We sit too much. It is a cliché, but that doesn’t make it less accurate — or any easier to change. Our current systems are designed to make us sit a lot, especially when doing intellectual work. We sit in the office, in class, in the canteen or cafe, and when we write, code or do graphic design. After Covid made online meetings a new normal, we sit even more. We talk about well-being while sitting in class or listening to an online lecture. Exercise is often considered something to do in our free time — something many of us don’t have a lot of.

Our body is not designed to sit for so many hours. Most of us have far more potential for physical activity than we do throughout the day. Sadhguru — a yogi, mystic, bestselling author, poet and one of the most influential people in India — says that, on average, we significantly underspend our physical energy. For example, meditation is difficult if you are not physically tired. If you don’t exercise enough, you just add another sitting exercise to your already sitting life.

Exercise is considered something to do in our free time — something many of us don’t have a lot of.

If it’s not used, the accumulated unspent energy turns inside. We start to feel tense and anxious. We can have trouble regulating emotions, sleeping, properly relaxing, and feeling pleasant fulfillment at the end of the day.

Remember how you feel after even a small exercise or a walk? Probably a little tired but happy because of the dopamine release.

Of course, it’s not easy to push yourself outside when the weather is bad, it’s dark, and you just want to crawl under a blanket and stay home. That is why we propose a few tips on how to make exercising a little easier:

1. When you can, try to walk or bike instead of driving or taking public transport. While walking, you can practice mindfulness by observing nature and the landscape around you. That way, you will train not only your body but also your mind.
2. Use the stairs instead of the lift.
3. Introduce walking meetings at your workplace or walk during audio meetings.
4. Keep your yoga mat or dumbbells you bought during Covid (didn’t we all?) visible at home to remind yourself to do short exercises.
5. Learn from your dogs or cats — do some stretching right after you wake up.
6. Use a step-tracking app and follow your progress (and be proud of it!) or use some other gamification method.

Lidia doing an energy exercise in Milan

Anna and I were given a chance to learn about energy training at Studio Tirelli in Milan. We learned how to activate the energy in our bodies through the meridian system. It is a concept in Asian countries stating that we have channels through which the life energy known as “qi” (ch’i) flows. There is no scientific evidence of this, but the exercises worked very well on us. We learned and practiced them for the whole week and felt the difference. On the 1st of March, at the Good Life Engine session, we will introduce all 12 exercises to revive the well-being of the body. The session is open to everybody, and we are happy to share everything we learned. The session will be held in A Grid, Mordor, from 13.15–15.00.  The rest of the session will be dedicated to creativity.

In addition to this Good Life Engine session, we will start to introduce the practice of light energetic exercises during the breaks during the course.