“There is no teacher that can teach us anything new, they can only help to remind us what we already knew.”
Why is it we know many things that are beneficial to our wellbeing, however, for whatever reason we find it hard or challenging to do so?
We know many of the things listed below but how many of these things do we practice or remember to do on a regular basis?
– Drinking 8 glasses of water a day.
– Exercising and moving the body.
– Getting outside in the fresh air and sun.
Eating a balanced diet that works for us.
– Some form of relaxation to destress. This could be done in forms of mindfulness, meditation or other ways in which we can switch off for a bit aside from social media and T.V.
– Expressing our creativity
– Stillness/Silence – just giving us some space to ourselves, free of distractions, and some time free from our day to day lives.
These are fairly simple and have many health benefits associated with them but why is it that we don’t do these simple things we know added up create a solid foundation for a more balanced mind, body and soul?
It does take a fair amount of discipline and commitment to do the things we know can help us feel a lot better in many ways.
We often chose what we may perceive as an easier option like getting takeaways or sitting in front of the T.V for hours chilling out. Although there is nothing wrong with these things just check in personally and notice how they make us feel? If we enjoy them completely then continue, if not all the time then perhaps finding other ways we can eat better and also relax in a different way that allows us to switch off but may help us relax further, rather than being stimulated.
We are also emotional creatures and we are often swayed easily by our wants and desires.
So this has a big impact on what we do and why we are doing it. Why might we be reaching for a packet of chocolate biscuits rather than perhaps some fruit or even just water. It’s ok to enjoy ourselves 100% and eat different foods but notice if we are eating an emotion? Perhaps there are other ways we can process or release an emotion that may feel better in the long term. Even if we just become aware of it we don’t necessarily need to change.
One of my old bosses’ mothers used to drink and eat chocolate most days and lived till she was 105. She was asked how she did it and she said she drank and ate chocolate daily and loved it, she enjoyed what she did without any feelings of guilt or that she shouldn’t be doing so. It may not necessarily be about what we are doing but our thoughts and feelings around it can also influence how we feel.
Also that thing called LIFE happens and we get swept away in our mechanical routines where we often forget about caring for ourselves first when life gets busy. As we know though there is only so long we can do this before something happens and makes us check back in to look after ourselves again.
We are habitual creatures in nature so if this is something newer to us then it is going to take a while for it to become apart of our lives and something we just do rather than reminding ourselves to do it. We create our habits from our childhood and this sets the blueprint for what we do as adults. There is a pathway that we have walked since our younger years and that path is the path of less resistance. When we are trying to create a new path it takes a while to begin to walk that path until it becomes the new path.
Even as I write this, things are coming to mind that I also forget to do on this list. As I’ve found many things are easier said than done even if we are the ones teaching it to others.
Most importantly though what I have come to find to be my biggest teacher that no matter what we notice or become aware of about ourselves is to remind ourselves to be kind. We aren’t going to be perfect and onto it 100% of the time and it’s just not realistic to expect that from ourselves or others.
Many things happen in our lives that challenge us immensely so sometimes we will be feeling really great doing most of those things on the list and other times perhaps we aren’t doing any of it at all. But just like we would encourage our best friend we go “it’s ok” and get back to it again.
A few ways we can begin to create a healthier lifestyle is creating a new routine. Coming up with inventive ways that we can remind ourselves to do these things on a regular basis. Some people I have seen carry around a massive 6ltr water bottle to remind themselves to drink more, some people may even put a note in their diary or put a lock on their fridge with a note. However we decide to do it just find a way that works for you.
Keep it simple.
I am going to take a leaf out of my own book now and drink some water, while sitting in the sun 🙂
Namaste
“Never forget food & drinks are not the only food, emotions & thoughts we take in are also food for us!” – Rakesh Sethi
About Larissa
Larissa is a yoga, meditation and sound facilitator who currently hosts our Wednesday to Friday retreats. Her mission is to hold a loving and nurturing space for others to be themselves and to become comfortable in the uncomfortable, real and vulnerable.
Larissa is an advocate for not trying to recreate ourselves but to discover how beautiful we already are. She says “to meet oneself we must be willing to face the truth, our fears, our traumas, and our internal world. We must take responsibility for our lives and not blame it on others.”