WELLBEING

This is my longest practising student, Phil.  Phil is smiling.  Be like Phil.

So, how are you doing?  Coping ok with the isolation, occasional anxieties of an uncertain future and financial strains?  No doubt about it, this is a stressful period for everyone.  There's no shame in admitting to being a little twitchy at this weird time we all find ourselves in, right?

I struggled to wrap my head around it the first week of lockdown here in Australia, mid March.  If I'm being honest, I didn't quite know what to do with myself.  The brain doesn't cope well with uncertainty, or too much idleness, especially for an indeterminate amount of time.  We like to know what's down the road, don't we?  I'm not a huge lover of the 10 year plan, but even I was challenged initially by the uncertain future of just the next six months.

After a week, I began to settle into the new routine.  Thankfully, my training space was always available to me.  My students still needed video tutorials every couple of days.  This gave me purpose, connection and kept the embers glowing.  Luckily, although I live alone, I still had my dog for company and my children, whom I see almost daily, to go play tennis or go for a run with.  The autumn surf was beginning to roll in too.   

Yet, no regular classes to teach, no friends, no extended family to catch up with and no normality to my routine was something of a challenge at first.  But as I settled into the new normal, I began to feel more at ease.  Morning meditation is a joy.  Afternoon filming in the dojo has been something I really look forward to each day.  Learning new editing software has given me a new challenge also.  My creativity is on fire.  I've begun taking my camera out on my beachside walks, and even began my creative writing again.

There are no excuses to just hibernate in my home and get fat and lazy.  But don't get me wrong, it is an easy enough alternative.

Night out in Ueno, Tokyo 2018. Dojo cho seminar.

What has also helped is the ability to stay connected to loved ones and friends via texts and video chat.  Some friends have kept in touch daily and I've loved the random calls from others too.  I've enjoyed reaching out to old friends but of course, it's not quite the same as being able to catch up for a beer at the pub or a coffee at the local cafe.

We all need to maintain social connections, despite the current necessity for social distancing.  Social connection is one of the key ingredients to longevity, as study after study has proven.  But a healthy routine of exercise, a varied and more plant based diet and good sleep will also help us live longer and maintain better quality lives into old age.

Heavybag's, a great way to release frustration and tension in the body.

If we ask ourselves to undertake something new like a healthier lifestyle or regime, with too much rigidity and sudden demand, our ego and our body will side step us.  We need to incorporate new and healthy routines with a longterm view.  My experience has been that if I ask gently, the body and mind will acquiesce.  Demand suddenly and the ego will kick in, telling us there's no real need, or that we've done enough etc.  Without the pay off of pleasure from the new undertakings, the body and mind will revolt and go back to what it is more familiar with, even if that familiarity is causing pain, distress and anxiety.

In my opinion, movement is vital to maintaining balanced mental health.  We won't always start each day lucid or positive.  We will still have our darker days and negativities.  Yet, movement, little by little, helps create the right environment for us to better deal with strange and fearful new challenges and begin new routines.

My son and I doing some conditioning at home.

Whether it's a 20 minute walk with a loved one or your dog, a quick surf (if you're fortunate to live near the coast), a run around your local park, some Tabata workouts, some yoga, or a 15 minute Jisshu - solo training session, we can edge our way towards a better balance for our mental and physical wellbeing. True story!

This daily movement, no matter how little, will create space to explore new ideas, undertake new hobbies or passions and give energy to your new paradigm.  What have you got to lose?  There's not a lot else to do for most of us.  So why not start, gently, today.

Travis de Clifford - Katsuyoshi
Dojocho - Kensho Dojo