Wellness with Maxine
Yoga | Movement | Nutrition | Wellbeing
A collection of things I’m learning, trying and thinking about – from yoga, movement and healthy ageing to nutrition, sleep, nature and the little things that help us feel well.
Some are backed by good research, some are things I’m experimenting with myself, and sometimes they’re simply ideas that have made me stop and think.
Have a browse, try what appeals to you, and hopefully you’ll find something useful along the way.
Maxine x
A little thought from me…
I’ve been thinking a lot about our senses this week.
It started with a conversation with Francis about art, patterns and how the things we look at can affect how we feel. Then, while practising yoga with the rain falling outside, I found myself noticing just how lovely the sound was.
It made me wonder how often we deliberately choose what we’re giving our senses.
What are you feeding your senses?
There’s some fascinating research around our responses to art, natural environments, repeating patterns and symmetry, and certain visual experiences have been associated with relaxation and reduced feelings of stress.
Then there’s sound – rain, waves, music, a gong or singing bowls.
Think about the contrast with an ordinary day. Screens, traffic, conversations, artificial light, notifications and background noise are constantly competing for our attention.
Sometimes it can feel rather nice to give our senses something gentler instead.
Yoga does this beautifully.
For a while, we step away from much of that external stimulation. We feel the mat underneath us, notice our breath and move our bodies with a little more awareness.
Something to try
This week, simply notice what your senses find soothing.
Look at the patterns in a leaf. Doodle or paint. Listen to the rain. Put some music on without doing anything else at the same time. Look up into the branches of a tree.
It doesn’t need to become another wellness task.
Just notice how changing your surroundings can sometimes change how you feel.
Sometimes we might just need to change the input.
A final thought
Wellbeing doesn’t always have to involve adding something else to our to-do lists.
Sometimes it might be five minutes listening to the rain, looking at something beautiful or moving quietly on our yoga mat.
And perhaps the interesting question isn’t always “What else should I be doing?”
Sometimes it might simply be:
“What could I give my senses a little less – or a little more – of today?”
Maxine x
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