About drinking

It's common knowledge that we should consume 2-4 litres of fluid daily. The amount naturally depends on our stature and age, our activity, and, of course, the ambient temperature. A significant portion of our needs is already met through food. We can also drink for pure pleasure, or we can forget to drink out of carelessness. I advocate not overestimating this 2-4 litre value. Healthy people feel thirst, and giving in to it is perfectly fine. However, those who find themselves in life circumstances that alter their natural urge to drink must consciously approach their drinking. But that's not my topic. Today I would like to suggest a water fast. So, no tea, juice, coffee, or anything else nice to drink. Just drink water. Fortunately, our tap water is of top quality, and I can only recommend preferring it to bottled water.

 

Keep Calm - Create Peace

There is strength in calm. If that's true, our society gives a rather tired and powerless impression. There's no sign of keeping calm or creating peace. The latest "fashionable disease" is burnout syndrome. That's another word for: "I'm completely worn out, I'm broken, I'm burned out."

The causes of burnout are varied. One cause of burnout syndrome, however, lies within our own hands. And I believe this cause is easily remedied. I'm talking about the lack of peace, the silence, and the contemplation that comes with it.

Today, we encounter noise, clamour, and sounds everywhere. Most are senseless, unwanted by us, sickening, and guaranteed to annoy us. In 1997, I pointed out this fact with an art project called "World No Music Day."

In the supermarket, some miserable music is blaring at full blast. On public transport, fellow human beings who think they must share their musical taste are accompanied by equally annoying and pointless announcements over the loudspeaker.

Road traffic seems to have become a matter of course these days: motorcyclists rev their cars to the max, and golfers tune their exhausts for maximum rage. At the intersection, some other poor idiot is banging away in the trunk with his bass drum.

The neighbour's TV program even trickles through the garden and hedges. What to do? Consciously turn off your sources of noise. Don't always think I have to have the radio, TV, or CD on. I don't need to play music everywhere. Go out into nature more often, where there are as few people as possible. And then use the silence of nature to heal myself.

Have you ever planted a tree?

Have you ever planted a tree? No? Well, go for it. It's so easy. Even if you don't have your garden or land. Go into nature, find a hidden spot, and there it is. The first tree you've planted.

And no matter how desperate the situation seems—environmental threats, personal catastrophes, all the misery seems to be crashing down on you—even more so then. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now! (Ugandan proverb).

Also, my tip: when the first chestnuts fall from the trees, take a flowerpot with some soil and place it on the windowsill. Next spring, you'll have a small chestnut tree. Then, transplant it into nature.

Standing Knee Kiss

This yoga exercise, the standing knee kiss, is an ideal position for working the spine, chest, and, of course, the head's circulation. Although this pose looks relatively simple, it also requires a lot of practice when performed correctly. I favour this yoga pose as preparation for the queen of all asanas, the headstand. The head's circulation is well-supplied, but you don't need to concentrate too much on balance.

In the Yoga Sun Prayer, the knee kiss is the third asana. Here, you exhale and bend forward until your hands align with your feet, and your knees touch your head. At first, your knees may still be slightly bent, but later, after some practice, they should be straight.

I deliberately included the knee kiss in the TerLiMa Yoga asanas. Of course, this is also because of its connection to the sun prayer, but also because this asana is simply wonderful to practice and can be practised relatively quickly, so that one experiences the greatest possible benefit from it.
Namaste.