Grateful Grateful for this beautiful day. Grateful for outstanding health. Grateful for breath. Grateful for clean water. Grateful for silence and stillness. Grateful for being a conduit through which Life experiences itself. Grateful for nature. Grateful for colours (especially green). Grateful for being a warrior. Grateful for friends and sangha. Grateful for learning. Grateful for unlearning. namaste, 🙏 ✌️➕🌱
I often ask myself why I continue to train for and compete in Ironman events–both half- & full distance. To be honest, it’s a scary question because what if the answer is “I don’t want to”. Then what? The question then becomes whether I’m doing this in order to create an identity to hold on to. But down that rabbit hole is not what this particular post is about. It’s very clear to me that I really enjoy training, being fit, and improving my health–mind, body, and spirit. However, much of my athletic life has been testosterone driven. The underlying
Gratitude is a recurring theme in everything I do and there’s a reason for that. It helps me stay sane & healthy, and to train effectively. It helps me feel energised. It helps me feel connected to the present and to the Universe. On the other end of the spectrum is frustration. I’ve been working with an acupuncturist to unpack layers, remove blockages, and increase energy flow (Qi). (If you’re on Hawai’i and are interested in a treatment, contact me for more information.) It’s become very clear to me that when I feel frustrated with parts of my body or
I’ve been quite silent lately. It’s been clear that I’ve needed to write about gratitude, but I haven’t felt super grateful. Well, I have in some areas of my life, and not in others. Gratitude is defined as “the state of feeling appreciative for a kindness which has been granted or given, and (very often) of wanting to give something in return.” It’s the latter half of that description which I wouldn’t have verbalised but do, however, recognise as a key element. When the energy of gratitude is flowing in me I naturally smile, relax, and feel whole, while also
“It’s that Inside Happy feeling. You know what I mean?” While at the health food store yesterday evening I started chatting with one of the staff, whom I’ve not seen in a couple months because I’ve been travelling. Last we spoke I learned that she was a swimmer in high school and college but that she hadn’t been in the pool in ages. Our discussion at that time flowed between the topics of exercise, daily routines, and nutrition. She taught me a few things about sprouting, while I shared with her some of my favourite websites and books (listed below).
“Should” What do you feel inside when reading that word and letting it echo in your system? Please note that I’m not talking about emotions but rather the kinaesthetic of it… the vibe in the system. For me there is tension, disaccord, pain, confusion. Interestingly, if the words are “you should”, and if I turn attention to the strong emotions and reactions that arise, the loudest noise comes from anger by the rebellious and hurt part of me that developed early in my life. To me, using should and shouldn’t imply an energy of forcing, of attempting to shoehorn life
Sleep
Nutrition
Community
Time in Nature
Regular Exercise
Daily Meditation
