The 9 ''moments'' for a balanced week

The 9 Moments of the Week is the application of knowledge from Vedic astrology that I offer you in a practical and pragmatic way.

The why of the 9 will surely come later! The most important and interesting thing – in my opinion – is that it touches on basic areas, some of which are often forgotten.

The risk when you're a student, immersed in work or family life with young children is precisely to be so fun fire, your head in the game! that you forget everything else, sometimes to the detriment of physical and/or mental health.

The 9 Moments

Is there a time in your week when...

• You connect with nature?
• You connect with yourself?
• You connect with others?
• You do something artistic or fun?
• You do something creative?
• You do any physical activity?
• You organize your time, do some cleaning in your living space?
• You do something original that takes you out of your comfort zone?
• You do nothing?

If ''yes'', you can add ''where, when, what, how, with whom?''

If ''no'', you may ask yourself why, do you miss it, how to integrate it?

1. Connecting to nature

It will not have escaped your notice that we live in a place where, despite the world's demographics, nature is dominant and we have always been very close to it. However, in recent decades we have been very concentrated in large urban centres and sometimes our relationship with a forest is limited to a few days a year during the holidays. This is certainly less true for all those living in wooded or maritime regions, but it is precisely worse for you who have been in contact with trees or the ocean in a natural way until the moment you found yourself accepted at university or for your first job in the capital!

This aspect is all the more important if you live in a big city and the most imposing nature around you is the park at the end of the street where the grass is dried, without plantations and where the garbage cans disgust their contents.

In a report written – among others – by the University of Montreal for the Quebec's parks organization, it is estimated that 54% of the population lives in urban centres, thus reducing the quantity and quality of contact with nature. There are now (and have been for a long time) countless scientific studies that highlight the physiological and psychological benefits of interacting with nature, including:

• Reduced heart rate and blood pressure.
• Decreased sympathetic nerve activity and increased parasympathetic nerve (tension vs. relaxation).
• Reduced cortisol levels (indicator of stress).
• Reduced anxiety, depression and negative emotions.
• Improved mood and increased vitality at the expense of fatigue.
• Improved cognitive function and decreased mental fatigue.

I'll finish with an activity developed in Japan in the 80s: Shinrin yoku, forest bathing! It is described as forest medicine – or forest therapy – and invites us to get closer to nature in harmony in order to reconnect with our innate ability to heal. This is done by connecting with trees and other vegetation, in a peaceful place, leaving your mind aside and opening your senses. In other words, make love to nature!

Weekly practical exercise: spend at least 2 hours (it can be in several times) in contact with nature (forest, river, lake, mountain, ocean, etc.).

2. Connecting to yourself

Even before you live in this world, this country, this city, this apartment, this family, you live... with yourself! Have you ever wondered if you were able to be alone with yourself?

We are now bombarded with external stimuli, everywhere and all the time, so much so that we sometimes realize and admit that we are doing such and such a thing without really knowing why... This over-stimulation makes us lose our inner compass, we can no longer do or choose what is really good for us (and yet sometimes we know it!). Form without substance. Oops!

The advantage, compared to the previous point, is that you don't have to go far to connect with you. A quiet place where you feel good, cut off from the "too much" outside and your phone in airplane mode. There are many techniques for this, from meditation to breathing, including writing... Journaling, for example, is one way to do this. Taking the time to write about your feelings on a regular basis allows you to connect with yourself. The ujjayi pranayama I presented in the first article is ideal too.

J. Krishnamurti, a great teacher of India, said that "it is not a sign of good health to be adapted to a world that is sick." Outside your inner world, you will never wish you harm, unless you seek to make yourself suffer... But that's not the point! So if you feel disconnected, it's high time to take the time to cut short external calls to come and take care of the internal.

Weekly practice exercise: spend at least 30 minutes to be with yourself and understand why you like to do it or not. Breathe, write or think without judging.

3. Connecting with others

Sometimes it's the opposite, you're very good with yourself and uncomfortable with others. Or maybe it's that we just don't take the time to see people. In any case, we are social beings and, whether we like it or not, we need others.

No?... While it may be tempting to say that you can be alone, it's hard to say that you can do everything without others. How can you say "no" to the dopamine released by a big laugh, to the little butterflies in your stomach thanks to his/her pretty eyes, to the pleasure of having shared a good time?

The field of the psychology of human relations is very vast and I do not pretend to master it, nevertheless socializing is an inherent need of human nature: to find models through which we build ourselves; find friends through whom you can share common ground, with whom and for whom you can be a support; find collaborators to carry out a project...  Unless you want to withdraw from the world to live in seclusion, you're going to need others, it's normal and it's healthy. Even if there are only one or two people you feel comfortable with, who cares. The important thing is to have that moment where you can regularly share.

"Happiness is only real when it's shared" Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild.
(Which is not to say that loneliness brings unhappiness, far from it!)

But for many, it's not natural to reach out to others. Often it's partly because we don't know how to connect with ourselves, with our own values, and we try to fit into a model that doesn't suit us. Staying authentic and honest will be the best way to be fully accepted for who you are. Too bad if the connection doesn't take, there are plenty of other people, as long as you stay true to yourself.

Weekly practical exercise: spend at least 2 hours with other people and take the time to share (a discussion, a drink, an activity).

4. Do an artistic or cultural activity

For an obvious reason, some aspects of this moment will be able to find their way into the next one: creativity. However, art is not always an activity where you are a creator, so we will distinguish between two types of artistic and cultural activities: those where you are an observer (moment n°4) and those where you are an actor (moments n°4 & 5).

Whatever your positioning, we can give some examples of activities: music, dance, digital (photo, video, radio), painting, sculpture, pottery...
- As an observer you go to a museum, to a concert, a show, visit an exhibition, listen to a conference.
- As an actor you are at the helm: playing an instrument, being behind the lens, mastering the brush or take a few frenzied, measured or tightly glued steps.

Regardless of the means or tool with which you do this activity, and whatever your level in art/culture, a university (Drexel, USA) has proven that such a practice lowers the stress level of the body. The level of cortisol (the famous stress hormone) had dropped in 75% of the people participating in the study (39 people aged 18-59).

Some of the benefits of artistic and cultural activities include:

• Improved control and expression of emotions (say what you feel, damn it! But stay calm).
• Improved cognitive function (it makes you think!)
• Improved self-esteem.
• It gives you time to take care of yourself and your mind (distract yourself or get rid of the discomfort, as long as it's expressed!)
• It's an opportunity to make an appointment with yourself (here you go, moment n°2) and/or to meet people (here you go, moment n°3).

Art [being] the shortest way from man to man. (Malraux)

Everything is good to confront your artistic side, even more so if you don't like it at all! If I take my example, I don't really like to visit art galleries, but I am very interested in discussing with the artist if I have the opportunity to understand his point of view.

Weekly practical exercise: take at least 1 hour to stimulate your artistic spirit and/or broaden your cultural horizon.

5. Do a creative activity

This point is very clearly related to the previous one, but as mentioned just above, it all depends on whether your contact with art is an observer or an actor! If you are in the first case, it is important to get your hands dirty and I strongly encourage you to find out how the creator in you can express itself, for the same benefits mentioned above.

Weekly practice exercise: take at least 1 hour to stimulate your creativity, in any way (as long as you don't hurt anyone...).

6. Do a physical activity

So here we enter a BIG chapter that alone deserves much more time. I'm not going to give a scientific reference that proves the benefits of physical activity, there are too many! Not even the quantity or type, it's variable! The fact remains that we are a physical body as well as a mental and spiritual body, so this is a parameter that should not be neglected.

Maybe "sport isn't for [you]", but still. You are a physiological machine that needs to work, especially during intense periods of life when your butt is resting on a chair and your back is well bent on your computer. A body that doesn't move tenses, rusts, hurts. A diaphragm that is not properly used does the same and creates anxiety.

A small important point: the 15 minutes of walking to work and the 84 steps you go up and down every day is not physical activity, it is just a normal effort that any normal body is able (and should) do.

So do yourself some good and get moving!

Weekly practical exercise: (with favourable medical advice) do at least 2-3 hours of physical exertion (= a greater cardio and muscular intensity than at rest), preferably in several times. Your body will prefer 5*30 min only once 2h30.

7. Take the time to clean, organize, plan

If you're more of a YOLO follow the flow type of feeling, this may not be the section that will interest you the most... but it's probably the one that will benefit you the most!

Clean

It is often said that you have to have a healthy mind in a healthy body. True, but I would also add "and in a healthy space". Even if we think that our organized mess is just fine the way it is and that there is no problem with it, we can hardly deny that a tidy space brings more clarity. And more clarity in your outdoor living space will greatly support the same inner clarity.

You don't have to be a tidying freak who goes to the opposite extreme and be stressed if everything is out of place, just put things in order.

Organize & Plan

It is of course obvious that life is a little more sparkling when you leave a part of surprise and unknown in its unfolding, but it will in any case be more than beneficial to you to be organized in your work and your rhythm of life if you want to have more serenity on a daily basis, especially during moments of pressure.

Weekly practical exercise: take at least 1 hour to clean your living space (physical and/or digital) and organize your pace of life.

8. Take the time to step out of your comfort zone

So, where is your inner Lady Gaga? What does the Freddy Mercury want to do inside you?

Do you often see something and tell yourself that you would like to do the same but that it makes you too happy?

Certainly, there are things that you will simply never be able to do, for various physical, physiological, ethical, legal reasons, etc. But we all have areas of our lives where we feel struggling, uncomfortable... That's where you have to go!

Improvisational theatre, going alone to a couple's dance class, participating in a debate, a language café when you find that your level is not great... There could be many other examples and you are probably the best person to find what takes you out of your comfort zone.

Why do that? There are several reasons:

• Gain self-confidence.
• Dealing with things that scare you.
• It's going to make your daily life sparkle!
• And help you really enjoy those moments.
• You may even discover that you have a certain talent or ease that will surprise you!

In short, it will allow you to progress.

Weekly practice exercise: Challenge yourself at least once by putting yourself in an uncomfortable (but safe!) situation, it can be the same challenge for an entire year.

9. Take the time to do nothing

To do nothing is already to do something: the art of the screwing around, a whole program... But be careful, this is not part of artistic activities, even if mastering it by certain.es can reveal art!

Not capable? Too capable? The trick is to find the right balance to have moments of pause where you simply do nothing, consciously. It's not really a time to meditate or connect with you, nor is it taking the time to scroll on your phone. We unplug everything: the phone and the brain, we wrap ourselves in our blanket, in a comfortable position and we settle down. Simply.

This goes against the current rhythm that we (and society) impose on ourselves, where it is absolutely necessary to optimize our daily lives, organize and plan everything... Yes, it is moment n°7 that I am contradicting!

Because not doing anything in a thoughtful way is beneficial, it's about being aware of your needs in terms of rest. It's not just sleep for this, there's also this idleness that you offer yourself in all benevolence and without guilt.

Weekly practical exercise: allow yourself a few minutes each day, and even more at times, to let go of your phone, your computer, your lessons, lie down on the sofa and look at the ceiling. Or the sky from the garden. If it's not raining. Although.

So here we are at the end of the 9 moments for a balanced week. What do you say, do you think you have a time for every moment in your week?

If you find a way to do capoeira (creative martial art dance) on the beach or in the forest with several people when it's uncomfortable for you, congratulations you'll be doing 6-in-1 (moments 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)!

Some of these moments may feel natural to you, and that's normal, it's you, it's comfortable. Where it's most disturbing is when it's all about you but you don't take the time to do it anymore. You also have to take the time to go to what suits you least to allow you to discover new facets of yourself.

Let's go think about his week!