1. Reading. 2017 was the year of reading some crazy sh*t. I vowed to go diverse or go home. Up until I made this declaration it was only biographies and yoga reference books that accompanied me to bed. The below list is just a sample of the diversity, no mention of yoga anywhere but surprisingly some of the best teaching inspiration.
Heston Blumenthal “In search of perfection”
Bill Bryson “A short history of nearly everything”
Rupi Kaur “Milk and honey”
Caitlin Doughty “Smoke gets in your eyes”
Craig Potton “Great walks of NZ”
Bessel Van Der Kolk “The body keeps the score”
Paul Kalanithi “When breath becomes air”
Helen Czerski “Storm in a teacup”
Doreen Kronick “All children are exceptional”
Phil Beadle “Could do better”
Macquarie Dictionary (Cover to cover. Do not underestimate my nerdiness. It is extreme).
2. Listening to something amazing before sleep. I started thinking about sleep as if it were a destination not an activity to do. When I think about destinations, I think about organising transport to get there. I found some amazing voices to transport me to sleep-land.
3. Experiments. I don’t care if it’s worked for them. I don’t care if it’s worked for everyone. I need to know it will work for me so I started doing experiments for everything. Theory only gets me so far. An ‘experts’ voice is only so loud. Here’s some of my more memorable 2017 experiments:
– Barefoot running. I learnt the theory at uni but wanted to try it out. Conclusion. Aside from the bullsh*t amount of blisters, it is much more appealing for my hips, knees and back.
– Used normal people toothpaste to see what the hype is all about. Ulcers galore. Reverted back to Indian dirt toothpaste. Shortest experiment of the year.
– Meditation experiment with one of my kids. Yes! It absolutely improved quality of sleep. As deep as a bottle of panadol.
4. Writing is like eating. It’s a goddamn necessity for me. This year I have defaced every imaginable surface in my home…shower walls, receipts, my arms, mirrors, my desk and a yoga block (just once).
5. Apple cider vinegar. I could describe it as an acquired taste but more accurately will describe it as appalling. A few tablespoons in my water every day. Gut and skin tonic, antibacterial and blood sugar regulator.
6. Had a really honest conversation with social media. Culled people willy-nilly, culled entire channels in fact. Sent out conscious invitations to only those that fill my bucket.
7. In the interests of thinking global, became a big girl and started following politics. They really are idiots aren’t they.
8. Cold showers. All year round. Makes me feel alive, especially if number two doesn’t work.
9. Nailed wave reading. Hormones work in waves, with highs and lows. I no longer feel the overwhelming pressure to save the world every week of the month. I contain this to my creative, powerful weeks and give myself a break on the other week.
10. Meditation. I say hello to you everyday, you glorious thing. You’re not only the icing on the cake but the foundation. Quite literally, the glue that keeps me all together.