What's your demarcation point between the end of this week and the start of next week?

"Hear your breath", "Feel your breath", "Breathe", "Go inward", "Quiet the mind", "Observe your breath", "Find your centre", "Namaste".

These are the words I hear each Sunday morning, and it is at this point, that I move from the current week and start looking forward, planning and being prepared for the week ahead!

I more or less have the same routine each weekend, ironically it hasn't changed much through these last 11 months either. Most Saturday mornings I wake earlier than I do during the week, I'm not sure why though, but I catch up with the weeks news whilst having breakfast and then spend a few hours clearing the work/business tasks I haven't completed and finish by Saturday lunchtime.

What works for you? When are you most productive, creative or get through a lot and can clear the decks as such?

Often Saturday mornings for me are spent reading, reviewing documents and writing up reports for clients. I'm my most attentive and creative on Saturday mornings and if I have a spare hour before lunchtime, I'll try and write a blog too, such as this one. 

How do you relax and switch off over the weekend?

Saturday afternoons for me, are nearly always spent working on the house or garden. We are doing up an old Edwardian property, typically a bigger task that we initially envisaged, but 2 years in and hopefully by this next winter the majority of the major work will be complete. 

Prior to lockdowns and when we could mingle, I would often wrap up early and meet my wife and daughters for a happy hour meal at one of the local Italian resteruants in town. My girls really enjoy retail therapy and to browse but that's not my bag as such.

Saturday evening normally involves us all watching a family film, mind I don't get much choice what we watch, maybe a takeaway if we haven't been out for a late lunch / early dinner, and a few glasses of our favourite tipple.

However it's Sunday mornings that are really pivotal in my week and i look forward to most. 

I've been doing Yoga for the last 8 years, to be honest it wasn't something I ever considered till a chance conversation with somebody. I had alway's tended to run, walk, hike, bike, swim, go to the gym, you name it to get my buzz and exercise. However this person said to me; 

"have you ever considered slowing down Peter?" and "Doing something to calm the mind?" 

So based on her advice, I started slowly trying out Yoga on the Nintendo Wii at first. Interestingly when you're on the Wii balance board this can help with the right pose and alignment and a great starting point. Then I recall my wife bought me a DVD and over the last few years I've gradually worked my way up and through different Yoga programmes and now do just over an hour's Ultimate Power Yoga, once a week. My body and muscles, ligaments, joints still burn and the buzz doesn't wear off till about Wednesday lunchtime too!

Yoga in any form, isn't for the faint hearted. You need to make time and like all activities do regularly to see and feel the benefits. What I have found, no matter how fit you are, Yoga increases your heat rate, you sweat and can even be wobbly on your feet now and again. Yoga has totally changed my fitness levels and flexibility. I really push myself through the programme each week and it is only really in the last 10 minutes during the warm down and stretches that I believe I really see the benefit.

I stop thinking about everything before or ahead of me at that point in time, I just get caught in the moment. The here and now and just me, and being totally conscious of my whole body, organs and breathing! 

This routine sets me up for the week ahead and something I never have an excuse for not doing each week.

I'd be interested in what works for you?

If you are inclined to look into Yoga, I know there are many classes and hopefully these will be up and running again shortly but I recommend trying out some of the programmes on Gaiam TV 

Web link https://www.gaiamtv.com/  also available on the Amazon Firestick. 

I follow Rodney Yee's classes and it also helps greatly that these are set on the shores of Hawaii too!

Namaste!