March Favorites
Stav š Share the Cool
This opportunity to share my cool came knocking on my door at a very interesting phase in my life: Iāve just recently relocated to the States and March is actually the second month I can consider myself a (proud) San Franciscan. Letās start with an intimate confessionā¦ The last thing I felt during the past weeks is cool. This process of settling down in a new country is full of waves, carrying me between phases of insecurity and loneliness, through moments of empowerment after another tiny victory over the bureaucratic monster. I would love to share with you the little things that took me to the peaks of the wave and that are gradually helping me feel more and more at homeā¦
My morning routine
I am 100% a morning person. There is something so precious about the unique quietness that only exists before the world wakes up to its craziness. For me, it is one of the sole moments when Iām completely alone, free from the forever working mind of mine.
For over three years now I am practicing a simple, yet highly efficient, morning routine. Iām using the term āpracticingā here because this routine feels like a ritual to me. I start my mornings with fresh lemon-water: just half of a lemon squeezed in a glass of water. I try to drink it as slowly as possible while paying close attention to the feeling of the soft liquid running down and waking up my stomach gently. After that I put the kettle on the stove and while the water boils I start waking up the rest of my body with three Sun Salutations, which I complete with a short Thank You blessing I invented for myself. Then, I am free to enjoy my oh-so-dear first cup of coffee for the day. This whole ritual-routine does not take longer than 10 minutes, but it gives me such a strong foundation to build my day on. I truly recommend every person to structure a self-nourishing short morning routine. I promise you wonāt regret.
Music as a compass
Music has a curing effect on me. The right chord at the right moment can completely switch a whirlpool of emotions to a serene clearness that can easily be handled. We all like to feel that the music playing in our ears is actually the soundtrack of the super interesting movie we live in. A few years ago I learned that albums are journeys planned for us by the creator. They are meant to be heard from the beginning to the end, and at least some of them can take you much deeper (into yourselves or to another dimension) if you only sit back, close your eyes, open your heart and let the music in ā you might discover great places within yourselves. And as my friend Bob Marley said: āOne good thing about music, when it hits you feel no painā¦ā
I would like to share with you three great musicians Iāve been listening to lately. To be completely frank, I know all of them from back home. I was blessed to grow up in a community where most of my friends are talented artists and it is a huge pleasure to be able to share it hereā¦
šš¼ Daniella will take you high to the starry skies. Her creamy voice really helps me to tune in with myself and gives me the feeling of a warm friendās hand on my backā¦
Her brand new Spotify page can guide you further
āš½ Noga Erez has a lot to say about the world we live in. Her fearless lyrics are beautiflly wrapped with rich synthesizer sounds that together transcend a strong feeling of being alive. When I listen to her I can find myself dancing on the street, not caring at all how I look like.
š¤²š¼ Nepture is the first independent project by Monsta (a.k.a Boaz Bentur), where he takes us to the deep deep waters that often flood our hearts and blur our vision. The gentle yet penetrating textures he created will wash you thoroughly and lead you, perhaps, one step closer to yourself.
Very recommended for a late night listening in the darkā¦
Discovering the invisible
I admit, I never managed to fully integrate myself into the Podcast world that seem to rule folks around me. I tried several times but either got bored or lost my concentration somewhere between the beginning and the middle. A very insisting suggestion by a friend convinced me lately to give a chance to this NRP āunbelievably goodā Podcast: Invisibilia. This Podcast is so wisely edited and presented, combining narrative storytelling with super interesting scientific facts, in a way that makes you stop and glimpse again at the bundle of beliefs and judgments you might call ālife knowledgeā and wonder. Invisibilia challenges our perspective of the world by unfolding the invisible forces that drive human behavior and shape our semi-facts-assumptions. The first episode that blew my mind and made me an Invisibilia fan deals with one of the most interesting questions: Whoās controling who ā our emotions or us? Here you can find Emotions.
Meditate with your phone?
It was one of these low moments in the internal wave of lifeās motion when a good friend from overseas sent me a link to a guided meditation. It came out of nowhere, with no explanation and it was exactly what I needed. I installed Insight Timer on my phone and started discovering this surprisingly lively and lovely meditation portal. Insight Timer is an interactive platform used by a large community of meditators (over 3.7 million to be exact!) who can browse through fascinating content, use the Timer section to create a custom meditation session, listen to an endless collection of guided meditations and basically feel connected while meditating alone.
Some cool numbers according to Insight Timerā¦
- 8,638 free guided meditations, music tracks, talks and courses are available in the app
- Every month the Insight Timer community meditates for more than 1 million hours
- More than 3,000 lively discussion groups and local meet-ups run by users
To be fair, I am not yet an active part in the community, Iām just starting my path in the digitally organized meditation world. And though I had my doubts at first, Iām actually finding a pleasant and accessible gate to that sacred garden of tuning in with myself. Here are my favorites:
- Live Awake is a beautiful collection by Sarah Blondin that can teach you so much about compassion and kindness toward yourself (start with this).
- I love falling asleep to Relaxing into Sleep Meditation and plenty other guided sessions by Tara Brach.
A note to conclude :)
While I was collecting tips and recommendations that make my days brighter, I noticed that most of them found their way into my life through good friends that actually, probably without even intending, shared their cool with me. Right at this moment, I feel blessed with great people around me and also quite cool, because I know I have the ability to take the advice of others, implement it in my life and by that, make it my own experience. So my last tip for you guys would be: pay attention to what your beloved ones are sharing with you and give it a try by simply breathing it in and letting it reshape and adjust to that special, one of a kind figure of yoursā¦
