It's a choppy morning on the West End in Negril, at Home Sweet Home hotel overlooking the cliffs.
... Big waves are a bit too much for me, but despite the rough seas, I still find the turquoise water inviting. However, it's not rare that slight extremities in the weather alter my feelings and emotions, so I tend to be extra mindful to keep my mood positive and stable regardless of what's happening around me.
With it being like this, what better time to indulge in some yoga, for relaxation, calmness, and happiness, to ground me.
Yoga is the perfect way to kick-start my week.
It's all about Mindful Monday peeps, and I'm feeling like a goddess in Negril, as I banish the Monday Blues with Yoga. 😊
I like to beat stress in natural environments of blues and greens, where I can breathe fresh air, focus on the rhythm of my breath, and feel my body slowly relax and sink into the ground.
My back door view here is just as spectacular, as the front view, from my balcony, but from that spot above, I felt the sun pelting on me, as I listened to the waves bounce against the cliffs, while the gentle tropical breeze cooled my skin.
... No to Monday Blues, yes to the Caribbean Blues :)
Let's face it, Mondays could be the "bitch from hell", but with yoga, I'm like "bring it on baby."
Incorporating slow living, with my mindfulness activities is essential. Slow living is taking time out to tune in and be mindful, to feel the energy of natural spaces around me, and simultaneously observing the value of time.
Taking time out, and moments of stillness, allow me to focus my mind and set intentional goals that I feel are needed in my life to improve my well-being.
One such goal is getting back into a simple fitness routine of resistance training that fits ideally into my minimalist ideology of working with what I have and in this case, it's carrying and working with my own body weight. Doing this kind of activity brings some vitality and vigour, which helps to uplift my mind, and gives me a wholesome feeling.
It's about finding Balance...
... and slow living and mindfulness help me to achieve balance in my life, if I train my mind and eyes to see the beauty in the simple things around me, such as nature and continuously find creative ways to utilize what I have at hand.
Nature is everything to me, no matter how different.
With practice, mindfulness comes naturally in all activities that I do. Wherever I go, applying mindfulness and being in the present helps my mind to zone in on the positives. Life is energy, humans are made of energy, and I gain so much energy from being in nature, where I feel and connect with the spaces around me, and resuming my yoga practice today has been like a mental reset.
Although my yoga session today was a bit challenging, due to some shoulder injuries, it was just what my body needed to push start my strengthening, toning, reflexibility and increase in range of motion.
I feel no pressure, but I'll try to slowly and consistently find my way back to a regular routine.
This is my front door view below. See what I mean about the back door and front door views being epic?
Just a note...
I do enjoy sitting by the sea more than I enjoy spending time in it. But whenever I want to engage in some mindfulness and meditation, I appreciate the blues for the vast body that it is. The sea helps to keep me in check, while at the same time, giving me the inspiration to explore and discover the world.
What are some of the mindfulness activities that you like to do especially on a Monday to set the pace for the week?
I thank you for stopping by, as I share some personal images to reflect on these awesome memories that will live with me forever 🙏
(All images are mine, and the cover photo was altered using the Paaint mobile app)