Nowness

Uvivi

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Uvivi is a Zulu word which means the darkness before the dawn. It’s true. It’s more so in the bush, but I sometimes get the same experience in the city. 

My son woke me up this morning at 4am. After I had tucked him back into bed and coaxed him back to sleep, I paused for a second and looked out of the upstairs window. It was pitch black outside, the city was quiet…a rare moment in a busy and growing city like San Francisco. The moment felt like no mans land – a shift between midnight and dawn. 

There are gateway places out there with thin membranes. Places like Point Reyes, north of San Francisco and Big Sur, south of Monterey. Places with thin membranes, where it’s a lot easier to feel connected to something greater than yourself and ‘tap in’. I felt a similar connection at 4am this morning. The moment passed and the next thing I knew I was crawling back into bed as the first hints of sunlight started to appear. The moment had passed but the impression remained. 

Sometimes a connection to something bigger isn’t about being in a place it’s about being in a state of mind.  

yt?

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Turn off notifications and alerts on your phone and control when you interact with people. This includes all text messages and social media. Take back control your schedule and don’t let other people control your day.

Imagine if people felt it was okay to bang on your door at any time of the day or night with the expectation that you answer and be present with them. That’s not sustainable. Why should it be acceptable on your phone?

Today

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If Winnie the Pooh could tweet then this would be his version of Kalidasa’s Look To This Day…all tidely packaged within the 140 character limit:

“What day is it?”

“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. 

“My favorite day,” said Pooh.

Now here is Kalidasa’s non tweetable version. Same message just as beautiful. 

“For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.

The bliss of growth,

The glory of action,

The splendour of achievement

Are but experiences of time.
For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision;

And today well-lived, makes

Yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well therefore to this day;

Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!”

– Kalidasa

Clean out the Canister

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After a stretching session remember to drink a glass of water. Avoid the temptation of drinking while stretching, but stay hydrated before and after the session.

Try the following exercise when you have a drink of water at the end of the session:

Slow down and take a deep breath. Wiggle your toes and feel the floor supporting you. Relax your shoulders and jaw.

Imagine each sip of water swirling through your body from top to bottom.

Focus on the brain with the first sip and feel the water washing through your head onto your brain and the sides of the skull.

The next sip of water washes over your shoulders and into your lungs. The next sip sloshes down your arms and into your finger tips You get the drill? Elbows, buttocks, knees. Rinse out your body. The cold water moves through your body and dilutes the toxins.

It’s like rinsing out a dirty canister.

With the final sip imagine all the water slowing seeping out of your feet and into the floor. Let gravity be gravity. The floor is thirsty and will drink it up.

The exercise slows you down and makes you conscious of your body from your nose to toes.

It’ll clean you out, ground and recharge you.

Guides

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When I go for a hike in new territory I take a map or consult a guide. When I’m driving to a new location I pull out my phone and turn on navigation. It makes no sense to get in the car and start driving before I have directions.

When it comes to a spiritual journey most people do the opposite. Maybe they read a book, watch a film or speak to someone who inspires them. They make a decision to investigate and explore which is awesome, but they forget to pick a guide.

If you’ve woken up and are searching for answers, the first step is realizing that having a guide will keep you on track when you lose your way. This path has already been trodden by poets and mystics – take someone’s hand and follow. If you reach out, someone will hold your hand.

Falling out and learning how not to

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Yoga is about gentle balance. A yoga pose is about using body weight and strength to oxygenate. The only way to improve is to gently push the body beyond its comfort level as technique improves. Going beyond the limits means losing balance and sometimes falling out of a pose. Don’t get frustrated when a pose ‘breaks’ and you find yourself flat on the mat. Falling out and learning how not to is the way to improve.

Gently push yourself everyday, and remember if you are forcing it then it isn’t yoga.

Make the call

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Think about an old friend. Someone you’ve known for most of your life. Commit to speaking to them today or writing them a note. 

The day you forget where you came from, you won’t belong where you are.

 

Activate Low Power Mode

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The iPhone now has a low power mode setting. Switch it on and you disable your phone’s most higher energy features. It switches Mail from push to fetch, turns off automatic downloads and disables background app refreshes. In low power mode you get to choose where and when you expend your phone’s battery energy. It’s an underrated feature and I use it all the time, even when my battery is fully charged. Instead of calling it Low Power Mode, I call it Low Energy Suck Mode

Do the same thing with your mind and body. Activate Low Energy Suck Mode today. In this mode, you decide where and when to spend your time and energy. It turns off those coffee meet ups you should say no to and says no to people who guilt and manipulate you into giving up precious time with family and friends. Low Energy Suck Mode preserves your energy so you can decide when you choose to direct energy at someone or something. Your energy is sacred and you need protect it. When focused and at full power it’s loving and wonderful.

Activity Low Energy Suck Mode today. You’ll have more energy at the end of the day and less drag from things you don’t need.