LATE SUMMER 25
5 THINGS OF FOCUS: FOR AUGUST
I'm sharing with you: a life lesson I learned recently, some music I've been vibing to, something for you to try in your yoga practice, a workplace tip, and photos from Florence!
THANK YOU for letting me share my lil chaotic light with you, and maybeeee sharing your light with me. with love, monica
PLAYLISTS: Class, NY Waterway-Slip 2, Solo,Duo, Downtown Naxos. Listen at monicameas.com/music
1. LIFE LESSON
HOW DO YOU PHYSICALLY FEEL, AROUND THE PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE? ARE YOUR SHOULDERS TENSE? IS YOUR JAW SOFT? DO YOU FEEL SAFE?
I've been kicking a lot of people off the train lately. Hear me out.
Imagine yourself as a train. You need to be moving efficiently - and in that, you have to stay healthy. But you also have to stay healthy and balanced in order for it to move forward. Not just your engine, but the people who are sitting on it.
As our train of life stops at different stations (losing your first tooth, graduating college, new job, new life stage..), people in your life will naturally step off. They naturally get off, or you kick them off. And it's not a bad thing, really - because people are in our life for a reason or a season. And we grow; we expand and we contract. And on that train ride, we lose and gain all along the way. But sometimes, there are people who stay on our train a little bit too long and it takes us a few stops to finally kick them off.
2. EDM MUSIC
VINTAGE CULTURE
When I travel solo, I like to put my phone on airplane mode when I'm not at the hostel. On airplane mode, I'm limited in music choices since its only downloaded music. As I traveled from island to island (Santorini, Naxos, Paros, Mykonos, Athens), I found myself coming back to this album.
From start to finish, Vintage Culture does a fantastic job of storytelling through music. In Greece, ferries are the way to go. And they are like the Titanic meets NY Waterway meets The Lotus Hotel from Percy Jackson. As I sat by the windows, watching the rocks and waves go by, Vintage Culture's Promised Land album kept me calm and energized.
I've solo traveled 25+ countries and the knowledge gained from conversation, is what nourishes my soul and my brain.
In Greece, I met a boy in Santorini - he was in my 4-bed hostel room. He walked with me along Oia, stayed up until 3am putting on accents with each other and asking everyone we met “What's your dream”?. We met again on the 4 hour ferry from Mykonos to Athens. In Athens, we stayed at the same hostel for 4 days
Music also lights up my soul. In Greece, I Shazamme'd songs at: bars, in taxis, at the beach, clubs, restaurants, lobbies (going off airplane mode for these special ocassions). My playlist “at a bar in downtown naxos” is named from where the playlist started. and chronological
3. ON THE MAT
URDHVA DHANURASANA (WHEEL): low-lift cues to help you level up & strengthen your mind-to-body connection
Sit on the floor. Place 1 block on the low-wide setting between your feet and lay down
Place block 2 in between your knees
The blocks are meant to keep your hips facing one direction and your knees from going everywhere
Bend your elbows, place your hands next to your ears, finger tips facing your shoulders
Push into the soles of your feet and spread out your toes. Press into the ground from your pinky toe to your big toe - letting your toe pads melt into the floor
Lift your hips, and butt up as you straighten your arms and legs
Drop the crown of your head down and bring your gaze in between your hands
Relax the space between your eyebrows
Relax your cheeks - on your face and your butt
Breathe in through your nose
Exhale to soften your belly
Press your ankle bones into the block
Press your knees into the block
Bringing awareness to your hands, spread out your fingers and press into your finger pads
VIDEO: monicameas.com/urdhva-dhanurasana-wheel
4. AT WORK
DO YOU DREAD MEETINGS? This is for you if: you feel overwhelmed, feel like things are moving too fast or you're missing information
MEETING OVERLOAD? Take 3 deep breaths in between meetings. Sit up tall, relax your shoulders and place your hands on top of your thighs. Head parallel to the floor - imagine a tall glass of milk on your head. Inhale, soften your face and the space behind your ears. Exhale, soften your belly and sit up a little prouder and taller
FEELING UNPREPARED? Take a few moments to gather all documents that could be relevant for the meeting. During the meeting, you are rapidly able to find key information for conversation and questions because you prepared and have everything open in front of you. For example, if you have a meeting, you could open: the budget chart, email where the budget was communicated, budget tracking platform, change log and a new Excel for any quick math
CAN'T REMEMBER ANYHING? Take recap notes after the meeting. Pay attention and be totally present during the meeting and don't double-work. Then, carve out 5 minutes to recap action items and next steps
STRUGGLING TO GET SHIT DONE? Block out an hour of “focus” time and go on ‘Do Not Disturb’. Put on a playlist or something instrumental, to really get your brain in a flow
DOWNLOAD MY EXCEL: monicameas.com/excel
5. IN THE WORLD
FIRENZE, ITALY: Solo trip to Italy last year (Rome, Florence, Venice). Academically proficient in Italian- studied Italian for 4 years.
HOSTEL: Ostello Bello Firenze
BOBOLI GARDENS: At breakfast, I asked a girl what book she was reading. And so, my new friend @brend_uhhh and I ventured to the Boboli Gardens armed with 4 bottles of wine. Throughout the day, we each read a book in beautiful silence. We walked through archways and quiet pockets of sun-drenched and tree-lined clearings with benches. We admired the Greek and Roman marble statues decorated along the grassy greens
PIZZA: La Divina Pizza in Firenze. Husband makes the pizza and the wife charms the clientele. The sweetest couple & they've won tons of awards for best pizza
TO DO: Hang out at the hostel. I loved meeting new people at breakfast as we moseyed over the buffet. There's a guitar, books, and late-night snack. You can read and chill there. There's also a balcony for the gardeners. This hostel does a good job of hosting events like: family dinner, karaoke, wine walking tours
TO DRINK: Fiddler's Elbow
Thank you for letting me share my light with you,
Monica Sor Meas
