What things give you energy?
Breath and food. But I also find movement, music, and being in a natural setting feel energizing,
PROMPT: Energy
Reply
Category Archives: Health
PROMPT: Habit
What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?
Movement and exercise.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
“The Sick Rose” by William Blake [w/ Audio]
O Rose thou art sick.
The invisible worm
That flies in the night
In the howling storm,
Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Longevity
What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?
As long as I’m of sound mind and capable body, I’m fine with it, but not at any cost. I’d rather shuffle off this mortal coil than drag out the suffering of immobility and / or dementia.
I think Atul Gawande’s “Being Mortal” is good required reading. Among other things, he talks about the smoke and mirrors of our species’s increased lifespan. (i.e. increased lifespan, yes, but too often at the cost of diminished quality of life through those additional years.)
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Physical Activity
I don’t have a favorite, but there are several that I could not maintain health and sanity without, including: hiking, yoga, calisthenics, taiji / qigong, free movement, and at least one cardio (I currently swim and run.) I’m currently struggling with juggling.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Physical Exercise
What is your favorite form of physical exercise?
I play no favorites. I love calisthenics, yogasana, running, swimming, functional movement, movement drills (e.g. martial arts,) etc.
I do have least favorites though, and – collectively – those are exercises where I have to go somewhere in particular to have access to some specialized equipment. So, for example, I don’t care for weight lifting or using ellipticals or climbers, etc. (I still enjoy the exercise well enough, but it’s more hassle than it needs to be.)
My whole equipment inventory consists of a yoga mat, a pull-up / dip apparatus, and a few resistance bands, and I can make do without those quite nicely — e.g. when traveling.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Lazy Days
Rested. Definitely. I believe one has to think of rest and recovery as part of the process of living. If one thinks of it as just wasting time between “doing things,” then one isn’t going to get the most out of body and mind.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Walk or Run
How often do you walk or run?
Every day. And sometimes I crawl, and – if there are monkey bars – I swing.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Well-Being
Daily writing prompt
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
Diet: high fiber / low junk
Movement: frequent and varied (includes: yoga, calisthenics, running, swimming, and functional movement)
Mental: breathwork, yogic dispassionate witnessing, and gratitude awareness
Rest: Build in regular and redundant rest throughout the living process
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOK REVIEW: Mindfulness in Wild Swimming by Tessa Wardley
Mindfulness in Wild Swimming: Meditations on Nature & Flow by Tessa WardleyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Amazon.in Page
Release Date: June 13, 2023
As the title suggests, this is a book about combining mindfulness and swimming in natural bodies of water. It’s part of a large series of “Mindfulness and …” books, and this particular volume is a re-release of a title that came out a couple years back.
While the book does provide an overview the basic methods and considerations for both mindfulness meditation and wild swimming, it’s largely a peptalk or enticement to take up wild swimming as a means to improve awareness (as well as to bolster physical health and mental well-being.) That said, some of this peptalk is artfully, almost poetically, written, and the book is a pleasure to read.
The book discusses solo swims versus those in a group, and it even explores using onshore experiences to bolster mindfulness — e.g. using the sensory experience of the water as a focal point for practicing awareness. The around- (v. in-) water discussions are probably in part because the book uses seasons as a secondary mode of organization, and long and leisurely winter swims in lakes and rivers aren’t an option for people in many parts of the world.
I picked up some interesting food-for-thought in the book, and — as I say — it made for enjoyable reading.
View all my reviews
Tiger Riding for Beginners 