SECRET TO HAPPINESS: Shout out to those mental endorphins friends of yours -tell them there is a VIP party – they are on the guest list and give yourself a head to toe workout.

TRADITION: T’ai Chi  I (not my thing – but an example)

DATE: Everyday

CELEBRATED: Shang-gai China

AAAAAAAAAAARHGGGG LEAVE ME ALONE!

“AAAAAAARGHGHh ( I have released your inner Godzilla) , why  are you torturing me with this talk of exercise so early in the morning /evening – ever,Daisy?” 

Lose the guilt over those extra cookies, ice cream you ate. There is nothing you can do about it now. You can keep the T.V. on – you might need it- like I do. I am going to ask you to get up…

Here is the patronising part of the post, ready? 

When your body is on ‘do not disturb’ mode, your mind has jumped some poor hotel room cleaner, dressed in her clothes and is heading straight for that room with the ‘Do not disturb sign’.  You all just going to fester away. 

THERE HE IS AGAIN…..

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH ( Godzilla mode), I have no energy, I’m tired. I’ve travelled to Spain and back , help choose, buy and re decorate a house -in one hour.Okay well, I mentally worked and help that lovely couple on T.V. choose a house. Shouting at a T.V. can be exhausting ,you know?”

One of my biggest coping mechanisms apart from taking my meds. Is exercise . I  don’t feel like doing it everyday. I got myself into a bit of a lull a while back and I was going through the motions but not really OWNING my work out. I’m an old school raver and  I can’t afford to pay for fancy gym memberships. So  most of the furniture is rearranged  in my living room ,so I  can pump it up to club house anthems/tunes. I have a full on rave in my living room everyday. VIP for me and my E’s, baby! Pure Evian water and one ‘sexy’ mama shaking my booty like some 20 year old dang fine thing. Can, you picture it? 

No. I can’t . I struggle with the body rolls. The one move I like  most and looks rather sexy. I roll about as smoothly as a person who has just got punched in the stomach. Not the rhythm and look I am really going for.

WHAT I WANT MY BODY TO DO

WHAT MY BODY DOES.

 Thing is I had a bit of a chat with the exercise part of me a few weeks back. I was like,

“Dudette, listen.( I like to think my inner mind harbours green female Ninja turtles)  What is the point of the doing all this dancing if you are not in the moment?. There is no body watching you. Turn down the paranoia volume. Turn the music volume up. You don’t need to look like these girls just shake what your mama gave you and feel the music. 

It worked! It is working. Never doubt the power of a good talk with thy lovely selves. I’ve got that buzz that I lost for a bit. Not everyone wants to do Rave work out D.V.D.s’ and that is cool. 

Over the hills and far away, there is a mile long esplanade that hugs the Huanpu River. There you  can  see the mind and body revitalise in slow- mo matrix mode. 

Everyday as Apollo rides his chariot pulling back the moons blanket  shaking out last nights grit of slumber from the eyes.  There are people.  All sorts of people making their way to the edge of the ocean, in chinos or whatever feels comfortable, they all get together and do a mass mind and body  YAWN repertoire. Easy does it. A few gentle stretches does it.

There is no judgement, no one scoring you out of 10. Some people exert themselves  more and do a ballet style of sword waving . Others just mill about in a state of tranquil activity.If that makes sense?

MESSAGE : I know not everyone has has the time nor the energy to do a massive gym workout but T’ai chi is a great example of a type of meditative exercise that  isn’t ageist, sexist` or any other -ists- you can think of. It’s subtle. If you are not feeling the T’a chi vibe. Personally  I don’t find it does enough for me.  I used to do it when I was an inpatient  in hospitals for my Eating disorder.It may be the same with you, then look at learning some other martial art or something else. Something that get the blood pumping, the body toning and the result -is an epic High- no drug beats it. Trust me, I have tried a load of drugs in my time.