best for you”
“Compare yourself with who you were yesterday, not with who someone else is today”
“Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them”
“Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world”
“Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)”
“Tell the truth — or, at least, don’t lie”
“Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t”
“Be precise in your speech”
“Do not bother children when they are skate-boarding”
“Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street”

I’m going to cover each of those in my instagram feed one by one. You’ll find me here if you haven’t already – http://www.instagram.com/amanda_innerstrengthyoga

The first one, for example, resonates simply and completely on a mind:body level. How you hold your body will directly impact how you feel on many levels – and how others perceive you. Feet hip distance apart, balance over the feet so that weigh is equal front to back, right to left, legs straight but not locked, spine relaxed and each vertebra stacked one on top of the next – all the way to the top of the head: as if an invisible thread were pulling you up. Add a smile for extra impact! You can find a visual walk-through of this pose here: https://youtu.be/K2_DKGZzXKU

Which is your favourite rule and how do you interpret it?

Winter Sunrise

There’s something special about watching the sun peep over the horizon – big, red and full of promise. A winter sunrise is one of the joys of living on the east coast.

Winter sunrise is just before 8:30am at the moment – it’s almost rude not to pop down there for sunrise – at least once in a while.

And so I wandered down to the beach just after I’d completed my early morning ‘mindful movement’ class. On with the extra layers, de-icer on the car and off we go. 3 minutes later I’m at the edge. On the beach, oranges and reds lighting the clouds and rays of yellow sunlight as the Earth tilts towards the sun.

So calm, so constant – and no matter how often I go down there, always awe-inspiring. A constant reminder of the wheel of life, circadian rhythms and the bigger picture. As the weeks go by sunrise will fall in the time I’m doing class. My plan is to take the phone and mic to the beach and teach with the sunrise in the background. Spreading the love.