Real life throws up more twists and turns than the movies.

Picture this.

A young lady dressed in proper aerobic gear in the outdoors is going through her daily routine.

Yellow top with black leggings and a mask, in accordance with the pandemic rules

The words are unfamiliar - but the tinny track and beats are perfectly in accordance with a class anywhere in the world.

Now, the backdrop.

A wide multiple lane road, largely empty when the video clip starts.

Behind her, a stream of vehicles enter the street.

As she continues, oblivious of what is happening behind her, more and more vehicles gather.

Then, the setting becomes clear.

This is Myanmar's capital, where the ruling government was overthrown.

The military vehicles had arrived on the scene, preparing to go into parliament and make arrests.

The aerobic dance routine has just photobombed a coup.

When she woke up in the morning and went about her routine, she would hardly have expected to play a leading role on Twitter.

Imagine scriptwriters coming up with this as the setting in a movie.

And being laughed out of the room because it's completely unbelievable.

Real life is nuts!

Did you have a 'forest bath' today?

Japanese doctors are actively prescribing it.

A walk in the woods.

The problem is that we don't even get enough of sunlight everyday.

It's making our systems weaker and we're compensating by adding multivitamin mixes to our diets.

There are proven studies that show how exposure to green canopies builds better immunity.

Listening to birdsong, shuffling through fallen leaves and hugging trees is part of the treatment that Japanese doctors recommend.

They ask people who lead stressed lives to head to the closest nature reserve and just spend time there for the body to heal

The only cost incurred is the transport and possibly staying out there. Maybe it won't be convenient

It doesn't sound exciting to our attention deficit thrill-seeking lives.

Dialing down is for older people who don't know how to have 'fun' anymore.

Think of how little contact we have with nature in an urban environment. High rises look into a landscape of traffic and artificial lighting

And the fundamental issue?

What can anyone do in a forest other than walk around and take in the sights?

The scenery doesn't change.

It's the definition of boring weekend.

And yet, that's what tired minds and bodies desperately need.

Can we break away from routines?

It's what the mind resists.

Being forced into a routine

Doing the same thing everyday is soul shattering

At least, that's the way it appears.

A routine forces people to believe they are getting into the kind of existence from which there is no easy escape.

The curse of working life

It's what assembly line or garment workers do.

However, the same thing may not apply to jogging everyday.

That routine leads to better health

Or meeting friends and chatting away for hours every evening.

That's not a routine, it's what makes life interesting.

Or have a party every other night.

What's different?

The musician practicing for 4-6 hours a day is following a routine.

So is the cricketer executing square drives and pulls and stepping out to deliveries until his technique and reactions can earn him a place on the team

The programmer who looks to solve tricky issues in programs so users have a rewarding experience.

The arguments could be that cricketers and musicians are following a passion, so they devote the time willingly.

And that is the point.

Not to be a beginner all through life.

You can't get to 100 without crossing 99 milestones

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