What’s new? Living in 2021
A friend took these pictures of me on Saturday morning when we met for breakfast. In less than a minute, she captured so much of my personality!
Recently I’ve started going out a bit more, often to do things that haven’t been on my radar at all for the last fifteen months. Here are some of the ‘new’ experiences I’ve had recently:
Solo cinema trips. This is one of my favourite things to do alone. In the last ten days I’ve seen The Father and The Truffle Hunters, both of which were fabulous. Each time, I left the cinema thinking how being absorbed in the film felt so much like meditation. It was a useful reminder that meditation is essentially concentrating without distraction.
Afternoon tea. Oh, the multi-sensory joy of a good afternoon tea! I particularly like how the big choices are all made for you, but you can then shape the order of the meal as you wish. This time I alternated sweet and savoury. Where do you find swapping between things makes them better?
Kitchen tables. I was lucky that my health and location made it possible to see friends for walks throughout much of the pandemic. But what a treat it is now to meet for a cup of tea in one another’s homes. Being amongst pets and clutter and the realities of life is a novelty after meetings only outdoors or in masked and sanitized spaces. When I do get a bit overwhelmed by it, breathing consciously and relaxing my hands is a good way to re-set.
Facials. As someone who gets twitchy when people are leaning over my shoulder or blocking me into a space, it’s perhaps illogical that I like facials. But the combination of gentle touch and stillness is so restorative. And unlike other treats such as a haircut, manicure or massage, talking isn’t really practical! Sometimes quiet is exactly what the mind and the body need.
Alongside these treats, I’ve also been making time for even simpler pleasures at home. Daytime hours resting in bed. Pottering in the garden. Curling up with a book. Evening strolls by the river. All of which feels very necessary at the moment. As much as I’m delighted to experience the new things again, it’s also exhausting. Like many of you, I’d become used to my own company, to not travelling much or being surrounded by the noise and smells and sights of public spaces. When I stop to think about it, it’s clear that my yoga practice is massively helping me to navigate those experiences successfully. Whatever else is going on, I am able to keep breathing, concentrate on the moment, and use physical tension and relaxation in parallel to create a sense of balance. The best moments are when I remember to do all of those things at once, just like that sweet spot in a yoga pose where everything works together. It’s one way that yoga practice helps us to prepare for living life. And it matters so much more than what the pose looks like.