What Now?

Hello from my home in Matinkylä! This is NordLetter #16, a weekly newsletter on living and walking in Finland. Previous editions can be found here.

It has been a quieter week this. Summer is in full swing here in Finland, so of course, it has rained four out of the past seven days here. We had planned to visit Nuuksio National Park this week, but that had to be postponed.

On Friday, while doing yoga, it felt like I had passed through something, a barrier. I had levelled up or something. It did not feel like I was doing anything. My body just seemed to do whatever I told it to do. I knew everything it was doing. I felt in control. I did not feel any stiffness in lower back or anything while doing the surya-namaskar. There was no pain. My body was stretching where it should.

I was reading about kutastha citta and parinama citta in Core of the Yoga sutras just a day before.

Kutastha citta is pure consciousness, whereas parinama citta is the tainted consciousness.

About how yogic practices, and pranayama help a sadhak go through these cittas. Maybe this triggered the feeling.

I tried to recapture that feeling today, but couldn't. Yesterday was magic. But I have progressed in my journey. I can touch the ground with my fingers during the forward bend. Not as regularly, or as easily I would want. But, it's progress. And that's all I could want or hope for.

Anyway, I updated my now page.

/techStuff

Nothing launched CMF Phone 1, smartwatch and earbuds. These are budget devices but they look so cool and fresh. They are customisable. You can swap out the back. There is also a round accessory port in a corner. You can attach a kickstand there! So fun! And it all comes in orange.

Samsung announced their latest foldables: the fold and the flip. Plus their watches and earbuds. Which look and function, similar to some existing Apple products (AirPods and Watch Ultra). Why? Your gsuess is as good as mine.

The thing that interests me is the Galaxy Ring.

I do not use my Apple Watch as a give me notifications computer. I mostly use it to track my workouts. The data that I get in aggregate, I view it on the iPhone. If I can get similar features from something which is lighter and less obtrusive. Sure, sign me up. Plus it lasts for seven days or so on a charge. Which would be another win for sure.

I get these are different devices. I am not expecting the ring to be a watch. I'm saying I would prefer to wear a ring, than a watch. But for now, there is not one that Apple makes.

A new dynamic colour-shifting wallpaper in iOS 18. That's it. 😄

/reading

An interesting read on how or why Japanese video game firms have avoided layoffs till now. It boils down to the protection offered by Japanese labour laws. And culture.

From Book Freak #164, which is about A Life of One's Own by Marion Milner. There was an interesting advice there: Observing your daily experience helps you discover true happiness. I have come across this sentiment, or hack many times. Journaling has its proponents.

How I use my Daily Notes at this point is as a repository to log down all the things I find interesting. Any initial thoughts I have on anything I come across which I find interesting. That either leads to a note or is discarded.

By noting down her experiences at the end of the day, Milner was able to find out what brought her happiness. This was often not what you would expect, what society sort of expects out of you. They were different things.

And I guess that brings the sort of clarity that might make one happier.

It's Euro Final today. Spain leads 1-0. Let's see how this ends.

Until next week.