CHVRCHES - Gun

On the topic of productivity, I've come to the conclusion that when I exercise regularly, I become more productive in other areas as well, such as studying/writing and such. This isn't exactly groundbreaking, but still kind of neat. I've always been the type of person who either goes for the extreme (ex. must eat ALL the chocolate!) or nothing at all (ex. like zero exercise, eek!), so finding balance can be tricky sometimes. I like having momentum and feeling that life is dynamic, always moving, not just stagnant and dull. Movement and creative expression really help to produce that feeling and make me feel inspired and energetic, as well as balanced.

So, lately I've been on a roll and I hope to keep that energy flowing. It's so easy to get bogged down by internal self-created stress and stop doing the very things that make us feel centered, happy, and strong. It requires much more effort to get up and take action, to create something, to push yourself than it does to lie on the couch with a box of cookies and a season of Castle. Dynamism is probably the better way to go (most of the time).

Taking a deep breath...

I've now been in Korea for almost a year and in not too many hours we'll be counting down to 2012 - amazing! After the school semester finished, I felt pretty frazzled and ready to collapse and take a looong rest. Now I'm getting excited for the new year. Moving to a different country, starting a new job, looking after children, and throwing my old routine out the window has been tremendously liberating, fun, and adventurous. It was quite a shake up and now I am ready to settle down a bit more and get centered again. This seems like a good time to reflect on the past year and figure out what I want to fit into the new one.

1. Meditating
I used to think meditation was some exotic, unapproachable, mysterious activity that appeared humorous and soundly unnecessary. Then I tried it and felt incredibly good. Taking a few minutes in the morning to clear my head, consciously relax, and slow down my overly busy and cluttered thoughts is one of the healthiest and most energizing things that I can do. If I feel grumpy, stressed, overwhelmed, etc. I know this is what helps me most, but during most of this year I've neglected to take that time. The last few days I've gotten back into it and I feel sooo much better. It's like taking a luxurious bath for my mind haha...ahem, moving on now.

2. Cooking
Before I left Canada, I got pretty comfortable in the kitchen and really enjoyed cooking soups, stews, stir-fries, and dabbling in baking. The last few months have featured very little cooking by me. I have a cute, brand new kitchen and though it is small, there's no reason for it to go unused. It's time for me reclaim the lead role in the kitchen and let the rice cooker step down to an assisting position. I had lots of excuses not to cook much - lack of energy after work, unfamiliarity with the ingredients here, living in an apartment surrounded by lovely and cheap restaurants - but the truth is I love cooking and I miss it a lot. It gives me energy, grounds me, and makes me feel nourished and healthy. It's also just fun!

3. Studying Korean
This is something I must do. I'm no longer a beginner but I'm far from being at a conversational level and I really really want to understand what people are saying all around me. I want to communicate and feel at ease and be more independent. So, my goal is to study every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. One day, I want to have an actual conversation with my boyfriend's parents.

4. Spending time in nature
Living in a big city here is very different from living by the ocean, surrounded by trees and natural beauty. I realize now that I took nature for granted. I could just step outside and breathe fresh air and feel inspired by beautiful ocean views. Parks and gardens and hiking trails were everywhere, so easily accessible. There is plenty of natural beauty in Korea and hiking in the mountains here can be breathtaking. However, it takes more effort to get to the mountains or the countryside. I haven't made enough of an effort this past year and I'm craving nature badly. I live quite close to some beautiful mountains so I will try to actually pay them a visit at least once a month.

5. Exercising
So this is a boring one, but I do feel a lot better when I exercise regularly. During vacation it's not a problem, but it's hard to get motivated after a tiring day at work. So, even if I just hula hoop for ten minutes, do some jumping jacks, or pretend to execute some ballet moves, I will try to fit more conscious movement into each day.

The new year is just around the corner, and I feel excited, energized, and ready to celebrate! Hooray! :-)

Gloomy Cozy Day + Running

Wow, is it ever gloomy and dark today! Hibernation weather indeed :) I went for a lovely run yesterday, perfectly timed for when the sun peeked out (for maybe half an hour, sigh). I even found a cute little park that I hadn't known existed at all.

I love being active outside - it's an actual experience out in the fresh air, in the big wide world. Being stuck inside - not so much fun. When I'm outdoors, it feels like I'm playing and I just follow what my body feels like doing (like a kid, hooray!). Indoors, there's a sense that I'm forcing myself to 'exercise' and 'work out' and it all feels slightly artificial and robotic rather than being an expression of my body's energy. There may be rules, directions to follow, numbers to pay attention to...so even if I'm enjoying the workout DVD or pedaling happily on the stationary bike, I never get that sense of freedom, openness, excitement, exhilaration, etc. that I can't help but feel when out in the fresh air.

However, when the weather's not cooperating, of course I will accept my duty, like the Knightly Knight above, and do whatever indoor workout appeals most at the time :) Halfway through I will realize that I'm feeling pretty good and that getting some movement and action into the day is fantastic, even if the luxuries of sunshine, trees, and ocean air are not possible.

It feels great to move and get that circulation going...even when you're tempted to hibernate :) It also feels good to curl up and read or watch an old film. I took a few DVD's from the library in preparation for all this indoorsy-ness, including The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, starring Gregory Peck, and Cyrano de Bergerac. I'll save those for rainy evenings, when a big cup of hot tea becomes a necessary part of staying warm and cozy :)

Here's to a bright and cheery day :)

Finess Vs. Health

I've just started reading a new book for class, it's 'The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-Stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness' by Dr. Philip Maffetone. Exercise tends to be a pretty emotionally charged word - we live in a society that is obsessed with fitness, looking good, and achieving perfection, and many people take this to heart and hurt themselves in the process, while others feel imperfect, guilty, and inadequate. Now, I am making some sweeping generalizations here, but I think most would agree that, overall, it is not common for people here to have the healthiest of relationships with their bodies and with "exercise". 

The first thing I would like to bring up in regard to this topic, is the idea of differentiating between 'fitness' and 'health'. This is something I read about near the beginning of the book, and it really struck a cord. Just because someone is training hard and looking fit and toned does not actually make them healthy! The author defines health as "a state in which all the body's parts, including the muscles, nerves, bones, hormones, organs, and glands, are in balance" whereas fitness is "the ability to be physically active". Okay, so this seems pretty straight forward and common sensical. And yet, look at the cover of any health or exercise (yoga type) magazine and you'll see a picture of someone who looks like they train three hours a day and could be a professional athlete. The kind of professional athlete that may have the muscle tone-y appearance of health, but may actually be suffering from injuries and extreme stress. This may include physical stress (not enough rest and recovery time) and also the mental stress of obsessing over exercise and perfection and having to run so many miles in order to feel good about one's self. 

Pushing ourselves to the limit and thinking that we have to "feel the burn" and train until we're quite tired and out of breath is probably not the healthiest, most balanced of approaches. It's just another example of how disconnected we can become from our bodies in the race for outer, superficial perfection. Or maybe it's not even about perfection and appearance for some people - instead it's another way in which Type A, productivity-based, fast-paced society is influencing our thinking. Instead of moving in a way that feels good and fun, we feel the urgency to push ourselves as hard as we can, and only when we are exhausted do we feel that we have accomplished something. 

How do we end this war against the body and against the beautiful, perfect, lovable self? By reconnecting with ourselves and treating our bodies, minds, and spirits with love, respect, and deep appreciation. Our bodies do so much for us, it's absolutely incredible to think of the billions of things happening inside of us every second, filling us with life and energy and the potential to do whatever we want! It's important to reverse any negative thoughts targeted towards the body and the self, and to instead celebrate their inherent, innocent beauty :) By realigning ourselves and fully accepting and loving ourselves, we can experience the kind of bliss that no amount of push-ups can ever get you :) 

Our environment has a huge impact on who we are and what kind of lifestyle we lead. However, it is of the utmost importance for us to re-embrace our wild, unique natures and to live our lives according to our hearts rather than external expectations and societal norms. The way it stands now, it is not normal to love oneself. It is also not normal to eat healthy fresh food and to exercise in a fun way that reflects one's inner light. By empowering ourselves and following our own wisdom and intuition, we can live truly blissful lives and make a positive change :)