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Just happy or human?

Are we all looking for happiness instead of a fulfilled human experience? Even as a baby when we cry everyone tries to cheer you up immediately. What about that part of the human experience? Like having to miss people, to be heart broken, to fail at times, get uncomfortable. Is it all not natural, like a part of the journey of life?

Its very important that we stop reading articles which says “10 ways to be happy” or “do this to have a happy life”. Situations are going to come which will throw you off your couch and make you feel really low. Chances are you’re not going to be able to make yourself happy instantly. To accept being in that place and be okay  because its a part of this experience should be the normal. Not getting anxious about your next bout of happiness.

I have been there and done that. Read some 10’000 quotes on happiness and how to be happy manuals. Its only going to make you feel like being unhappy isn’t normal. Sad and unhappy is also a part of human emotions. The sooner we accept it, we go through it and come out of it, the more human and normal it is.

May be when you’re not happy you’re just neutral, it doesn’t  necessarily have to be sad. Neutral is also an experience to take in.

Yes there may be research backing up the importance of being happy for good health and laughing and smiling more often. I just feel I can’t force laugh if something isn’t funny, laughing clubs isn’t my thing. If I genuinely feel its funny I know I can’t control my laughter. Why hide other emotions? If ‘LOL’ is a thing even “Crying Out Loud” should be a thing. Its only real that we treat all emotions with equal respect.

The sky is the same, the clouds keep changing shapes. I am the blue inside and my emotions are just like passing clouds. Imagine if the clouds never changed their shapes or moved. There would be no rains and the sun would just shine through in the same way everyday.

Everyday is different and we can just take it as it is. Happiness is being glorified but I would not fixate on the idea of being just happy.

“Openness means no conclusions – simply looking at everything the way it is.” – Sadhguru

I want to be every expression this human life can give. So when I’m actually happy I can relish it for what it is.

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Postura #januaryobsession

How often do we think about our posture on a daily basis? It was not a New Year resolution and I was just learning more about how to work on my fitness level. ‘Posture’ immediately takes me back to the picture in my school textbook of a boy balancing a notebook while he sits and stands.

I asked myself if I was missing out anything when it came to posture. I have had a bad neck on and off and I keep blaming it on my workout. I have a tendency to shrug my shoulders when I’m doing any workout, so may be I hadn’t really noticed how I sit and walk around. Which lead me to focus a bit on this topic.

I did some extensive reading and found out a few things about how I had constantly engaged my shoulders, walked with feet flopping out a little, didn’t stand enough compared to how many hours I sit and my postures on a daily life wasn’t the best. I happened to visit Dr. Prathap a Chiropractor at my gym who also gave me a few tips on how to sit when I’m at work and how sitting for 6 hours would nullify the effect of my 1 hours workout. All this and I knew some changes had to be made.

Not like the next morning I was up and about all fixed and aligned. I was catching myself slouching, straining my neck too while using my phone, lying on the bed and reading books, slowly melting on the couch while watching TV. The worst was I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, to get back to sitting, moving and doing things how we are naturally meant to do as humans. Mostly I saw a pattern with technology and external factors that were making my body tense up and accept an unusual posture as comfortable, my body got accustomed to such an extent that it almost felt normal to my body. Firstly I had to notice my movements and separate right from wrong as much as possible. So this was the painful stage.

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Using too much of my phone and laptop were causing a bad posture most of the times, switching from facebook to instagram and then to whatsapp. I decided to delete all the apps on my phone for more than a month and I was able to notice myself and it became easier to correct myself. This was definitely a great experience and everyone should try a digital detox once in a while its totally worth it, at your own risk as your people really need to be understanding for you to do this.

I had a problem with my toes turning out when I stand and understood how I can improve it through one of these articles. (1,2)

How things affect you emotionally also influences your posture and this was news to me. Overtime whenever I came around an authoritative figure or I wasn’t feeling too buzzed I’d notice my shoulders were already drooping like whole body language was showing what I felt.

It’s been almost a month and it still doesn’t feel easy to maintain the right posture, and I’m catching myself every time I’m faltering. It is not permanent yet but my neck pain isn’t there anymore.

To make it come naturally and make it permanent I will have to change the furniture (chairs) and pillows I’m using. So instead of slouching on the bed I use the dining table if I have to read something for now.

If I can spread this message to all the young people out there who are learning to live with wrong postures, please correct yourselves before its too late and not so easy to unlearn and before it causes any injuries to your body. Good habits are easily lost and so hard to get back and this ones just one of those.

My take back from this January’s obsession turning into a lifestyle change is being active and half the problem is solved.

Note: Find more videos and information on the Facebook wall of @mycoffeeweather #january