Striking a dancer's pose by the canals is like painting a picture of my heart's content from living a life of freedom in the present on my narrowboat.
These moments of mindfulness are not limited to just my yoga mat, though, and I find myself applying the principles of yoga more off my mat than in movement.
Through practice, I'm conscious of every move I make once I get out of bed in the mornings and activate my mind. Nothing is done on autopilot, as my actions need to make sense and be deliberate with a purpose. I'm attentive to discomforts in my body and apply pressure and breathe into the pain, as it's sometimes only tension. I also control my mind and where I let my thoughts go, and I maintain my awareness by being conscious of what I let in to avoid mental chaos or information overload. Maintaining focus can be difficult as interruptions occur, but with practice, my mind gets better at resisting the spillover of others suffering from verbal diarrhoea.
I live and understand the power of stillness and silence, as it's in these moments that I re-energise and recharge, which increases my stamina and helps me to function more efficiently throughout the day.
A great time for me to start my mindfulness is during breakfast. I like to be present in that moment because it's the foundation for the rest of the day.
Pausing for breakfast is a time for me to be in tune with my breath and the changes in my energy level as my body and mind connect and register the re-energising charge that I get from each bite of my meal. It's like I switch on my gratitude sensor for everything positive around me. I remain in that moment, not thinking about my tasks for the day or what I did the day or night before, just my food—the smell, the look, the feel, the taste, the colours of it—all activating my five senses.
I'm a warrior for life, and I do stretches in the strangest of places too, anything that offers good resistance, as stretching helps to improve my mobility. There's nothing worse than a nudging pain or tight muscles, right?
Pain affects us physically and emotionally, and aggravates the nerves, so I try to be pain-free, naturally, and stretching helps me.
It would be a shame to ignore the phenomenon of sunsets. Sunsets are magnificent, and the reflections in the water make it two-fold. As I roll my yoga mat, I look out at the fields and reflect on my life—where it has taken me and the paths that I've carved out for myself.
I've felt pain, suffered, smiled, and endured, but that was the past.
I've set my goals, without anxiety, because that's the future.
I've learnt much and I continue to be a student for life, in the now.
The sunset encourages me to work diligently on my goals daily, a little at a time, and also that it's never over until my last breath. So, when things get rocky and I feel like I want to give in, I rise and shine again, just like the sun. Because. I owe it to myself!
Salut 🙏
Daily Theme Week 1: #MindfulMonday.
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