The dance of change…

Since arriving back in Australia a year ago I’ve been focused on living a more healthy and active lifestyle.

To make this a priority I set aside a specific space in my home as a meditation, yoga and workout studio.  The builders’ plans identified this area as a media room or fifth bedroom.

However, given that I already have two media spaces and four bedrooms it made complete sense to convert this area into something a little more functional in terms of a dedicated space where I could exercise and meditate.

It’s located on the ground floor adjacent to my office and large enough for two people to do a yoga practice, meditate or workout at the same time with tripping over one another.  Nice!!! ❤️

Zach and I have used this to great advantage given our ongoing routine of yoga classes 3 – 4 times per week.

In addition, I work out (circuit training) on the days where I don’t have a yoga practice.

I’ve also gotten into the habit of walking for an hour (5 kms) most days after dinner.

Another aspect of the change in my lifestyle has been to include meditation time.  I discovered that it helps me clear my mind and reflect on what’s going on around me.

Initially I started off with relatively short meditations of less than 5 min, but slowly over time have worked up to 30 minutes.

If ever I feel stressed my “go to” is to meditate.

Not that long ago I had dismissed both yoga and meditation as “frou-frou”. Little did I know at the time how important both would become in my life.

Perhaps it comes with age, but the last couple of years I’ve had a distinct mindset change and embraced a more complete view of life, and how our physical and mental health play such an important part in our sense of wellbeing.

Living our best life is such an individual thing…

I suppose that’s why I created my OneLife podcast series to both share and have others share what they consider the most important aspects to living your best life.

No two people’s life journey are the same and therefore everyone’s views, ideas and mindsets are different.  Wouldn’t it boring if everyone thought the same way…

Listening to others share their views has been invigorating.

Even the simple illustration about my views on yoga and meditation are a reminder to us all that over time we have to be  flexible enough to let our mindsets flex and change.

This natural progression highlights the ebbs and flows of life.  Mirroring the changing landscape of our passions, tastes and hobbies which evolve over our lifetimes.

When I was in my 20’s my idea of a great life was playing endless amounts of sport and having a steady job.  But as I got into my 30’s and 40’s family and climbing the corporate ladder became the number one priority.

And we all know how much that has evolved since those days… 😳

For the past decade traveling and exploring the world has been high on my priority list, as has my writing and using my creative talents.

I know that these things nourish my soul! ❤️

It’s not to say that any of these things are less important, but now they’re coupled with a greater emphasis on my physical and emotional health.

I personally find the process of self-reflection very important.  It enables me to get into the headspace I need to take a step back and see life more broadly and what’s important.

At the end of the day our health should be the number one priority, cos’ without it…well you know the rest.

So, it’s more than just staying active.  It’s also taking the Oscar Wilde approach “everything in moderation, including moderation” with every aspect of my life.

I could perhaps eat less meat and focus on more of a vegetarian based diet but given my penchant for everything Italian I can’t imagine a world without pasta…especially my Tuscan ragu!

Just sayin!

The other thing I’ve found useful is getting enough sleep.  In the past I was able to function on 5 – 6 hours per night albeit barely.  However, since I’ve upped this to 7+ hours per night I feel a lot more rested and able to cope with anything the day throws at me.

This has translated into feeling less sleepy mid-afternoon…and keeping my energy levels up all through the day.

I suppose it all comes back to balance and finding the right amount for you personally. ❤️

All I know is that this past year I’ve taken the time to slow down and think more holistically about my health.  This has enabled me to try new approaches and to be more mindful of the little things that contribute to my living my best life.

Until next week

Ciao!