Out Of The Flow

NON CONFORMITY

Going with the flow can be a happy solution - a compromise for getting a group of people together or doing something easy to keep a balanced status quo. This works some of the time - but breaking free from the school and swimming upstream can get us to new places, experiences and allow us to make some amazing discoveries. 

Yesterday, for example, rather than go areas and venues already known and likely get drunk in on the bank holiday, we made a pact to go places not visited before. We walked. Planning out little bars and cafes on the way, we took a route that we'd never experienced on foot before. Stockwell. It's mid way between Balham and London Bridge and cut through by a long and seemingly dull busy road usually travered in a car, bus or bike. 

First discovery was to learn of a strong Portuguese and South American community. The Brazilian cafe on the main road offers a selection of tasty snacks and beverages, entertaining us with lively carnival music to make you feel like you're in Rio! A short detour from the main road revealed a beautiful set of grand houses and small park. Just off the square is a community space called Van Gogh Walk and a placard on one of the houses marks the place Van Gogh lived at in his time spent here working in London! Swtiching on the geocache app - we learned that there's another three regeneration areas in Kennington, all with a GeoCache to find making the experience even more like a treasure hunt. 

Carrying on our walk, the White Bear Theatre is just up from the Oval and has a very intimate space showing some very well received plays - The Pictures of Dorian Gray is now booked. We finished off our little walk with a visit to a quaint little pub called The Old Red Lion - a pub I've passed maybe a thousand times and now realised is a true London gem. It's definitely a pub I'll be visiting again soon. 

All in all, we managed to entertain ourselves with a long walk of discovery right here on the doorstep - and like Vincent Van Gogh, who also professed his love for walking the same route, we took on life from a completely different perspective and through breaking convention/conformity, found some hidden treats away from the usual places in our weekend of adventure.

Walking Moments

THE LONG WALK

Hiking long distances over rugged terrain in places of sublime natural beauty, can help open the mind for thoughts to flow and evoke a consciousness akin to that experienced when meditating. The very act of walking can bring about a sense of calm and isolation in the mountains is not the only way to access this mental state. Walking even short distances across a busy city like London, can bring about a clarity of thought that cuts through the noise and allows us to sense things around us and discover them as they really are.

This is how I, after many years of living in London, discovered parts of my home city that I'd never realised were there before and rediscovered those that I thought I knew well. Walking slowly from Wapping to Waterloo along the north rather than the south bank of the river, allowed me to take on a different perspective and view of the buildings, bridges and ships that line the Thames. Allowing more time than would usually take me to walk this route - essentially halving my usual double pace and regularly stopping to look about me, gave much pleasure and feelings of adventure. Sitting on benches never before sat on, gave yet another perspective as my eyes were fully opened to observe the ornate details on the bench itself and admire the hard work an artist had put in to create a beautifully detailed and interesting mosaic, tucked away from sight just a moment away from the busy main road.

The West Highland Way

It was four years ago today that we were walking through the Scottish Highlands on the famous West Highland Way. It wasn't the right time for me to really appreciate a walk of almost 100 miles back then. I mostly recall thoughts of boredom and not ones of great revelation as I stayed fixated on the end of the journey rather than fully appreciating the moments as I journeyed along. I know I'd treat this kind of adventure differently if taken today.

I'm currently reading an amazing book by Rory Stewart called, The Places in Between. In it, Rory talks about one man's journey walking through some of the planet's most inhospitable terrain, encountering cultures cut off from the rest of the world, often putting himself in life-threatening situations but at the same time experiencing the raw vibrancy of life by taking on an adventure into the unknown. I can't say I was in any real danger yesterday but I had an amazing journey of discovery and wonder that was found here - right on my doorstep.

We can all experience this feeling of adventure if we allow ourselves time and space to really use our senses for experiencing the environment and all the amazing things that surround us every day.

Sunny Disposition

BRING ON THE SUNSHINE

It's amazing what a little bit of sunshine can do to your mood. I've not felt too energised the last few days. my sleep is off and my mind is muddled with stuff that's not conducive to being positive & productive. I had some boring bits to do. So off I went on a 3 hour walk. I took all my dull jobs with me as I went, calling the bank, sorting my annual travel insurance, getting a quote for the repairs to my car, emailing/calling work to arrange a meeting for tomorrow and went looking for a replacement phone. It's great having a hands-free, even if you do look like a nutcase to passers by.

I walked quickly to get my heart rate up a bit, taking moments to look around me as I went. I checked out a few clothes shops on route, grabbed a coffee, read for a bit, took some fresh air through the park and returned to prepare a delicious meal of smoked cod which I'd bought from our local fisherman. By the evening, my creativity had returned, my mood had lifted and I even managed to slot in a bit of money-saving work before retiring to bed. Which is where I am now - early, so I'll be up and on fighting form for my boxing training in the morning!

I've gone to bed with thoughts about my pending holiday in my head to help booster my mood tomorrow. I'm heading to the alps in a couple of weeks time and I'm sure there'll be a bit more healing sunshine while I'm there too (and hopefully some snow), so I'm really looking forward to three of my favourite things - sun, snow and the thrill of hurtling down the mountains. Tomorrow will be another great day.

Push through

BEING ACTIVE

Sometimes, when you've been constantly on the go. relaxing and sitting around can be just what you need. A break away from the routine can really help to recharge the batteries. However, having too many lazy days can also have a negative effect on your energy levels, as I found when chilling this weekend. 

On a down day, I like to read, listen to music and veg out like the best of us. But to kick the day off, it's always great to do a bit of stretching, breathing and light movement. You can make your own little routine or I like to do some yoga moves. There's a great app called Yoga Studio which gives you the option of a full yoga workout or just a quick 10 minute stretch session and all right there in your pocket! So this morning, I woke early, went for a brisk walk around the deserted town and returned as the sun was breaking through dark clouds, signalling another glorious day. I then did a 12 minute sun salutation yoga warm-up routine with my partner before taking a light breakfast.

The thing is, I'd not had a particularly great night's sleep, was not feeling all that rested, plus feeling a bit stiff from the week and hadn't really wanted to leave the warm confines of the bedroom today. Those damned negative voices once again...But I'm so glad I got myself up and pushed through rather than snooze for another hour, choosing to ignore the lazy voice and get some fresh air, sunshine in my face and energy flowing through my veins. I now feel so much more alive as a consequence and it's another reminder to always 'push through' - get up early and embrace the day.

Food Science

The diet's still going really well. I've been watching a really good 3 part BBC Horizon documentary this morning about people struggling with their diet. It's been really interesting to see how overweight people are affected by food in various different ways. I reckon, if I wasn't as active, body conscious and self-educated about food - I'd likely be overweight too because I'm a 'Feaster'. Luckily, I am aware of what I eat and sticking to the 30 day Paleo diet for another two weeks yet. If only more people were more savvy about food. This great series from the BBC should help educate many many more people about what factors affect their weight and ultimately, their health - so well-worth a watch.