The last year has brought lots of changes. I won’t go into all of them now, but I can say that I found myself feeling physically depleted much of the time. To that end, I’ve spent the last 6-8 weeks really just focusing more on healthy body and mind.
I’ve been engaged in a multi-pronged program of sorts, which I decided to write about here just to flex my writing muscles again.
It’s not a secret that during the last 10 years or so, Yoga has become my preferred method of physical fitness. Sure it doesn’t totally replace all other activities, but it certainly helped me feel strong, reduced stress and increased my flexibility. In the before times, I had really enjoyed using a studio but with the Pandemic, I was afraid to go back, and my frequency dwindled. Frankly it’s hard for me to motivate for Yoga when I’m totally alone.
In any case, I did find a local studio where I felt very much at home and I’ve been going there 4-5 times a week. It’s been a great baseline from which to rethink a number of other fitness goals.
The next major component has been becoming more aware of what I’m eating, how much water I’m drinking and generally eating to fuel myself rather than out of boredom. I’ve found that weighing myself daily, tracking my meals and water intake have helped me become aware of how what I’m eating impacts me and how I feel on a daily basis.
Third, I decided to participate in a Men’s coaching program facilitated by my good friend JKS, called Awaken. Its’ based on Ayurvedic principles, and incorporates 1:1 coaching, a peer group, and dovetails nicely with the yoga and meal-planning work that I’ve already been doing. It definitely puts a strong emphasis on plant-based eating, although doesn’t shun meat. In fact, I’ve generally found myself eating less meat lately since I don’t feel as healthy when I eat it too frequently.
At the core of the program is a Book and set of learning resources from Cate Stillman called Body Thrive. I’m really enjoying it overall. As I mentioned, it focuses on bringing 10 Ayurvedic principles into a modern context so they can be leveraged for healthy living. These include things such as: having an early lighter dinner, early bedtime based on some relaxation rituals, hydrating and nutrifying the body first thing in the morning, morning breath-work, and more.
All in all, these things have been great fun, and I’ve been feeling more at peace in my own body, and with others. I’ve lost about 2 pounds a week, and I’ve seen a substantial drop in my respiratory rate over the last six weeks.
I’m excited about my garden vegetables starting to come in again, and really looking forward to seeing how I can scale my meal planning over time. Also excited to start introducing other types of fitness back into the mix next.
There have also been lots of other positive side effects that have come from feeling better physically, lots more ideas and energy about creative and professional projects. More to come.