While I was meditating today, of course I was mentally composing this. It was the same when I was at my 10-day retreat so long ago except this time, my brain played Lizzo’s ‘Soulmate’ on a loop instead of Tool. I mentally wrote while I was there too but at least this time, my hour was comfortably in my cool home instead of the heat of the meditation hall amidst 100 sick people. You can read about that here. None of the below are sponsoring this post, these are just companies I like.
My initial thought was about companies that tend to make my life easier, as I’d finished a workout with FitOn app moments before. I learned about FitOn through Jewel Staite of Firefly fame. I needed something I could tailor to my ongoing hip issues, while I’m still working towards getting back to running. For now, I’m focusing on flexibility and core strength by FitOn offers varying difficulty levels and styles of workouts, such as HIIT, yoga, pilates, or dance. Plus, workouts are free!
Before my workouts, I need my coffee. It’s a fact of life, like needing air. Due to its necessity, I also ensure I’m getting the best coffee possible, so I use Just Coffee Coop out of Wisconsin. They provide Fair Trade coffee with incredible flavor. They offer a number of single origin blends but my go-to is their Half Caff blend. Less caffeine= more coffee. Also, if you’re going to be buying the best coffee around, make sure your water is great too! I use water distilled in my Water Wise distiller.
We all know, all tap waters are not created the same. While the water in Estes Park is cool, crisp snowmelt, the reputation of the water from the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board is less…salutary. AND plastic water bottles are destroying our environment. So, I distill my own water. It’s especially helpful in a city full of boil advisories but a great option if tap water isn’t to your taste or would in anyway mar the flavor of your coffee.
Typically while drinking my coffee black, I pour over my Commit 30 planner. All my appointments, social commitments, workout plans, grocery lists, and more end up in this planner and it doubles as a sticker book, in my case at least. Commit 30 is a small, woman-owned company out of Boulder, CO, and I just purchased my 4th year planner for 2022. I love how versatile they are, depending on what your priorities are. The message of the company is to commit at least 30 minutes a day to yourself- be it organizing your hectic life, or 30 minutes of movement to stay fit and healthy.
I don’t have a cute segue to the next company except to say yesterday, I was out with my lady friends and several of us were on our periods, so I had a moment to interject my love of two products and the companies I personally use. The items are menstrual cups/ discs and period panties! You can read about previous raves of these products here and you’ll learn that I tend to use the Diva Cup and use Thinx period panties. Especially when Thinx occasionally has a 30% off sale! Not only do they make periods easier to deal with, the products are better for the planet and our bodies.
And when I have PMS and hate the world, I love my ANC Beats. I never knew I really needed noise canceling headphones until I got them and now I can’t live without. Especially when flying. They make the stress of airports far easier to manage. My Beats are comfortable enough for all daywear, for those days when your flight gets delayed 6 hours.
Finally, not a company, but what makes my life so much easier? Vipassana meditation. I learned of Vipassana while I was in undergrad at FSU and I went on my retreat after graduation. It was life-altering in the most subtle way. It isn’t a big overture; it’s the white noise that drowns out some of the chaotic noise of life. Today, I sat for an hour… which I hate to say is the longest sitting I’ve done in years. I’ve used meditation in so many ways over the years and getting back to it now as I’m trying to “feel it all” is so grounding.
As to how “feeling it all” has been, I’ve been finding that more sobriety means more creativity, hence more writing. I also seem to have more time, except that it’s that same time used differently. It’s been lovely. Better sleep. Better connection with my friends. Not necessarily on better terms with my brain yet but we are working on it, and I see neurology tomorrow!