11:11 Health and Wellbeing

India Part Two – So much still to learn

As I reflect on my time in India, there are a few lessons I learned on this trip that I was able to bring back straight away to my daily life and yoga practice; I can feel calm amongst chaos, the magic of rituals and power of stories. I am sure that other lessons will emerge with time.

Despite the full engagement of sensations, which I had been wary about before my trip, the whole trip I felt relaxed, the least stressed I have felt in probably my whole adult life. Everything in India was constantly changing, especially any plans that you make, so I had to be comfortable to go with the flow. I am someone who plans everything, each day there are things need to get done and I can get frustrated by last minute changes. I had to let this go in India and surprisingly it wasn’t hard to give up that control and I was happier as a result.

I found profound stillness while I was in India, despite the noise, movement and distractions everywhere. I loved the sunset Aarti down at Ma Ganga and this is one place I found true stillness. During these ceremonies there is drums and singing, flames and flowers, as people pack in side by side on the edge of the river. Even with all this around me I was able to have Darshan with Ma Ganga. As I gazed at her flowing waters, seeing the light dancing on the ripples, all the sounds wash over, I felt deep calm and time stood still.

Holding an offering at sunset — Sunset at Ma Ganga

We experienced many different rituals during our time in Rishikesh, some small, some elaborate. Everywhere we went people were making their own offerings in their own way. We were welcomed and made part of these moments with the invitation to take what resonated and leave what doesn’t. It was beautiful to see devotion in others and to offer my own devotion.

I have felt ‘less than’ a good yoga student at times because I haven’t been able to find a regular daily practice. I have tried to establish it and it will stick for a while, but never long term. I am letting go of this expectation for myself and embracing Yoga as a state not just a practice, where it can be weaved into all moments in my life through rituals and respect for the Devine that is all around. I loved the mantras that we learned and the non-physical yoga practices, these will feature more in my personal practice following this trip.

I am grateful to have learned more stories, and I will continue to read, listen and absorb more of the history of Yoga. One of my favourite stories included a bundle of twigs that were strong together but easily broken one their own. This resonated with the beautiful group of ladies I was sharing the pilgrimage with, I now have reminders everywhere of my twigs and the strength and support we offer as a group. In time, I will be ready to share these stories in my classes, but for now there is still more learning to be done.

Bridge over Ma Ganga – Photo by Shiva Photography

Painting at the Bealtes Ashram - Mandala Palm — Bridge over Ma Ganga – Photo by Shiva Photography

I will be returning to Rishikesh, Parmarth Niketan and I will explore more of India, but there is no rush. I will trust in the timing, and the right moment will show itself again and I will return to India and my beloved Ma Ganga.

India Part One – Beauty and Wonder

India Reflections Part One - Beauty and Wisdom

I knew that travelling to India was part of my yoga journey and I regularly remind myself to ‘trust in the timing of my life’, so when this unmissable trip was offered, I knew I had to go. I struggled with guilt, leaving my family and missing their milestones, but I quickly realised that it was me missing out, they didn’t mind at all. I am very grateful to have their support and understanding on how important this trip was for me.

While I wasn’t nervous about the trip, I was expecting to feel challenged by the sensation overwhelm I imagined I would experience. I am often uncomfortable in large crowds, so I believed this trip would test me. Little did I know, my experience would be the complete opposite.

The feeling of seeing Ma Ganga for the first time was unexpected, I was excited and had seen glimpses from the bus as we drove towards Rishikesh. However, that first walk through Parmarth Niketan down towards Ma Ganga the my body had a physical reaction. As I first saw the chariot and Shiva sitting over the water, I felt it in my stomach, a feeling hard to describe like a wave or dropping in my stomach, but in a good way. In that moment I knew that I had travelled exactly where I needed to be at the right moment.

Parmarth Niketan – first glimpse of Ma Ganga

My intention at the start of the pilgrimage was to seek wonder and to learn what I what I needed to learn. While I wasn’t sure exactly the lesson I needed, I wanted a deeper understanding and experience of the stories and history of yoga, the goddesses and the gods.

Wonder was easy to find, and realistically, I didn’t need to travel to India for that, as nature is wonderous and always around. However, wonder is in abundance and amplified in India, everywhere you look there is colour, art, beautiful people, sights, sounds, smells and taste. Every sensation, all at once.

I particularly enjoyed seeing all the street art, adorning every building. I loved the hidden treasures that you would see unexpectedly, under a bridge or passing a laneway. The artistic talent was everywhere to be seen,

The Beatles Ashram was filled with this beauty, I was less excited about this excursion when I read it on the itinerary, yet it was one of my favourite places in Rishikesh. I could have explored it for days. The Ashram is falling into dis-repair, however the overrun of nature is adding to the beauty. The buildings were constructed from material sourced from the surrounding landscape, like the river rocks used in the meditation huts, and they are being returned to the earth as the buildings crumble. As you walk around, every wall has artwork, poems, lyrics to catch your eye. I felt peaceful and quiet as I explored.

Beatles Ashram – 11 11 you are meant to be here

I was lucky to meet many beautiful locals during this trip and I enjoyed hearing their stories and was grateful for kindness and generosity of spirit. One of our final days we spent the morning in the yoga room with some of the lovely Nirvana team doing Mahendi. This was a really special time, there was lightness and fun as we shared stories, Tim Tams and danced.

I really loved the days when we went up into the Himalaya, to visit temples and sacred sites. It felt like adventure as we braved the drive, winding narrow roads and relentless traffic. We were so we were lucky to be travelling in the comfort of vans to these sites, where others were making this scared pilgrimage in loaded buses or on the back of a scooter up to the mountain ranges. Highlights were Devprayag and Sukanda Devi it was powerful knowing how many people had stood in my steps before me and the stories around these sites that hold such significance.

There was so much to see and learn while in India and I am sure much of the wisdom will take time to show itself. In part two I will give my initial reflections and learnings from this incredible pilgrimage.

8 Elements of Wellness

There are many ways that we can impact our health and wellbeing, at 11:11 we look at wellness through the lens of eight different elements. From working as a Wellness Coach I have found these to be the most impactful elements for the majority of people. However, everyone an is individual and will place different priority on elements depending on lifestyle and personal needs. There is flexibility in our model to add or remove elements and lots of different options to improve wellness within each element.

Food – the fuel we give our body, the necessary energy and nutrition we need to sustain us.
Drink – hydration for our cells, our bodies are more than 60% water.
Move – our bodies were not made to sit down all day, this includes walking, standing, exercise and strength training.
Mind/Mood – strategies that support mental health and boost our mood.
Sleep and Rest – time for our body and mind to rest, replenish and restore.
Play – how we have fun, doing things that bring us joy.
Relationships – the connections and support that we get from others.
Self-care – this catches all the other things we need to do to support our health and wellbeing, including appointments, screenings and medication.

Knowing that you can impact your wellness through any one of these elements brings choice and flexibility into your wellness journey. For many years, there was a belief that if you ate well and exercised that you would be healthy, but we now know it is much more than that. Physical health is just one part of the story, you need mental and emotional health to be truly well.

These elements are not definitive, they are interrelated and making a change in one element may lead to changes or benefits in others. For example, to move more you may choose to join a local sports team which leads to new relationships or a sense of play.

So where do you start? Anywhere that you wish to. You can start where it is easiest for you, or where you are most motivated or interested. It really doesn’t matter, it is better just to start where you want to and take small steps to gain momentum and confidence to make larger or more impactful change.

Importantly, when making changes or looking to improve your wellness, you first need to consider your own personal preferences, your needs and your lifestyle. There is no point doing what you think you should do or what works for others if it does not fit your needs. I am not a morning person, so setting a goal to get up early to exercise before breakfast just will not work and potentially leave me feeling worse and less motivated.

By looking at wellness from different perspectives gives you more options and flexibility to explore and find what works best for you, remembering that your needs change over time, so what worked for you in the past may no longer serve you. We are going to explore each of these elements individually in a series of blogs over the next couple of months.

This wellness wheel is also part of our Wellness Workshops and Programs that we get to share in workplaces and in one-on-one Wellness Coaching sessions. It is through these sessions I get to see just how varied individuals’ needs are and collect inspiration and new ideas from those who join in these sessions.

I’d love to hear where you will start and what changes you will make to support your wellness.

Reading: Tiny Habits

I’ve always been interested in behaviour change and read many books over the years. I am currently reading Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg PhD, which I have found incredibly interesting and inspiring, and as I test his theories I am finding them to be highly effective. I first purchased Tiny Habits as an audiobook to listen to while travelling for work, but before even finishing the book bought the paperback because I knew that I needed to read it again. I could see many ways that I could use his behaviour change methods in my life and in my wellness coaching.

The concept of Fogg’s behavioural change model centres around starting small (or even tiny) and building momentum, adjusting as you learn what doesn’t work for you, and building over time towards your future goal. His methods allow you to design change in a highly personal way, to fit in with your preferences and lifestyle. I connect with this closely as my yoga training always focussed on the individual.

I’m currently trialling the Tiny Habits methods myself to establish an evening meditation habit. There is a lot going on in my life at the moment and I know that the days when I meditate I’m able to unwind, let go of the day and I sleep better. The tiny habit that I wish to create is to sit on my meditation cushion in the evening and my current focus is experimenting with when and where to anchor this habit. I am exploring if it works best when I first get home or at bedtime or straight after dinner. Some nights I’ll sit down and a few stretches and deep breaths is all I have in me, however other nights a lovely long meditation naturally comes once I settle in.

I love experimenting with how to make changes in my own life and I continue to learn and refine along the way. I also love hearing the success that others have enjoyed. Recently, I was thrilled when a client complained to me that it was my fault she got up at 5 am, how could that be my fault?! Her 5 am walks started from a short yoga practice first thing in the morning, which was an intention set at one of my wellness workshops. She started small and has built over time to beautiful supportive morning routine that helps get the day off to a great start.

Another insight from Fogg’s behaviour model that I found insightful is;

‘we change best and we feel good, not when we feel bad’
BJ Fogg PhD

A shortcut to feeling good can be to celebrate each time we do our behaviour. Our brain seeks out experiences that make us feel good and this helps to hardwire that behaviour, which can help you to turn behaviours into habits much quicker. Celebration doesn’t have to be extravagant, a simple smile to yourself or high five with a family member can be enough to make us feel good. We used to believe that you needed to complete a habit for 60 days to make it permanent, however using celebration can help habits establish much quicker than that. When behaviours become habits, they become automatic, the brain has created a shortcut for us so that the behaviour happens automatically without the need for conscious thought.

If you have a habit or change that you want to establish, I encourage you to try the Tiny Habits methods. Start small and celebrate every victory to allow yourself to make lasting changes and support long-term success. I would love to connect to hear how you go making tiny changes in your life.

Reflection on 2022 and intention for 2023

At the start of this year, I set the intention to show more kindness to myself.

I will be kind to myself, I will take breaks as I need, provide my body the care that it needs, I will say yes to my priorities and no to what is not important. Keeping my intention of self-kindness in mind I will make decisions to make this year healthier and happier than the last.
My intention for 2022

I was partially successful with this intention, I was able to let a few more things go, for example, I was happy to leave the washing unfolded or unimportant errands not completed and I focused my efforts on priorities rather than busy work. However, I struggled with the sheer number of priorities that I had, there was so much to do and not enough time to give each priority the time, focus and energy needed. With so much to do there was little time to be still, to rest or to do nothing at all. All my time was filled, either by work, study, household admin or activities.

So, in 2023, I will actively create more space, space between activities so I am not rushing from one thing to the another and space for each priority to get the effort and focus that it deserves.

I will notice space when it’s there and savour it for as long as it lasts, even if it’s the brief space of stillness between the bottom of an exhale and start of an inhale. When I notice space, however brief or long, I will not rush to fill it, I will sit with it, allow it to be there, to allow for opportunities to come through. Space needs to be there to allow for new opportunities to come through, you won’t even see new opportunities if you are focussed on other things.

2022 started optimistically and I continued this optimism throughout the year, we are slowly opening up, getting back to (the new) normal and some of the positive shifts caused from COVID have been retained. Flexibility, more cleanliness of public spaces, awareness in the importance of connection and relationships are just a few of the good things I have taken away from the last few years. I take this optimism with me into 2023, may we take the good and leave the bad behind.

While we don’t do new year resolutions here at 11:11, we see opportunities for change and growth at any point in the year. The new year is a lovely time to reflect on the year that has passed, set intentions, make plans and put into motion your dreams for the future.

My intention for 2023 is to create space, notice space that I have and savour it rather than fill it.

What is your intention for 2023? We would love to help support you to set in motion action plans for the future you desire.

To-do list problems

I have to admit, I have a problem with to-do lists, in that I have way too many of them. They are everywhere! I have come to rely on my to-do lists to remind me of the many tasks that I need to get done in my day, as I have the tendency to forget things if I am not going to do them straight away.

I have so many lists, in notebooks, on my phone and on post-its:

Long term goals
2022 goals
Reminders on my phone of quick admin tasks and ideas I note down throughout the day
Whiteboard lists 11:11’s yearly goals and activities
To-do notepad on my 11:11 desk
Personal to-do on post-its on my work desk
Notes of to-do’s throughout my work notebook. I even have a system to categorise these – a cross is to be done and a cross and circle means priority, which I then consolidated into one list on Friday afternoon for the week ahead.
flagged emails across my many email accounts

I’m sure there are more, but you get the point! As a result, recently I was starting to feel very overwhelmed and I had no idea where to start on this enormous list of tasks. Should I start with the easiest tasks, to build momentum and reduce number of items on the lists or do I devote my time to the hard, long-term tasks that need to be started.

I rely so heavily on my lists as my memory is challenged by my busy mind that is racing with too many thoughts; what I am doing, what I need to do and what I want to do. I used to blame ‘baby-brain’ for my inability to remember tasks, this became ‘toddler-brain’ then preschool… I don’t think I can continue to lay blame on the kids as their needs are generally quick and they remind me/nag me of what I need to get done.

At a point of overwhelm I came across an article on LinkedIn by Arianna Huffington suggesting getting rid of to-do lists and start writing done lists. While I cannot fathom the possibility of letting go of my to-dos, I really like the idea of done lists and I have added this to my gratitude journaling at the end of the day (which I have to confess, has a to-do list in it as I think of things before bed). It can be very satisfying to see this done list growing, it is even longer than the to-do in my journal. Capturing even the smallest steps taken every day can help remind me of the progress that I am making and not lose sight of where my time is being spent.

During my meditation and yoga practices I find that in moments of stillness and clarity the most amazing ideas can come forward. In these moments I am able to mentally take note of the idea and trust that the thought will be there when I need it. I do not worry that I will forget or need to write it down, I am able to remember and take action on the idea after my practice.

This clarity and focus during my practice, comes from doing just one thing, I am not multitasking, and I am in the present moment. While these moments are limited and certainly not how the rest of my days go, I have comfort that when my mind is still, I do have good memory, I can let go of the to-do lists (leave them outside the door, as I often ask my students to in our yoga classes).

This gives me a lovely union of my yoga and coaching learnings. I know I’m not alone in my dedication to to-do lists and I would love to hear how you use them in your daily life and the moments in which you are able to let them go and have trust in your memory and present mind.

Letting go

It is such a beautiful time of year here in Canberra. The leaves in the trees have turned to brilliant reds, oranges and yellows and they start to shed the spring and summer growth to turn their energy inwards for the cooler months. Autumn is the season of letting go, storing energy and setting yourself up for rest over the Winter, it is the perfect time to finish off outstanding projects, clear out clutter and letting go of habits, behaviours or beliefs that no longer serve you.

When was the last time you took a step back to consider what you need to let go of? Maybe its your to-do list that never gets done or that half-finished project that you just never find the time to complete, this is the perfect time to set time aside to get these done, you may be surprised by how little time is needed to get these things done. By clearing away or finishing projects will give you great satisfaction, but it will also create space for new thoughts, ideas or projects to take their place.

Traditionally we think of having a Spring Clean, but maybe this should be an Autumn Clean. When clutter builds up around us, it can be difficult to see past it, it can make us feel uninspired and blocked. You will be amazed at how much you can get done with even a few minutes every day. Choose a space, shelf or a draw to do everyday and see how much you can get through, let go of the things that you no longer need, donate, recycle or throw away. By doing this you are creating space for renewal.

We often fly through life on autopilot with habits making a lot of automatic decisions for us. Habits are made by our brain to make life easier, to reduce the number of conscious decisions that you need to make. They are created to meet a need or serve a purpose, however our needs change and so should our habits. Without thought habits can creep in or be maintained well beyond their useful life. Autumn is the perfect time to get rid of habits that no longer serve you, to create new habits to meet your current needs and goals.

We explored letting go in detail during our Autumn Retreat, it was a powerful exercise for participants to identify what they need to let go of and to have intention on what to they would like to replace them with. Through shared ideas and individual reflection we developed personalised action plans to take forward, full of ideas to support rest, sleep, nourishment and self-care.

I invite you to take some time today to reflect on what you need to let go of and make time to complete a project or clear away clutter. As you watch the leaves falling from the trees, use this as your reminder to let go what no longer serves you.

Growing Young Athletes

Do you have a talented or enthusiastic young athlete in your family? Have you wondered how to best support them to achieve their goals and live up to their potential in their chosen sport? As a long-time coach and parent to a talented sportswoman, I have many years of experience working with young athletes. While each child is unique in talent, mindset and circumstances, there are a few things that I have seen that makes a difference to a young athletes development and progression in sport.

Us as parents, coaches or caregivers have a unique opportunity to help children develop life-long engagement and enjoyment with sport and physical activity. The behaviour of adult figures (coaches, teachers, extended family etc), as well as peers and siblings, teammates and opponents all play an important role in influencing a child’s behaviour and performance. Surrounding your athlete with positive role models and encouragement can help to build their confidence and self-esteem.

Young athletes who have active support and encouragement (financial, practical and psychological) are better equipped to excel. This support early in their ‘career’ plays a significant role initiating and sustaining a child’s sports participation and positive mindset towards maintaining their sport or physical fitness through life. This support can take the form of taxi-ing to training and games, having extra practice sessions, enrolling them in club sports and extension programs or as the opportunity arises interstate/international competitions. This can take time, energy and money, however I have never met a parent yet that has regretted this investment.

Building self-esteem is a top priority when it comes to improving performance. When an athlete sees their hard work paying off in their sport, they work harder! Positive thoughts are crucial and what drive us in our sport. You can support this through practice, positive and constructive feedback and having the right team to support your young athlete.

Nutrition and sleep are also important and can be most difficult during teenage years. Establishing good habits early and getting into the right routines can pay off through improved energy and recovery. Working together with your young athlete to set a sustainable pre and post-game routines, take time to get their by-in and make adjustments as their needs change. No one approach is right, so working out what works will take time, patience, and perseverance.

Parents are often looking for ways to keep ahead of the competition, even in the slightest advantage could mean the difference between making a team, getting a personal best or winning and losing. If you are considering getting into the gym or using more strength and conditioning training to get ahead, it is vital that this is approached safely and with proper guidance.

Allowing your child to join a large commercial gym can be very daunting for them and without professional guidance, supervision could risk in long-term injury. Here at 11:11, we work with your child and with their goals in mind to develop a safe, individualised, and focussed program. We work on proper technique, correct posture and foundations of training that need to be established before they can be built upon.

With professional training support and your role modelling, encouragement and good routines we can help your young athlete reach towards their highest goals.

How are your habits serving you?

How often do you take the time to assess your habits? Generally, only when they are preventing you from reaching a goal. What would happen if you didn’t wait to assess your habits, but made effort to critically review your daily habits, what would you find? Rather than waiting for there to be an issue, think now, how are your old habits serving you? What new habits do you want to establish?

Our brain creates habits as a shortcut to make regular actions automatic, saving your mind space for new or unusual events. Each habit is created to support you to take action without the need to think through each step or make unnecessary decisions. While not all habits are ‘good’ and support your current goals or needs, however they were created from a good place, to satisfy an old want or need.

A great example is when you arrive home from work and you have no memory of your drive home, that is your automatic habits kicking in. Likely you were distracted, deep in thought and your mind may have wondered all over the place without you even noticing. If nothing remarkable occurred along the trip there was no trigger to bring your mind back to the present moment, so your habits kicked in to get you home safely.

Habits are often linked to an environment or trigger. For example, that 3pm coffee when you are working in the office or scrolling through your phone once the alarm wakes you up in the morning. Triggers and your environment can make it much harder to break your habits and it is often best to replace your habit rather than relying on willpower to stop you. Willpower is a finite resource and eventually you will run out.

You could swap out a habit that no longer serves you with a new one that you are looking to create. Maybe the 3pm coffee run becomes a walk around the block (not past the coffee shop) or the phone scrolling becomes an old school alarm clock short with a meditation or journaling.

We may not always consciously choose the habits that we have established, but we can make changes to suit our current goals and needs. As noted above, willpower is finite, so changing everything at once isn’t going to help you in the long run, but one step at a time to build momentum and strengthen your willpower will do wonders. Before you know it you will be running towards your goals at great speed.

Take a moment now to think of one habit that doesn’t support your wellbeing or no longer serves you. What can you do in its place? When can you start? What triggers or environmental factors to you need to be aware of?

Get started today, don’t wait to start working towards the future that you desire and deserve.

My intention for 2022

As we embark on 2022, I am not sure much has changed from 2021. While I am feeling optimistic that there may be a shift and some of the restrictions we have lived under for two years will lift, giving some more freedom, I’m not in a hurry to rush back to the way things were.

In my reflection on 2021, I wrote about some challenges that I had throughout the year, I struggled to give myself a break, to listen to the cues that my body was giving me and to spend my time on my priorities. So, I set my intention for 2022 with that in mind, my intention is to practice self-kindness.

By self-kindness, I mean to show the kindness I give to others to myself, to practice self-care, and to set and defend my mental, physical and time boundaries.

Self-care is so important and I regularly say to others ‘take care of yourself’ but I’m not very good at doing it myself. Particularly when it comes to rest, I will always find ways to fill my time. There is always housework to be done, personal admin, business admin, work, exercise, study… the list is endless and impossible to complete, yet I still strive to get through as much as I can in each day and get cranky at myself when I don’t get everything done. I rarely use spare time to take a break, to sit in the sunshine with a cup of tea (one of my most favourite ways to relax) or watch some trashy TV and chill out on the couch. I fill my time with activities and I don’t often stop to think about where my time is best spent. I will be more mindful of where I spend my time in 2022, I will spend more time on self-care and focussed on what is actually a priority for me.

As someone who suffers from chronic illness, I am constantly checking in on my body to see how my blood sugar is going and making the necessary adjustments to maintain it in a healthy range. However, last year when I started to feel regular back pain, I chose to ignore it, I felt that I already had enough health issues going on and that I didn’t want to believe that something could be wrong. That didn’t work out well and the pain continued to get worse, to the point I was flattened, I was forced to rest and I am still rehabbing and recovering today. I may not have been able to avoid the physical injury, but I may have been able to intervene earlier and lessen the severity. Your body knows exactly what it needs, we just have to tune out the noise and distraction to hear it. Yoga gives me the time and space to really tune into my body, to intuitively give it what it needs in my practice, however, it is an ongoing journey for me to be able to take this off the mat into my everyday life. I learnt the hard way and I will not ignore the warning signs again.

My to do list is long (not a badge of honour), yet I still add to it regularly, I am excited to study, to learn more, to expand our business, to support the kids with their activities, to catch up with friends and family. While I truly believe that you can make time for what is most important, there is a limit. I need to learn to say no to what is not important, outsource what others can do for me and have comfort that sometimes now is not the time, and my answer can be later.

Similar to saying no is setting boundaries and communicating them up front. We often know what our boundaries are, but if no one else knows, it makes it harder to defend those lines. We often assume that others should know what our boundaries are, but we actually have to tell others what your priorities are, where your boundaries are and where you will be spending your time, which will make it much easier to stick to.

So this year I will be kind to myself, I will take breaks as I need, provide my body the care that it needs, I will say yes to my priorities and no to what is not important. Keeping my intention of self-kindness in mind I will make decisions to make this year healthier and happier than the last.

What is your intention for 2022? I wish you all the best for the year ahead.