I'm doing my annual flip through of Dr Rangan Chatterjee's 'Feel better in Five'. At sometime during the year I'll go back to it for a reminder. His premise is that if you sped Five minutes a day on each of three short activities Five days a week, you will feel a lot better. He sets out a mix to choose from, under the heading of mind, body, spirit, an you choose one from each category.
For spirit, I spend five minutes a day outside, or looking out of the window if it is too cold for me to go out.
For body, I'm doing the five minute daily ballet based exercises - thoracic (upper body) stretches today,
For mind, I'm reading, writing, and keeping my daily page-day diary going.
I find that a few weeks of this gently sorts out any looming lethargy. Of course the best cure for lethargy is to DO SOMETHING instead of just thinking about it! So yesterday I dusted off the piano and played through a chunk of 'Dozen a Day' exercises. Just about anyone who ever learned the piano used these books!
The exercises are illustrated with delightful little stick-man drawings, even at the advanced levels, and everyone I've ever taught, and me too come to think of it, colours them in as they go...
....
Ang's 2By2 collaboration stitching arrived today. I've just about finished mine. As usual I thought I'd chosen a quick project for mine. As usual it isn't!
I'll post mine tomorrow. I just need to get on with it.
Which reminds me
I have two memories of the very first nursery school I attended; Mrs Stallman, I think she was called, used to lead us into a elegant drawing room, and we walked round in a circle all holding hands and singing nursery rhymes while she played the grand piano. Very staid. Very dull. Then we would go into a smaller darker room. We all sat at little desks working in our exercise books. I had a desk over in the corner, surrounded by a fire guard because I worked so slowly. I can remember Mrs Stallman continually nagging me; 'Get on dear, get on!'. My mother rescued me quite soon, or maybe Mrs Stallman asked her to take me away... The next nursery school was a much brighter and happier place.
the phrase 'Get on dear, get on!' in an exasperated tone of voice lives on in by subconscious even now, 65 years later. Oh dear.
At the moment my scales are sounding too much like this
Instead of like this!
Ha, I like it when they play a messed up version of the Carnival! I used a Dozen a Day. Lots of people use Piano Time now, funnily enough my MiL is trying to find a beginner book for someone who has not been taught properly and is finding it hard as they have not learnt to read but just improvise lots or just copy.
ReplyDeleteI've taught a lot with piano time. It's very good as far as it goes... I've never found the perfect tutor book. I wish your MiL well; latterly I used to get students who had learned everything off the Internet ('I can play Clair de Lune and Auntie Jean says I'm really good') bug just couldn't bring themselves to knuckle down and learn to reac music. Very hard work for teachers and pupils alike.
DeleteThe Feel Better in Five sounds like an interesting exercise.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange how those memories from childhood and sayings/things that happen shape our lives years later?
I've never managed to get an amaryllis to do anything the second year. I usually give up on them in the end.
DeleteFeel feter in 5 is a good pick me up, although the pictures of Dr R looking like a magazine shoot with his smoothie or doing yoga etc get annoying!
DeleteI remember being read a rather terrifying Enid Blyton story called "Do Hurry Up Dinah!" where the slow child nearly turned into a tortoise . The wizened old couple up the road warned her "Your skin will become dry and scaly like
ReplyDeleteours, and the you will start to grow a shell" . I got scared when my teacher told me to work faster. Fortunately my parents were able to reassure me that tortoisification would NOT happen, and the saying "Do hurry up Dinah!" became a family joke.
EB had a rather tough streak in her stories.... I don't remember the tortoise one but it sounds typical.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful post, dear Kirsten.
ReplyDeletePhysical exercises are very important, otherwise we become stiff... our bodies were created for movement. Just like our minds.
It's absolutely wonderful that you play the piano... what could be more beautiful than expressing yourself?
I'm also looking forward to seeing your embroidery.
I wish you a happy day—today and tomorrow... :-))
hugs, Viola
My muscles are telling me I haven't been moving enough 😫!
DeleteI'd like to get back to playing the piano more. I more or less stopped playing when I was doing a lot of teaching. Time to restart!
Isn't it harsh how things like "Get on dear etc" stay with us forever. I was always told by numerous teachers "To stop day dreaming and get on". I wasn't day dreaming but planning a strategy on how to get on! Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteThinkers have always been misunderstood by doers...
DeleteHaving a focus and a routine is essential for a balanced life. I really must try them both . . .
ReplyDeleteLet me know when you have discovered the secret. 😃
DeleteThat sounds a bit rude, I meant could you share the secret with me when you have discovered it!
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