rituals

Falling out and learning how not to

/ markbartels / Leave a comment

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

/ markbartels / Leave a comment

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.

 

Mental travel 

/ markbartels / Leave a comment

Need to think through a life event decision? Travel to a new place. Break the daily rituals and well worn paths of every day. Let the decision go, don’t mull over it. Don’t worry…it won’t go far. The newness and discovery of travel will keep your mind and body occupied with new smells, sounds, tastes, and sights. When you get back, invite the decision into your mind again. I think the answer may be waiting for you at home right where you started all along. 

Activate Low Power Mode

/ markbartels / Leave a comment

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.

Don’t Skip The Rituals

/ markbartels / Leave a comment

Rituals and healthy routines like exercise, stretching, conscious breathing, yoga and healthy eating are easy to keep when you aren’t busy. The real test kicks in when you get busy and get pulled in five directions. Maybe it’s work stuff like 10 unread emails on your phone, or rain during the morning commute or an important meeting and presentation.

The busier you get the more discipline is required to stick to your rituals and routines because they will help you manage the daily grind and stop the stress from accumulating. It’s crazy how many people sacrifice themselves and let work take precedent. What ends up happening is that both work quality and the person suffer. If you are more grounded, fit and rested then you will execute better. It’s easy to forget.

Slow down, breath, smile and look after yourself. You have more time than you think. Don’t skip the rituals.2013-01-21 11.17.59