Is this January?
MINDFUL MOMENTS # 144
In many ways, I’ve not had a great two weeks. I apologise for not writing last week; I woke up feeling very anxious and couldn’t bring myself to write: on Thursday last week, I fell off my bike. Twice, in an hour! (Don’t worry, I’m completely fine. Both times there was no-one else involved, just me in a sort of slightly comic cow-tipping toppling to the ground.)
I got home and cried for about 20 minutes straight and then proceeded to watch all eight episodes of the new Harlan Coben on Netflix. I thought, is this January?
There have been reasonably random moments of tearfulness, too, an increased propensity to crying or feeling low. Is this January?
Naturally, when things are not going so smoothly, we try to make sense of it. We lay out all the possible reasons why we might be feeling this way and examine them all as possible culprits. As humans, we like to search for the meaning behind everything. Is it because of my cycle, my job, my sleep - or is it just January?
I never wanted to be one of those people who subscribes to the I-hate-January brigade. I didn’t even think about it going into this year: why would January be any different from the other months? December was great so there’s no reason January won’t be, too, right?
In many ways, this month has been one of the most beautiful I can remember in the three-and-a-half years since I moved to Hove. The weather has been this pristine combination of cold air and cloudless blue skies. Nearly every morning, I’ve wandered down to watch the sunrise from the beach and the sea has been completely still, like long streams of blue ribbon. Is this January?
I’ve managed to time my last few runs to the Brighton Palace Pier for sunset, so I could catch the inimitable choreography of the starling murmuration. Yesterday, I happened to catch it on my way home from work, the sky peppered black with dancing starlings, concertina-ing their way over and under the pier. Is this January, too?
Mindful moment: We can say that the weather is cold and horrible, or we can say that it is both freezing and brilliant. We can resent unexplained feelings of tearfulness or anxiety, or we can meet ourselves where we are, and seek out beauty and comfort at a time when we need it most. We can hunker down in beautifully embroidered blankets and fill our homes with the light and scent of candles; we can catch up with friends over steaming cups of coffee. You get to define what January is for you and what you will choose to remember of it. What does January mean for you?
P.S. If you wake up feeling anxious, I can highly recommend doing this (or any of Sandy’s) breathwork on YouTube. It works for me everytime.
YOGA
Mindful Movement
Join us every Saturday from 11am-12.15 at the Cornerstone Community Centre in Hove for an all-levels vinyasa yoga flow class, meditation and mindfulness (mats provided or bring your own). £6 per class or £24 for 5.
Upcoming classes: January 20th, 27th; February 3rd, 10th.
Please note: I am then away travelling through to the end of March. Classes will resume April 6th.
REFLECT
Things that have helped me this month:
Friends (always; the kindness of friends who pop a little something through my letterbox when they’re passing by)
Comedy - I’ve been enjoying old comedies on iPlayer - Miranda and Coupling.
Good books - loving Ultra-Processed People - finding something interesting to read before going to sleep makes a huge difference to my sense of well-being, because I feel I’m learning and expanding my mind, even when other things feel hard.
Affirmation cards and affirmation meditations - starting the day with a little bit of confidence and joy
And of course, the starlings, the sunrises and the sunsets - being in nature always helps to remind us that we’re a part of something bigger than ourselves - and something infinitely more beautiful. Seeing hundreds of people sitting on the beach or standing along the pier watching the birds on an otherwise nondescript Thursday evening fills me with a great sense of hopefulness and happiness.
Mindful moment: What has helped you so far this month? Is there someone or something you are particularly grateful for?
Have we met?
Welcome to the Community.
I'm Laura, a yoga teacher and NHS doctor. With this weekly newsletter I aim to help you incorporate mindful moments into your week. I want you to feel inspired, empowered and creative. I promise to always be authentic; to only include content that speaks to me and which, therefore, I hope will do the same for you.
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