#yoga benefits for brain

[fitnesflag]

[audaciousevolution]

Yoga Fact of the Day

Did you know? Practising yoga can increase grey matter in the brain! Research has shown that regular yoga helps grow grey matter in areas responsible for memory, attention, and emotional regulation. This can improve mental clarity and resilience to stress, helping you feel more focused and balanced.

So each time you roll out your mat, you’re not only caring for your body but also supporting your brain’s health!

[strinak]

oklahoma is fucking with the state version of medicaid (soonercare) and making it a managed care system (??) and it's stressing me out bc only one of the three choices has "we cover this but not this" brochure and re: the brochure they don't cover shit? but also all three are "contracted to provide the same level of care"

[maisha-online]

Anulom Vilom Pranayama: The Art of Alternate Nostril Breathing

Anulom Vilom Pranayama: The Art of Alternate Nostril Breathing #AnulomVilom #Yoga #AlternateNostrilBreathing #Pranayama #Nadi #BreathingTechnique

Anulom Vilom Pranayama, also known as alternate nostril breathing, is a powerful breathing technique that has been practiced for centuries in the realm of yoga. This ancient Indian practice is a form of pranayama, which focuses on controlled breathing to bring about physical and psychological benefits. By incorporating Anulom Vilom Pranayama into your daily routine, you can enhance your…

[theambitiouswoman]

We have three brains: The head brain, the gut and the heart.

🧠 Head (Brain): This is where our logic, intellect, and conscious thought processes are centered. Despite its importance, 90% of our behavior is influenced by our unconscious mind.

How to take care:

🧠 Do activities that stimulate your brain, such as puzzles, reading, learning new skills, or practicing mindfulness meditation. These activities can help improve cognitive function and maintain brain health.

🧠 Healthy nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and managing stress are crucial for brain health. Physical health directly impacts your cognitive abilities and mental clarity.

🧠 Keep your brain active by learning new things regularly. This could involve hobbies, courses, or activities that challenge and stimulate your intellect.

🍽️  Gut: Often referred to as our "second brain," the gut produces a significant amount of serotonin, which plays a crucial role in mood regulation and overall emotional management.

How to take care:

🍽️  Eat a diet rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and probiotics (like yogurt or kefir) to promote a healthy gut microbiome. Avoid excessive sugar and processed foods.

🍽️  Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support digestion and overall gut function.

🍽️  Stress can negatively impact your gut health. Practice stress reduction techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or meditation to maintain a healthy gut-brain axis.

❤️ Heart: The heart has neural pathways that communicate with the brain, suggesting a bidirectional flow of information. This connection emphasizes the role of emotions, intuition, and feelings in our decision making and overall cognitive processes.

How to take care:

❤️ Maintain positive relationships, express your emotions constructively, and engage in activities that bring you happiness and fulfillment.

❤️ Regular exercise not only benefits the heart but also helps manage your emotions by releasing endorphins and reducing stress.

❤️ Take time for your self care activities that nurture your emotional and psychological health.

[cognifitbraingames]

How to Settle in for a Practice of Mindfulness Meditation

Here is a posture exercise that can be done as the first step of a meditation practise session or just as something to do for a minute, perhaps to centre oneself and find some peace before returning to the fray. You can adjust this to fit your needs if you have physical limitations due to injuries or other issues.

Take your seat

Notice what your legs are doing

Straighten

Situate your upper arms parallel to your upper body

Drop your chin a little and let your gaze fall gently downward

Be there for a few moments

Begin again

There you go. The custom is to do that. While the process of getting a Mindfulness state is extremely simple, it is not always easy, despite what is frequently asserted. Simply keeping at it is the labor. Results will eventually accumulate.

[gummydummy19]

Not now (male reader version)

Summary: You and Natasha are major enemies with benefits. You can hardly be in the same room together, let alone an elevator...

Content Warnings: smut (blowjob), angst, fluffy ending (you know me), LANGUAGE!

A/N: This fic is one of my favorites out of everything i've ever written, so I decided to make a male reader version :)) hope you like it! feedback is always welcomed

Word Count: 3.4K+

It had been a long, exhausting day. You weren't even supposed to go on any more missions until next week, but Fury decided to wreck your Friday and send you on your hardest mission yet. Your body ached and you just wanted to crawl into your bed as soon as possible. So when you saw Nat approaching the elevator, you silently prayed the doors would close before she got in. You just couldn't deal with her right now. Not now.

Of course, luck wasn't on your side today. Natasha slipped her slender body in between the doors just as they were about to close, joining you in the space that suddenly felt too small.

She smirked widely when you noticeably rolled your eyes.

"In a hurry?" she asked.

"Just tired." You dryly stated.

"Yeah, I can tell. You look like shit" She teased.

To be quite honest, you were fairly sure Nat hated you way more than you actually hated her, but you weren't about to let her know that.

You and Natasha started this whole enemies-with-benefits thing a while ago, and somewhere along the way, you started finding it harder and harder to keep up the hating game.

Sometimes you just wanted someone to talk to, to watch a movie with, to hold you after you'd a long day like this.

Admittedly, hating each other's guts resulted in some mind-blowing sex. Nat might be an arrogant bitch most of the time, but she was still the best fuck you've ever had, and you didn't wanna throw that away just because you were getting a little needy. So you decided to just suck it up and stick with what you did best, annoying her until she let you fuck her stupid.

And it had been working out just fine, but today you were so exhausted and she looked so good in her big comfy sweater and her tight black yoga pants. She had been growing out her hair lately and it was currently tied up in a messy bun.

You could barely look her in the eye, desperately trying to come up with a snarky response, but your brain failed you as the only thing you could think of was how good it would feel her nails rake through your hair right now.

She frowned, clearly confused and quite frankly annoyed at your lack of attitude.

She let out an annoyed huff and in one quick movement, her hand hit the emergency button, making the elevator halt.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" You snapped

"ME? What the hell is wrong with YOU? Did I fuck you stupid last time? What's going on?" She yelled.

Natasha had noticed the change in your behavior lately, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

Her words made a blush creep up your neck and you silently cursed your body for betraying you.

You knew Nat thrived off your attitude. You were the only one who ever questioned her authority, it kept her on her toes.

She took a step closer to you and you immediately took a step back, not knowing if you could do this much longer.

Desperately trying to match her stern energy, you snapped back at her.

"Why the fuck do you even care?? Talk about being fucking cock drunk, Romanoff."

"That's what you'd like, huh, big boy? To get me cock drunk on that big dick of yours?" Natasha inched closer to you as you tried your best to ignore how hard you were getting from her voice alone.

"In your dreams, you fucking bitch" You turned around and hit the button again, making the elevator restart.

You felt her boobs push against your back and all you could do was stare at your shoes and pray to whatever was good and holy that this stupid elevator would just hurry the fuck up already.

Soft hands with perfectly manicured nails crept up the sides of your arms, while her plush lips left teasing kisses on your clothed back. The body heat radiating off her made it hard to think straight.

Gathering all your willpower, you softly shoved your elbow against her side, shaky arm pushing against her torso, trying to get her to move.

"Get off me, Natasha." Your tone almost had her believing you actually didn't want this.

Almost.

"Not until you tell me who shoved a stick up your ass." her voice was soft and teasing, tingling against the shell of your ear as she stood on her tippy toes.

She stopped the elevator for a second time.

"Natasha, I'm serious, cut it out!" You groaned, before pushing the button again.

"So am I?" she continued and her hand moved towards the button yet again.

"Would you stop?! You're acting like a child!" you yelled, trying to get the upper hand as the small metal cage rumbled.

The poor emergency stop must have been hit damn near a dozen times as you and Nat continued your pointless bickering.

Suddenly, the entire elevator shook and came to an abrupt stop, making her cling to your side for balance.

The lights flickered out and the buzzing noise that usually lingered around was gone.

You pushed Natasha off you and desperately tried hitting a couple buttons.

Nothing.

"Look what you fucking did!" you screamed at her.

"Me?" she yelled.

If looks could kill, Natasha Romanoff would be dead on the floor of that elevator right now.

A thick, deafening silence settled in between the two of you, and you let out a breath you didn't know you had been holding. Dropping your gaze to the floor, you let your shoulders hang, rubbing your hands over your face in exhaustion.

You turned around, staring at the buttons.

Fed up and extremely done with this stupid situation, tears started welling in your eyes. Fuck.

The emergency lights had gone on. You checked your phone. Of course there was no reception and it was late already, everyone else had gone to bed on their own floor and there was no way they'd hear you all the way from here.

"Perfect. Just perfect." You muttered.

Fresh out of fucks to give, you finally let the numb feeling you had been trying to push away all day take over your body. You slid down the wall, sitting with your knees drawn up and your fingers tangled in your hair as Nat just stood there and watched.

"Should have taken the fucking stairs," she mumbled.

Closing your eyes, you took a deep breath.

You were utterly exhausted, every muscle in your body ached. All you wanted was a hot shower and some sleep, and now you were trapped in this stupid elevator and you had to look at Natasha's stupid cranky face all night. Any other day you would have given her her crap right back, but not today. Not now.

Simply lacking the energy to be your usual witty and confident self, you let out an annoyed sigh.

"I'm so fucking tired." You finally muttered. If it wasn't for the deafening silence surrounding you, she probably wouldn't even have heard it.

Making eye contact with her was impossible at this point. And even if you had it in you to look her in the eye right now, the thick tears that started welling blurred your sight.

"Oh great, now he's fucking crying." Nat groaned, more to herself than to you.

You rolled your teary eyes at her typical arrogance. But when she took an awkward step closer, you pointed your finger at her.

"Don't even think about coming near me right now, Romanoff." You warned.

She smirked at the remark, finally catching a glimpse of the snarky man she was secretly so crazy about.

To your surprise, she moved closer and sat down beside you.

You glared down at her.

"You don't have to prete-"

"Oh, shut up." she cut you off as she cuddled closer to your side, dropping her head on your arm.

The smell of her hair brought you a weird sense of peace, which you welcomed nonetheless. There was something about her, about being this close to her. You couldn't put your finger on it, but it melted away your anxiety like snow in the sun.

A comfortable silence settled in between the two of you as you sniffled quietly, wiping away a couple of stray tears that had escaped your eyes.

She sat back up to look at you. You felt her eyes burning against your face but you couldn't bring yourself to return her stare. In all honestly, this was probably the most embarrassing moment of your life.

Clearing your throat, you pulled away from her.

"Alright, thanks," you said, before scooting a few inches to the other side.

As much as you hated to acknowledge it, being away from her even a few inches filled you with a slight cold, empty feeling. And you had to go against every fiber in your body not to scoot closer and ask her to snuggle up against you again.

"You don't always need to be such a tough guy," she spoke, making you scoff

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you."

To your surprise, she didn't say anything after that. She just cuddled closer to you again, clinging to your arm and she nuzzled her face comfortably against your shoulder.

A weird sense of comfort took over your body. That urge you had to be held and taken care of bubbled up again and you let Natasha fill that void. You knew it wasn't real. She didn't want to be here. But she was. And you were going to enjoy her warmth for as long as you could.

The intoxicating smell of his perfume and her body wash mixed with her natural sweet scent invaded your nostrils and made a heat run through you, warming you from the inside out.

You must have dosed off after that, because the next thing you know you felt your body being shoved aside, abruptly waking you from your slumber.

"Finally you guys got here! Her was starting to drool on my shirt." Natasha's arrogant voice spoke to Sam and Bucky, who had apparently found you in the elevator.

You knew it was too good to last. At least now you could go to your room and get some rest. Alone.

You slowly sat up, blinking the sleep from your eyes as you gaped at the three men in front of you. The smell of Nat was still heavy on you. Before any of them could say anything you scrambled out of the elevator. Running through the hallway to your room, wanting nothing more than for this day to just be over with already.

"Hey, wait!" Nat's voice sounded through the hallway as you looked for your keys, rolling your eyes.

"Oh for fucks sake, does she ever take a break?" you mumbled to yourself.

"Looking for these?" she asked, dangling your keys in front of you with a smug look on her face.

You groaned, reaching for the keys only to have them pulled away at the last second. It was quiet between the two of you for a beat, before you lunged for the keys again, failing miserably.

Okay. now you were pissed.

Natasha looked at you with a shit-eating grin.

"Come on, pretty boy." she teased, "come and get them"

Okay. Now you were pissed.

There was no way in hell you were faster than her. You knew it. She knew it. She just wanted to see you try. See you emberrass yourself even further.

And you actually debated it. For a split second, you debated it.

Nope.

Not today, Romanoff.

You were done. Done with this day. Done with these games. Done with her.

You scraped together every ounce of dignity you had left and turned around, walking away from her.

You got halfway through the hall before you heard her chuckle.

"And where are you going now, huh?" she questioned, obviously very amused.

"To sleep in Wanda's room." you simply said, not even bothering to turn around. You didn't need to see her face to know the grin had fallen.

"The hell you are." you heard her say, suddenly way closer to you as you heard her footsteps approach.

Before you could even comprehend what was happening Natasha yanked your arm back and walked you back down the hallway.

“What the-…HEY STOP” you tried to wriggle your arm out of her grasp but your already exhausted body just wouldn’t work with you. And perhaps your needy brain didn’t mind being held by Natasha...

Before you knew it you were being pushed into a room as she slammed the door behind her. You quickly realized you had entered a bedroom, but it wasn’t yours…oh no this was Natasha's room. You could recognize it from the scent alone…

She walked over to the bed and sat down at the foot of it, looking you straight in the eyes.

You stared at her from across the room, arms crossed, trying your best to appear stern despite the fact that the entire room smelled of her and it was making you want to crawl up in a ball on the floor, like a cat waiting to be cuddled.

"come here," she said, voice calm yet commanding.

"Bite me "

"I said come here."

"And I said bite me."

"If you come here then maybe I will."

You rolled your eyes but did as she said.

"Now what?" You asked in the most pissed-off voice you could muster.

Natasha saw right passed your macho behavior, knowing exactly what you needed from her. She grabbed your wrist and pulled you down onto her bed next to her before getting on your lap and wrapping her arms around your neck

"Now you let me make you feel good, sweetheart." her warm breath caressed the shell of your ear, making the hair at the back of your neck stand up as goosebumps started to spread all the way down to your spine.

She slowly pulled off her sweater and you groaned when you realized she wasn't wearing anything underneath, immediately sitting up to suck on her nipples.

A groan tumbled over your lips when her nails raked through your hair, gently scratching your scalp. Your hands touched every inch of flesh they could find, trailing up and down over her back, making her whimper.

Thoroughly enjoying each other's embrace, her impatient fingers moved down your torso and tugged at your shirt. Your lips curled into a smile against her to let her know he got the message. Within the blink of an eye, your shirt was gone and her lips were back on yours, devouring you as if you were her very last meal.

Your hands played with her tits as she started pressing kisses against your neck and down to your chest, pushing you back down on the bed.

"Stay down for me, handsome," she whispered in that low, sultry voice of hers.

She peppered your entire chest with soft, warm kisses, not leaving an inch of your body untouched. You laid back comfortably in her fluffy pillows and you felt your entire body relax. You enjoyed the view of her crawling down your body and unbuckling your belt. Natasha's plump lips moved down to your stomach and started kissing along the trail of hair growing down to your pubic bone as she pulled down your pants and boxers, revealing your growing cock. Her nails trailed over your skin sporadically, leaving goosebumps wherever they touched. Just as you noticed you had begun to smile to yourself, you got pulled from the cloud you were happily floating on by a sharp pain on your hip.

"AH!! Did you just bite me?!"

"'I'm a lady of my word."

Before you could scramble away from her, she licked a ferm stripe up your cock, all the way from your balls to your tip. You let out a low groan that quickly turned into a steam of moans as Natasha started bobbing her head up and down. She wasted no time, hollowing out her cheeks and swirling his soft tongue over your leaking cockhead, absolutely devouring you with all she had.

One of her hands reached down to play with your balls. Gently squeezing the soft flesh blindly while her eyes stayed focused on yours. She moved her hand to yours, guiding it to her head and throwing a wink at you. Your fingers quickly tangled in her hair as you pushed her down a little to take your cock deeper.

"Oh fucckkk...." you moaned, feeling your balls draw up as you got closer and closet to your peak.

Natasha kept sucking you off like her life depended on it as she moved her free hand down between her legs to play with her sopping pussy, messily rubbing her clit she started moaning on your cock. God she loved the taste of you, she simply couldn't get enough, it was making drip.

Both of your moans got louder and your hips started bucking up in her throat. Every square inch of your body was on fire.

Nat took her mouth off you for a second and stroked your spit-covered dick as fast as she could.

"Please, cum for me...m'so close..." she whined, making you realize she's been touching herself while sucking your cock.

"shit....please...gonna cum..." you moaned desperately

"Yeah? Cum down my throat while I cum on my fingers....shit..." she whined before taking you back in her mouth, immediately letting your cock slide deep down her throat as she choked on it.

"Fuck Nat I'm gonna cum!" you yelled, "You're gonna make me cum! You're gonna...I'm gonna...Oh fuck..fuck, please! Don't fucking stop...ah!"

And she didn't, she kept sucking your cock as she touched herself, and when her body started trembling from her own orgasm you finally couldn't take it anymore.

You came down her throat while she came all over her own fingers. You trembled and whined as she gently suckled on your cock, swallowing every last drop of your cum.

You tried to blink away your tears until they finally rolled down your cheeks, you tried to calm down your breathing as you layed there, trembling on her bed.

"What do you need, baby?" Natasha finally spoke, sitting up between your legs and softly stroking your thighs.

It took a while for your breathing to calm down, you didn't even know why you were crying to be honest. You just felt like you were experiencing a lot of emotions at once, and it was pretty intense.

"A fucking hug." you finally spoke.

Nat giggled at your reply before scooting over to sit next to you, leaning against the headboard.

"Come here."

Slowly, you crawled into her open arms, curling up against her into a ball with your head right against her bare tits.

Surprisingly, Natasha was very soft and sweet, not at all what she was usually like with you.

She rubbed your back and just laid there with you, enjoying each other's warmth and the comfortable silence that had settled in the room.

You couldn't help but let out more tears, softly sniffling into her chest as you clung to her.

"shhh" he whispered comfortingly, pressing a few kisses to the top of your head. "It's okay, l'm here. And you did so so good."

For the next few minutes, Natasha just held you, until you were ready to talk to him about what exactly it was that got you so overwhelmed.

After some time, you sat up and just looked at Nat. At her eyes, her nose, her mouth.

You leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

"Thanks," you said.

"For letting you cum down my throat?" she joked, trying to get rid of some of the tension.

"For the care," you replied, meaning what you said.

She just smiled at you.

You didn't even know what to say. Never in your life have you expected Natasha to be so caring, especially not for you.

"Wanna shower together?" she suggested, leaving you even more stunned.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Natasha Romanoff?"

At first, she giggled at your reaction, but then her face grew a little more serious.

"I wanna be here for you for more than just fucking. The whole cat and mouse game was fun while it lasted, but seeing you the way I saw you today, so exhausted you could barely stand up straight. I never wanna see you like that again, baby. Unless of course, it's my doing." she added smugly before pressing another kiss to your lips.

"There she is again." you chuckled against her lips.

After some more kisses and giggles, you decided to accept Nat's offer and you took a long hot shower together, followed by some much-deserved cuddles and a movie you never saw the end of because you drifted off, with Natasha happily snuggled against your chest.

[pierrotdoesnteat]

FIVE STAGES OF FASTING:

- the process of fasting begins about 8 hours after your last meal, and has five different stages each with different benefits. I am by no means an expert, and am using various sources to piece this together; with that being said, if I get something wrong please feel free to correct me.

STAGE ONE:

- 8-12 hours after last meal. - blood sugar/glucose levels begins to dip; you may experience hunger, fatigue, food cravings, and trouble concentrating. - at around 12 hours, blood sugar levels begin to stabilize as your body starts tapping into stored glycogen. - also around 12 hours, your body begins to enter early stages of ketosis meaning your body isn't relying on carbohydrates for fuel and instead begins to burn stored fat. - short-term fasting may also lower blood pressure and increase insulin sensitivity.

STAGE TWO:

- 12-18 hours after last meal. - by now, your body should be fully in ketosis. your liver should begin converting stored fat into ketone bodies; these provide energy to your heart, brain, and muscles. - ketones suppress your appetite; this stage of fasting decreases ghrelin, the hormone that makes you want to eat a lot of food and stabilizes insulin levels which helps to reduce cravings. - you may notice an increase in mental clarity in this stage due to a boost in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

STAGE THREE:

- 24 hours after last meal. - this stage is referred to as autophagy, or "self-eating." this stage is when your body begins recycling old or damaged cells and reducing inflammation; this can provide an anti-aging effect.

STAGE FOUR:

- 36-48 hours after last meal. - 48-hour fasting can increase human growth hormone (HGH) secretion by up to 400%. HGH increases muscle mass, stimulates faster muscle repair, and can speed up the healing process for wounds and more serious injuries. - this stage is no longer considered intermittent fasting.

STAGE FIVE:

- 72+ hours after last meal. - this stage of fasting should not be taken lightly; if fasting for several days, make sure you drink plenty of water, get plenty of electrolytes such as sodium, magnesium, and potassium. - by now, you should be in a deep state of ketosis and autophagy should be in full effect. - during this stage, your liver significantly reduces the production of a hormone called IGF-1, triggering stem cell production. - a study from 2014 found that prolonged fasts between 48-120 hours activate pathways that induce stem cell production, leading to cellular toxin resistance, immune system regulation, and protection against cellular damage caused by chemotherapy.

FASTING TIPS:

- regardless of the length of fast, stay hydrated. - keep physical activity to a minimum, or only do light exercises. walking, stretching/yoga, and meditating are great options during this time. - do not break your fast with large amounts of food, or processed foods. easily digestible natural foods, like bone broth, chicken, and green vegetables are your best option. avoid things like dairy, alcohol, and foods high in lectin like baked goods for the first couple days after your fast ends. - when breaking your fast, eat slowly and hydrate before eating. the less junk food your body is used to, the easier it is. - adding probiotics into your diet can make breaking a fast easier; your body needs these either way.

[rederiswrites]

I want to talk about my health journey over this last year, improving my function and getting better with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. But talking about chronic illness is so incredibly difficult. Look at the backlash people get for saying that exercise and sunshine and regular sleep really DO help depression. What I have to say is in many ways the same thing! It's an incredibly delicate issue, and very often, talking about solutions you can implement yourself sounds like blaming people for their own suffering. On the other hand, if all you hear is the conventional medical line that there's nothing but some medicine that sort of helps, that's where you're stuck. I was stuck.

I didn't want to hear that learning to fucking relax was going to be a huge component of my journey. That sounded like exactly the same shit the people who said "have you tried yoga" and the doctors who told me it was all in my head were saying! It's not, really. Not at all. It's missing far too many critical components. But uh....learning to relax is in fact incredibly important.

For example, yes, the pain is in my head. Pain is ALWAYS in our heads!! That is where the brain decides to interpret data received from the nerves as pain! It is ALWAYS heavily influenced by factors well beyond the objective experience. Science has thoroughly demonstrated that we can feel pain without an injury--indeed, that we can feel pain when the sensory input wasn't even on our body! And in the inverse, we can have injuries and not experience pain. Pain is not nearly as reliable a signal of injury as we believe it to be.

And yes! Yoga might help! It helps a lot of people! But if you go and do yoga with, say, a teacher who is not trauma-informed, or without at least some understanding of what your nervous system is up to, or the strains and trouble points in your body, you'll get little benefit and might experience harm.

The nervous system is our body's OS, in a very real sense, and for me as for many people, addressing that turns out to be really important to healing. But the nervous system isn't really designed to be user serviceable! So if it's being overreactive, constantly on high alert, keeping you in a stress response that physically blocks healing, feeling pain where there's really only a light and innocuous pressure, or maybe just a runaway inflammatory response that, like a highway traffic jam, is literally just creating itself-- well, fixing that is hardly a matter of just "oh silly goose you should stop that! It's all in my head!" But there are ways. Mindfulness techniques. Visualization. Meditation. I almost mistyped medication but it's actually true--a lot of the time fibro and ME/CFS patients get treated with antidepressants! It does help, for a while, but it doesn't change the underlying problem much.

For me, while I've tried and gotten benefit from some of those--actually, come to think, ALL of those things--pure information is my medicine of choice. Just exposing myself over and over to the message that you can get better, that people have, that there's nothing detectable mechanically wrong with me, to the science of physiology and the nervous system and pain. Books, TED talks, youtube videos, research papers, articles...

And most importantly, I had to commit. I had to reach a point where I said, I will do whatever it takes. No comfort, no habit, is more important than getting better, and I believe I can get better. No doctor ever told me that--I had to find survivors who had recovered online, largely by accident. Once I believed I could get better, working to achieve that goal became vastly easier. So I radically changed my diet. I restructured my days massively. I spent hundreds of hours consuming information that reinforced my hope and commitment and my understanding of the problems. I worked incredibly hard to get my sleep under control, and it's an ongoing process but there has been progress.

Today, I got out of bed before the second alarm that tells me to get off my phone and get up. Because getting up wasn't so crushingly hard. I didn't have a perfect night's sleep, but it was enough. Yesterday, and the day before, I worked steadily through the day, I accomplished my goals, and I didn't end the day crushingly drained OR bubbling with adrenaline from pushing myself beyond my normal limits. I don't need to recover, today. Because I didn't do more than I could sustainably do, and yet I made progress. I did laundry. Had great conversations. Planted three dozen tulips. Pulled weeds. Attended a webinar and learned how my state legislature works. Took care of the chickens. Ate a really healthy lunch that I enjoyed, and made the family a really healthy, delicious dinner. Caught up on the news with the family and then read a thought-provoking book. Made beads.

I still have a long way to climb on this spiral staircase. Probably the cold weather and midwinter will really challenge my ability to regulate myself and stay functional. I still have to incorporate regular exercise as a critical pillar of ongoing good health. I'm still struggling to find resources on meditation and mindfulness practice that I resonate with. (Three books in on that subject, one of which was interesting but annoying, two of which I actually quit in exasperation.) But I do really feel like I'm making progress that's not just luck or the usual fluctuation of symptoms. I am, in quiet ways, doing Pretty Okay. And that's a lot, when you've been bedbound.

[libraford]

While I'm bitching.

I dont mean to make this a bitching blog, but with them leaving on monday I have time to reconfigure my brain about all of it.

We live in a suburb that butts up to a nature preserve. So we see all kinds of wildlife from coyotes to deer. Most of the wildlife pics from my photo blog are from a nearby park.

There are mice in the garage.

It's a garage. It's an unsealed part of the house that's safe from predators and snow. It's going to get mice.

She wants to live on a farm some day. But she sees a mouse in the garage and suddenly has to rearrange the entire space because the way 'we' store things is attracting rodents. But not the way she just leaves piles and piles of cardboard from chewy or her amazon purchases (seriously a $300 inversion table that she used once and used her partner's credit card to get).

And I dont have much choice in how i store my stuff because the day we moved in they had already decided there was no room for my craft storage (its ugly, basically.) And it all got shoved in the garage.

Where the mice are.

So she sees a mouse and spends the whole day freaking out and moving our stuff around because we're slobs who dont know how to organize our stuff.

And now we cant find anything.

About a year ago, she got on an exercise kick and demanded that I clear my stuff from the garage so they could have an exercise room for themselves. Me and pock are still sharing a small nook that serves as our craft room, and the is no space to really spread out. But she gets an exercise room.

She never exercises. She has a back injury that makes it difficult for her to sit up for long periods of time.

Like... I tried to clear the garage, but I got 4 bins in before I ran out of room in the craft room, and now there's no way for me to access the things in there, either.

So sorry she didnt get her exercise room. We have a porch. We have a living room where you can move the couch. You can go to the park. You have a rec center membership. Sorry you didnt get a poorly ventilated exercise room full of mice.

If I can do yoga three times a week in this house, you can figure it out.

Later, I overhear her talking to her mom on the phone about why she wants to move to North Carolina and she says it's because theres no nature here. Its barren. Nothing will grow in ohio because of the chemicals they use on the farms. Theres no wildlife.

I'm assuming the mice dont count. But our town literally calls itself 'the city of parks.' Theres over 5000 acres of green spaces including a waterfowl preserve and more than one refuge. My boss at parks and rec is a conservationist. My job is to water all the fucking trees we planted last year.

Youd see all kinds of nature if you'd get outside the house, but you never fucking leave.

Which is kind of a minor point in the scheme of things. But it really pisses me off like 'oh poor me I'm a fucking liar.'

I'm so lazy, I wont repurpose an entire room for her benefit while shoving all my shit in a 5×10 space. I'm so awful.

[bridgetoesoteria]

🔥🐉Messages for 2024🔮✨

Sorry for the delay 😅 Got a bit carried away yesterday.

There are three decks for three piles, left to right. Each pile also gets two bonus affirmations to start their year 🥳.

Asking for messages/ what you need to know heading into 2024! Hope it resonates <3

Pile 1: Rider-Waite

Off the bat: I am getting something about your love life. It could be prominent for the first 3 months of this year.

Be less tense. Maybe get into yoga or pilates or something similar. Some people might enjoy strength training.

4 Card Spread: Ace of Swords, Wheel of Fortune, 9 of Cups (R), High Priestess. Bottom of deck is Queen of Wands.

I can see why some of you may be tense. I think you have a lot going on. In particular, there could be a toxic situation or individual you have been dealing with. I almost want to say managing. It won't be a relationship for all of you. It could be any domineering masculine figure in your life or a job situation. I'm saying this because right under the Queen of Wands is the Devil and a few other negative cards, bookended by the King of Wands.

Anywho, despite that I am getting a positive message for you heading into 2024. I kept hearing that "you know the truth." So I don't know if someone has been trying to gaslight you or if you are learning to trust your intuition. Either way, you only benefit from trusting what you know in your gut is the truth of a person or situation.

You are much more resilient than you may know. Or maybe you are just tired of having to be resilient (i feel that). I think that is going to motivate you to start taking more control of your life. I'm not a doctor and if you are feeling depressed, or just not okay emotionally, please reach out to someone for help. With the 9 of cups reversed, some of you may be feeling super unfulfilled, disappointed, and despondent.

The Wheel of Fortune is next to it however, it is my "things are looking up," card. So I see the lack of fulfillment changing. For some this may require you learning how to be more "selfish" or getting rid of a person with a selfish attitude! I see you giving them the boot and them just swirling away like they're being flushed 🚽 lol. These changes may even benefit you financially.

TL;DR: So I guess the overall message is to stand in your power. Remember you are that bitch/guy/person. Or at least you can be if you so choose. Better boundaries and less need for external validation will bring you a lot of peace. You know the truth and the right thing to do. You can trust your intuition

Pile 2: Lucid Dreams Beginners Tarot

Off the bat: You could feel a little scatter brained right now. You might feel like your mind is buzzing and there is a lot to do! Slow down a little so you don't mix things up. I almost grabbed the wrong deck for your pile. Double check everything. Don't lose shit!

You may want to meditate.

4 Card Spread: The Tower, The Fool, Ten of Pentacles, and Queen of Pentacles. Bottom of deck is Seven of Swords.

You know...just as I was beginning to shuffle, I got a message about the soft life. Maybe you should allow yourself to be pampered and blessed more. Not just by people but the universe and yourself.

Also, are there scammers in this pile cause I'm getting some finessing energy 🤣. If you are living a city girl type of life, tread carefully. Just giving this warning because of the 7 of swords and Tower. But you seem to think quick on your feet so you will be good. Work hard but keep your hands clean. You want to build a lasting dynasty.

For others, you could be planning a wedding or planning to elope. Maybe some of you are actually reconsidering marriage all together. It doesn't feel negative but more like, you feel you need more time on your own. Maybe a recent success at work or another area of life has you wondering about the health of the grass just yonder 🤔. Should you follow your heart or stay where you are? I don't know just don't do anything crazy and focus on your legacy/long-term goals.

I can't ignore all the pentacles. In some way, money and foundations are important. This could be related to your family, legacy, inheritance, career, etc. There is emphasis on your physical world. Some of you could be going against family traditions or in some way stepping out on your own. You feel ready to carve out your own path and it is hard to hold it in any longer.

Some of you could go back to an ex or someone you are separated from. For others, that could be the very thing you are rebelling against. I'm hearing "who said I have to choose you?!" You could just now be realizing that you have autonomy and the feeling is intoxicating. There is a male energy present. I can't tell if this is a family member or significant other. Be wary of this person. They are a bit stuck in their ways.

TL;DR: You want to take life by the horns. You feel so ready for it! I feel like it could have been a long time coming for many of you. See what it feels like to be free. Just don't get too carried away! Be wary of the intentions behind people wanting to sway you from your decisions. Keep focusing on your bag and carrying yourself with grace. Maybe you will make some mistakes but maybe they will be make for awesome memories! For some of you, marriage or long term partnership could be on the mind heavily.

(three wanted to come out so I rolled with it).

Pile 3: Muppet Bear Tarot

Off the Bat: I felt really chill starting this pile. I took a little break, had a laugh then came back to it. So maybe you are a little checked out and just going with your flow. The last few years may have been rough and all you want is quiet. As long as you are balancing your priorities, keep moseying down the lazy river of life ☮

Also, if you have been considering getting your first tarot deck...

🔆this is your sign🔆

There are plenty of budget and beginner friendly decks. Do some research then choose what you feel drawn to. Caution: Don't get too sucked into doing readings. I think many of us had that phase 😅

4 Card Spread: 8 of Wands, 5 of Cups, Queen of Pentacles, and Strength (R). Bottom of the deck is the World.

Again, I am getting the feeling that you are more focused on your day to day. You make sure your "home is in order," then you go off to your happy place. If this is not what you are doing, maybe this is encouragement to start. You could be mourning a loss, whether it is a person or a relationship. Or you could be feeling down for another reason. Its okay to do what you need to feel better. Maybe its a quiet night in with a cozy atmosphere or a solo trip.

In some way, releasing control will help propel you forward.

Some of you may be in a long-distance relationship and finally getting the chance to be together. For others, as you focus on healing yourself, you will naturally meet a love interest. Or an existing connection could unexpectedly develop into something romantic. I feel this person being emotionally safe for you. You are entering a new chapter in your life without even realizing it.

You may receive a message that you have been waiting on. Could be a DM, text, email, or even physical mail. Someone may have been sitting on it for awhile. I am not necessarily getting malice behind this delay even though it may be annoying.

There's definitely a chance for a fresh start. It could start slow but I have a feeling you won't mind that. This fresh start could somehow be related to you coming out victorious in a situation or just being "chosen."

Some of you may have family going to combat or returning from combat. I'm definitely getting a military undertone. This could be a young male that wants to make everyone proud. I think whoever that message resonates with will get it. For others, there could be a male who you would like to see do well.

TL;DR: Focusing on healing is the right thing to do. You have been through a lot so its okay to create your own safe space to reside in. Your blessings won't miss you. Even as you focus on yourself, good events and people will still find their way to you. Trust that the whatever high power(s) you believe in have got your back. You could experience rejuvenation in your romantic life. Also, a delayed message is coming through. Welcome to the next chapter of your life :). You deserve all the good karma headed your way this year. 🥰

Hope you loved your readings. May we all have a wonderful start to our 2024s 🥂🎇

~K

[pleaseeeimjustagirl]

It Is Time For 'Baddie Hibernation'

Hey babes we have 3 months before the summer! It is time to tighten up! This is the time to work on your physical and mental I know we all want to be hot girls this summer so now is the time to prioritize ourselves!

Routines

♡ Routines are super important. they are your key to success and living an organized life. If you have not created a routine already I created a blog post on how to create a productive routine. This is the time to stick to your routines in the morning and night and adjust them if needed. 

Physical 

♡ Hygiene. Consistency is key for your facial care routine to work so be consistent in applying all your products. If you aren't seeing results with a certain product you have been using for over 3 months maybe try and find a better product. I recommend using a gua sha three times a week there are so many benefits in using a gua sha blog post coming soon! Don’t just focus on your facial care focus also on your body care use African exfoliating net sponges, shave regularly, apply lotions and body oils, and use feet masks to peel dead skin.

♡ Diet. For my girlies who are on a weight loss journey and want to be snatched before summer, it is time to be dedicated to sticking to your diet. I don’t have any specific diets to recommend do what works for you. If you struggle with Binge Eating Disorder like me I have a book that I can recommend that will help you work on your ED and also help you lose weight “The Binge Code” by Allison Kerr and Richard Kerr. This book has been a game-changer for me!  For my babes who aren't focused on weight loss, it is still important to try and eat healthier try including a variety of whole foods into your diet and drink waterrr!!! Water is so good for us from our skin to our digestive system try and drink at least 50oz but aim for 100oz of water daily.

♡ Movement. Try and include some sort of movement daily we must move our bodies daily. Figure out what type of exercise you like walking is very simple and costs absolutely nothing. Start small with 10 minutes of outdoor walking daily. Natural light is so beneficial for our mental health and mood. Yoga and pilates are such amazing slow and impactful forms of exercise. I've been including yoga in my nighttime routine there are so many channels and videos on YouTube you can follow. There are so many other forms of exercise you can try some free and some that cost money.

♡ Supplements. Help and maintain our overall health they can also help with our daily requirements of essential nutrients. I will be listing a few supplements below <333

Multivitamin. Find a reputable multivitamin and take it daily or as instructed. Multivitamins can boost energy and give you vitamins and minerals you might be deficient in.

Magnesium. Improves mood, sleep, exercise performance, regulates blood sugar, and so much more. Magnesium is overlooked by many but so beneficial for us. I've been seeing the bedtime magnesium mocktail I have yet to try but I plan to.

Omega 3(fish oil). Helps with typical brain and eye development. It can fight inflammation and help prevent heart disease and the decline of brain function.

Vitamin D. A lot of us during the winter time have a deficiency in vitamin D because the sun is not out a lot so vitamin D supplements are a must-have they help with regulating mood, reducing depression, healthy bones, and so many other amazing benefits.

Vitamin B Complex. Helps boost energy levels, brain function, digestion, and cell health. There are so many other benefits.

Probiotics. Helps improve gut health, puts healthy bacteria into our gut that in turn helps our digestive system, and inflammation, and can even help aide your weightless journey. 

Mental 

♡ Sleep. Our bodies function so much better when we are getting a good amount of sleep. You think clearly and your mood is better. Try and set a bedtime for yourself and stick to it. I had to sleep train myself at the beginning of the semester it was so harddd but I'm reaping the benefits now I have energy during the day, my mood is better in the morning, and my brain functions better during the day.

♡ Journaling. We have a lot of emotions that we carry throughout the day and it is important that we let them out and journaling is the best way to do so. I have three journals. One journal is for my emotions, another for gratitude journaling which I highly recommend you get into, and finally my last journal for shadow work. You do not need to have three journals but I like to have everything separate it helps me. 

♡ Book. I love reading and listening to self-help books. We all have issues that we need to fix and thankfully we have so many self-help books dedicated to so many different issues people face on a daily. I have so many recommendations I’ll list below.

The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest (self-sabotaging)

The Most Powerful Woman In The Room Is You by Lydia Fenet (confidence and career)

Atomic Habits by James Clear (building good habits)

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (living a carefree life)

The Binge Code by Allison Kerr and Richard Kerr (binge eating, weight loss)

The Shadow Work Journal by Keila Shaheen (internal healing)

The Eldest Daughter Effect by Lisette Schuitemaker and Wies Enthoven (eldest daughters)

The Game Of Life And How To Play It by Florence Scovel and Joel Fotinos (from pessimistic to optimistic, affirmations, and manifestation)

The Power Of The Pussy by Kara King (femininity and dating) 

8 Rules Of Love by Jay Shetty (dating and psychology)

The Muslim Woman’s Manifesto by Kashmir Maryam (religion, mental health, and women)

These are the books I can recommend so far there are more searches for books related to the issues you may be facing or things you want to improve on in your life<3 

♡ Therapy. I'm a big mental health advocate and it is very important that if you are dealing with mental health issues you get help<3. I've dealt with my issues before and I used better help I found the best therapist who helped me through so much. I love the way they allow you to choose your therapist. I recommend that you use better help. For my NYC teenagers between the ages of 13-17, there is a website called talk space that offers free online therapy for NYC teens NO REFERRAL IS NEEDED. If I find more websites that offer free therapy for other teens around the world I will let you all know<3.

If you have any tips that you want to share down in the comments please do I want all of us to be happy and glowing this summer!

[ash-says]

How to tackle Fragmented Sleep/ Sleep disruptions :

This post is inspired and geared to help @thisisneededfmr .

Also to every one of those who are going through similar issues. It becomes extremely taxing when you can't sleep peacefully at night. You keep on waking up in between after some hours if not then suddenly you are half asleep which according to me is even more annoying. Being an insomniac or nightmares can make this condition even worse.

Sleep fragmentation can be described as frequent interruption or disruption in the normal sleep cycle. It can cause various chronic health issues as well as have repercussions on mental health.

Ways to tackle Fragmented Sleep:

1) Develop a sleep schedule:

Instead of being a night owl jump into your bed and try to sleep. It will be difficult at first but slowly and steadily you might fall asleep. Count numbers?? Try to sleep at the same time everyday. Because once it becomes a habit you will automatically feel sleepy.

2) Avoid Caffeine or any foods that result in hyperactivity:

Coffee is infamous for making you feel nervous and jittery. So avoid it before bedtime hours. Any kind of foods that result in a hyperactive nervous system cancel them out.

3) Practice relaxation techniques:

Listen to calming music, do breath work, meditate, read a nice book before you fall asleep. This might help in calming your nerves.

4) Exercise regularly and do yoga before sleeping:

The benefits of exercise are well known to us. I don't want to waste my time in convincing you about it. There are some specific yoga asanas you can do before sleeping and trust me it works like wonders. One of my friends when I used to live in a dorm made us do it and the sleep after that was just a chef's kiss.

5) Limit screen time before bed:

The radiations emitted by the phone or electronic devices disturb your sleep cycle. So try not to use your phone before you fall asleep. In fact at my home this is a rule we never sleep with the phones near us. They are kept at a great distance so that the quality of sleep is not disturbed.

6) Try not to do work or other activities in bed:

I read it somewhere on Tumblr long back please if anyone knows the blog kindly tag them in comments so I can give the reference here. It stated that you should only use your bed for sleeping as it will automatically signal your brain to sleep once you are in there.

7) Address your mental issues:

Most of the time sleep fragmentation is caused by psychological problems. Is there something you are trying to escape from? Or are you in a stressful environment? Depression? Anxiety? Adhd?etc you get my point right. Try to fix those issues. Your problem might be arising from there. Who knows.

8) Check your medicines if you are on any:

Literally!!! I am not kidding. It's really serious. Some medicines put your nervous system in hyperactive mode resulting in fragmented sleep. Check with your doctor and share these things with them. If the problem has started after you started the dosage maybe it's responsible for it.

From here the suggestions are based on personal experience with no scientific data to back it up. Use your own discernment.

9) Hug someone or something and sleep:

This works for me sometimes. If there's someone you are close to then try asking them if they would be okay to sleep while hugging you or holding you close. It's therapeutic. Plus it helps in relaxing the adrenaline in your body and brings you out of the survival mode.

10) Sleep in an open space:

Sometimes our bodies are not able to relax in a confined place. It's part of a phase especially if you have trauma related to closed areas. It can be triggering for your body and your brain might wake you up in between to look for danger. So sleeping in an open space like a balcony or something might work.

11) Keep a knife under your pillow:

I know this sounds ridiculous but it's a belief in our culture that doing it solves sleep related issues. Especially if you are having nightmares. And even if it doesn't work you have a knife to swing if someone attacks you in case. It's cool.

12) See a doctor:

When nothing of the above helps and even your own techniques that you might know it's high time you take professional help. It's not something you should ignore.

Being stated all that I really wish you a GOOD NIGHT SLEEP and pray that you overcome these issues. There are a lot of underlying causes that result in sleep fragmentation but the main one being Stress, Trauma, Emotional distress,etc.

So find a friend and vent it out if you are going through any negative state of mind. If you don't have anyone my ask box is always open. Drop a message and I will try to reach out to you as soon as I can.

Reminder: You are doing great given the circumstances. So keep fighting on and don't let anything have power over you.

[eatmangoesnekkid]

A Love Story on "Savanasa,"

a posture of rest and integration where you lie on your back while fully relaxed as much as possible and extend your arms and legs out to the side.

In yoga, savasana is always the last posture in the class or practice.

Ancient yogis say that savasana is the most important and difficult posture in yoga because it requires the student or practitioner to empty out and completely let go of their physical and mental tension in the moment. Deeply difficult to do because “being empty” and "letting go" are hardest acts for human physiology and psychology.

We are conditioned to keep and hold onto for dear life and live afraid of change, of fully letting go, living in the unknown, becoming new. We were programmed to stuff our bodies with information, to cross-check and research facts in the internet, to be addicted to thinking and talking all the damn time, and distrusting of our intuitive bodies and divine gifts. We were trained to live as AI instead of human, less female and divine and more synthetic and superficial.

I too have lived all jacked and stuffed up in my brain for many years. I had deprogram myself and meet my deepest shadows and sorrows that inhibited me from lightening up, emptying out, and letting go and would have made me rush through savasana had I been practicing yoga while getting my university degrees.

After experiencing so many deaths in my family and feeling deeply alone in this world, I desired to know the feminine, to embody mature feminine energy. Because the inability to "let go" is a deep fear of the feminine and I could no longer be afraid of my primordial self. And one of the most important aspects of authentic feminine energy (which isn't about makeup or high heels) is embodying the strength and softness to be able to let go. Disengage. Empty.

So that you can be FILLED up with the light of the universe. Because a full vessel has no space to receive, Ma! Full with conditioning, programming, statistics, too much religious dogma, patriarchal thought, gender wars, race consciousness, unconscious war and colonialism, malnutrition ways of eating, and even femininst thought. Everything you have ever learned in this 3D reality has be vetted and examined, combed through with fine-tooth comb without attachment. You may then decide to keep some of what you were taught but most of it will probably have to be thrown away into the river. Now you are empty and ready for the love story of savasana.

Out of 20-something people in my Bikram hot yoga class this morning, I was the last person to get up from savasana.

But I am always the last person, or next to last, to wake up from this very important posture of receiving. I do imagine it is because I love to let go. I love to lighten up, to lighten my heart. I love to sweat out and leave everything that is not serving my tissues and organs on the mat to be cleaned away. I am sensitive that I can go very deep in my body during relaxation which is also incredible for lover archetypes to master or to get better than average at. Deep relaxation.

Savasana, in my opinion, should last anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Usually I feel integrated and ready to get up around the 15-20 minute mark.

If you practice yoga and want to accelerate the benefits, do not rush your savasana. Instead be gentle and more surrendered, and allow your body (temple) to fully integrate new information. Deeply feminine.

Do not rush to leave the room or try to skip out on savasana. Please do not be one of those people who shoot up off their mat like a rocket as soon as the teacher says "namaste" or "thank you." Receive the benefits you rightfully deserve from taking time to practice yoga. Even if you only have time to lay for 60 seconds, be deliberate. Permit your body to let go and gracefully receive new intelligence. Then rise slowly like a lover from ancient times, leaning to the right side and using your left arm to help prop your upper body up with ease off your mat. Now that your divine energy is in tact with your human form, go bask in the afterglow. --India Ame'ye, Author

[karlachismylife]

I feel so loved lol, also just imagining me and Ghost downing pills in the morning (cause pain ain't the only thing wrong pfft) just like 'cheers?' 'cheers' but seriously thank you, I really feel like people think I complain too much about it so when people let me rant and talk about it esp in this type of form where it's multiple messages (I'm a message spammer in heart, love just sending a million messages about anything my brain is thinking) it just makes me really happy. Cause like I don't really have many outlets for it as I haven't been able to see a physical therapist for my issues just a general practitioner which means all I have are meds right now so there's no progress other than my day to day issues so i feel like people get really tired about hearing about it or me talking about it

(previous post to get what we're talking about)

Well great, cuz you are loved! And yeah, that's exactly how it goes! And when Ghost takes his mood stabilizers he's like "this one's for you lovie". And the obligatory after-pill kiss! It might be a bit sticky and maybe even bitter after all that drug goodness, but it's just as important as pills, you know.

I dunno, love, I feel like if you're in CONSTANT PAIN you kinda can never complain ENOUGH about that shit. And I love getting many messages! It's a conversation. Makes me feel better that I didn't accidentally say the wrong thing too, you know, so we're all benefitting from this :)

Ooof but I'm still sad you couldn't see the specialist, I hope you can some time soon. Price would absolutely get you to the best one he can find; this man somehow avoids doctors himself like plague (pun intended), but you and the boys? Nuh-uh, no chance of slacking or missing appointments or postponing or whatever complication prevents you from going - Price has already dealt with it, get into the car, let him do your seatbelt cuz he's a gentleman like that, and off you go. Even if you have your physical therapy at home (his name's Johnny and even he insisted you go to a real doc no matter how much he likes taking care of you himelf).

Whatever instructions they would give you for what to do at home, though, Price makes sure to pass it down to Gaz, who's more than happy to do it with you. And he'll also probably do some excersises outside it with you too, maybe even get you both in a yoga class or something after you start to feel better. Or just you two in a living room with some youtube training video playing (I immediately went to 80s aerobics classes in my mind and imagined Kyle in bright pink leotard, fuck) or those audio instructions from apps like Nike has (I think?) in your earbuds.

And Ghost, Soap and Price just standing in the doorway/sitting on the couch and admiring the view. Yeah, physical therapy and some soft excersises. For health.

[coinandcandle]

Mindfulness Activities that aren't Meditation

While there are many types of meditation, it's not always easy to practice. Maybe you don't have the time or, like me, you could never quite get the hang of it due to your ADHD brain.

Regardless, mindfulness is something everyone can benefit from and it doesn't always have to be done by meditating. See: Mindfulness vs Meditation. Without further ado,

Here are some mindfulness activities you can do that aren't meditation:

Self-Indulgent ShowerTake a shower with no distractions. No videos, music, or whatever. Soft ambient music or lofi music with no words or loud noises is ok! Pamper yourself by connecting with your body. Get out the nice soap, the one that you don't use often for fear of running out of it (just me? Oops.) Focus on how the water feels, how the soap smells, and how the water sounds as it taps against the curtain liner.

Take a Walk Go on a walk and focus on the world around you without judging it. What birds, plants, and insects are you seeing? Is your neighbor mowing their lawn? Just observe, don’t judge. If you catch yourself judging then just remind yourself that you’re simply there to observe on this walk.

Mindful Tasting Drink your favorite beverage and focus on it. Take in its flavor, smell, temperature, and mouth feel (sounds gross but trust me it's a term!). If other thoughts come to mind that’s ok! Just try to gently push yourself back to focusing on the drink. take a sip every time your mind wanders to remind yourself of the task at hand. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes and you don’t have to do this the entire time you’re enjoying your beverage. Active Listening A lot of us with ADHD tend to think a lot about what we’re going to say next in a conversation. Instead, just focus on what the person in front of you is saying. Really listen and absorb the information they’re sharing.

Mindful Movement Do a quick physical exercise of your choice and focus on your breathing and the sensations of the body. This doesn't have to be extreme or rigorous. It's better that you do an easier exercise, actually. Yoga is very good about this and I would encourage you to look into its history and practice if you’re interested!