Hello!
Hope you are feeling upbeat today!
This week I’ve been on a mission to ~ramp back up~ with things that make me feel physically and mentally ‘Happier and better in myself’.
1. Daily yoga
2. Daily meditation
3. Running (my first run of the year was today!)
4. Long beach walks
5. Blogging (Here I am!)
6. Journaling
7. Writing my diary
8. Reading
The best mornings have started with a beach walk followed by a deep-dive into yoga and meditation on the sand. I experienced one of my ‘best practices ever‘ yesterday, in the cocoon of the Welsh cave pictured above.
It can often be the simplest things that make us feel happier, more fulfilled and at ease. Over the last few years on and off (honestly since 2017 that I can remember!); I’ve become a person that ‘holds tension’ in their shoulders. I also get a rash on my neck, usually on my right side but often both too.
It’s something I am aware of and I want to change. I need to put due care into solving these physical stress signals, for the good of my health. I wake up and feel it first thing in the morning and it’s with me all day. It’s not ‘painful’ but I know it’s not how my body feels when it’s cooking on gas!
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This week I had a little word with myself to try and work out how I can help myself to ~let the tension go~. Since it’s been a long-term thing; I know it won’t disappear overnight.
And, of course (naturally!) despite what my smile and words say; my body will have been pushed to its limits with all the upheaval, multiple country moves and ‘I’m starting again, again!’ experiences over the years.
… Kinda makes sense that, even though I am happier mentally it doesn’t mean I am I physically 110%.
Well, as with anything in life: If we work at and give attention to things that need our focus; we can make positive, helpful changes with a bit of care and dedication.
As you’ll note from my list – everything there can be done solo, so it doesn’t mean I need to rely on anyone else to increase my wellbeing efforts. Most of the list encourages me to be calm and running means I can really ‘work-out’ to help any blockages evaporate.
Me writing this post is great for tension-releasing. Writing means to go ‘into a zone’ beyond what else is happening around you physically. It’s a serene connection between brain, body and soul.
Running this morning was lovely! I felt like I had got ‘back on my bike’. I can’t actually remember the last time I ran. I think it must have been when I was living in Spain last summer. I didn’t run in Dublin or New York so yes, it was THAT long ago.
Why let something I love all these years leave me for so long I hear myself ask?! Well sometimes, you gotta do other things and you get swept away into the business of life and changing routines etc etc. The plus side is: If you fall off the wagon of what makes you tick – when you come back to it you remember why you always loved it so much!
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I’m sharing all of this today as a kind reminder to make sure you don’t leave the things you love behind for too long. Getting back from my run; my shoulders felt like they thanked me for it. My next happy-me-actions to add to my list are regular ocean-swimming, surfing and paddle boarding. I am still in the midst of moving house etc etc, so those can all wait until I am settled and can buy all the needed kit again.
What do you love to do that you haven’t done for a while? Go do it asap! š
š Please take this post as a nod to me picking up writing regularly again – see you back here soon! š
Thanks for reading
@LaraLain
