Off the Mat with Dean: I’m moving up.

Literally. I’ve spent most of this week moving from my the second floor of my apartment building to a larger apartment on the fifth floor. Of all things, my calves are the most sore. I’ll also be getting a bit more exercise in this new apartment, being on the fifth floor and having a dog that needs to be taken out a couple of times per day. It’s about 102 steps up and down, which over time can add up to some nice lower body gainz. My girlfriend has also agreed to allow me to put up one of the posters from the Body by Yoga DVD series in the living room, so that’s exciting. (Update on those: Still being edited.)

Since Sunday, I have been almost single-mindedly focused on moving. My phone has been my only source of internet access, and with the release of The Mobility Project I have been able to clear my head. I realize through my experience this week that as long as I have a purpose (a SINGLE purpose – this is important) I am content. When I don’t have a single purpose or I have too many tasks, I feel overwhelmed and as if I am not headed anywhere. With all of my energy and attention devoted to one thing, I am able to fully be aware in the present and appreciate the process of the task that I am involved in. This makes the destination even more rewarding.

Book I’m reading right now: Seneca: Letters from a Stoic
Still.

Mantra for the week: Finishing uncompleted tasks.
Moving. The Mobility Project. This week has been about getting things done to clear my head and allow me to direct my focus more intently.

Fitness focus: Recovery
I’ve been doing a lot of stretching for my calves and hamstrings. My current favorite stretch for my calves is a variation of Warrior 1 in which my back foot is pointed straight forwards, instead of out at a 45 degree angle. I also brace my hands on a wall initially to focus on the calf stretch, and then lift bring my body upright to stack shoulders on hips and add the hip flexor stretch. See today’s (April 22) post on Instagram for a photo. (instagram.com/manflowyoga)

Food of the week: Bulletproof Coffee
I have not been eating as well as I would like to this week, but the food of the week has been Bulletproof coffee. I’ve had less than great coffee recently, but Bulletproof is a very good blend to help provide you with sustained energy throughout the day, instead of a caffeine rush for 30 minutes followed by a day-long depression starting just after noon.

Finding inspiration from: The people who work with me.
Up until a few months ago, I had been committed to doing as much as I could by myself. Rather than focus on what else I could do, I was doing my best to automate as much as possible and minimize my offerings. Now, I’m doing that in addition to working closely with a few Manbassadors (Man Flow Yoga brand ambassadors) to accomplish tasks like uploading workouts, helping with customer service, compiling quarterly reports, and more. Yesterday, there was an issue with the video streaming of the Members Area. I was in the middle of arranging my new apartment and moving, so I did not know what was going on because my workstation was not set up yet. I realized in the late afternoon that there had been an issue since the morning, but a couple of Manbassadors were working on it already and it was resolved by the time I found out. That’s what’s inspiring me this week. Big shout out to Richard and LeStryet for their help with this!

Talk soon,
Dean