My fantasy day...

Have you ever wished you could somehow get an extra day a week? I have this fantasy where I get an extra day a week, a day outside of space and time. No one else knows about this day except me and it’s mine to do with as I wish.

Coming back from Thailand, I’ve been reflecting on the nature of stress in life. It’s inevitable, as we grow and evolve in our lives, we are constantly pushing into our limits. Good at your job? Chances are you’ll get more tasks, bigger opportunities. Got a family? Your children will test you – this is how they learn. So many of my friends juggle family, work, more work, study, exercise, social lives and trying to stay healthy and sane as well.

It’s not surprising that we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. But rather than staring into space and imagining up a secret day, here are three ways to shift your energy when you feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to do. The number one reason for overwhelm is that we get busy doing all the things we need to to get by, but often we’re not doing the things that our hearts really desire.

Three Steps to Shift Overwhelm

Step One - Remember your achievements.

Think back over the last month or two and to what you have achieved. So often we focus on where we think we’ve failed. For example, maybe you joined a gym and meant to go 3 times a week, but mostly only managed twice a week. That means you managed to get there twice a week! Maybe you intended to meditate every morning but only managed a couple of times. You have still proved you can do it!

Take 60 seconds to reflect and let this fuel your confidence in your abilities.

Step Two – Write it all down.

Take 5 mins (use a timer) and write down EVERYTHING you need to do, from the tiniest thing to the biggest (ie. ‘get shampoo’, ‘start writing memoire’). This is a brain dump and just helps to get our head clear.

Step Three – Pick 3 things and do them.

Look at your list, and highlight 7 items that mean the most to you – the ones that will really take your life in the direction your heart desires, not the most urgent. Then look at these and pick out a top 3. Get out your diary or calendar and find a date and time for each of these three things in the next week.

Let me know how you go!

Lots of love

Ruth

Have you ever had a week that changed your life?

Hi yogis

As yogis, we are always looking to explore and learn about ourselves but this last week felt like a leg up to new possibilities for my life and business.

I had the privilege of joining 9 women from all over the world for an Abundant Yoga Teachers retreat, run by my friend and mentor, Australian yoga teacher and business coach Amy McDonald. It was held in rural Thailand at the International Women’s Partnership for Peace and Justice.

We stayed in simple but elegant accommodation and followed a schedule of morning yoga, business workshops, one-to-one coaching, meditation and of course meals – local farm to table produce, all vegetarian and all delicious!

The theme of the retreat was ‘abundance mentality’ – something that doesn’t always come naturally to yogis, especially those of us who have grown up believing austerity to be the noble path. Let’s just say it was an at-times emotional journey!

Have you ever done something that you hated all the way through, only to be SO GLAD you did it afterwards?

We practiced yoga every morning as the sun rose over the rice paddies. It was a challenging practice and I was sore a lot of the time! But it left me with a renewed commitment to my own practice. If you want to make your life better, get a home practice. Not to replace going to yoga classes or the gym or crossfit or whatever you thing is, but as a foundation to support you in your work, relationships and health.

Especially because it’s when it’s most difficult for me to practice that is when I need it most. When I’m stupidly busy, or exhausted, or stressed out or anxious or overwhelmed and the last thing I want to do is get out of bed and roll my mat out. One of my friends laughingly told me she hates her morning practice – until it’s over! That’s when she feels the benefit. The calm. The lightness. Focus. Clarity.

Don’t believe my bold claims? Try it for yourself and I promise you will not regret it. I have a special offer for first time clients at the moment and we can work live or via Skype.

Now I have another week doing a mix of things for work and pleasure in Chiang Mai. Tomorrow I'll be making mud bricks in the jungle, helping build a retreat centre for activists. Life is never dull!

Take care

Ruth