Tag: yoga

We got that attitude! – 15th March 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful for all the apps I use in the morning. Home Workout, Samsung Health, Yoga and Smiling Mind. How easy is it now to find and follow information for health benefits? We used to have to go to a GP who would just tell you you need to exercise more. I am so lucky to have these tools available to help my life.

Two weeks into March already and I haven’t been back here to write. Have I been busy? Obviously – but with what, it’s difficult to say.

Dylan and Champ asked me how my weekend was this morning and what did I do? I told them that I played with a dog, looked at the sky and watched a tree. They chuckled but I was semi-serious.

Of course, I could’ve told them we took the cats to the vet and had lunch with my in-laws but really that mundane stuff says nothing. When I mentioned watching a tree it sparked thoughts and minor conversation as to its purpose. I said trees are important, to which all agreed but, to watch one?

To be honest, I don’t believe I did watch a tree though I did look at quite a few – some nice gum trees at the cafe where we had lunch. But now I’ve mentioned it I think I will watch a tree and see what I can figure out from it.

The best thing that happened today was talking to some grade 8 students in the canteen and getting them to stop being scared to try to speak English. I also talked with Alice and Kam about next semester’s classes and it was interesting to see how more confident they are since I was teaching them a year and a half ago.

It’s very relaxing at school at the moment as this is the final week for students and no one is seriously teaching. Both students and teachers are very relaxed and happy.

We got that attitude! – 5th February 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful for the eggs and toast Amy made for breakfast this morning. All the work of the farmers to raise their chickens, grow their crops and the bakers, the shopkeepers, delivery drivers. So many people involved just to bring me a small amount of food to give me energy through the day.
I am so happy and grateful for yoga. I always feel good after doing it. Even though my body is not yet flexible I hope over time that it will become more stretchy. Like everything – little by little, bit by bit.

Today I sent a message out to my classes saying Happy Friday. Some of the kids in 1/11, who always look like they really don’t enjoy my class, sent me messages back saying they miss me (they’ve been doing Scouts all week instead of regular lessons). I was surprised and asked them if they preferred studying with me and they said yes! That made me feel pretty good.

I realise I’ve nearly finished reading Notes From Underground – that’s twice in about three weeks I’ve read it. The Underground Man hits very close to home! But it helps me understand that it is ok to be the way I am – even if my world doesn’t always look so good. I’m here in my own mousehole – thinking, breathing, living. It’s ok.

And then you start to enjoy it, take all the plugs out – 30th January 2021

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Do you find it normal that there are daily demonstrations by ________? That women in love run away from their Prince Charming? That people dream about farms rather than love? That men and women sell their time, but can never buy it back again? And yet, all these things happen, so it really doesn’t matter what I believe or don’t believe; all these things are normal. Everything that goes against Nature, against our most intimate desires, is normal in our eyes, even though it’s an aberration in God’s eyes. We seek out our own inferno, we spend millennia building it, and after all that effort, we are now able to live in the worst possible way.

– Maria, Eleven Minutes – Paulo Coelho

Certain passages just jump out at you when you read them. Resonate with your thoughts and feelings at that particular time.

In the text, the blank is ‘Kurds’ in the first sentence, but this day I’m writing, or this day you are reading, you can fill it in with anything. There are sure to be daily demonstrations somewhere in the world, about some injustice or other, and so that we have spent millennia building this reality and despite all our efforts we end up living in the worst possible way – and that is what we perceive as normal.

The picture attached is not connected with this thought in any way. I took it this morning, riding around after finishing reading Eleven Minutes at my regular weekend coffee stop. The newly planted rice looked weak and vulnerable deep in the water. Though from the angle of the photo it looks much more cohesive.

There is a cafe in the middle of the fields, working the photo opportunity whilst the rice is growing. Rice is life here. Other fields are burning off their waste, ready for the next season.

The shack at the corner, a shield from the sun for tired sweaty workers to take a breath. It is a romantic structure, though I will never find myself in need of its use.

The big tree behind the shack looks strong at base yet scrawny at height. It looks climbable, it looks liveable – build a treehouse and live above the land.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for Amy’s yoga mat which I have been able to borrow and use in the mornings before going to work. Before I would slip and slide around on my rug.

We got that attitude! – 17th December 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I am so happy and grateful for the yoga app because it helps me to stretch in the morning and prepare my back for the day.

21st Feb 2023 – I can’t even remember what this app is now. I don’t tend to stick with health apps as they usually end up needing a subscription to continue at some point, so I kind of adapt what I can remember and add new things as I come across them and find them helpful. I don’t do any yoga now but do a little bit of neck stretching along with some exercise in the morning.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #55 – 12th September 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

From now I’m going to tell you that these selections are highly curated, carefully selected and specifically ordered for your listening edification by world-renowned DJtenzenmen.

I tell you this because these kinds of things sell!

The truth is that the music is randomly selected by iTunes – but as the iTunes library is already carefully selected with only the best top quality material from 50 years of research then satisfaction is surely guaranteed!

This week there’s music from Shield Your Eyes, Cecil Buffalo and the Prophets, DJ PicaPicaPica, Invisible Ghost Luigi, Mutants, Butthole Surfers, PFM, Sun City Girls, Gelbart, Ne Zhdali, The Freeze, Massacre, Cypress Hill, Deep Turtle and Orthrelm.

Intro and background music by Utotem.

Brain dump (by mouth)

Attempting morning pages exercise using dictation with phone (Samsung)

Your post goes against community standards
Who was the man in the castle?
Ride around MFU placing stickers – advertising podcast – my stickers are tiny – maybe some people will see, will notice
Utopia this morning – met Pim, Fern’s friend
Woke up late – decided to turn off alarm in the middle of the night – My plan schedule now out of whack
Soon I will read Hendrix – Maybe sort out some more music – Do yoga – Meditating – some more reading – Maybe record some more podcasts in the evening
Try to relax
Teaching English online – I don’t look forward to it but enjoy it when it happens
2 o’clock already
Big rain – big sun big rain
Next week not many hours – How to make use of the time – Always things to do

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for my cracking neck these days. Hopefully, it is cracking more because it is becoming more flexible with doing more stretching and yoga. It feels sore but better than before.