Our search for quick-fixes may be what stops us from being happy. Kat Farrants thinks about the big picture and how moving towards sustainability results in a truly vibrant life.
We reap what we sow
This month there has been plenty of news on the climate crisis, and even the UK government and some big businesses are spending time thinking of it. There is talk of moving towards sustainability. Hmmm, it must be serious. Which of course it is.
It seems to me that, right now, everything has come to a head in our consciousness.
In the book club with Mimi Kuo-Deemer we’re reading about reimagining how we can live a more balanced day to day life. This is a complete reimagining. It’s pretty much the opposite of the self-care movement, which to me, seemed as daft as the doctors saying to us that we need to take a pill for our headaches. Sure we do. But don’t we need to work out ways to stop this from happening?
Work vs Rest
Mimi’s book is a lot about the metaphor of cultivation. We reap what we sow. And here we’ve relied on industrial agriculture which has taken the nutrients out of the soil with mono-culture, sprayed the land with toxins, poisoned our waters and seas, and then needs to re-fertilise with new chemicals to try to undo the harm done. We do a very similar thing to our own bodies and minds.
Our world is very intense, where ‘work hard, play hard’ is a good thing. We are told that being ‘type A’, being told we’re ‘busy’ or ‘overworking’ are good. Then we suppress our natural wants and needs, for rest, support, nourishment. So we take pills. We don’t have time to cook meals or eat well. So we feel that ‘self-care’, a bath or a yoga class once a day will help. And those things are a great start. But they don’t really help the big issue. Which is how we can make the choices to live a vibrant daily life. A life in which are adrenals aren’t challenged to the point of fatigue. A life in which we have tiny, daily joys to sustain ourselves and each other. One in which we can move towards sustainability.
The art of waking up
To me this all feeds into the same question.
Why do we practice yoga? To prevent backache? Well that’s certainly a good reason to start. But to learn the art of waking up is my interest in yoga.
That is where Norman Blair and I coincide in our beliefs. Do take a listen to his humour and wisdom on the podcast, I’m so overjoyed to have been able to spend time learning from him.
A True Champion of Change
Norman is one of the most senior teachers in the country and is an internationally acclaimed as a yin yoga teacher. He is unapologetic as a voice for change in the yoga community, he is a real Champion of Change, and is one of the most inspiring leaders in our community for the real meaning of what it is to take yoga off the mat.
Small actions, big impact
What Norman reflects on is that every single moment and every movement you make, has an impact on others. Some choices we make have a big impact. Like what we eat, what we choose to purchase. That has a big impact. But every tiny little thing you do has a little impact. Because we don’t have much time on this earth, it’s really so important to be fully awake, fully present, for every single moment of your life. And fully aware of the impact of each and every one of your actions.
Moving towards sustainability
This is the same impact which our journey into yoga is taking us on, it questions every part of what we do. How we live our daily lives, and who our life choices effect. It’s a very radical, and different way of incorporating yoga into our daily lives, but one which is necessary for the times we live in. Since the industrial revolution, we’ve all been sold a dream of unlimited growth and expansion, and of course in a world and a body of finite resources, this is simply not possible.
Reimagine your life
So the time has come to start to reimagine our lives. But this re-imagination is not a top-down overhaul. This isn’t a revolution. This is a Movement. A movement of daily, day to day, small steps. Our Movers group is full of wonderful Movers who are making small steps each and every day to create a healthier, happier life, on and off the mat. I do hope you’ll join in!
About Kat Farrants:
Movement for Modern Life’s fabulous founder Kat Farrants lives her yoga and her own yoga practice informs how she develops MFML. This post was written by Kat and is inspired by her exploration into how she can take the small steps to move into a happier, healthier and more sustainable life. Please do join her on this journey and explore with us your happiest, healthiest, most sustainable life.
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