October 2016 – Page 2 – Creative Meanderings

Moms/She Run(s) This Town

Oct 112016

I have recently joined a group called Moms/She Run(s) This Town, which is a running group that has chapters all over the States and world. 😀

Although I am not particularly a runner, nor do I plan to join any races any time soon, it has been quite fun to meet some ladies who like exercise from fast walking to running.

It all started when I decided to go to the free Yas Mall Ladies Walking activity which started as once a week with alternating weeks of mall walking and yoga. There has been so much interest, that now they have it twice a week with Mondays for walking and Thursdays for yoga. The Thursdays are a little difficult for me to get to regularly, but it is good fun. However, I have consistently been getting to the Monday walking. So, I have made friends.

One of my friends is the founder of the Abu Dhabi chapter of MRTT, who also happens to be a Korean adoptee from the States. So, through coffee chats post-walking and lots of Facebooking, we have a regular group of ladies running on Tuesday mornings on the Corniche.

At the moment, we start on the other end from where I am, but we are going to try changing up the starting point now and then.

Today we went nearly 6km of 2/2 split intervals of running and walking, though I walked most of the way back due to conversing with some new ‘friends’. While some of the member of MRTTAD are runners for races, most of us are just happy to be getting out to socialize and exercise! That’s good enough for me! 😀

~T 😀

Self-Care

Going Mental No Responses »

Oct 102016

When money is tight it is difficult to justify getting pampering done or splurging on a cup of coffee at a cafe – two of my favorite things to do, by the way.

These were activities I took a bit for granted as part of my regular routine of life when I was working full-time with a steady stream of income. While some women might not be willing to sacrifice this first-world luxury, it was the first of the items that had to be given up in my mind. What’s the point of spending money to look a part that I could not afford to play?

With things starting to look up and in celebration of signing on my first solo client, I decided it was worth a bit of pampering.

Of course, post-pampering in this location involves a chai latte treat. A girl has to eat after all!! 😛

So it is a nice feeling to escape the worries a bit and feel as if the life of luxury is returning. It really is – just gotta be patient a little longer. The Universal Lord of all is providing above and beyond abundantly. Thus, I am always grateful and even more so in moments like these. 🙂

~T 😀

Breathe!

Going Mental No Responses »

Oct 092016

Sometimes a bit of a break away from the to-do list and self-imposed pressures to write or meet deadlines is needed.

This weekend ended up being that, though not planned as such.

It was a nice weekend and for the first time felt somewhat ‘normal’. We hung out with friends. I ‘worked’ with a few lessons and yoga sessions. We went out on our own and relaxed. Sleeping in did not quite happen and probably won’t now on the weekends (at least for me), but that is okay. 😀

So, I did not write or post at all. However, it was a time to process some plans and ideas to maintain our momentum for getting life back on track. Thus, taking some time to just breathe has its benefits as well!

Stay tuned for what is to come!!!!

~T 😀

TGIT!

Going Mental No Responses »

Oct 062016

For the most part the days of the week have quickly become a blur. I generally am not eager for the weekend any more than any other day except it’s the days my hubby is home. Being a self-employed business owner means that days off are whenever I want to take them. 😛

Yet, somehow this week was extremely busy. Doing what? Well, that’s the thing…. so yesterday I posted about my general schedule. That’s where my days go.

This morning at another American Women’s Network coffee morning someone asked me if I am happy and enjoying life. I did not miss a beat in responding, “Yes, yes I am.” So I guess that is really all that matters.

I also had a spontaneous lunch with a friend and have an event to go to tonight. So my social calendar is definitely full and fun.

Now time for a nap….;)

~T 😀

Structures

Going Mental No Responses »

Oct 052016

So my post the other day on working vs not working also brought up some ponderings on my regular visits on the topic of schedules, discipline and structures.

My tendencies for ups and downs are really being challenged lately as I find myself lacking consistent structure. I still keep a schedule. I still am planned day-to-day or even weeks ahead, but I am required to be a bit more flexible and am finding myself a tad busier than I would like to be. At the moment, it is okay as my busyness is in networking, which I need to do to promote the business. I am hoping that in a short time I will be able to decrease the networking activities and be busy with clients or my other aspirations.

Still, I am finding that my writing is getting pushed aside again. While I am maintaining this blog reasonably well and trying to stay up with my business blog and social media, my personal writing has greatly diminished. Although I was working on my novel quite a bit over the summer, it has been weeks if not a couple of months since I last worked on a chapter. It doesn’t help to not have Internet at home, but even when I am taking time to be on the computer I am usually focusing on other activities.

The question then is whether or not I need to return to a more structured schedule. Perhaps I do. Perhaps this will help me to keep my boundaries clear with time on activities and do what is not only productive, but also beneficial. At the moment, I have a full schedule:

Sundays – focus on work to promote new teacher training course in Abu Dhabi & afternoon tutoring

Mondays – Yas Mall walking, coffee with ladies & afternoon tutoring (sometimes networking event)

Tuesdays – morning run with ladies, pottery, afternoon tutoring, yoga client and sometimes networking

Wednesdays – morning golf and coffee, evening photography or networking

Thursdays – Yas Mall yoga, coffee with ladies and a free afternoon/evening (sometimes photography)

Fridays – morning yoga client, brunch or evenings with friends

Saturdays – morning and afternoon tutoring, evenings to relax

So, every day is quite full. I am still trying to wake up at 5am to meditate, though I am struggling with this. When I do I feel good, but then I feel quite tired. I am going to sleep later than usual these days, though not exhausted as I would feel from a full day of work at the university. We have taken the week off from the gym, but I am still doing yoga at home most days and then next week we will be back to the gym for weight training. 😛

I am not sure how the days pass so quickly and I definitely do not miss my old life by any means. Yet, I do wonder – wasn’t I supposed to be ‘retired’??? 😀

In any case, I just need to stop to take note, breathe and make sure that I do not over extend myself so as not to lose energy and get worn out. Still, I am enjoying each day fully!!!

~T 😀

_The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity_ by Julia Cameron

Literary Escapes No Responses »

Oct 042016

_The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity_ by Julia Cameron

I started this book quite some time ago in hopes of getting myself back into writing regularly. It took me some time to get through it as I wanted to be sure that I was ready to make what Cameron said work for me. Many of her tips were quite useful and having finally gotten through it I have made some aspects habits already.

For example, Cameron recommends writing “Morning Pages” each day and focusing on completing 3 pages rather than setting a time limit as I often do. I have yet to regularly fill 3 pages daily, but I do manage to write daily without worrying about the time as much. 😛

She also recommends having a weekly artist’s date with yourself. I have not quite done this lately, but my visits to cafes count for me as my time to write, observe and relax into my artist self.

While the focus is generally for writers, her tips can work for anyone wanting to develop their creative spirits. All too often we suppress our creativity and say things like “I don’t have a creative bone in my body.” However, the reality is that we are all creative beings. We were given beautiful brains in order to create – no matter what the form might be. It is just about finding our creative outlets and then letting that out regularly. 😀

I would have liked to take a class with Cameron and worked through the book together or even have a writing group that used it to support one another. Even though it was published years ago, it goes to show that learning to develop an artist’s way is not limited to time or space.

~T 😀

Not working vs working

Going Mental No Responses »

Oct 032016

Now that I do not have a typical 9-5 job I should suddenly become a night person and be able to stay up late since I have nothing I have to get up early for. Or so I am told.

It seems I am not meeting expectations properly by continuing to follow my natural patterns of sleep as an early riser and morning person.

The problem with this theory that I am told I should be following is that, first, my husband does still have a 9-5 (and then some) job and still gets up early. So, it’s not like I can just start a different schedule even if I wanted to. Unless I would like to never see him, which as a newlywed I am not yet (if ever) a interested in. 😉

And, I don’t want to. I am a morning person who likes to go to bed early. I sleep better when I do and get more done, which means I am a happier and healthier person. For me.

I do not believe that the majority of the world are night people. I do believe that society has made people become night people even if they do not want to be so.

We justify staying up late by feeling a need to enjoy our lives outside of work as much as possible because we do not enjoy our work during the day. Therefore, we have people everywhere who are sleep-deprived and unhealthy because they think that working is the answer (or because they don’t have the luxury to not work).

Also, I disapprove of being told that I am not working just because I no longer have a typical 9-5 job. Worse than that is the suggestion that I have nothing to get up for other than a job that I may or may not like.

I would hope that we can get up in the mornings because we like to be alive and are excited about what the day has to offer. I would hope that we stay awake or go to sleep when we like because we know our bodies and minds well enough to know what is healthiest and happiest for ourselves. I would hope that our uniqueness in these areas does not merit a jealous statement that suggests one way of life is better than another because of our own misconceptions or unhappy decisions to stay in discontent circumstances.

So I will continue to follow my early bird schedule. I will continue to work as a usual self-employed business owner works (or less actually). And, I will continue to ignore those who try to tell me otherwise.

If you know me and want to see me, you know my awake hours. 😛

~T 😀

_Yoga Anatomy_ by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

Literary Escapes No Responses »

Oct 022016

_Yoga Anatomy_ by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews

Part of my yoga teacher training includes a study of human anatomy as we are dealing with people’s physical make-up. It is important to know how the bones and muscles are affected by different poses.

Our Bali retreat was mostly for the purpose of studying anatomy with a teacher based there. As part of our studies we are required to read this text.

It is a really well done book with pictures and charts that clearly explain how the most common yoga poses use specific muscles and require certain movements of bones and joints.

Also, it is not overly technical, which helps given that we need to know these aspects well for our anatomy test as part of our exams for certification. So I will be going back through the book and charts again soon.

Overall I would say that it is worth reading if you have any interest in the body – not just for yoga. 🙂

~T 😀

2nd Article

Going Mental, Writing No Responses »

Oct 012016

Remember when I posted about my first paid and published article?

Well, the second one is online now!

It has a slightly different theme than the first as I do not always want to seem as if I am negative about being Asian and perceptions held of my ethnic background. 😉

It is exciting to have this opportunity to write fairly freely about issues that are close to my heart.

The next one is mulling around in my head and may be back to familiar themes. 😛

Hope you enjoy!

~T 😀

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