“He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the world” Marcus Aurelius
We are social beings, we search out friendships, relationships, connections with all sorts of people as a way of increasing our happiness – and generally it does. But, we must also respect that we all need time alone.
A lot of us fear being by ourselves, feeling that we might be missing out or lonely and so we make sure that every second of every day is full, whether that’s physically with our friends, or connecting with them on social media, we do not give ourselves chance to just BE.
There is a huge difference between being alone and being lonely, it is so important to be comfortable with yourself.
I have been meditating on and off over the last few years, sometimes it has been far more off than on. A couple of weeks ago I made a renewed commitment to meditate for just 10 mins before I start the day.
Taking this time to meditate has for me been so empowering, I cannot emphasise how energised I have felt afterwards, giving myself that time to focus on connecting with myself has allowed me to recharge my batteries, clear my mind, help solve problems and give me a deep sense of wellbeing.
Now, it doesn’t have to be meditation, you can simply enjoy this wonderful sunshine and go for a walk by yourself, be with nature, look around you and appreciate how beautiful nature really is.
My other commitment has been to a Mind/Body exercise – as a teacher it is wonderful and necessary to take other people’s classes! Doing a mind body class such as Pilates or Yoga is so great for your Body, but also so beneficial for your Mind. It’s your time to do something for yourself, to focus on how your body is feeling, where you are carrying areas of tension, where you feel less or more flexible, whether you are feeling strong and focused today or a little all over the place!
Having an hour to YOURSELF allows you to Recharge, Rebalance and Restore your equilibrium. The deep sense of well-being not only goes from nurturing your Body but, just as importantly, from nurturing your Soul.
Being in the ‘present’ , not allowing your mind to wander, helps us all to reduce our stress and we all know that has to be a priority.
I’m rapidly approaching 15 years of teaching Pilates and many many of my clients have been with me for over 10 years and some for the whole 15 years. They not only recognise the benefits of nourishing body and mind through Pilates, they FEEL the benefits.
Quite simply you WILL walk out feeling better than when you walked in!
Whatever it is you need to do for yourself, just have the courage to be by yourself and allow yourself some precious time to Recharge, Rebalance and Restore!