On this side of the road I am a yogi, a Pilates teacher, an ambassador of meditation – then I cross the road and turn into a publican, a chef, a burger delivery driver, a karaoke singer, and a late night party host!
My wife Rose and I own and run the Queens Head Pub just over the road, so it really does feels like I live a double life sometimes! We also have 3 incredible girls aged 2, 3 & 5, and we all live above the pub along with their amazing grandparents (Rose’s parents) of whom some of you will have met as Grandma Mary works on Ebb&Flow reception! It certainly feels like we are in the trenches at times with our 3 devilish angels but my favourite thing in the world is waking up and seeing their faces every morning.
So one of the questions I get asked all the time is how do I juggle it all?
Well the truth is I don’t.
I breathe.
Through focusing on the breath I meditate in that moment, and in that moment my brain relaxes, my mind calms, and there are no lists, no narrative, no worries, no stress, no concept of what I am meant to be juggling.
I am just present, I just exist.
And following that moment I can crack on with the next task with a smile on my face. Then I just repeat this constantly, almost never fully seeing the chaos (full disclosure: occasionally I do see the chaos, causing an overwhelming sense of panic, and I immediately retreat back to the breathe and shut that craziness down as quick as possible!)
It’s the art of not trying to juggle anything. Not drowning, not swimming, just floating in the right direction effortlessly, rather than struggling to keep your head above water or overexerting your energy to swim to the destination. It gives you the ability to go with flow, to be ok when your plans are completely uprooted by life, to be calm and centred no matter what is thrown at you.
But isn’t that just being unorganised?
(I get asked that all the time!)
Not at all. I still make plans, I still use a diary, I still make a task list. But by breathing and meditating, my emotional state is not affected by these things and I can pivot when needed.
Breath and meditation changed my life, which is why it’s become my most favourite practice to teach. I focus on the word breath because meditation holds a stigma that everyone needs to be seated for 10/20/30 minutes and this is where we all struggle to find the time. And then when we leave the mat after 30 minutes – what practices are we continuing throughout the day? A single full breath in and breath out can be meditation, and can be easily and effectively achieved regularly throughout the day, without having to “find the time”.
When we do something regularly enough it becomes a habit. When you make breath and meditation a habit you can handle anything. You can unlock your best self. You can release the narrative and become who you are meant to be. I want to inspire you to breathe more and juggle less!
If you want to explore this further, you can join Owen in his meditation workshop on Saturday 11th May from 2pm to 4pm – his workshops are also free to members as part of our exclusive members benefits!
