5 Reasons You Really Need More Yoga and Wine

1.    Stop the Glorification of Busy

I was reminded of the zen proverb above this week when my dearest friend invited me out to a leisurely Friday lunch. After an authentic, instantaneous burst of YES, I suddenly experienced a cold-hearted wave of “Wait, can I really take two hours off with everything that’s going on right now?”
As someone who is entirely freelance and largely makes his own schedule, it’s ironic that I have moments of feeling that I don’t have time for something I really want to do.
It’s not as if I want to jettison my entire work ethic; it’s partially responsible for many great things in my life. It’s just that being reachable and responsible 24/7 by phone, email, Skype and carrier pigeon isn’t a recipe for happiness.  Rather, it’s a roadmap to burnout.
Thus, whether it’s “sneaking away” to take a midday yoga class or sharing a leisurely lunch over a glass of chardonnay, I’m giving myself permission to be “off the clock,” letting go of the false belief that the world’s going to fall apart if I step away from my post.

2.    Paradoxically, Doing Less = More

A little research reveals that the U.S. is the only rich country to not have legally mandated paid vacation and holidays.
In contrast, Australians get four weeks off by law;  In Holland, six weeks is the standard.
Even more interestingly, nearly 66% of Americans don’t use all of their vacation days.
 

That why I love this study reported in FAST COMPANY that showed how one company’s policy of unlimited vacation time resulted in 200% greater productivity.
Another Zen proverb illustrated:  you get more done by doing less.
(P.S. And over that leisurely lunch, of course a brilliant new project idea was hatched.)

3.    Vacations Make you Healthier….So does Wine

This May, I’m co-leading a 1 week Yoga & Wine Retreat in Santorini with my sommelier friend Jerusha Frost.

Apparently, nothing could be better for you.
Endless studies show that vacations are as important as watching your cholesterol or getting exercise. An annual holiday can cut the risk of heart attack in men by 30 percent and in women by 50 percent.
The wine statistics sing the same tune.
Moderate consumption means

•    Blood clot–related stroke drops by about 50 percent.
•    The risk of colon cancer is cut by 45 percent
•    There’s even a 32 percent less likely chance you’ll get cataracts than non-drinkers

4.    YOGA & WINE Make You Smarter

There’s endless proof of how meditation focuses and refines your intelligence (not to mention reducing stress) but even 20 minutes of yoga makes you smarter according to a new report.
And a Columbia University study reveals that brain function declines at a markedly faster rate in nondrinkers than in moderate drinkers.
So after standing on your head, have a glass of Merlot and share your deep thoughts with friends.  You’ll all be the wiser for it.

5.    Wine and Yoga are Magic

 

No less a genius than Galileo said “Wine is sunlight mixed with water.”
That’s a major part of the wine experience:  the magical transformation of sunlight, grapes, and time.
For me, the most compelling and powerful part of the yoga practice is transformation, not just of the body but of one’s inner life.
Paradoxically, the magic can only happen when our back is turned…when we’ve let go a bit or when we’ve relinquished some control.
It might happen during a yoga pose.
Or on a perfect Santorini beach.
Or over a shared Cabernet…
In the end, I think it’s more than reasonable you might triple your chances if you combined all three at once.
(Here’s HOW…)