Week 4: Stretching the body
On low hanging fruit and silver linings
Hi friend,
It’s week 4, which means I’m halfway my experiment! And I’ll be honest: it’s starting to feel like a lot. Week 4 means there are now four separate daily habits I’m trying to maintain: cold showers every day, drinking 2-2.5 liters of water every day, going to the gym twice a week and now also stretches and breathing exercises every day. In terms of actual time investment, it’s all very doable. Remembering to do all these habits that are new to me and not let one slip, on top of the mental load of everyday life, is starting to weigh on me. I started the week with a slight sense of dread, but I can happily report that I’m writing this letter with a sense of celebration. Week 4 was a breeze, and I’m enbolded for the second half.
How it went
It took a few days before this got into my system, but now that I’m entering my second week for this habit, it’s clicked in. I picked just one stretch: the child pose I learned in yoga class. I picked this one because it’s the one I struggle with most at my weekly yin yoga class, and I thought I could benefit from daily practice. I hold it for three minutes. I started with two minutes, but was left feeling dissatisfied. With three minutes, I feel like my body really relaxes and leans into the stretch. I come out of the stretch feeling rested.
I do the stretching in bed, after a hot shower, before tucking in. It puts my brain in the right setting for sleep. With my phone on the side and my eyes closed, I breathe deeply, into the stretched muscles. For the first few breaths, my brain protests: it does not want to relax. It’s still excited about the podcast I was just listening to, or the friend I was just texting, or that one task I forgot to do and now have to remeber for tomorrow. But I gently push through, and by the end of the three minutes my brain has calmed down. All in all, this new habit didn’t really feel like a challenge, and instead has been pure bliss. I recommend!
Seasonal Appreciation Moment
My little moment of joy in an otherwise grey and rainy week is a cliché one: I’ve been really enjoying my cozy nights in. Moody lights, candles, a soft blanket and a lot of TV shows have been filling my evenings and I’m here for it. Seasonal depression has been kicking my butt this week, and simply leaning into my lower energy levels and make my living room as cozy and comfortable as possible is working for me right now. If you’re finding joy in the new season, let me know in the comments!
Up next week: no phone in the morning. Yikes! Wish me luck.