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Dear 21st Century Yogi,

Hello hello, we are sending warm, cozy hugs from Iceland where we have gathered for our annual team offsite to work on some exciting projects in the coming year.

Swapping the city lights for the Northern Lights, watching Ailo run across the acres of farmland to visit the horses grazing in the fields, gazing in awe at the majestic waterfalls and waking up only to the gentle sound of rain has really given us the chance to reflect on the incredible forces of nature and the healing effect it has on us. Nature grounds and reconnects us to Mother Earth, and therefore to ourselves. We forget this as we spend more and more time online, more likely to experience nature as an image or video via a screen than in ‘real life’—to see, smell, touch, and hear.

In our hyper-connected world, it's almost impossible to escape the constant buzz of screens and notifications. We, too, spend plenty of time on our devices: filming and editing content, responding to messages and emails, producing resources and teaching materials, keeping up-to-date with every platform and email, meeting with colleagues, and managing the numerous administrative tasks it takes to keep everything running smoothly. While we are grateful for what technology enables us to do, that’s a lot of screen time!

Digital Detox: What's the Problem with Screen Time?

Check your phone screen time - do it today. You might be a little shocked at how long you spend on your phone. If you’re reading this, then you're looking at a screen, which we actually spend anywhere between 7-10 hours per day doing. Think phones, laptops, televisions… yep, we’re glued to them! For those of you listening to this newsletter with the new audio feature, your eyes are thanking you for the rest right now. 😉 

Screen time can be incredibly creative, a way to connect - it allows us to do what we do! However, if you too are guilty of having 72 tabs open in your browser or flicking between your phone, laptop and TV then take note; this constant switching between tasks can diminish our attention span and hinder deep focus, causing us to remain in a state of perpetual distraction. So, the tech we love for making our jobs easier and more streamlined actually ends up slowing us down and adds to feelings of overwhelm. Setting limits on digital connections can help avoid these distractions, foster healthier social relationships, and even improve sleep quality.

Physical Health Concerns

In our increasingly digital world, the physical health implications of excessive screen time are becoming more apparent. Spending long hours on digital devices can lead to a range of health issues, from obesity to sleep deprivation and eye strain. When we sit for extended periods, glued to our screens, we often adopt a sedentary lifestyle that contributes to weight gain and obesity.

Moreover, the blue light emitted from our beloved digital devices can wreak havoc on our sleep patterns. This disruption can lead to sleep deprivation, which in turn affects our overall health and well-being. And let’s not forget the strain on our eyes—prolonged screen time can cause dry eyes, headaches, and even long-term vision problems. It’s crucial to be mindful of these physical health concerns and take steps to mitigate them, such as taking regular breaks, adjusting screen settings, and incorporating more physical activity into our daily routines.

It’s important not to demonize the digital world as a whole, but to become more aware, more mindful, conscious users of technology and utilize it in a way that helps us maintain our health and well-being.

Social media: is it all bad?

Whether it’s Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, or any other platform (maybe even YouTube), the excessive consumption of social media apps can create feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and loneliness. These apps contribute significantly to smartphone addiction, making it crucial to reduce time spent on them to improve overall well-being. Scrolling through carefully curated images and content can lead to unhealthy comparisons, which trigger negative self-talk and dissatisfaction with one’s own life. It most negatively affects our children and hence our future generation. Learn more about this in the book ‘The Anxious Generation’. And yet, there is some incredibly valuable and inspiring content out there which can serve as motivation for us to take action and to engage in personal growth, explore new places, and to build community. Mindful technology use (rather than mindless!) is the key to foster mental clarity and emotional well-being.

Finding balance: yoga for stillness amidst the noise

From a yogic perspective, balance is the key to harmony. Yoga teaches us that true well-being encompasses not just physical health, but also mental and emotional equilibrium. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna speaks of the importance of detachment—not from the world, but from excessive attachment to its fleeting aspects. By stepping away from the constant barrage of digital stimuli, we can create space for deeper self-awareness and genuine connection, which significantly contributes to our mental well-being by alleviating stress and enhancing emotional health.

Yoga is more than just poses. Prioritizing time every day for yourself—where you can move, meditate, and breathe—takes you away from the notifications that distract you, allowing you to reconnect with your inner self and cultivate a sense of calm. The mind benefits from stillness, so where does your mind find stillness every day?

Embrace solitude and nature

Just as technology evolves, so do our natural rhythms. Spending time in nature, and allowing ourselves to be present in solitude can rejuvenate our spirits and bring us back to our natural state of balance. To those of you who think being in your own company in peace and quiet sounds terrifying, well then perhaps you need it more than most.

Disconnection allows deeper connection

As Rupi Kaur eloquently writes in her poem, "Fall in Love With Your Solitude," time alone often becomes the space where we heal and grow the most. By disconnecting from our screens, we open ourselves up to deeper, more meaningful experiences and connections. Read on to learn about how to reset your relationship with your screen…