“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
But by the moments that take our breath away.”
Hillary Cooper
Good morning peeps, meditation done.
Quote for the Day:
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
But by the moments that take our breath away.”
Hillary Cooper
I love today’s quote it is one of my favourites.
I life my life for the moments that take my breathe away and I have been very fortunate and feel blessed to have lived a life that has had so many moments that have literally taken my breath away.
Performing live at a packed Wembley Stadium, performing in front of 500,000 people in Holland, performing as a soloist at the Royal Opera House, appearing on stage with Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Coliseum, meeting Muhammad Ali, Stevie Wonder and Pele, seeing Jonah Lomu score at Twickenham, David Beckham against Greece at Old Trafford, seeing England winning the Ashes in 2005 and celebrating with the England team on an open top double decker bus parading in front of hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets of London and Trafalgar Square, seeing England win the Ashes in Australia and celebrating with the Barmy Army at the MCG, working with Beyoncé, flirting face to face with Whitney at the side of stage and then seeing her immediately step on the stage to sing “I will always love you” in Monaco, seeing Rudolf Nureyev dance when he was 50, shooting the BBC Olympics legends campaign at some of the most breathtaking spots in the world in Greece and the Islands, all of these moments that have taken my breath away and have happened to me live in person, mostly through my work and travelling the world to see the most breathtaking view and sites and meeting some of the most beautiful women in the world for which I will be forever grateful.
Having the opportunity to work with so many amazing children on big sporting events and the look on their faces when they see their sporting heroes on the pitch with them gets me every time.
The countless sporting moments I have seen on television at the Olympics and major football, cricket and rugby matches, the performances of my favourite entertainers, pieces of art from the world’s greatest artists.
There have been a few negative things that have happened in my life that have taken my breath of life away as well, but I choose to learn from them, move on and let them go.
I prefer to concentrate and focus on the positives in life; this is what gives me energy and puts a smile on my face.
I love that spending so much of my time in Scotland and the Highlands that I am lucky enough to go on walks and see views that take my breath away on a nearly daily basis for which I feel truly blessed and eternally thank the universe.
I cannot count the number of moments that have taken my breath away in my lifetime.
But how many breaths do you think we have in a lifetime?
Scientists estimate that a human takes 600 Million Breaths in a lifetime.
So it makes sense to learn to maximise the efficiency of every single breath.
Controlling the tempo of our breathing helps control the state of the mind in times of stress, where the body’s natural “fight or flight” response, quickens up our rate of breathing and causes panic and stress in both our body and mind. When we are scared or in a state of stress our shoulders tighten, causing even more tension and our heart beat races.
If we can maintain an even, steady breathe, this slows the heart rate, relaxes the body, calms the mind and supplies the brain with enough oxygen to make wise decisions.
I begin my day with 10 minutes of breathing exercises every single day.
I find if I start my day like this, I begin in a relaxed state of mind, which increases the prospect of a positive day and making the right decisions.
The alternative is to jump up out of bed, rush in the shower, grab a coffee, wolf it down, quickly brush your teeth, jump in your car and rush to work, glancing nervously at your watch, worrying am I going to get there in time?
Does this sound familiar to you? The slightest mishap is ready to send you over the edge.
Do you think you have really set yourself up properly to give yourself the best chance of having a positive day and making the best decisions?
Without oxygen the body cannot burn food and generate energy.
Without energy it is impossible for you to function properly and therefore the chances of you creating moments that will take your breath away are virtually nil.
So how does the human body harness energy?
Human cells must have energy, but they do not run on explosions, instead the cells can be thought of meeting their energy requirements from a slow burning furnace, which releases energy from a constant supply of fuel by combining it with oxygen.
The fuel that we use biologically comes from the carbohydrates and fats we eat and then the process of respiration occurs.
And for those of you who cut out carbohydrates and fats from your diets, it does not make any sense from an energy production and a physical and mental performance point of view…. it is like trying to run your car without any oil and gas?
Therefore the food we eat and the controlling of our breath is critical to the efficiency of the body’s energy production.
The daily practice of yoga for the last 10 years has really helped me to control my breath.
I realised that the more I exercised and practiced the stronger my breathing would become and the more control of it I would have.
The yoga poses and breathing taught me that if I controlled my breath I could control my mind. I discovered that the pain and discomfort I would feel in the awkward yoga poses, would go away if I breathed and stayed calm. This mirrored situations in life which can seem impossible with no way out, but if you stay calm, focused and breathe then your head clears, the situation does not seem as bad as you first thought and you can see a way forward.
I have also learnt that I cannot do all the poses or asana, but this is not failure, the point of yoga is not to be able to do all the poses, it is the daily process of trying to achieve them that is important. Because as soon as you have mastered a difficult pose, you will come across another one that you will feel is impossible, when you first start, but if you practice every day it will become a little bit easier as you improve every day.
This is the basis of my Elysium Way Training System.
The Elysium Way enhances and enriches lives allowing you to reach your full potential physically, mentally and spiritually.
And one of the main components of the Elysium Way is practicing yoga.
If you would like to improve your breathing and clear your mind by introducing yoga into your life or to strengthen your daily practice to help you focus, smile more and achieve your goals and live the life of your dreams?
Come on my yoga retreat in Morocco from Saturday March 18th to 25th and join me at the Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort the new five-star luxury destination in El Jadida Morocco
Click Here to find out more
The location is amazing.
It is a truly unique coastal destination resort, less than an hour drive south of Casablanca and set in a region abounding in contrasts that has preserved all its authenticity.
Rooms and suites overlook the lagoon, the golf course, the swimming pool and the patio, plunging down to the sea from the terraces and offering a 180-degree view over the Atlantic Ocean.
The view will take your breath away.
So if you would like to learn more about yoga and join me for some fun in the sun at a beautiful, exotic location in Morocco, then Click Here
Have a wonderful Wednesday peeps
May all your dreams come true and may your life be filled with moments that take your breath away.
Breathe, Believe and Achieve
Be Happy, Healthy and Wise
Keep on Winning, Smiling and Living the Dream
Namaste
