Guest Blogs
Knowitall.ch often invites local experts in their field to contribute to their own blogs on our site. This means not only you will benefit from the useful recommendations that we make on our News pages, but you can also profit from some of the great advice and tips that these experts have to make on their favorite subjects. Whilst each of these bloggers has been recommended to us at some point during the evolution of Know-it-all passport and knowitall.ch, obviously we are not able to test out all the suggestions they make on their blogs, nor do we necessarily agree with all their opinions. So if you do find one of their tips useful (or not!), do let us know!
To make these blogs more accessible to you, we have now decided to group them altogether in one section, entitled Guest Blogs, accessible from our main menu bar. We will also post the most recent blogs on the home page of our site in the right hand column.
We are still building up this area of the site, and are looking for bloggers in a number of sections, including Your Home, Travel, and Leisure, so if you feel you have a useful contribution to make in either of these areas, and have the time to submit blog entries approximately every month, then please get in touch!
Exercise has always been promoted as an essential component for both our physical and mental wellbeing. However, exercise is a broad term and what works for one person may not work to the same degree for another.
Recently, I have taken up swimming again; not in a pool but in the lake. My target each day is to swim to a carefully selected ‘orange buoy’, and, of course, back again. This takes between 30 and 40 minutes depending on the conditions of the lake and the force of the current. As Lake Geneva lies on the River Rhône, the source of which is the Rhône Glacier in Valais, there is a current that varies in strength on a daily basis.
I have discovered a huge difference between lake swimming and pool swimming, and it’s not simply the absence of chlorine. The fact that I have no opportunity to rest at the end of each length has caused me to experience something quite exhilarating. I have a very active mind, and find it hard to ‘switch off’ and relax. Many of us experience periods of stress which prove a challenge to manage. Going to the gym helps me. However, at times I find myself lost in my thoughts between exercises, and although I indeed benefit physically, my mental state is still somewhat neglected.
When I swim in the lake, I am able to detach from my thoughts and simply focus on the activity: regular deep-breathing, coordinated stretching of the arms and legs, navigating my passage between boats and dinghies – in fact, I truly live in the moment. I am not worrying about the effects of what has happened in the past or what might happen in the future. Nothing stands between me and the environment in which I find myself; we become one.
By Sunita Sehmi, Walk The Talk
Scott Robinson, the ‘yogibanker’, was born in a yoga studio in Notting Hill in April, 2012, in preparation for his first career change while on a 15-year working holiday to the UK. The idea of ‘managing stress’ seemed too good to refuse. It took a while until yoga became part of his regular routine.
Here he shares his thoughts, vison and mission on how to bring back balance and harmony in your life.
I hope you enjoy this deeply captivating interview as much as I did.
By Sarah Frei, Brillantmont International School
Hard as it is to think about school when the sun burns bright above, it is nevertheless that time of year again when children are sharpening their pencils, packing their bags and worrying about what to wear on the first day back. Indeed, some may already be back in the classroom.
I'm lucky: my own two children love school and even during the first week of July were talking about the next school year, when frankly I was fed up with hearing the « s » word. However, for many children, returning to school can be a huge source of anguish, giving them a twisted knot in the pit of their stomachs. The root cause may have nothing at all to do with the learning: rather, the fears that torment them are about fitting in, popularity, being one of the crowd.
Middle School students are at a particularly vulnerable age. Look around any Middle School classroom and you'll see what I mean. The flat chested thirteen year old sits next to the eleven year old who still likes to play with Barbies but who struggles to accept that she already has the fully developed body of a grown woman. As for the boys, the one hunched up in the corner, attempting to hide the glaring pimples barely concealed in the dark stubble covered behind his hand, clearly eats industrial strength fertiliser every morning since he grows at least 5cm every night. His neighbour, meanwhile, would be blown over by a sudden gust of wind.
By Dean Marriott
Lights, cameras and plenty of action – that’s what awaits all attendees at the Locarno Film Festival. This year the festival ran from 3rd until 13th August, attracting films and participants from all over the world. Although films are screened at 10 different venues, the most breath-taking and unforgettable experience is to be had on the majestic Piazza Grande. The piazza transforms into an open-air cinema and thanks to the wonderful summer temperatures this year, provided the perfect setting for some incredible films, originating from all continents.
As a British actor based in Switzerland, I was honoured to receive my accreditation pass this year, giving access to all of the screenings and events during the festival. Integrating into the Swiss acting scene is no mean feat, so seeing my name on the attendee list alongside other Swiss actors was quite something.
By Sunita Sehmi, Walk The Talk
In a society that places so much emphasis on cognitive tasks and productivity, it’s easy to experience a major disconnection with your body’s natural, deep intelligence and its relationship with the wondrous world around you. Nilima helps people in their pursuit for a more mindful evolution, expansion and healing. She does this through a process of self-understanding on many levels: physical, vital, mental, psychic and spiritual. As a certified yoga teacher, her central purpose is to first guide individuals to connect with their Deeper Self and then to live it with authenticity in all aspects of their lives. I was lucky enough to interview this truly amazing woman.
Tell us about yourself.
I have been part of Conscious Capitalism led by people such as Raj Sisodia and John Mackey since 2010 and started my leadership consultancy Roots and Wings in 2004, with my husband, Vijay Bhat. I had reached a point in my corporate career where I began to think what is my purpose? Am I making a difference? I took up the study of Vedanta (Indian wisdom) and yoga and became a practitioner of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. My husband got diagnosed with colon cancer in 2001 when he was 40 years old. We left no stone unturned, as I looked everywhere for clues: Chinese Medicine, Enneagram, and Jung. We both became students of life, learning everyday. Our first book was born out of our journey, entitled My Cancer is Me. He is happily recovered today.
