The Rule of 3; love, travel and just you.

Growing up I was taught two sayings to live by; “Do to others as you would want done to you”, and “There is no such word as can’t”. About 4 years ago I added a new rule to live by: “The Rule of 3”.

I didn’t realise how pliable this rule was at the time. It began as a recommendation of when I would goto the beach, each time I exit the sand I take with me 3 items which are not meant to be there. I then applied this rule to exercise training, each time I was completed my session I would choose 3 exercises and complete 3 more rounds, it also translated to my meditation; 3 more minutes each day, and then to my daily schedule; 3pm each day became 3 deep exhales; trust me with this one! Set that alarm, then to my eating habits; each morsel which past my lips deserves 3 bites to extract the flavour and savour the moment.

To some this may sound like a stress, an anxiety or even a counting disorder; yet for me it quickly became a pleasure. The Rule of 3 became my most enjoyable part of each differing task. I believe this was my appreciated as a result from investment into my current environment. I completely invested each sense and recognize the full worth of of each task.

As I age I become more grateful to my upbringing; reflection on my childhood with immense gratitude to my homestyle upbringing, building respect, discipline and commitment from 3 simple morals.

Passing this forward I have detailed 3 ways for the everyday mother, worker and traveller to stay respectful irrelevant country travelled to, disciplined to a healthy routine and committed to staying happy and positive reflecting forward onto the local community.

1. Learn 5 facts about the location you intend to travel to; below I have listed some of Sri Lanka’s helpful hints:
   1. Things move slow; people, plans, days, and the waves! Basically everything except the TukTuk traffic; find your way to enjoy this, remember you are on holiday!
   2. The local food is mostly for the locals; I love throwing myself into new cultures  yet there is a difference between experiencing culture and spending some quality time in the cubicle; use caution for those without tough bellies.
   3. Prices are the Prices; for those who love to haggle amongst the locals be aware that majority of prices within Sri are final; occasionally you will find the cheeky local whom may try to ask more for the TukTuk than the first driver but majority of the transactions are set. Ask your Reception or Guide for average costs.
   4. Respect the History! Sri Lanka is transitioning since the Civil War yet many traditions are still in place: please females keep wits about, it is always an idea to pack that extra sarong with your day bag as you may need it depending on where you travel to.
   5. Tourism is still developing: this means that; the locals like to practise their English they are also the nicest people of the world, keep in mind that they are from another upbringing although so be understanding that their hygiene isn’t the same as Western Standards; embrace it!
2. 5 things I pack to keep healthy and active in majority of countries I have travelled to:
   1. A re-useable water bottle! If we know that we need a minimum of 2 litres in our own climate think about how your body reacts to a complete flip. Water is the bodies regulator; I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t want to be regular?
   2. Runners: closed in shoes which are lightweight to keep you lightweight!
   3. Skipping rope: or any step will work; begin with 2 minutes break 30 seconds and repeat for rounds- the hardest part is to get started.
   4. Physio Bands: great for upper body, core, glutes, legs you name it! Check out @elle.kine.health for videos of possible training.
   5. Journal: Writing in a journal is one of the oldest methods of self-exploration and expression. Although they’re not written for publication and often don’t last longer than their authors, we have extraordinary examples of journals in the work of Virginia Woolf, Thomas Merton, May Sarton, and Anne Frank, among others. As these illustrate, a journal can help one cultivate the ability to live in the present, to become deeply aware and appreciative of life. There are many journal practices.
3. 5 ways to stay mindful irrelevant where you are in the world:
   1. Set an alarm for 3pm everyday; when this alarm sounds you stop what you are doing and take 3 deep breathes.
   2. Understand that where you travel to you are leaving your bubble; you will be exposed to a new environment, climate, (potentially) religion, style of living with this it is important to remind yourself and your travelling companions that you can acknowledge the pain, you can want to help, but you have to recognize that you can’t change other people’s experience of the world.
   3. Be Present: everyday landscapes of life offer the perfect opportunity to shift our attention to the present moment – to place our full attention on the sights, sounds, and sensations that are happening right now. When we feel messy, look around and experience the clutter, enjoy the new exposure.
   4. Follow this 3 minute meditation “how to mediate in a noisy environment”; take a seat, set a timer, OK GO! :
      1. Begin this meditation by noticing the posture that you’re in: are you heavy, light, warm, cool, are you fidgeting, slumped?
      2. Take a breath: now just listen, enjoy the simplicity of internal chemistry bringing you life!
      3. Now let go of the body’s sensations, and turn your attention to the sounds inside or outside the room: notice the sounds, loud, quiet, coming or going, notice the time between sounds.
      4. Note the sounds instead of narrating them: let go of the need to label, I like/ do not like it, its just a sensory experience.
      5. Check in before you check out: lastly recheck, how is the body now? Take another breath, soften, when you are ready open your eyes.
   5. Acknowledge yourself. As your practice comes to a close, once again acknowledge your willingness to show up and be present to yourself and for yourself, knowing that, in this way, you’re contributing to your wholeness and well-being.

Depending on your environment, situation, and responsibilities it may not be feasible for you to take on 15 new morals so hey maybe start with 3? Try those on, if they fit comfortably perhaps sample another 3.

Lastly as you are on your path you have already started to experience so enjoy the ride! Forget about the end goal and trust the path if you embrace each step you will succeed.