How To Get Out Of A Messy Life...By Messing Up

Maybe mess up your hair a little bit, it doesn’t hurt too! 😝

Jul 14, 2021

Hello friends,

Welcome to another post from The 3Min Club.

This week, I pondered on the relationship of our emotions and sensations with our bodies.

Sometimes we go through the day hurriedly without forethought, always giving our attention to our to-do lists and to others (not that that is a bad thing), that we don’t really take time to tune into what our body is telling us.

Right now, as I am going through the journey of my lower back and hip pain, I thought about how messy my life is.

I look at all the failures in my life, from work, finances to relationships, and even my current physical health that is not what it once was. It is so easy for me to spin a story that I tell myself I will never be healed or complete again.

But I have been through this emotional stage more than once to know that that is not true. If there is one thing I can take from the past nearly 4 decades of life, through fighting cancer, bouncing back from failed businesses, and surviving an abusive relationship, it’s that time always passes.

And it is in the time, what we choose to do (or not), how we show up with courage as we heal that makes us who we are. We are the sum of all our emotions, experiences, and thoughts.

Perhaps right now, your life feels messy and out-of-whack too. You may feel like a complete wreck or that there are never-ending decisions to make. But I want to encourage you a little bit today that you are doing perfectly fine.

Pause for 3 minutes right now, place a hand on your heart, accept every bit of the messy moment, have fun with it and breathe. Maybe mess up your hair a little bit, it doesn’t hurt too! 😝

As Elizabeth Gilbert said, “Embrace the glorious mess that you are.”

I hope today’s 3M in 3 minutes will get you moving today.

Yours, Yan

P.S. I have added visuals for the 3Min posts to aid you in picking up the habit to move mindfully. Let me know if this is helpful. 😄

Set a timer for 1 minute each.

1: Movement - Standing Lumbar Extension

Start timer.

Support your lower back (lumbar) with both palms.
Gently exhale to Brace Your Core to begin.
Inhale again, and now as you exhale, lean back on your palms, and push your ASIS of hips forward.
(Your ASIS is the bony parts in front of your hips.)
Imagine your ASIS like two torch lights in front of your car and you have to keep them shining straight.
Gaze forward to keep your neck neutral. Do not drop your neck backward.
Inhale deeply and slowly return to standing upright position.
Repeat again until 1 minute is up.

2: Mantra - “I Am In Tune With Flow Today”

Start timer. Repeat the above statement, “I Am In Tune With Flow Today” either silently in your head or out loud.

Do this with slow and deep breaths whatever feels comfortable for you. Repeat until 1 minute is up.

3: Mindfulness - 👅 Tongue, what do you taste?
(Working with our 5 senses mini-series)

You will need a jug of water and clear glass.

Start timer.

Find a comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed for a minute.
Slowly, pour some water into a clear glass.
Mentally observe the water swirling and touching the walls of the glass.
Now gradually take sips of water but do not swallow just yet.
Notice the taste of water on your tongue as you sip.
Now swallow the water in your mouth.
Notice the taste of water going down your throat as you swallow.

How does it taste?
Does the water taste the same or different this time?
What other sensations on your tongue do you feel?
Do you suddenly want to taste other things or take another sip?
Think about how might water do for you?
Now repeat the exercise again with the next sip.

When 1 minute is up, pause what you are doing.

Give thanks for the water today.
Our body is 70% covered by water and so is our planet Earth. Water is essential to life.

Stay hydrated.

Other things I created for you:

I Am An Emotional Cocktail Of Happiness and Pain And I Feel Like A Joker (Article)
“In our lives, we have all felt nuances of our emotions. Sometimes we don’t even know what these emotions feel like. We lack the words to articulate them. We struggle to find the right words that resonate with them.”

Appreciate your likes and comments.
Click on ❤️ to show a little support for my work, or leave a comment by clicking the title of this piece, if you are reading this from an email.

Looking forward to hearing from you. Have a great week ahead.

Yours,
Yan

Yours, Yan