I’m proud because I designed a journal. A gratitude journal.
Being grateful is wonderful to commit to a healthier lifestyle. Being happy with our life is something many are striving for. We don’t need to look on the outside but instead put our focus on what we have already. Shifting perspective is the aim of this journal.
You can start now your own journey with it. Cherish your life in the present moment.
Believe me, this is just the start. My time off-work made me start to write again and there is much more to come, I promise.
A journal is indeed not a masterpiece of writing but for me it is my first printed book with an ISBN on it and I am beyond proud. This is one of the lessons – be grateful for each step, why should I belittle myself if it is an achievement on my way?
Of course I can only write for myself and I changed my mindset to focus on the good and not the bad.
Instead of “it is not a great book where you say about a plot for ages” I’d rather tell myself “be proud of this step on your way. You figured out how to design and create something that’s finally printed and hey, it looks awesome”.
What are the things you are proud of right now?
Let me know in the comments – share your wonderful achievements from your personal way.
And of course here is the link to it if you’d like to have a look.
A pandemic hits everyone, yogi or not, and all of us will have a different opinion on how to behave. I’m not questioning that and I will not judge it (which is even the first point to consider).
Judging
Judging – who are we to judge? It won’t be easy not to judge, I know. It will bring us to our limits, I know. But if everyone would start with this single approach we would live more peaceful than we do right now.
Besides, this is one of the fundamental lessons in yoga. We take others as they are. You can and should be a role model but you should not judge others. Everyone walks through life and some see more obstacles along the way than others, that doesn’t make them a good or a bad human being.
Is there an influence?
I wrote “my Yoga thought”, but to understand where I come from you need to know that I’m a project manager in clinical research for a living, so both, Yoga and clinical research, play into my thinking. This is an influence I cannot deny.
And that’s the second important point. Everyone is having influences which play into our thoughts. This non-attachment is almost impossible. In yoga we talk about Aparigraha, the last Yama of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga. Yamas are moral guidelines by which we should live with regard to our relationship with ourselves, and with the world around us. Even if I would like to step back and tell myself to think not like a project manager, my subconscious will tell me something else. So before I build my opinion I step back and put light on a thought from different angles, try to see it from the other side, try to understand where others are coming from and why people build the opinions they share.
But what about facts?
What is not deniable are facts, this is what I thought until people came along with a huge portion of mistrust. Fake data, fake news, fake here and fake there. Humans are not perfect and we all make mistakes, which is great as we learn from mistakes. It is not so great if our mistakes and doubts have an affect on others.
I still believe in facts.
Maybe I judge these facts different as someone who had his whole life nothing to do with research, but either way, a fact is a fact until proofed wrong, right?
Why do people doubt and deny facts? I guess this is the point I will never fully figure out but on my search for understanding I learned that it’s often based on their very unique personal experiences. Which is a valid reason but which is also dangerous because trying to convince someone of an opinion which may do harm in the end is simply dangerous.
Fake News
Fake news – I get it, we are small figures when it comes to politics, but where is our own logic? News may not be 100 percent correct and may try to lead us in a direction which is good for the economy, politics, higher management reasons we don’t even know, but how can I deny the pandemic state? These pictures of patients in the ICU, coffins transported away from hospitals, nurses and doctors who explain how their current work day looks like, these are facts.
I would even go ahead and call it disrespectful to deny the fact that people are dying. And there is no matter how old they are, because this is often another “argument”.
They are all old. Really?
That’s not true, and honestly, even if, do we close our eyes because the people dying are old? They could be your grandparents, parents, siblings, relatives. You really don’t care? Then the problem is deeper than you imagine.
Empathy
Non-empathy is classified as a mental disorder on the ICD-10 of mental and behavioural disorders, which means nothing else than these people have a mental illness they should work on. And that’s sad, sad that they experienced something in their life which leads them to this disorder, but it is not an excuse to harm others. We all have an individual responsibility to at least not harm others. Even if you think that you only harm yourself, that is not true. You have people around you who care and if something happens to you they will be harmed as well. We are all not alone in this life. People can argue they have nobody. Who knows if you don’t harm the people who need to look at you when you are gone? Who need to treat you when you are ill and who take stories of their patients home because they have empathy with every human being?
Helping each other, being there when someone needs you, supporting one another, all of this is what we need in a state of a pandemic. Criticism and negativity won’t help anyone.
Kindness
What do you think will succeed in the long run? I’m sure it will be kindness. Something everyone can give, you don’t need a full bank account, a big house or a fast car to be kind.
A random act of kindness lights up the day for everyone and it costs you nothing at all!
There was a really old women in the drugstore, she had problems reading with her mask on – offer help. She was so grateful and I am sure I lighted up her day a bit. Someone in front of you isn’t fast enough packing up the bought items? Be patient, it won’t take more than five minutes. Why should you ruin this persons mood and your own for this? The homeless sitting outside in winter, is there an old coat you don’t need anymore? Instead of keeping it in your wardrobe just simply do something good and give it to those in need.
Patience
Patience is a virtue, but one you can learn. We have to spend more time at home these days, why not spending them with some learning – wasn’t there something you ever wanted to learn, to read or to write? A new language, an instrument, drawing – there are so many possibilities and many of them teach us patience. No book has been written in a day or two, colour needs time to dry, the sound of music is echoing longer than we think. I like to change things always to the positive and indeed, it is not easy, but it works.
Conclusion?
My conclusion is that we all should act with more kindness and patience and I truly believe the world would be in general a better place, not only during a pandemic. Especially now we should all take a step back before we act. Many of us are stressed and if you are stressed it’s harder to reflect. We live now, this now is not easy, that’s a fact. This now is complicated in many areas but isn’t that a chance for all of us to become better persons? This Now is all we have and nobody knows what tomorrow bring, so if we would change to live more in the present moment we would start to understand that we are able to bring lots of joy in our life, even in lockdowns. I hear often that everyone lacks time. Just remember – you had time to go shopping, to meet for lunch, to do sports, to hang out with friends, alone the time you have now because you cannot do it as you are used to. Use it wisely, call friends and ask if they are ok, write letters, start a journal. If you write down your thoughts they are off your mind and give space, that’s a wonderful side effect of writing.
I just would hope that human beings start to live with more empathy and more kindness.
Ram Dass once said:
We are all just walking each other home. – Ram Dass
The last hours of 2020 are here…a year has gone by so fast, a year that has been far away from being normal. A year that seemed endless at times.
For me personally it was a year full of change.
Being out of a stressful job and trying to find comfort after a hard 2019. On the last day of the year I can reflect and look back. It wasn’t easy but most of the time I am fine. Being without something to do is not my piece of cake so I started a 200 hour yoga teacher training. A journey close to my heart which gave me lots.
I learned, I studied, I looked within, and in the end I got my certificate and couldn’t be more proud.
There are still lessons to follow, Ayurveda, a whole new and interesting field, yin yoga, what I need most during the „not-so-good“ times and who knows what else.
Of course there is Covid and it gave me some really bad anxiety attacks but it also has shown me what a strong bond we have in our marriage, how wonderful my family is. It has been tough and still is, the toughest for me indeed is to see what happens to humanity. There are unfortunately so many out there not „believing“ in a pandemic that I start to wonder where such a misconception comes from? The ignorance scares me more than the virus itself. We are sticking to the rules since day one, being cautious and staying away from others sometimes more than anyone asks for. We kept our son at home from March until September and that was the most intense family time since he’s been born.
Somehow Covid is a gift for us. Not that I adore a virus but being able to see the good in the bad is what keeps us going.
Shift your focus and you’ll find comfort in the darkness.
We are curious to see what the new year brings – we will go through a lot of changes, start new jobs, which will be exciting and hopefully without many disappointments. We are good in what we do, so bring it on 2021. And until then let’s enjoy that we are who we are, with all our imperfections and flaws, we are not perfect but so isn’t anyone else.
We are alive, we love, we fight, we laugh and we cry – all belongs to the big circle of what life is.
Off to a different 2021!
There is no guarantee that it will be better but be assured it will be different. We can make it different because we have it in our own hands.
Be the change you want to see.
Live the peace you want to see.
The sun will set one last time in 2020 and ahead are 365 new sunrises, a whole new year of making it better.
One big topic in the whole mindfulness area is “Searching for Peace within”.
This is what spiritual masters are telling us. You can buy stickers, telling everyone that peace is to be found within yourself, almost everywhere. The truth is, the majority of people is living with a chaos within instead.
I am one of them. I try to tame the chaos, sometimes more and sometimes less. It depends on my mood, the time I find just for myself and on how I feel.
When I’m relaxed I don’t bother myself with the search for something higher. I assume that there seems to be at least a bit of peace inside of me as otherwise I wouldn’t be relaxed, right?
When I’m completely stressed out and need it the most, then I find everything inside of me but peace. I find thoughts running in circles, I find anxiety, I find millions of things I wanted to start, finish, read, write or think about. But the peace that should be found there seems to be buried under all of this.
Sometimes I start to think that I would be able to find it when I could also sit under a palm tree, a turquoise ocean in front of me and a yoga shed behind me. The truth is, I wouldn’t find it there either.
We cannot leave our mind behind – wherever we go we carry all our thoughts with us.
– Lena Kraima
The chaos would travel with me, wherever I go, I’ll take my mind and soul with me.
A more practical approach to mindfulness is to start with small pieces.
We all strive for the big picture, the successful, happy, content and calm person who seems to rest fully within.
There is barely a person like that alive – don’t get confused by snapshots of the lives of others. We all don’t know what is going on within a person, sometimes we don’t even know what’s going on with ourselves.
Instead of searching for peace start with changing your thoughts, with tiny baby steps. Don’t overload yourself with ‘I should be grateful, I should be helpful, I should be, …’. This is how you get lost.
This is a wonderful page to dive deeper into this topic of mindfulness.
How to include mindfulness into your daily routine?
These are small examples on how to change the way of thinking without failing. The more often we do something, the more likely it will turn out to be a daily habit. Live it instead of forcing it.
Morning Routine
Each morning after you wake up drink a glass of warm water and ask yourself what you are grateful for in these few minutes. (Is it the sun raising, the smell of the winter morning air on the open window, a snoring of your cat, the smell of coffee from the kitchen, that you have warm water without many efforts,… there will be million of examples.) What are you grateful for?
If you find more time include a morning meditation into your daily routines.
An all-time favourite, remind yourself of what you think and become an observer
Watch your thoughts as if you watch yourself from an outside position. Don’t allow negative thoughts and instead replace them by positive.
Daily routine you can include any time
Shower meditation – therefore you don’t even need an extra five minutes, you just take the time which is normally probably filled with a ’to-do’ list in your mind.
Read something inspirational- it can be a book or also newsletters, there are some great ones to subscribe to.
Eat mindfully – whatever meal it is. People sit and check their phones instead of enjoying the food they have in front of them. Mindful eating is not only a good habit, it is also a healthy habit. You body will thank you.
Focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking is not a virtue – better and more mindful is to finish one task before starting the next and put your full attention into each.
Connect to Mother Earth – nature is relieving stress, it is recharging our batteries. Of course we cannot access a forest daily when we live in the city but even the smallest corner of a park can be your place, standing on a river and listening to the water, there are always possibilities to connect. Stare at the heaven above you, watch clouds or birds flying by.
Move your body. I don’t want to call it exercise or sports because whatever it may be, it will be beneficial. You can dance for 10 minutes if that’s what you prefer. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk or cycle to work, do some yoga, there is no wrong or right, the importance is to keep your body active and move your muscles.
Whenever needed
Deep breathing exercises…this one shouldn’t be too complicated because we need to breath anyway. Instead of reading the news on the train to work, take 5 minutes and immerse yourself into deep breathing.
The more we focus on what we think and how we treat ourselves, the more likely we will find some peace. It all starts within us. That’s the most important part, if stress starts within us (and yes, it does) it will be less if we overlay it with happiness so that stress can’t find its way up. If you are happy you won’t be easily stressed. There is certainly peace within everyone, we just need to set it free. Take away stress, take away pressure and anxiety, also take away criticism and self-doubt, take everything away what you stacked onto the peace and you will find it.
I am a perfectionist and this perfectionism is my stopper – once you know it you can work with it.
Learn that you are allowed to relax even though you could work, or clean or write or whatever – there will always be something to do and if I never take time for myself I won’t relax at all. It is hard to let go of something and there were times when I wasn’t able to sit on my couch as long as there was something to clean and sort in my flat, means I barely sat there just to relax. But believe me, the dishes won’t run away, they wait until you come back to the kitchen and they are not worth giving them the allowance to disturb your peace of mind. The little dust layer you see on a shelf won’t kill you while sitting in meditation, it will wait until you are ready to wipe it away.
Let the “peace within you” be a part of your life – don’t neglect it because you are too busy to enjoy peaceful moments.
– Lena Kraima
Mindfulness is nothing out of reach and surely not unreachable. Every tiny step towards being mindful is already lived mindfulness.
Don’t be blinded by big words, extensive ceremonies or spiritual rituals. All of it won’t diminish your mindfulness – you do what you can and this is perfectly fine.
We all struggle and fail and we all search for a deeper meaning in our life, don’t we? But what is that deeper meaning – it differs from person to person. In the end all that counts is that you are feeling good! Go for what makes you happy.
Namaste you beautiful souls and thanks for reading <3
This year was extreme in all directions and I have not much left to say other than wishing for a better 2021 for everyone.
Enjoy the quiet Christmas days, indulge in good food, Christmas movies, books, whatever brings you peace and joy.
What I would like to do today is adding a bit more gratitude to everything. We often get occupied in the festivities and in the end everyone is stressed and tries to put a smile on the face – why not slowing down a bit.
If 2020 taught us something great, then that slowing down can make a change.
Lena Kraima
Have a look at what you hang on the tree, is it maybe raising childhood memories? Smell, there’s a certain Christmas smell, a mixture of fresh tree, last minute baking, the dinner cooking, perfume and candles. Soak in the atmosphere. Yes, it is different, and yes, we would have loved to have it like usual with more family and with friends included. But instead of being sad about something we cannot change, let us be happy about what we have.
When nature slowed down in spring we have seen wonderful recoveries, maybe this is the time to recover and heal. Slowing down is good for everyone. We all rarely take the time to do it actively, now we are supposed to do it and should see it as a gift.
I look forward to good food and the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of my son. Long walks in nature and maybe a few snowflakes would be awesome. Technology gives us possibilities to connect as well. We cannot meet everyone, but we can video call loved ones in almost every corner on earth. This privilege is often forgotten when people complain.
What are you grateful for today, what does slowing down do to you in a good way?
Let’s collect wonderful moments and remember all the good of 2020. Showing that we are not guided by negativity but are able to enjoy what we have and being thankful for the good in our life.
Just a little reminder at times where people start discussing for multiple reasons.
Be kind, don’t judge, rather leave quietly instead of engaging with rage.
We all walk around not knowing perfectly where we go, so be gentle with the lost ones, be kind to the confused, we only see a change in humanity if we start to change ourselves first.
This year started with so many hopes and dreams… And all of a sudden we reached the end of this year.
Two weeks until Christmas literally means that I would start now to run in circles. This would be the time to go to malls, into the city, do the Christmas shopping. But instead, instead I sit here and type patiently. A hot steaming tea on my left side, part of a chocolate Santa on the right side. My husband went outside with our son, it’s just me and my thoughts.
Two weeks – normally that sounds short and like not enough time left, but this year nothing is normal. If you ask people to go two weeks into quarantine it sounds for them like a lifetime.
What happened this year seems like a massive slow down
A slow down with different names. Call it lockdown, partly lock down, quarantine or light lockdown. In the end all had the very same effect, they slowed down our life. And sure, you can start now to complain. It took the economy down, many people struggle, that is correct. What is also correct is that complaining will not change that. I don’t want to focus on the bad and rather focus on the positive. There are lots of positive effects all this had. You need to open your eyes and your mind and I am sure you will start to see them.
This has nothing to do with a pandemic induced slowing down but it may help anyone to see what you can do to slow down in a healthy way.
Going from 100 to 0 is by far not an easy task and I can tell you from my own experience that it needs strengths. Sounds strange, right. Many people think as soon as you slow down you are completely relaxed. It would be nice but unfortunately it is not like that.
Slowing down is a process of learning.
Many people cannot let go of their routine, of their “how things should be” and doing nothing is harder than some can imagine. It’s also for a reason that many are falling into a depression once they are retired, life was busy and all of sudden there seems to be nothing. And this void needs to be filled, but how. Adjusting to a slower lifestyle takes time and exercise as everything else in life. Finding out what you need, what you want, what are the things that make you happy, all of this is new.
And one other thing just before I start to get comments on how privileged I am. Yes, I agree and I am fully aware of that. I know that my position here is not one which has been affected and shattered my life, but many who are able to sit down and read this blog are in a similar position, right. I don’t deny all the tragedies, but I barely believe that people who are affected beyond imagination will sit peacefully in front of a web device and read my words.
So, what are the positive effects?
Focussing on one self is something fully positive. Do you know who you are? Who are you besides your profession, besides your role as partner, parent, sibling, or whatever it is. Who are YOU? What makes YOU happy?
We all focus lots on what others expect from us, how we should be in this life. I think the first step is learning to let go of these expectations and focussing on your own self.
Once this is accomplished as first step you may surrender into the slow pace of your life and find out what you want. Mindfulness and gratefulness are two big words, and they are so important to find your way. See what you achieved already, be thankfully for all the opportunities you had in your life so far. Instead of running and starting something new take care of yourself. Self-Care is often so underestimated although it is definitely very important. Only if you are properly taken care of you will have the strength, the power, the endurance to start something new.
I’m at the verge of going into another stage and although I think that my prior job has been purposeful I am thirsty for something with even more depth.
These times are times where we all have more time than we ever thought to focus on where we are, what we want and how we want to move forward. The pandemic is a huge change in everyones life, why don’t we start to embrace the possibilities instead of focussing on the restrictions?
A mind can never be restricted, which is good and dangerous at the same time.
I would like to hear all the positive things that happened to you, what did you learn, what has been accomplished, what makes you happy?
For me, I can truly say we have such an exclusive family time – seeing our son growing is a gift and we can focus better as we don’t hurry from here to there. Our eating behaviour changed for the good. We always loved home cooked meals, but with less shopping and more planning it turned into a more local and sustainable direction. Neighbours are supporting each other more than before. We discover the nature around us with different eyes. We have time to read, to be creative, to do what we love together.
Everything in life has two sides – focus on the good! And of course stay healthy. Namaste
Ok, I know, I told you that I am attending a yoga teacher training and of course I think that everyone needs yoga. Cliché? Maybe, maybe not.
It’s not easy to answer a question like that because obviously Yoga Teachers need students to teach and the more a teacher can teach the more he earns.
But believe it, there are still people on this planet who are NOT fully focused on financial success.
I would lie if I tell you that a yoga teacher does not want to earn money, of course, like for anyone else money is needed to cover costs, to live, eat, stay warm. But one truth is that not every yoga teacher wants to earn ridiculously high amounts to afford a beach house in the Caribbean, a yoga temple in the jungle or a fancy studio in Manhattan. There are teachers who love to teach, simple as that, who work to see students succeed on their own personal path.
What social media is often telling us about yoga is not the deeper sense. It’s great to have pictures of awesome yoga poses in stunning places, but that’s surely not the sense of yoga.
Let me give you my opinion as an almost graduated teacher about yoga.
Or better, of what Yoga is NOT.
It’s not the latest fashion of yoga pants and shirts – you can do yoga in any comfy clothes, even in jeans if you like.
And no, it is not about being as flexible as a bow. Nobody needs to be able to practice every available yoga pose to include some yoga in their life.
You cannot touch your toes and that’s ok – you still can do yoga, and eventually are able to touch your toes in a while.
Studios are too expensive for me or I don’t like to practice in front of others. Don’t worry, you just need to find a place at home where you can start, that’s all you need.
To start a yoga journey you simply need one single “thing” and that’s you!
Wherever you are in your life, it is never too late to begin with yoga.
Yoga is a way to bring your body, your mind and your soul together into a state of serenity.
You read right, it is not purely moving your body, it is much more than that. Many use Yoga simply as sport, which is fine and beneficial, but it’s not all which yoga has to offer. And just because it offers lots you don’t have to indulge in all aspects, it’s your choice.
The main point is that whatever you choose from the yoga buffet – you put it on your plate.
You may choose chanting because you love to sing, perfect. Or you may choose asana practice but only to relax, that’s perfect too. Maybe you may choose to read the yoga philosophy and gain deeper knowledge, a wonderful choice. In the end you may stand in tree pose each morning for 10 minutes breathing deeply in and out, you are doing great.
Whatever you choose, it is a step into a yoga lifestyle which is yours – yoga is unique as are we.
Maybe in one month I am too stressed to get more done than 15 minutes each evening before bedtime. But these 15 minutes are grounding me and allowing me to have a restful sleep. One month later I have enough energy to do power yoga classes twice per week and start each day with a meditation.
Why include yoga in your life? Because we realise very quickly what’s good for us. And to listen to this inner voice, this feeling deep inside of us, is one of the most important parts on our yoga journey.
If it does not feel good, then please don’t do it!
We should never go beyond our abilities, because we can hurt ourselves. We all can work towards goals. If we set these goals for ourselves you will realise that some are reached easily and some will take time. Yoga teaches us patience as well.
In the end a yoga journey is different from person to person. You yourself choose what you want to include. One thing is sure, whatever out of the various fields of yoga you will choose, it will be beneficial for you. Chanting, Pranayama, Asana, it all sounds exotic but if we call it mindful repeating of intentions, breathing, moving it is something many already do without calling it Yoga.
The most important for me, and this is what I want to share with others is the following. Nobody is perfect, everyone has worries and struggles in life. When Yoga can be one part which brings peace and joy and relaxation, then it already does a wonderful job.
During my Yoga Teacher Training I realised that the props I have at home indeed have their sense.
The mat
One really essential prop for me is my mat. Of course you can practice Yoga without a mat, but if you want to have a regular practice I would recommend to get one. Yoga mats are a market and it surely does not have to be the most expensive or en vogue mat. Most important is that you don’t slip on it and that you feel good on your mat. My real first good mat has been the one I recommend you below, Manduka Eko Lite. I have this mat for almost 10 years now and it still feels like just bought. If you invest once in a good mat, you really have it for a long time.
The second mat I can recommend by heart is Obove. I have it now since more than 6 months and love that it’s so easy to carry – in comparison to Manduka this one weighs almost nothing but gives you the full comfort of a mat. Perfect for travelling.
During the teacher training I had one really important lesson learned and this has been that it is absolutely fine not to be able to get into each pose easily. That’s why there are props available, so why should we be shy to use them? Each body is different and when we need support that is totally fine.
The Yoga Block
There are blocks – these are the most important “helper” for me. I like natural props, that’s why I give you the link of cork blocks. You may want to start with others, this is absolutely up to your preference. Cork is quite hard, but therefore the longevity of the blocks is much higher than for others. I like to buy as sustainable as possible and therefore recommend you cork.
What can you do with blocks? You can use them to deepen your stretches and poses. They also work perfectly as prolongation for your arms, for instance in forward bends where you normally wouldn’t reach the floor with your hands. And of course they can ensure a proper alignment during poses.
The Yoga Bolster
A bolster is also one of my personal must haves for Yin and restorative Yoga. You can use it in various ways, it’s like a huge pillow, but harder. I love to use my bolster for relaxation in restorative yoga. You can also put it under your legs in Savasana at the end of a yoga practice to de-stress and rest. My son loves to play with it and we also use it sometimes to deepen our backbend or to relax on it during a seated forward bend. There are various possibilities to use it, also outside of a yoga class.
The Yoga Strap
A yoga strap – this is something nice to have. Not because I don’t use it but because you can simply use for instance your bathrobe belt instead, or a normal belt. But if you want to have one, this is a strap I can recommend. Straps are used in a similar way as you use blocks. They will help you to align your posture.
The Meditation Pillow
Meditation pillows are wonderful – not only for meditation but to support you in many seated poses. There is a big market out there and we all cannot deny that we also choose by design. A meditation pillow is like a good mat or block something that lasts really long. So choose what you like, I love the one below.
The Yoga Wheel
Next prop, the yoga wheel. I have one and truly use it very rarely. What it can do, it can massage your spine in a very safe and deep way. If you want to go into back bending it will be a good friend for you as well. But in all honesty, it is not a must to own a yoga wheel.
The Yoga Blanket
A yoga blanket is something which every yoga teacher calls yoga blanket, but it is indeed just a blanket. I don’t own one but have the one below on my wish list. If you need a nice gift or if you are asked what you want to have for Christmas, birthday or any other celebration you may consider it. Until then any blanket you have in the house will do the same job.
The Yoga Chair
Last but not least the yoga chair and here I have to say that I don’t own one personally but that I am thinking of buying one. If you read through the reviews it seems that the below is the best. If you plan to do many inversions, then it maybe is a good thing to have to feel safer but here as well, it is not a must have for a normal yoga practice.
I hope you liked the list of yoga props and I could give you some helpful information. The first step towards Yoga is not to buy Yoga props.
This post contains affiliate links – these are simply my personal recommendations and surely no prompt to go for these items.
If you start to learn how to think in a positive way this can lead to a ton of positive changes in your life.
A hopeful outlook can not only be useful for your psychological well-being but also for your physical health.
We all know that certain circumstances can arise and makes it difficult to keep an inspirational positive mindset but the good part is that these situations will pass. The more you find a way of making positive thinking a daily habit, the more you will be able to face these “downs” in life from a different perspective. A positive mind guides you through hard times different than a negative mind.
I want to give you a couple of ideas on how to work on a positive mindset – it is not complicated, believe me.
Take ownership for your behaviour
At the point when you experience issues and challenges throughout everyday life, don’t assume that others are responsible for it. Recognise your part in the game and take ownership. It is rarely others who make your day a disaster, it is in your hands or better said it is in your mind.
Giving instead of taking
If you start to see what you have instead of what you don’t have, then you start to see the good. And even better, you also see what you can give. We are all living with quite high standards compared to others, instead of buying the fifth winter coat, give away the fourth you have to someone in need.
This view will open up a whole new way of feeling grateful – which leads to the next point.
Surround yourself with positive people
I bet you have heard already about toxic people, like consistent whiners, persons who love to complain even on the brightest sunniest day. Their negativity can become part of you. Better invest energy and time with positive loved ones to improve the probability that their positivity will turn into yours as well. It is difficult to be negative when everybody around you is spreading positive thoughts.
Make a daily gratitude list
On the off chance that you begin keeping a day by day appreciation list, you’ll begin seeing precisely the amount you must be grateful for. This can assist you with zeroing in on the positive in your life as opposed to pondering all the terrible things that have occurred in the day.
Getting prone to show a demeanor of appreciation makes positive thinking more about a propensity.
With achieve I mean achievable. There’s nothing worse than unrealistic goals. It will add up on being frustrated and raise negative thoughts. Make small steps towards your goal, like a checklist it will give you a positive mindset as you check completed steps. We tend to want more than we are capable of and this causes negative stress.
A simple trick really is break the goal down into the steps needed to achieve it and then work them off.
Reading
Invest energy every day in something that energizes your positive mindset.
Inspirational books, statements, follow motivational social media accounts, read positive news – all of this can assist you with being more positive.
If you listen to bad news the whole day you surely will be depressed, so balance it, there are many positive things happening every day. One is that you are alive.
I would recommend to end your day with positive thoughts as well, immerse yourself in a good book before you sleep. IT helps you not only to sleep better but also to wake up more positive.
To successfully erase negative thinking you need to actively react to these thoughts when they appear. There are thought patterns which need to be broken, like the word ‘never’. It will never work out, I will never succeed, these thoughts will bring you into a kind of vicious cycle.
Instead replace them with ‘this time it didn’t work out, so I analyse why and won’t make the same mistakes next time’ or ‘I failed because…so I know what do to different to succeed’.
All in life is a lesson learned, this is how you started to talk, to walk, to ride a bike.
Think about what results a permanent negativity could have
If you regularly turn towards a negative mindset, it can turn into an inevitable outcome.
For instance, you think, “I likely won’t learn how to cope with the stress at work because it never subsides” and therefore you don’t invest energy into reducing the stress. Thus, your will find yourself in the same surrounding until retirement.
Wouldn’t it be better to take this stress and start to analyse it? Why is it there, from whom is it coming (maybe it’s your own stress out of a subconscious perfectionism), can you minimise it?
Make a rundown of all the manners in which a negative mindset effects your life. It probably impacts your whole life. At that point, start to replace the negative mindset with a positive mindset, step by step.
Tell others something positive
Instead of just thinking that your’ neighbours new fence looks great, why don’t you tell them? Your colleague achieved a tremendous result, then congratulate. It sounds like small acts but these small acts of kindness create a positive mindset, not only for yourself but also for the persons around you. You remember, surround yourself with positive people? Be one of these positive persons yourself.
#BeTheChangeYouWantToSee
Be good to yourself
People often think they don’t need for instance a massage, but they gift it to their friend. Why do you think that you don’t need or deserve it?
Taking care of yourself is a big step towards being positive and thinking positive.
Mens sana in corpore sano – a healthy mind in a healthy body
Our ancestors knew it already and we seem to have it forgotten while striving for a career, a family, a whatever you are striving for.
Our body and our mind needs nourishment, only then we are able to reach our goals and cope with what we face along the way.
But if I look around we are further away from it than ever before.
The freedom the internet gives us is taking the peace away.
This sentence is on point – we are so free in this century than never before but instead of using this freedom wisely it is abused. People are hiding behind their mobile devices and hit other with words, written out, stamped and traceable, the seem to be fearless in the sanctuary of their own home.
I love to reach many people across the globe with what I write here but if I check social media it also scares me. For almost every news line you read you find comments below which are hard to take in. Many are so awfully beyond what is considered respectful that I wonder what monsters hide behind these profiles.
A mother loses her child – comments start from “why didn’t she watch her child better” and end with “She doesn’t deserve to be called mother”.
People in an ICU were burned to death due to a fire breakout in the hospital track – comments are “You see, with the flu symptoms you better would have stayed at home instead of calling it Covid-19 and blocking the ICUs” or “who cares, their own fault”.
A new Corona-Hotspot has been named and one of the first comments is “Why don’t the finally stop to let immigrants in, the borders should be closed” – this is so completely out of context.
I’m just sitting and staring at the screen, wondering when all of this happened.
A major shift in society does not happen over night.
It is like a disease, slowly entering every space. These “monsters” start to reveal their faces when going out on the streets, we have seen it several times. I’ve never heard about so many demonstrations before against the government than in 2020. Especially when it would be the time to stay at home they start to show up in masses outside.
If we want peace, the start should be within us! If we want freedom, we should not try to take freedom away from others. It is just a simple game, only do to others what you want others to do to yourself. Do I want to be attacked by strangers because of my mindset? Surely not! So why would I attack someone who is different than I?
Spirituality is abused instead of being lived.
When it comes to spirituality many people claim it for themselves, as if they own it, as if they are the incarnation of wisdom. If you are a spiritual person, then you don’t fight for it! You live it because you want to go ahead and be a role model for others.
Don’t give others the soil to plant their faulty seeds!
Smile and step away. Know when it is worth to explain your side but also know when it is completely senseless. Being quiet sometimes means being wise and not getting involved in the drama. I’m a person who loves to “correct” if I see false assumptions but I also know how to take care of my mind and soul. The more I get involved with stubborn people, the more my energy levels disappear. I don’t want to feel depressed because of what others think? Their drama is not my cup of tea, instead I rather drink a cup of tea in peace and surround myself with the positive things life has in store for us.
Positive thoughts are essential for happiness!
With all the bad news and craziness around us, we can learn to see the positive and once we change our mindset we start to be happier. You cannot change the world, no, but you can change your world and the more you change the more others see that it works.
To live peacefully is our right and we are the first person to be in charge of it. Only when you change profoundly to the good you can start to see the good in every situation.
Let’s be the best versions of ourself and start this wave of positive thoughts.
What if we comment on each and every bad comment we read something nice?
Let’s start a wave of positivity rolling over the web – there must be more people out there who are compassionate and empathic and nice than the ones who are not.
For every nice reply to a mean comment add the hashtag #BeThePeaceYouWantToSee Who is with me? I can’t take it any longer that mean and harsh comments remain uncommented and instead of starting war we just are as we would all to be, peaceful and positive!
I never ask you to share something – this time I ask you – please do us all a favour and share, the more who participate the more we reach together.
Why are conspiracy people so famous – help me understand
This pandemic brought up what I thought is long behind us. People who start to influence masses with their strange theories.
I can tell you upfront, I’m a realistic person, I don’t believe in conspiracy which doesn’t mean automatically that I trust 100% all systems in charge and walk blindfolded, surely not.
But between a healthy mistrust and a conspiracy are lightyears of fairytale authors.
How can it be that someone tells you we will all be chipped and you run after that person? As soon as we use smartphones, smartwatches, the internet, even old-fashioned land line phones, we can be tracked, we can be spied on…but seriously, how important are you that you believe your way to work and back would be of the utmost importance to any secret service?
We have profile picture on our social media profiles, we send holiday pictures over servers, we play games, do online banking and have chip cards for healthcare and bonus systems and the local pizza delivery – why you you think you need to get another “chip”, what for?
Denying a pandemic is also a very interesting part of all these conspiracy theories.
It’s a calculation, simple like that, to give a virus which spreads quickly the status pandemic. The probability of severe cases, actual severe cases, actual total cases, incubation time, spread and there we are, pandemic due to an unknown virus spreading really fast across the world.
Scientist love to do all these calculations and research. An unknown virus is something which isn’t happening very often (like every other week) and especially not with this speed. And one principle of science and research is “try and error” because with something totally unknown you have no other chance.
That means YES, they make mistakes, because that’s the only way to learn.
Each try can give a result which is great or not. With each patient something is learnt and one day they will know how this virus works, mutates, attacks, and unfortunately sometimes a minimal risk of the unknown will remain. That’s life, nature and human capability.
So everyone who criticises the scientists and all the doctors working with Covid19 right now, do you want to be in their position? Do you want to explain what triage means to the relatives of severe cases?
Politics – please help me, that’s a very wide field and I don’t even want to start with right wing, left wing, alternative, extreme, whatever.
Just a general statement – which politician could have the aim to ruin his country by stopping everything if there would be any other choice?
Are you seriously believing that countries want to stop their production, their exports, their trading, their alliances?
Seriously – what do these people think?
I just followed a few of the German conspiracy people on the platform “telegram” because that’s the “only uncensored platform” in the whole wide web, according to them. What I read there is beyond imagination. Not only that they ask people to break rules wherever possible and stand up for their rights – they talk about a German dictatorship, about supply chains outside of the web because all will be monitored, about forced mass vaccinations…they share wildly links to websites nobody ever heard of, not reviewed of course. Mass instead of class – scare instead of educate – call to action against the government, call to action against recommendations.
I honestly had to delete this app because you feel sick after a couple of days of these awful “news”. The people who call it dictatorship in Germany never ever lived in a dictatorship!
Who ever talked about a forced mass vaccination??? Nobody?
What had the whole election in the US to do with the German lockdown? Why are there links against the rescue of immigrants shared? Why do they use typical sentences which specially germans know from the darkest German history under Hitler?
Why are all of a sudden all the former celebrities, who weren’t in the news since felt ages, the leaders of this weird conspiracy clan?
You have the feeling as if you are watching the conversations between psychiatry patients from the schizophrenic department but the dangerous part is that all of them are spreading their news and people take it seriously, a quite large amount of people…
This says a lot about our society – this is scarier than the virus itself.
It’s their truth – you cannot convince them because they are so deep inside their spiderweb similar network that even if they would start to doubt the next would tell them we want to make them doubt with telling lies.
Psychologically a very interesting topic, but this is the job of others, not mine.
I just sit and stare and wonder how it can happen – how can someone drift in such a weird direction even though their families and friends give their best to show them all the lies he/she follows?
Many seem to be lost and I don’t judge this. These times are harder than we would have ever imagined. These times influence all of us.
I doubt, I agree, I follow, I overthink, I stay quiet, I speak up, I hide, I go out before I go crazy at home – all of this is Corona.
But what I don’t do, I don’t lose the realistic view, I don’t assume, I don’t follow blindly, I don’t blame, because who’s to blame? The virus is here (manmade or not, it doesn’t matter). Most important is to get the curve down as we did in March/April. It’s not helpful to gather for demonstrations, it’s not helpful to call for action against the use of masks, it is surely not helpful to use your own children as an instrument against the rules and I write this because it just happened yesterday.
An 11-year old girl on stage of a conspiracy demonstration. She states that she had to celebrate her birthday five times to have all guests at home not to exceed the number of allowed persons per meeting. She has to celebrate her birthday with her friends quietly as they were too many children and scared that neighbours may call the police. She had to hide like ANNE FRANK! (Is this seriously what an 11-year old girl thinks? The mom standing proud next to her and now I assume although I know I shouldn’t but the notes in the girl’s hand were obviously tweaked by her mother).
The next, a 13-year old is attacking the chancellor Merkel with “You are not even a mother or a grandmother, how dare you to tell us that we should wear masks in school? …. my friends are “deforming” me when I don’t wear one” – best example, defame is what she should have said, but she has no idea of what she is saying there!
What if Merkel wanted children but for whatever reason wasn’t able to conceive? Is this how you attack politicians who struggle, who try to make it right? Of course nobody will ever reach the whole population, but personal attacks won’t help in this Covid pandemic.
Parents should protect their children, I agree on that, and that doesn’t mean I use them when I have no other arguments anymore.
Thanks if you read so far – I hope you stay safe and healthy!
As a side note – this is my blog and if there will be comments pro conspiracy or rude I will delete them – sorry, not sorry!
Here we go, in the beginning / middle of the second wave we start lockdown 2.0 in Germany.
We went through the first lockdown in March/April and it feels somehow like an old companion and somehow weird and new.
Our life has changed profoundly in 2020 and still we remain somehow the same.
If someone would have told me what comes next, would I have changed something?
No.
How?
What could I have changed?
Life is what happens to us when we are making plans, right?
What we can do is the following:
Stay positive
Positive thoughts are so important in our life. The more we think in a positive way, the happier we are.
Stop complaining
I know it is hard and I know that this wasn’t the plan for all of us this year, but we are alive, we have access to many things others could wish for.
Adhere to a new normal, at least for a while
These rules are not that complicated, if we can get a virus under control with distance, masks and hygiene this is something great. Nothing in life is permanent so this will pass too.
Learn
Everything that happens is teaching us lessons in life, right? What did you learn so far from this pandemic state?
Grow
Did you surprise yourself? I think many of us grew already because we realised how flexible we are.
Use modern technology
Instead of the coffee in the city schedule coffee dates via FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, whatever you like. We are honestly rich to have these possibilities, staying safe at home and not losing contact and eye sight with the people we love.
Immerse into nature
For many this has been a long forgotten treasure and just now they re-discover the beauty around us. Walking from one shop to the next with a coffee in between versus walking through the fields and forests, having a steaming coffee out of a thermo cup. What is nourishing your soul more?
Get a hobby
Now is the time to think about what you love to do. There are many activities you can do in the safe space of your own home. Reading all the books you ever wanted to read, start writing yourself, put an empty canvas in front of you and create something new, yoga (perfect for a mindful home workout), learn to meditate, cook all the recipes from your cooking books, I’m sure you will find something that suits you.
Let go of what’s no longer needed, free your stuff.
During this time many homeless will be thankful to receive a warm coat, boots or a blanket.
The stricter we are now the easier it becomes in future. What I think is indeed astonishing is that many asian countries have close to zero new cases. They wore masks even before Covid19 was appearing, they keep distance in general (which isn’t a bad thing at all when it comes to strangers) and they complain less.
Germany (and this is where I am and where I grew up) is a nation of complainers – I always said they complain on a very high level and indeed this is what they do now as well. Instead of being thankful that we haven’t had many deaths up to now it is turned into “the virus isn’t dangerous, otherwise more would have died”.
This kind of thinking is what I believe is dangerous.
Reflect and trust and believe that scientist are trying to find the best way for all of us seems to be impossible for many. I don’t know where this mistrust is originating in because I cannot understand it at all.
Of course you don’t take everything in and of course you don’t like every step a government is doing but in general our life in Germany is very good.
We have the freedom of speech which many would love to have, we can walk around outside without being scared that military or who ever is controlling, we get news all over the world unfiltered if we want to, there are no restrictions of the internet, we have a legal system others would wish for.
And of course nothing is perfect but I don’t expect everything to be perfect. All in life is flowing and changing and once you realise this life is much easier to handle.
Perfection is unreachable and also not needed, all the cracks and set backs and mistakes make our life so colourful and interesting.
All agree with me if I say that nobody needed this virus, I guess, but that’s nothing we can change right now.
So please, let’s focus on what good it brought us and what we can learn from this time which will one day be part of history books?
I’d rather have my grand-grand-children reading how wonderful we all made it, how helpful we were, how kindness took over instead of that tis was the start of a war because of selfishness and mistrust.
Today, on 31st October 2020, there are many things to focus on.
Halloween, unity day, Samhain, all hallows’ night…
It is for many people across the globe their Halloween day and people are drained because of Covid 19. As for all other celebrations we had since the start of the pandemic also Halloween cannot be celebrated as people were used to.
I am from Germany so this one is not hitting me hard to be honest. Trick or treat is nothing I know as a tradition.
In Germany it would be more the traditional All Hallows’ Evening, the day before the christian festival All Saints’ Day on 1st November. But even this hasn’t been more to me than a welcomed bank holiday when it falls on a weekday.
For Indians it is their national unity day, also something very special and very strange this year.
What has the moon to do with it?
But since I indulged more into my yoga journey I have been more drawn to spirituality in general and what makes this day special to me is apart from all the known that we have a blue moon tonight.
A blue moon is in the end a full moon, but a special one.
Blue Moons are the second full moon of a calendar month. It’s not an ‘ordinary’ full moon but a rarity. This year it tops it all as it falls on the Halloween night or All Hallows’ Evening.
What does this mean spiritually?
Blue Moons guide us into a time where should use our voice and build awareness as well as create our clear visions of who we are, where we are and where we want to go to.
A mystical gift
So 2020 is not all about disappointments because plans did not work out – the blue moon shows us that there are always chances present, each day, each week, each month and of course also this year.
Celtics believed that Samhain is the only time per year on which all barriers between the physical world and the spiritual world could be dissolved.
To have a blue moon, which is more powerful than a full moon on the very rare occasion of this night of the year happens not by coincidence. There is a greater sense behind and it is on us to see this greatness.
Every new moon contains a new beginning. What is this new beginning all about?
Wipe the old out and cleanse yourself – a good time for a sage burning for example to start into the blue moon night.
Forgive and let go to open a new chapter, this is what I do and believe me, it feels great to start fresh. Instead of clinging to what no longer serves you say goodbye and open up for all that is coming towards you.
Moon light works to enlighten our souls and it provides us with spiritual nourishment. So if you have the chance try to watch this wonderful moon for a while and soak in the energy it gives.
If it comes to intention setting there can be several spiritual intentions – the most common for a blue moon are the following:
Second chances – this is very powerful and often needs lots of energy to give a second chance and/ or to receive a second chance but as we all make mistakes never neglect a second chance
Knowledge – you are open to receive during this phase, I like to compare it to a sponge. Time for spiritual books tonight.
Love is universal and especially during a time where we open up and move into a state of receiving energy.
Protection – energy can protect and these energies flow around us tonight. (See also the crystal section to use them in a more channelled way)
Fertility – receive, let go – all plays together. You may not receive but you may be able to let go of anxieties, fears and open up for the next circle
If you use crystals, this is the time to clean and charge them with energy.
Clear Quartz (helps amplifying the energy)
Moonstone (connecting with the divine goddess)
Tigers Eye (protection)
Lapis Lazuli (wisdom)
Aquamarine (throat chakra cleanse)
Rose Quartz (love)
This blue moon is special and the next blue moons will not appear in a while – so use this power tonight well.
The intentions we set will guide us, a power we should not underestimate. I wish you to make this special night memorable for yourself and that the future turns out in a way for all as we individually hope and pray for. Let your journey be guided by spirit and power and light.
I just flipped a card of self love this morning and it said something similar to the headline – plus that only of you feel good yourself you will be a good companion for others, and that’s exactly the point.
Being my own priority may sound weird, I completely agree on it. We all want to be easy going, we want to be loving and caring persons, persons who are fun to be around, all of it sounds great and it is wonderful if we can be that awesome person. The truth behind is that you can only be that awesome person if you have enough done for yourself.
We all hide when we feel exhausted and depressed, we don’t want to see anyone after a cried-through night with puffy eyes, when anxiety sets in we want to hide like a snail in her house. Aren’t we loveable then at well? Of course we are because only then we learn and grow, only then we would need someone most, only then we reveal our deepest emotions.
Let me tell you that there is nothing at all selfish when you make yourself a priority! I even tell you that you NEED to do it!
We all need to have time for ourselves to get grounded, get settled, reconnect with our inner child, listen to the whispers of our soul. Me-time is much more than heading to the hairdresser or get our nails done. Me-Time is the time where you process all what we are exposed to on a daily level. Even if we would avoid the news we still hear stories from neighbors, families, friends – there’s love and laughter and drama, there is so much to cope with that it is overwhelming once in a while.
Life isn’t supposed to be easy, it shows us daily that there is lots of misery on this planet – now, in the middle of a pandemic even more than ever before – but life is also wonderful, even when there are times which are not easy. To realise this and not to get lost in the dark we need these times where we embrace it all.
I am 42 years old, almost 43, and if I learned only one thing it is that nothing is permanent.
I struggle as everyone else, sometimes more and sometimes less, and in the end not one of these struggles has been permanent.
As time goes by depressions go by, as times change anxiety changes, all is fluid and moving, we are not made of stones.
Last year was a miserable year for me, job wise, of course last year had as many wonderful moments as it had bad. But if I look back to 2019 I often see only the bad (still) because it is a process of processing what happened. This processing is only taking place when I make myself a priority, when I take a time-out and live through parts of it, meditate, or even just lay down and stare at the ceiling. Only if the bad is processed it lifts the veil of the good things that happened to me last year, and of course there were so many of them. People tend to drown in misery and that’s nothing unnormal, it’s part of human nature, it needs strengths to get out of this circle and look out for the positive. Once you start it you will be excited, believe me.
The lotus flower grows out of mud, this symbolism is wonderful – even if you are covered in shi* from head to toe you can smile and start to wash it off!
So – 2019, the year I wanted to erase in my brain – thanks I did not.
Besides all the bad stories (and they were bad not because I did something wrong!) I would’ve erased memories of our summer vacation, memories of the third birthday of our son (he doesn’t deserve that mummy forgot all about it!), our wedding anniversary in Venice, this wonderful city, Christmas with the family and all these thousands of happy memories in between.
Even the really crappy times at work left good memories because I went through it, with stomach pain, yes, but today I know they made me stronger and I learned – if there would ever be a next time I would respond earlier and set more boundaries. Karma is the word of 2019 for me because I believe that one day all people involved will feel their Karma hitting them. What goes around, comes around.
For 2020 I am not yet sure which word it could be. This pandemic hit us all in many different ways and also so similar. My plan for 2020 was to relax, to go into a sabbatical and become a Yoga Teacher, learn about Ayurveda and spend time with my family. The plan was to recharge my batteries after 2019 and be ready to start through in 2021.
We are now at the end of 2020 and I am about to finish my Yoga Teacher Training.
I tried to revive this blog – a bit at least, and I take time for myself when needed. We were closer than ever before as a family during the first lockdown due to Covid19 and if I see the news we may have a second lockdown just in front of us. I struggle, not all of the time but in between. There are days when I hardly want to leave the bed because the uncertainty is overwhelming and raises an anxiety of the unknown. How will it be, what will happen next, why do we need to experience this? But there won’t be answers to these questions right away. We may have answers in a few months, in the next years, who knows? We cannot plan life and this is one big lesson learned for someone like me who loves to plan each step ahead. No, not this time. I am forced to see what happens, to step into the unknown daily and wait for what’s next. What I can plan is to control my mindset as best as I can and believe me, this is not easy. I had two really really depressed days with anxiety and everything was overwhelming. Now, day 3 and I’m typing – I sit here with candlelight, we were on the playground before, chatting breathing fresh air and watching our children playing freely, two days ago I would not even been able to think about this. Life is good! It goes on and on and everything is flowing.
You will move through the dark times and always see light again.
Make yourself a priority, hide for two days if needed and then you will be back and people will not scare you but uplift you. Small talks with friends will be good and create once more good memories.
Doing good things for yourself is as important as being good to others. My son needs his mom, my husband his wife and after these two days where they saw me miserable I am now back to be fun to be with. This is how life goes, even a 4 year old is not having good mood all day long – he can relate in his own childish perceptions.
All that counts at the end is that all is good!
For now all is good and when the next low hits us we know we will make it through – I hope you have many highs and not too much lows, a pandemic isn’t make it easier, but hey, we are all in this together and you are not alone!
…it is all about old villages, landscapes, chianti and la dolce vita.
This is what people expect when reading about Tuscany.
Vacation time should then be even more, the above plus some beach relaxation, pool dips and museums.
My “When in Tuscany” differs from year to year…
This year I am sitting on the bed and am writing, besides that I am listening to Deepak Chopra’s “Metahuman”.
My husband takes care of our son and the dinner we will have soon just needs to be heated up, I cooked it yesterday.
No fancy restaurant with a four-year old, we tried, we won’t try again until maybe next year. It had nothing in common with a relaxed dinner so why to bother about it any longer? Let go of what no longer serves you, I learned this through my yoga and as nothing is permanent (another yoga wisdom) we let go and have dinner “at home” in our own safe space.
We relax and that is what we need and want
We slept really long today and were just hanging around. Playing a bit, started a washing machine (yes, you read correctly, we wash while on vacation and return with suitcases full of clean clothes, it is great), enjoyed the big terrace we have here and we stayed in the shadow because it is HOT. For September it is really much more than we expected. The sun is burning and even though my two men are not that sensitive I am – I just look at the sun and already feel my skin burning.
This year I am putting in half an hour here and there to move forward with my 200 hour yoga teacher training, which literally means learning. Learning while on vacation, some would tell me now that this is not relaxation but believe me, it is. If you love what you do then you will find joy in it and here I am – I love Yoga, I love to write, I love my family. The only little problem is how to make money with the things I love 😉 I will figure this one out later.
When Covid-19 stepped into all of our lives a vacation this summer was far beyond our imagination – so all we do now is being thankful for being here!
Soaking up the tuscan sun before we will return to an autumn kissed Munich later in September is just soothing our souls.
Even though we haven’t been personally affected with an illness due to this pandemic, we have been affected like each and everyone. Stages from not believing what starts there in this world up to being scared of what lays in front of us. It became eventually a new normal and we are lucky to be in a quite good situation money and job wise, but still, this new normal is scary from time to time and leaves us depressed.
Once you tasted what pure freedom means everything scares us when it takes part of this freedom away from us.
And don’t get me wrong please, we are as free as we can be right now and we fully agree on all precautions which have been taken. But even though you know that you for instance need to stay at home for your safety it is different to staying at home just because you would like to spend a day at home doing nothing outside.
Being here is giving all of us a little rest. A new normal is different on vacation and the Italians are doing it really good! Better than some germans to be honest, maybe because they suffered more but instead of complaining they include these new rules and still celebrate life. In Germany we often have the feeling we are trapped between the complete neglect and the over-caution, it still doesn’t feel normal and one of the reasons for me is that it’s treated different wherever you go, but that is another topic.
How is it here during a pandemic
Back to tuscan life right now. And yes, of course here the Covid-19 topic is as present as everywhere else. Our tuscan life differs not too much from the life in Munich, we just have of course much more ice cream and we cook less. Also the luxury of having a pool in front of your doorstep is definitely a big plus here. Apart from that we decide on a day by day basis what we are going to do.
Last year we stayed at the same place, we enjoyed the pool as well as the beaches nearby and we strolled through every town in driving distance. This year we step back a bit because we avoid crowded places. We have been to so many places we truly love here but we love our health more than taking any risks. Some may ask now why we went if we don’t want to explore the region? Because we know the region and we love it, because we have the possibility and because we’d rather stay around the pool than in our flat in Munich. Because we may go to one city or another…like today when we visited Siena. Much shorter than all the times before but still wonderful as city.
Our son was chasing doves on every piazza we visited, this year he can do the same still but less often.
When we were in the Tuscany and Maremma region before our son was born we enjoyed restaurants, we drank coffee in small bars with great views, we strolled peacefully through cities exploring their wonderful history, now we check for playgrounds and check tripadvisor for things to do with children.
The “When in Tuscany” is our lifeline from a newly married couple to a couple soon to be parents in 2015 to parents of a toddler in 2017.
Today we are parents of a kindergarten child, active beyond words, running still after doves but asking every why-question he can think of and talking non-stop (if not talking then singing). Naps are uncool at four because he is not a baby anymore. He is teaching us life every second and at the end of the day, which can be very long these days, the sweetest words we could hear are: This was an awesome day today, I love to be on vacation, it is fun. This alone is enough to justify that we are here right now.
Truly, even though I try to learn so much spiritually which comes along with becoming a yoga teacher, with shifting priorities, with changes in life in general, my son is one of my greatest teachers.
He shows me that life shouldn’t be complicated.
We make it complicated. Simplicity is often giving us more room to grow than anything else. It sets time free to do something more important. His childhood is our day to day life – we should always listen and shift priorities because his childhood will never return. It has been affected already by this pandemic, he wasn’t able to see his friends or just play freely in his kindergarten and he adapted so wonderful to the new situation. He deserves a lovely childhood more than anything else and we as his parents are the ones to make this happen!
Am I a metahuman? Nope, definitely not yet, but even if I will never be one, that will be OK. We are all OK as we are right now. Striving for success is great but stepping back once in a while to reconnect with who we are is essential!
We will live into the day and enjoy our tuscan time at our pace and after that we will see what comes next. It is pretty sure that this won’t be our last time here (and if it would be for whatever reason we could still say we enjoyed it to the fullest).
We live the present moment
Step into your life and be in the present moment, not thinking too much about the past or the future. People forget to live because they are stuck in their past or too busy planning their future. I don’t want to miss the present moments.
Right now next to Deepak reading his book aloud on my phone my son came in with superwings on the iPad asking me for food. My feet are warm because he snuggles up upon them to be close. This moment is precious and I need top now and heat up our dinner because he won’t be that calm much longer 😉
Take care and leave comments if you like these snapshots of my life.
For the travellers, this guide is recommended from my end – we found really wonderful places in it.
Can someone explain to me why rents are increasing as if there’s no tomorrow?
I mean, honestly, I understand fully that a landlord is not giving away his house/ flat for free and wants to earn some money with it. Some money, enough money to be able to maintain everything plus money on top for their own, I got this. What I am not getting anymore is why people who rent are seen as a luxury income. Hey, and I’m not writing about deluxe apartments or big mansions, I’m writing about normal flats, houses for families.
You can argue now that it is my very own fault if I decide to live in Munich and yes, you are partly right with it. Partly because I accept that everything is a bit more expensive here than in a small countryside city, but what I do not accept is that you pay a fortune for nothing.
I am checking offers since a couple of years now and the market is truly insane. People offer for instance a house which is in the state of the 1980’s, the bathroom is a disaster, kitchen not available (means you have to bring your own), carpets everywhere also from the 1980’s, the garden not maintained at all. The size is 110 square metres and they ask for either a monthly rent of 2300 Euro (without gas and water) or if you want to buy the price is 980.000 Euro.
If only I could tell you that this is a joke, but they are indeed serious.
What should a family earn in order to have a nice family home to stay in?
As a family we are willing to pay entry for the zoo, we love to go and eat outside, grab ice-cream on the way to the playground, buy local and support smaller shops in our area, we love the “hood” we are living in. But all of this would be impossible when we move to a bigger place because of these ridiculous prices.
Our current living situation is tiny, our place is small but we live where we want to live. Of course we wouldn’t mind to have more place and a garden, not at all, but not if we have to cut our visits to the museum, eating out or summer vacations.
Are cities only made for the rich?
Are only the top managers allowed to live here? Is it the newly rich clients you are looking for to spend their money here? A city will lose its spirit like this and a city will not have any more stories to tell.
Apart from ‘normal’ families, has anyone ever thought about the elder people? A 82-year old widow who would love to stay in the flat where her husband died but cannot afford it anymore. A 90-year old man who is half blind but knows all the ways he needs for his daily life by heart. A couple married for 60 years and rooted exactly where they live. There is a saying that you cannot plug a tree out of the soil and plant it somewhere else, the same counts for many of the elder. It breaks my heart if I see them shattered because they don’t know where their life will go on. I even forget about all the young ones (us included) because we could make it anywhere, still.
Munich has a history, like every other city, there are biographies of people who lived here and brought something with them. There are statues all over the city and every single one of them tells a story. We will not write further history like this. A city lives through the personalities and if these are all forced to move outside the city spirit will slowly disappear.
Every even little personality surely was not rich and famous by the time they left their footprint in the heart of this city. Some where, some were not, it has always been a good mixture and that is how it should be.
Greedy is the new normal especially when it comes to living spaces within a city. Who has the newest building, who has the best view, who is in the most expensive area,… Shouldn’t it be: who can help neighbours when needed, who can support the homeless, who smiles at strangers because life is a wonderful thing?
Instead of greed let happiness rule because it doubles if you share – at the end of the day that counts more than the number on your bank account, does it not?
Finally we decided to take a break from our munich corona quarantine routine and visit my parents. We waited so long because they are living in a small town and we wanted to avoid to bring the virus out of a big city into their area. Once we decided that we go we tried to avoid even more the contacts we had in munich than before.
Talking about our contacts, truly, that weren’t many because apart from our essential errands the only contacts we had here were neighbours which you obviously meet when you live in the same building.
These “problems” are seriously first world problems. We are both relatively young (depends from which perspective you see it) and in general healthy. Both of us were working, were because the situation changed for me already at the end of last year, but not in a bad way, and my husband “lost” his job due to corona which is also nothing bad as it gives us exclusive family-corona-time if you would like to call it that way. We are not struggling moneywise and our fridge is full.
Humans are strange – especially when they have too much time.
misssfaith
What I have seen in the beginning and also throughout the course of the first weeks from this pandemic lockdown is that many people are wise. Wiser than they probably know even themselves before the pandemic started. Or how would you explain that persons with an immense knowledge of virology never thought about a career in science? Why don’t we have more people willing to study politics? There seem to be many potential leaders out there who know much better how to rule countries?
This pandemic is showing the truth and this truth is for many not as charming as they would love to be seen.
Complaints I cannot hear anymore – and these are just the main ones, meaning the top of an iceberg:
I cannot breathe under that mask, it is ridiculous to ask all people to wear it.
Where are all these issues coming from, I would really love to understand it? As a normal healthy person it is maybe unusual in the beginning and it may get sweaty now during summer, BUT nobody has to wear these masks 24/7. They should be worn in closed buildings, during grocery shopping, etc. Apart from this we still should try to go only when needed and not for extensive shopping trips into some malls, right?
I cannot celebrate my birthday with friends and family because gathering of more than 5 persons is not allowed.
Seriously? Even my 4-year-old wasn’t making a huge issue. Be happy that you are turning a year older! There are people who worry that not all are allowed to attend the funeral of a loved one. This is something really to be sad about!
Our garden is so small, how should we manage to keep the kids entertained?
Our family is living in a two-room apartment, what is a garden? There is plenty of nature on this planet and in many cases you don’t have to drive hours to be in a forest, on a field, at a lake…if you have a garden you are already one of the really lucky ones and you don’t realize?
My favourite restaurant is closed because of corona.
It’s hard to comment here even. Do people know that there are others who have nothing to eat AT ALL? People who struggle to survive?
It’s all made up by the pharma industry to sell their vaccines.
Yes, I’m part of the pharma industry if you want as I work in that area…and surprisingly for many I don’t say everything out there is needed! There are tons of products which may not be life saving or important. But vaccines in general saved millions of lives and still nobody ever forces you to get vaccine, right? It is still your choice in the end!
Third world…
I know already what comments I may get. You cannot argue with third world problems (and this third world is already making me angry as we are one world!). I tell you YES, yes I can argue with it because a pandemic is not stopping anywhere. It is crawling into each little corner of this planet and this virus doesn’t care at all if it hits the poor or the rich. The truth is that we as the rich (and that’s what we are when we have access to health care and internet) have higher chances to survive. We may end up in hospitals, and yes, people died and will die, but they didn’t die in a dark and dirty mud hole without being seen even.
I’m so angry, angry at people who don’t realize how lucky they are, angry when everything which could help is neglected without a valid reason. It is NOT a reason if it doesn’t fit into their way of living or style. A mask isn’t matching the handbag? But you have access to masks, right?
Take a step back for your own sake.
From my perspective it is even essential to compare to be grounded again. Many were flying high as we had no limits and now we see what this can cause? Striving to go higher and higher in general is not a bad thing but it should be done in a mindful way. Question things and analyse them, are they worth doing it? Who would benefit? Would it serve others? What is it doing to the planet?
Seeing the earth recovering is wonderful and sad at the same time. It was us doing the harm!!! There’s no way to neglect this.
We all should use this time as a wake-up call to be a change.
Ok, I started with our decision to visit my parents and that’s what we did.
My lesson to take from there is the following:
Family is the most important!
A garden is wonderful and I would lie if I wouldn’t miss it but the essence of our stay is really just that. People we love are the most precious gift, to have this time together gave us all rest and strength to move forward.
One of the lessons learned and believe me, this wasn’t an easy one.
It is natural I guess – throughout or life we are doubting… if we are on the right path, doing the right thing, meeting the right people … this is needed as check or ourselves. We build up confidence like that as well.
Doubt becomes a problem when we doubt more than being sure we did something right.
When I write don’t let doubt be your friend I don’t mean it should be your enemy, you will need it, until the end of your life, like a person you meet once in a while but not regularly. Like this person you know your whole life which tells you after a couple of years that you look great, that you changed your style and it suits you, that you were always adored for your skills in whatever, you get what I mean I hope. This person can also tell you that the old car was better than the new you have chosen, but in the end you are driving that car and you need to be feeling good in it.
What are you doing with the car for instance? You may reconsider changing it back because this person had some proper arguments, or you stop thinking about it because it was well thought over in first place?
Doubt is ALWAYS just an adjuster or a confirmer, it is rarely a complete changer but more a lesson learned.
But what if you think you are doing the right thing and all of a sudden Mr. Doubt shows up regularly? He considers himself your new friend and crawls into your life. He is telling you his opinion whenever he can and it’s always the opposite of what you were considering to be right. He starts to drain your energy because it is not easy to be criticized for every step you make. And it’s wrong!
Many may have this colleague who’s acting like that, or even a boss.
Believe me, a good colleague or a well-trained manager would NEVER make you doubt everything. they would make you aware if something isn’t going to the right direction and offer advise, training or help to fix it.
I doubted – too much, so much that I fell exhausted into my bed in the evening because I felt NOT ENOUGH. From the depth of my heart I knew that I did the right thing(s). I even knew it because I got feedback from many others but that one stupid Mr. Doubt was so present and so nagging with his comments that I started to doubt – more and more.
He stepped into my life as if he was an old friend but that’s not true. I knew him and I met him once in a while but I never considered him to be one of my close friends. The opposite, I was always happy when he disappeared and his permanent presence made me feel not good at all, not sufficient and not enough.
I had to learn this and especially I had to learn to tell him STOP!
Stop for the sake of my health – mentally and physically. Once this step was done it felt better because I gained my worth back. My knowledge that has been built up over the years could not be completely wrong as Mr. Doubt tried to make me believe. I was able again to hold my head up high and face him and tell him that he will not succeed in breaking me, because this is what he wanted as my “friend”.
Doubt is like a toxic person
We all know them and we all know that we should keep them very distanced as they otherwise would start to influence our life (and not in a good way).
Almost a year later I am sitting here typing, my stomach still hurts and seems twisted from time to time which is a reminder of what I went through. I’m not complaining because in the end I know who I am and what I am worth! In the end Mr. Doubt and his companions are the poor ones. They will never be happy in their life because as long as you are constantly criticizing others you ignore your own problems which probably are more intense than I can imagine them to be.
We are all human beings, we are all not perfect and that is perfectly fine!
We are supposed to make mistakes to learn and grow. We are exactly where we should be and if someone makes you start to doubt be careful. We can support, we can share experiences, we can give a helping hand, but if we start to put ourselves higher and make others doubting their worth we are the problem, not the other persons!
The struggle to accept and realize that not everyone is my friend even though they pretend to be was long and intense and I don’t want to go through it once again. But truly, I am more mindful and focused than ever before. I’m thankful to know that not I was the problem but others.
If you read my blog before you have an idea of how I think and in this case I could be mad, I could start to hate persons who tried to harm me but that’s not me.
Karma will catch them sooner or later!
I don’t want to poison my thoughts with hatred, I don’t want to invite negativity to my life and I don’t want to hate. To focus on what’s positive in all this is much more rewarding and makes me happier than giving attention to the bad. It doesn’t mean that I ignore, no, I acknowledge, analyse, take my lesson out and then put it aside as it no longer serves me.
I truly hope that whenever you doubt you don’t let these thoughts taking over the reigns – they won’t guide you in a good way. Doubt is not supposed to be permanently present but occasionally only.
Always tell yourself that you are doing the best you can at that time in your life and you are learning along the way. At every second you are where you are supposed to be as the best version of you.
You are worth to kick Mr. Doubt out if he starts to approach you more than you can take. It’s your life!
Stay strong and never doubt the wholeness of your being!
