Sunday Edition #56: Sarah Eisenegger

Sarah Eisenegger invites us into small, tangible steps for a fuller, more mindful life. 

What are you reading lately?

I’m just finishing a book called Be More Human, by Tony Riddle.

He teaches us how to connect with nature, even in cities like London, and how you can incorporate small actions to feel more human. 

I’ve been here in London for 8 years, and it’s now home #2. But I have to say, I miss the nature of Switzerland, the mountains, the fresh air. I didn’t think I was going to say that at first when I left, but now I really appreciate it. 

Where’s your favourite place in Switzerland to connect with that nature?

Graubuenden & Appenzellerland is amazing for hiking. Whenever I hike, I can fully disconnect, and be present. You can just walk, concentrate on your path, explore. 

Let’s go back to the idea of small, tangible actions you can take for your wellbeing— what are some of your methods?

Well for one, I never roll up my yoga mat. I have it in our second bedroom, our office/gym/workspace.

I always have access to it, and I do it every morning. Even if it’s just for two minutes, just to go and stretch my body. 

Do you feel like just a few minutes actually make a difference?

Again, it’s also for your mindfulness, not just physical exercise. I’m a yoga teacher, and students always think you have to do 90 minutes to get benefits, every day on the mat— it’s not true. Even if you get just 5 minutes on the mat, that’s something. You can take pride in the fact that you took that time. Even if it’s just stretching, or just sitting there, or you did one or two flows. You took five minutes out for yourself. 

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How do you convince people that this approach works?

It’s a good question. Sometimes you don’t see it straight away. Habits take up to 60 days to incorporate into your lifestyle.

But it’s like brushing your teeth, you don’t see the benefits after one or two times.

But if you didn’t do it daily, then you would definitely notice. For mindfulness, for exercise, it’s the same. 

What would you say to people who don’t feel like they have time for wellbeing practices?

So for me, for example— I’m using the anatomē chamomile sleep oil, and since I got it, I use it every day.

You put it on your wrists, your sensory points, and you just take a deep breath and get into that calm zone. And that doesn’t even take a minute.

If you incorporate that, that’s a start, if you don’t have time for full meditation. And if you have those oils, it’s just magic. It slows my stress down, it really helps me to calm down. 

That’s great to hear. But do you ever find it difficult to maintain your own mindfulness?

I’m obviously also struggling with things– taking time for myself is hard. I have my to-do lists, I need to tick off the boxes. I’m a curious person, and there’s so much to see. But sometimes, we just need a day to do nothing. That’s hard, especially in London. 

That’s why we broke out from Switzerland, because sometimes it was too calm. But now I’m at the point where I need some of that.

So I really try to block out days in my calendar. This Sunday, I’m doing that. But you need to find ways to incorporate that during the week as well. Even just at my lunch break, I leave my phone behind, so I can actually relax. Being excited all the time can be exhausting.

Do you have any tips for maintaining routines for wellness on the go, or when travelling?

There are exercises you can do anywhere. Like stretching, you can do it on a towel, you can do it in bed. If you have a routine, try to keep that routine even if your environment changes. 

Even in the city, there are small things you can do. In the tube, you can ‘surf’ and practice balance. You can take a walk instead of the bus if it’s close enough. 

Sounds like playfulness. 

I love this word, playfulness. It’s very important. We are all grown up but if we don’t have this playfulness in us, it’s not a very fun life. 

Find out more on Sarah's website