5 Tips for Mental Agility

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creativity, mental agility, relationships, yoga community, Yoga Holiday With Paul, yoga mind body, Yoga With Paul

Mental agility means being willing to learn and able find new connections between things. It helps us become comfortable with uncertainty and teaches us to analyse situations carefully instead of simply reacting.

Sounds useful, right?

The rub is that our goal-oriented lives can reduce mental agility. When we focus on achieving a task we can get into the habit of doing what we know works, instead of taking the time to consider alternatives or try something new.

These five tips for mental agility can help you break out of your rut.

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

Ask “why?”

Adults love to joke, or complain, about how kids are always asking why? It drives parents and teachers nuts sometimes but it helps children learn fast.

To cultivate mental agility, get back into the habit of asking “why?” You can start by asking yourself — why do I always do this this way? Why do I feel like this? Why am I happy/frustrated/disappointed/jealous?

This is a way of practicing active mindfulness which can change our lives and world.

Embrace imperfection

Trying to avoid mistakes or failure keeps us locked in routine. To stay safe, we stop doing things that are difficult or unfamiliar, and retreat into what we know we’re good at.

This can be comfortable, but it does not do much for our long-term mental or emotional growth. When we embrace imperfection — ours and that of others — we open up to new possibilities and learning experiences.

Grow your community

Our minds are shaped by relationships. From infancy, we discover the world through interactions. Every stage of our life is marked by new social bonds.

As adults, the rate of new relationships slows as we establish partnerships and friend groups. Meeting new people is a way to continue learning from others. Volunteering, travel, and hobbies are all great ways to expand community.

Move on

Sometimes, we resist new experiences, or trying new things, because we’re loathe to have another commitment in our busy lives. To prevent this from becoming a barrier, give yourself permission to try something and move on. Took a fitness class but didn’t enjoy it? Fine, you don’t have to go back. Went to a gallery and were bored stiff? Okay, maybe it’s not for you. Don’t judge yourself, just be happy you tried it.

Do yoga

You knew I was going to say this, right? Yoga is the ultimate tool for increasing our physical and mental agility. Not only that, it is a great chance to make new friends and embrace imperfection.

For a chance to practice all five of these tips, join Yoga Holiday With Paul in Cyprus from 13-19 September. We’ll be practicing yoga, making friends, dancing, meditating, laughing, hitting the beach and much more!

Email YogaHolidayWithPaul@gmail.com for details and booking.

Yoga = CommUnity

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Help Refugees, human rights, Imads Syrian Kitchen, London pop-up restaurant, London volunteering, refugees, yoga community, yoga philosophy, Yoga With Paul

Yoga means unity. Every practice is individual but it shouldn’t be solitary. Part of growing as a yogi is extending the benefits we experience to others, in whatever form possible.

I recently spent an inspiring day volunteering at Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, participating in a fundraiser for Help Refugees.

Imad is a wonderful spirit, a refugee himself who is using his skills as a chef and restauranteur to aid others who are struggling to reach safety and rebuild their lives.

It reminded me how closely linked we are as humans. We can’t ignore what’s happening around us, or the needs of others, because we are all connected. We live here together, on this planet, in this moment. We have a daily opportunity to make the world a better place by how we choose to relate.

By participating in our community, we embody the true meaning of yoga. The inward unity of mind-body-spirit that we seek in the studio becomes woven into the fabric of our relationships with others. It truly makes a difference.

Even if you don’t have time to volunteer, there are lots of ways to engage with your community. It might be as simple as helping a neighbour, making a donation or signing a petition to support a good cause. Whatever you can do, don’t wait. Do it!

More about Help Refugees

Help Refugees started as nothing more than a hashtag in August 2015. A group of friends wanted to raise and fill a van full of donations to take down to Calais. Within a week, we had raised . We were soon receiving 7,000 items every day.

Fast forward three years, and we have helped over 722,500 people, managed over 25,000 volunteers, and we support more 80 projects across Europe and the Middle East. We have established a fieldwork first, networked approach to giving aid, establishing local networks and working with local partners to deliver projects.

Click here to learn more and get involved!

Feel Good February

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Feel Good Feb, gratitude, kindness, mindful living, random acts of kindness, yoga, yoga community, yoga outreach, Yoga With Paul

February is often thought of as a drab, miserable month with the holidays long over and spring a long way off. Which is why I love the idea of Feel Good Feb, an initiative started by Australian teacher, writer and activist Linda Pang.

Photo via Feel Good Feb

According to the website,

Feel Good Feb was created to encourage and inspire people to initiate random acts of  kindness for their fellow community members. There has been extensive research to prove that ‘giving out good’ not only benefits the receiver but also increases the happiness of the giver. There’s mental happiness and physical benefits for all involved. It is a win-win situation!

In our fast changing world, there seems to be a lot of negative news that we are exposed to. Feel Good Feb is here to bring a ray of brightness and light into the world – and it’s done by YOU.

We would love people to have the intention and take the time to simply ‘lift the vibe’ of those around them. One random act of kindness (RAK) can bring a smile to someone’s face. No matter how big or how small your RAK is, you will be helping make someone’s day that much better.You can literally change their life just by being kind. Then in turn, maybe they will do a kind deed for someone else.  Kindness will flow organically, creating a ripple effect of happiness.

What a brilliant idea. Small gestures can make a big difference. How about paying for an extra bottle of water at the yoga studio and ask the receptionist to give it to the next person through the door? Or taking the time after class to chat to introduce yourself to a fellow student? Or writing a note to a friend you haven’t seen lately?

There are so many ways we can lift and encourage each other. Let’s do it!

Share your ideas for random acts of kindness in the comments!

London Volunteer Opportunities

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compassion, Do-It Trust, Do-It.org, Hands On London, London volunteer, London volunteering, mindfulness, Team London, volunteers, yoga, yoga community, Yoga With Paul

Putting positive energy into a good cause is a way to connect with people, cultivate compassion and empathy, practice mindfulness, and open up to new experiences. In other words, volunteering is a lot like yoga! Which is probably why many of my friends and students volunteer.

I’m sure even more would if they had time — or the time to find opportunities. I did a bit of Googling and found some great umbrella organisations that can help you get started in volunteer work. Here goes!

Hands On London

“We started in 2010, working as an intermediary between not-for-profits, chariti

es, community groups and volunteers like you. We also offer opportunities for corporate volunteering. We have a growing network of charity partners which allows us to bring diverse and flexible opportunities into one place so it’s easy to choose what you do.”

Team London

“Volunteering is a great way to build stronger links between communities as it brings people of different ages and backgrounds together. It can also help increase social mobility and ensures that London’s opportunities are open to all.

“Since Team London launched in 2012, over 150,000 adults and 100,000 young Londoners have joined the programme. Together, they’re helping to make our city even better.

“Londoners lead busy lives, so Team London gives people the chance to volunteer in a way that suits them. There are thousands of opportunities to volunteer in London – from one-off events to longer-term commitments. From joining in a local clean-up to helping kids learn to read, there really is something for everyone.”

Do-It.org

“The UK’s national volunteering database, Do-it.org makes it easy for anyone to volunteer in their community.

“Do-it.org lists over 1m volunteering opportunities that are posted by volunteer centres, national/local charities and voluntary groups. Enabling 200,000 people every month to donate their time and build their skills, Do-it ensures that almost 50,000 organisations find the help they need to provide vital services to the community.”

Suggestions? Tips? Share your favourite cause in the comments.