This is a Routine I Love!

Now I will share the basic details of a particular activity I very often enjoy, and have also enjoyed for many years.

My outfit:  It’s definitely a string bikini swimsuit set, preferably white color but can be a pastel like pale pink or floral.

Time of day:  It can be any time really!  I’ve done this activity many times in the middle of the day as well as the middle of the night.  But it’s really ideal either at about 6:30pm or whenever the sun is starting to go down because lighting and the energy is great.  Or if there is sufficient light it it’s also excellent to do this activity at 2am or 3am in the morning since then it tends to be very quiet and there is the feeling that the universe is all to myself.

My location:  Currently it’s in Koh Samui, Thailand in the Maenam district.  But actually I can to this routine anywhere that there is a beach and swimming pool.  And even if there are neither of these, it’s no problem as I can just visualize them (although really visualization is of course not quite as perfect as the real thing).

Now for the routine:

Step 1:  I walk to the edge of the water on the beach.   I am barefoot and have nothing with me.  Only me in my bikini. I stretch my arms out wide and take slow deep breaths.  I love seeing the wide open ocean in front of me.

Step 2: 

Then I spin around and enjoy how the sand feels under my feet.  I do a half sun salutation (ashtanga yoga sun salutation standing up only)

Step 3: 

Then I raise/kick each leg straight and high into the air, one at a time, exercise each hip, one at time, and say “I know who I am, where I am what I am wearing, how I feel, I know exactly what the situation is…”.  And then I raise my arms too.  If people are nearby, then I may not say this out loud, rather only mentally, to avoid attracting attention.  If alone then I say it aloud.  By the way when I say this comment it doesn’t mean it’s like I literally know exactly what the situation is.  It just means  I am announcing that I am living in awareness of the moment, and also often it helps me bring back positive feel-good images of other occasions in other locations when I did this same thing.

Step 4:

I wash off the sand off my feet in the pool side shower and I jump into the swimming pool.  I swim a lap or two, and sometimes many laps.  Then I do a few backward underwater summersaults and swim to the edge and get out.

Step 5: 

I enjoy rinsing off in the outdoor shower .  I love that feeling.  And I always think of all other great times I did this.

Step 6: 

Go on to my other activities that day, what ever they may be.  I feel positive and refreshed.

So that’s the routine.  I do this as often as possible, but only when I have sufficient physical energy.  As mentioned in a previous blog post, I do have tendency to stay up and awake too long, like for 24-50 hours.  Generally, since I get a lot of sleep in between my days I always have a quite a lot of energy for the first 24 hours, so I try to do this routine at least a couple times then.

Now the other question I want to briefly explore is why do I love this routine?  Here’s what I think:

1. The view of the wide open ocean in front of me is instantly and powerfully grounding, calming and exciting all at the same time.  I feel rejuvenated and sort of “cleansed” by it.
2. I have many positive memories of associated experiences. I have been doing this routine for many years.  I started studying yoga about 16 years ago.  Before that I didn’t have this routine.  I used to do ashtanga yoga quite intensely, for 1-2 hours at least every day, 6 or 7 days a week.  Since I have a lot positive memories associated with the routine, it makes it much more inviting.
3. The stretching and breathing aspects of the routine make my mind body feel refreshed.
4. Swimming in the pool and shower after makes me feel very clean, much cleaner than a plain shower because of the physical exercise and also again I have positive memories associated with this activity.   I think you get the idea - positive mental associations are pretty powerful for me, for better or for worse.

So… I love this routine, and I plan to continue doing it forever ❤️😉