Life's Symphony: Finding Harmony in the Ordinary Notes
As a result of my re-branding from Love Yourself to Rx for Renewal, future newsletter posts will be coming from info@rx-renewal.ca. Please mark these newsletters as "Not Spam". If you find them in the Spam folder, add this email address to your contact list.
Things I’m thinking about…
I came across this post below and my answer was 44 years old! Do you remember staring at those optical illusions in middle school and never getting the image? This is a reminder that people we see regularly and things we see in our everyday lives have a uniqueness to them that we can often overlook. The bus driver on your morning route, the barista at Starbucks, the gas station attendant - they are all living their lives just like you are. As much as we think we are the center of the universe, we aren’t. Our existence in the universe is like that of a single note in a piece of classical music. The note alone may seem insignificant, but it contributes to the overall harmony of the piece. Layering on a few thoughts from the past few weeks can significantly change the way we interact with people in our everyday lives. Strike up a conversation with these people you see regularly to learn more about their life, and their perspective. Remind yourself we all have much more in common than what separates us.
What I Learned this week…
This may be common sense for some of the readers, but you know that common sense isn’t really common. For those of you who have a desktop IMac - you can add more RAM (random access memory) to make your computer faster! I knew you could do this with PCs because my dad used to build them for fun, but I always thought Macs were unchangeable. My Imac is from 2017 and I noticed it was getting slower and slower over the last few months. First, I upgraded all the software, removed some startup programs and then came across a post detailing how to increase the RAM. RAM is essentially the short-term memory of your computer. It allows your computer to quickly retrieve things without having to put them into long-term storage. So if you are leaving a tonne of tabs open and not clearing your cache or restarting your computer frequently then having more RAM can help. I called up a local Techville store to order RAM and installed it myself using this easy to follow guide (they were charging $45 for something that took me 5 minutes to do). So if you are getting tired of slow speeds - get yourself some RAM and be done with the circle of death scrolling wheel. My computer is easily 4x faster!
This Week’s Breathwork Tip
In 2018, George Dallam did an experiment testing recreational runners after they trained for at least 6 months using only nose breathing. Blood gas readings showed higher carbon dioxide, better body oxygenation and higher levels of the potent vasodilator, nitric oxide in the blood. The result was runners were not getting so breathless. Dallam’s study found that nose breathing is a whopping 22% more efficient than mouth-breathing.
I have tried nose-only breathing during short runs. At first, they are quite uncomfortable as your body is used to over-breathing. Once you get your first 4-5 runs in without any mouth-breathing, you find a rhythm and over time it becomes less strenuous. The ultimate result is your body being able to use oxygen more efficiently resulting in better performance and less post-workout cramping. Try this and push through the first few uncomfortable runs to get the carrot dangling on the horizon.
Quote I’m resonating with…
How much of your suffering could be lifted by appreciating the mystery of life instead of trying to solve it? Stop asking why, start saying wow.
-Jamie Clements
Shift your perspective to be in awe of life. Ironically, much of the suffering we endure is self-manifested. Many of the things that stay in our minds resolve themselves on their own. By being the bystander more, we can watch more and worry less. In Buddhist philosophy, there are the teachings of the Four Noble Truths describing the truth of the universe and the nature of reality. They are:
Life is unsatisfactory – dukkha.
Suffering is caused by craving – samudaya.
An end to craving is an end to suffering – nirodha.
To end craving, follow the Buddha’s path, which is called the magga.
By appreciating ‘what is’ without attachment or judgment, we can distance ourselves from it. The result is less suffering, and who doesn’t want that?
Action Steps
Catch yourself asking ‘why’ and replace it with ‘wow’. Appreciate the way things are and reflect on the awesomeness of it all. Simplify your life with this perspective.
Try nose-only breathing during your next cardio session. As uncomfortable as it feels, push yourself through 4-5 of these workouts and you will be pleasantly surprised with the result.
If you have an aging IMac in need of some TLC, message me and I can walk you through how doing a few quick things gave me my baby back!
Strike up a conversation with these people you see regularly to learn more about their life, and their perspectives (stay away from religion and politics)
Registration is still open for the upcoming Rx for Renewal Winter Retreat happening on February 25th. Check out the event page and register here.
