Friday Musings—12/07/24

How’s your week going? Hit reply and let me know—I read every email.

What's new with me

Yesterday I turned one year wiser! I've been celebrating my birthday at another mountain resort, and tomorrow I'll meet with my mom, brother, and sister-in-law for one last birthday meal. As I inch closer to middle age, the question of how I want to spend my time and live the rest of my life becomes more pressing. Along with trying to turn my illness into something useful and sharing lessons learned, this blog is also a way for me to reflect on where both the world and my life are headed, decide the kind of person I want to be, and determine how I want to live in today's society.

The current state of discussion around smartphone use

Paying more attention to how I spend my time also means becoming more mindful of my smartphone usage. As I've shared in previous musings, this is something I've been working on more and more these past few months. If you're interested in a quick review of the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to our devices, five experts with different viewpoints chime in.

There's more to it than good posture

Another good reason to moderate your phone usage? The risk of developing "text neck,” which results from keeping your head in a forward-bending position for extended periods to look at your phone or other handheld devices. So, what else can we do to keep our spines happy and healthy as we age?

We’ve all been told as children about the importance of "good posture," and it’s something I've always been conscious of (to the point of overcorrecting and becoming too stiff in my posture). But according to this article, the practice of recommending standing up straight or sitting up straight as a cure for neck and back pain needs rethinking.

The key is strengthening specific muscle groups, particularly our paraspinal muscles and core, avoiding being in one static position for too long, and, as always, learning to listen to your body. I've actually been thinking about going back to Pilates for a while, so this might be the push I need to start again.

Yoga wisdom

Speaking of working on your core, this month I'm doing a series of yoga classes focused on the third chakra, the Manipura or “solar plexus chakra,” also known as the “navel chakra,” which acts as the body’s energy powerhouse. At the beginning of the month, I received an email with the link to these classes from Allie van Fossen, a yoga teacher I discovered on YouTube a few years back. I hadn’t practiced with her for a long time, partly because she went on two extended maternity leaves. It’s just what I needed before I knew I needed it—the universe is telling me I need to bring more of the fire element into my life (I totally do) and is steering me towards being more active and in charge!

The class I took yesterday felt very personal as I was reflecting on my birthday. Allie commented on how every life season brings different experiences on the mat. Normally, younger yoga teachers focus more on asanas (the harder, the better). With age, the practice evolves to incorporate all the other aspects of yoga, which are just as important.

Over time, our physical bodies may be a little less flexible, and certain variations of poses will work better for us than others (although we should work on spinal health for as long as we can!). However, we can appreciate how our mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies evolve too. As we travel through life’s seasons, we learn to soften our expectations on and off the mat, all the while working on building a practice and a life filled with focus and intention.

Quote of the week ✍️ 

"Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, 'Why not?' and the other, 'Why bother?'"  (Sydney J. Harris)

As always, I welcome your insights or questions. Which musing was your favorite? What do you want more or less of? Any other suggestions? Let me know in the comments or send me an email. Don't forget to share this with someone who may find it interesting.

Enjoy your weekend and TTYS

ML