Growing into our bodies

The older we get, the more we feel our body, the “empty” space in our body. It’s kind of growing into our body and experiencing it from a new perspective – just fascinating. The more we engage all parts of our human body, the more we discover its wonders.

Playing with the different elements enhances this feeling. In water, we can feel our bodies differently than in the air. Particularly pressure triggers something in us, makes us feel good, and keeps us young. It’s no coincidence that liquid is so important to us.

Feel the pressure, feel your life!

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Mindful eating

Have you ever eaten a 10-course evening meal that lasts over four hours? If not, you should take the time and try. It’s an experience you will never forget, and it’s on a whole other level to eat the same amount of calories in 4 hours or 30 minutes. Your senses are fully awake to what you eat.

You maybe not have to block four hours, but at least 1,5 hours, and try it out. It will have a fantastic effect on your senses and digestion.

Enjoy!

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Balance

Everything in life is balanced; we can see this impressively on our bodies. If we do not feel well or have pain, this is a sign that the body is looking for balance. Listen to your body is one of the most important gifts we possess. Therefore, listen to your body!

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Sympathicus and Parasympathicus

Our sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is best known for responding to dangerous or stressful situations. In these situations, our sympathetic nervous system activates to speed up the heart rate, deliver more blood to areas of our body that need more oxygen or other responses to help us get out of danger.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) predominates in quiet “rest and digest” conditions , while the sympathetic nervous system drives the “fight or flight” response in stressful situations. The primary purpose of the PNS is to conserve energy to be used later and to regulate bodily functions like digestion and urination.

Together with the enteric nervous system, they belong to the autonomic nervous system (ANS), formerlythe vegetative nervous system (see Wikipedia).

The two counterparts complement each other. It’s like in life; it’s not to compete; it’s to complete each other. I hope this helps you!

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Metacognition

“The term refers to thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance.”

Awareness of what we think throughout the day is fascinating. According to different studies, the average number of thoughts we have is about 60’000 – crazy. From a personal experience, I often remember only a tiny fraction of what I thought the whole day, especially outside in movement. I’m unsure if it benefits us to know what we think all day. No matter how many we have, remembering the beautiful ones sounds good.

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Listen closely to the sound of nature

When I do sports in nature, I always go without headphones. Why? Because there are too many other exciting sounds to listen to. That’s my philosophy, and I am sticking to it.

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What inspires you?

What inspires you most? Inspiration as the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative.

Sometimes, it takes more work to answer such a question. Either because we have no quick answer or we have many and don’t know what’s the best.

The following situations come to my mind and often touch me deeply:

  • Observing birds when they surrender entirely to the air
  • Light and wind spectacle in the sky
  • When listening to or reading exciting things and I’m completely absorbed by it
  • Moments in nature, especially if it’s quiet
  • When doing sports outdoors or in water

…and a lot more…!

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How many senses do we have?

Do we know the answer to this question?

We start with the five commonly known senses:

  • Sight or vision
  • Hearing or audition
  • Smell or olfaction
  • Taste or gustation
  • Touch or tactition

Then there are often the following additional senses mentioned:

  • Thermoception – the sense of heat and/or cold
  • Equilibrioception – the perception of balance
  • Proprioception – the perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body
  • Nociception – the perception of pain

And then there are all the other senses that are less frequently mentioned, like:

  • Sense of electromacnetic fields
  • Sense of time
  • Language and articulation sense
  • Sense of humility, appreciation, and ethics

There is an interesting list of Dr. Michael Cohen, where he differentiates between 53 senses, categorized into four main areas.

Next time you are out and about, concentrate on what you experience, not just the commonly known senses but all the sensations: cold, warm, and balance. Don’t just think of them but apply them actively.

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101 km on classical cross-country skis

06.02.2023 – It was my longest distance ever on cross-country skis. It was a challenge for me, not from an endurance perspective but more from a muscular one. Because the classic style is slower than the skating style, it is more demanding.

The key is, as always, a strong reason why, motivation, a variety of landscapes, and to take step-by-step, or translated to the cross-country ski alphabet, glide-by-glide.

There is usually always something that hurts after a while. However, without certain pain, the challenge wouldn’t be the same.

The emotions after the execution are usually redemptive and satisfying. And so it was this time.

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Having an attitude of gratitude fuels our hearts

Isn’t gratitude often the key to a more meaningful life? Expressing gratitude expands our hearts and lets us feel better. But because we are so busy with our thoughts and what we want to accomplish, saying a thank you or expressing gratitude in a similar way can be forgotten.

“What we appreciate appreciates.” We learn an appreciation for the service of others in our youngest years. But what is more important than expressing gratitude and not just thinking about it? Thinking and praying gratitude is a very healing practice, expressing makes it even more tangible for others and ourselves. It is a blessing for others and fuels our relationship with them.

As A.A. Milne, author of Winnie-the-Pooh, so aptly wrote “the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” The littlest of gestures can fill your heart with gratitude and joy. 

So choose to be kind, not right, and make others feel important!

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