Ozlilly's musings...

I’m sitting in the Café at Kur Hotel StJosef. I’m inspired by the philosophy of the house and despite resistance, forced to admire the “Kur neu, Gesundheit Vorsorge Aktiv”, the health care programme provided by the Austrian pension fund.
I see therapists supporting people, guiding people, advising us and encouraging us to take responsibility for a self determined active healthy lifestyle. This morning one lady appeared to break down during a simple gymnastic exercise on a large rubber ball. The therapist asked her to go sit down on his chair, the chief chair where she spent the rest of the time recovering, partially in tears. My tears come automatically just being in such an environment.
The therapist continued the class talking about the value of self-awareness, of how certain things can come up as we do our own body work and the need to be patient and aware. After the end of the class, as she stood up to let him back to his chair, he urged her to sit down and take her time. Then he sat on the ball beside her and talked to her as we all left the room. She was still very emotional. I was in awe.
After initial complaints that they have scrapped most of the massages in this new kur, it seems to be obvious that the push to self-motivated movement, the nudge to self-awareness, I would even say, mindfulness, is really a constructive step in the right direction. As I reflect on my own situation I know that now I will be able to go to the pool every day if I want to, to sit on the home trainer every morning, noon or night and to get my steps in around town, or even take a tram up to the hillside parks and gardens surrounding Vienna to walk in the countryside.

FOMO

I tend so easily to lapse into FOMO Fear of Missing Out. Here I am in the beautiful countryside, so close to the historical town of Hallein, forests and hills all around, and I am sitting inside, dealing with my thoughts and feelings. It has been a treat to be “allowed” to rest in the middle of the day, to go into the pool at night, sometimes all alone, just like in Kirchberg! This place seems to be teaching: trust the universe. And I am learning.

So I just read the advice under the link above and guess what? I’m doing it! I do not have internet in my room. I plan my day to come downstairs to the lobby to check my mails. I am not glued to my mobile phone. In fact, sometimes I think I should perhaps be calling my kids to ask how they are, when in fact I leave my phone behind most of the time. I sometimes forget to check it for days and recognize a week later that somebody called or messaged me.
I often think of how simple life was in the past and how easy it is to get addicted to social media and 100% internet time. No, that’s not the life I want. I want the convenience of an efficient internet. I do not want to pay more for a faster internet if the infrastructure can’t provide me with the stable connection I want to be able to stream a video report without interruptions. I want to be able to watch my crime series anytime I feel like it and not be tied to Tuesday night at eight fifteen. But I do not need to be available twenty-four seven. I love being here in the country-side. I do not HAVE to go up the mountain to appreciate. I appreciate it even from the window. I am living in the present. Mindful. Grateful.

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