Still getting wet

I should try to write in here more often.

I just read back through the last post and am happy to report that I've tossed the food books in the recycling. Well, not entirely, but after reading through a few different books at once and finding that not only did they contradict each other but contradicted themselves, sometimes within a couple of pages, I decided that I was probably the best authority on what food I should put into my body. I came to the conclusion that if I like it and I don't eat my own weight in it each day (like I used to down chocolate), then I'm probably going to keep waking up in the morning.

So far I feel exactly the same as I did when I was spending an extra two hours a day trying to prepare something that was supposedly ideal for my blood, body, brain, personality, sense of humour type. I still have enough energy to spend 12 hours a day working in the office (hmm, that I need to work on) and I'm sleeping just fine (no long term effects from my polyphasic experiment so far.)

My only relatively new personal development news is that in September I'm going to embark on a month long yoga teacher training. I worked out that the three yoga teachers here are more often than not unable to take the classes we advertise as being available every day, so I thought I might be able to take at least beginner classes. It's also going to be a nice education for me, and it's happening less than a minute's walk from my door, so how could I refuse? Living with the teacher has its advantages, so I'm already reading one of the highly recommended books for the course, The Heart Of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar. I'm enjoying it a lot, it seems to make a lot of sense. There's a lot of talk in there about not just āsanas but working on the mind and perspective.


I got to thinking about this, and noticed how so many people I seem to come into contact with now are so focussed on becoming an alpha human, a creature who can drop all earthly vices and negativity and abide as the most calm, spiritual and positive being imaginable. And yet, they have just as many or more issues than the drunken moron I used to sell merch to, who thought dribbling his warm beer over himself was about as spiritual as life got. Somehow, all this inner work is just not translating from the serene reading in bed at night to the hard reality of actually living life. To my mind it's like we're all spending a lot of time drying ourselves furiously with a large, fluffy towel in the comforts of our house before walking out in the rain thinking we're going to stay dry. The best we can hope for is that we remember to keep hold of that towel so at least we have a piece of damp material to hold over our heads when the downpour begins.


It's not an analogy that I think serves as an excuse to forget it all and start shooting smack, but it's an interesting thing that I try to keep in mind when I find myself swearing at the computer or losing my temper with someone who works with me. As Desikachar observes in his book, personal development is not something designed for our age of haste, it's something that will take a lifetime. Not even can, but will. Anyone who thinks otherwise, as far as I can gather, is probably only setting themselves back further.