Updog

Every time my dog gets up from a period of lying down or resting or sleeping, she stretches. Upward dog, followed by downward dog. And this is not unique to my dog, obviously.

Every time.

Maybe, just maybe, every time we sit

  • we get up periodically.
  • and we do something to loosen up

As silly as this sounds, I am going to do this.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana or Upward-Facing Dog yoga pose
Photo by Alexandra Tran / Unsplash

As we spend more and more time sitting, we need to remind ourselves to get distracted and move.

I am always one for analysis paralysis. I will start doing something and then try to do a better stretch or routine. But doing something is the better method.

From The Little Prince

If you were to say to the grown-ups: "I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof", they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: "I saw a house that cost $20,000." Then they would exclaim: "Oh, what a pretty house that is!"

– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

From The Comfort Book

The best thing about rock bottom is the rock part. You discover the solid bit of you. That bit that can't be broken down further. The thing that you might sentimentally call a soul. At our lowest we find the solid ground of our foundation. And we can build ourselves anew.

– Matt Haig