I love the gift of time over the holidays. No alarm. No paid work. No chores (we did them earlier this week). It’s lovely and relaxing.
Michel has returned to spinning on the regular indoors. We are taking time today to get our strength training back in our schedule.
It’s a common experience to have an ebb and flow to routines. Thankfully the breaks are getting shorter as we get older.
Being less fussed about a break makes it easier to pick it up again. Literally no one cares if I’m perfect at sticking to a routine. Everyone celebrates any workout I do get in. Yay!
I’m rewarded with more pain free days when I get strength training in and that is very motivating. Yay!
Plus all my silly little physiotherapy exercises have taught me there are infinite ways to challenge my body. No fear of being bored. Yay!
I hope you are getting time to do what you want today. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
There’s nothing dumb about dusting off my dumbbells!
Or, if you aren’t feeling any of those things, I wish you a perfectly acceptable day with no unpleasant surprises.
I have gotten myself a bit tangled trying to write this post because I was trying to say just the right thing to everyone.
But since that is impossible, I am just going to say this:
No matter how this day finds you, I wish you ease, I wish you space, I wish you peace.
May you have a little extra breathing room.
May you have a little more peace of mind.
May you have joy in your heart – even if it is just a flicker right now.
If you want it, may have company to help you celebrate or to help you carry what needs to be carried.
If you want it, may you have solitude so you can hear yourself think, so you can find ease, or so you can choose how to spend your time.
May you know how much you are loved.
Please be just as kind to yourself as you are to others, today and always.
Please know that I am thinking of you and sending you warmth and kindness and spaciousness.
On that note, I feel like it’s a good idea to put our meditation practice first today:
In the still image from this 5 Minute LovingKindness Meditation from Unearth Compassion, what I interpret as small green tendrils are poking up from frozen ground on a misty day.
And here’s our movement practice for today:
In the still image from this from Holly R Jahn, the instructor is wearing blue leggings and a grey shirt and trying on the floor on their back next to a large white pot for a houseplant. They are side-on to the camera and they have their arms outstretched and their right leg is crossed over their left. Their left is outstretched on the floor and their right foot is placed near their left knee.
If you would prefer more seasonally-themed choices, here are a few choices:
At this point, it’s really hard to know what kind of space we might need to make for ourselves.
Maybe we need some focus.
We may need something restful to do.
We might need to make space for movement.
We may need a mindful activity (and, remember, almost any activity can be done mindfully!)
And all of those needs are important and they all matter – because YOU matter and the things YOU need are just as important as all of the other needs you support on a day-to-day basis.
So today I’m inviting us all to find ways, even small ways, to give ourselves what we need right now.
Maybe you don’t have time for the hour long nap that you need, but perhaps you have time for a short break that will be helpful even if it doesn’t fully meet your needs.
Maybe you need a half an hour of high intensity exercise to sort your cluttered thoughts. But if you don’t have half an hour right now, maybe you can do a shorter workout and do some sort of list that gets all of those things out of your brain so you can see them clearly.
Maybe you need a long, slow meditation to soothe your nervous system and help you feel more like your favorite self. But if you are feeling hurried and frustrated, that might feel impossible right now. Perhaps you can try for a shorter version of your usual practice or you can ask yourself what ELSE helps you to feel like your favourite self and give that a try.
(When I take my list out of my head onto paper onto a screen, it becomes easier for me to see which ones actually need to be done. Which ones I can delegate and which ones can actually wait quite a while before they need to get done but inside my brain, they feel equally important.)
I guess the key thing here is to recognize that it is OK for you to need something and it’s OK for you to try to meet that need, even if you have to do a smaller version for now.
I know you probably have a lot of competing priorities and a lot of things to get done for others but please try not to put your needs at the very bottom of your list.
And no matter what you need right now, what you want right now, or what you have to deal with at the moment, positive or negative, I wish you ease with it.
As much as possible, may you have peace in your heart and in your mind.
Here are two movement practice suggestions for today:
The still image of this Yoga for Brain Power video from Yoga with Adriene shows Adriene with her hair pinned up and wearing black leggings and a gray sleeveless shirt. She is standing on a yoga mat that is divided horizontally into two different colours of grey. She is doing tree pose with her left foot resting on her right inner thigh while she’s standing up and she has her arms raised above her head. She is smiling and looks happy. Her dog Benji is asleep behind her next to some large plants in pots, there are windows behind her and there’s also a table with plants and some decorations on it nearby.
In the still image for this jumpstart cardio workout from Fitness Blender the instructor sitting on a blue yoga mat with their legs crossed and their hands in their lap. There is a large light haired dog sleeping next to them sort of curled around the right knee. The instructor is wearing two layers of tank tops one peach and one blue and they have on black exercise pants. Their long hair is parted on one side and is hanging down past their shoulders. They’re smiling and they look happy.
And here are two mindfulness practices for you to try.
In this 5 Minute Mindfulness Art Meditation Practice from Nicole Schyns, the still image is divided in two parts on the left-hand side. The instructor is shown with their eyes closed, sitting in their living room in front of a low table. They have a pencil in one hand and they’re holding an object in the other. They are wearing a long sleeved light brown turtleneck, and their long brown hair is pinned up on top and hanging over their shoulders on both sides. On the right side is a close-up of a couple of their drawings so they have but looks like two rocks the actual items there and below them are their drawings of those items. One of the rocks looks like it’s made up of a bunch of different small pieces or maybe covered in barnacles and the other one is a gray rock that is almost semi-circular.
And a steel image for this 10 minute Guided Meditation for Inner Peace from Declutter Your Mind you can see a wooden dock that extends through what looks like a merch with plants growing up on either side to a a lake with trees on the other side of the lake that are reflected in the water.
As we get down to the last few days before Christmas and/or the last few days of the year (depending on what you happen to celebrate) the pressure may be increasing for you.
Whether you are guided by work obligations, family traditions, your own vision of the tasks ahead, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed by trying to do AllOfTheThings.
And ask you decide what to prioritize, what to get done and how to do it, I have a question for you…
What would it look like to choose self-kindness?
Yes, yes, I know that your ease is not the only factor to consider here.
And I know that you probably have more to do than on an average day so you may end up more tired than usual.
But still…
What if you chose self/kindness?
What if you did the version of your tasks that gave you more peace of mind?
What if you chose an easier, more straightforward version?
What if you chose a version that was more fun or that was quicker?
Now, I know this isn’t possible for every task but I equally well know that it is possible for some.
And I know you can’t prioritize your own needs in every case, but you *can* do it sometimes.
Doesn’t it make sense to choose some areas to go easy with so you have more energy for the tasks that require it?
At the very least, it’s worth including self-kindness as one of the factors in your decision-making process.
It’s definitely a good way to make more space for yourself in your own life.
Wishing you ease with this and with everything else you encounter today.
Here’s your movement practice suggestion today:
In the still image from this “On your feet all day? Try these stretches to relieve pain and fatigue” video from Ask Dr Jo, there is text on the left reading ‘Retail Worker Stretches’ and Dr Jo, a light-skinned woman in a green T-shirt who has brown hair in a short ponytail is on the right demonstrating a stretch. She is visible from the waist up and she has both hands on the back of her head and she is leaning back slightly.
And here’s today’s mindfulness suggestion:
In the still image for this “Coffee or Tea Meditation / Brother Phap Linh” from Plum Village we can see early morning sun through the leaves and stems of a plant in a glass container on a windowsill. There are other glass containers with possibly tea or coffee in them to the right and we can see blue sky at the top and on the left of the plant. There is white text in the centre of the screen that reads “Coffee or Tea Meditation”
Late last week, I dropped into a small shop to pick up a gift for a friend of mine, and the woman behind the counter commented that that she was so behind because she had very little Christmas shopping done.
And I realized that everybody I talk to is talking about being behind.
And despite my best efforts, I’ve had a bit of that feeling too.
I mean, I know that being busy, worrying about staying “on track“, and feeling behind is kind of viral this time of year, the feeling just seems to churn through the air around us..
Instead of getting caught up in that feeling though, I’d like us to use it as a reminder to make space for our ourselves and to let our brains relax a little.
Because, really, how are we behind?
What track are we trying to stay on?
How busy do we need to be to feel like we are doing things ‘right’?
Sure, maybe we made a plan and it didn’t work out because life got in the way. That doesn’t mean everything‘s gone wrong. It means we need to adjust our plan a little bit.
But, unless the day we were planning for is already behind us then there’s still time to make those adjustments.
We don’t have to feel bad for not having things done on someone else’s timeline.
If you’re just starting your Christmas shopping/New Year’s planning/end of year reflections/actions related to whatever else you want to get done or celebrate this time of year, that is totally fine.
There’s no inherent virtue in doing all of these things early.
Perhaps it can reduce stress to do some parts of your planning or preparation in advance (this hardly ever feels possible for me so I can’t be sure!)
Since I am going to end up doing things closer to the time of a given event, I have decided that my timeframe helps makes the planning and the preparation part of the celebration.
I know that stores will be busier, and people will be a bit more flustered, but if you factor that in, if you recognize things will take a bit more time or it might be harder to find the things you’re looking for, then there’s nothing wrong with doing things on your own schedule.
There are lots of reasons to do things early.
There are lots of reasons to do them just in time.
Neither approach is better than the other – your schedule has to do with your goals, your own capacity, your own abilities, your stress levels, your finances, your expectations.
If you don’t get too caught up in other people’s schedules or in some sort of mental picture of the ‘perfect’ way to do things then doing things your own way in your own time and course-correcting to accommodate new information is totally fine.
So, no matter how much you have done to prepare, for whatever event lies ahead of you, consider the possibility that you are right on time.
Consider the idea that you are operating on the best schedule you possibly could this year.
Maybe you started with a different plan but but being kind to yourself about where you are right now will be of much more benefit than being mean to yourself about not being somewhere else.
(And trying not to dwell on the difference between the (allegedly!) perfect schedule and your actual schedule can make the whole rigamarole a lot less stressful.)
So, Team, no matter where you are on your to do list and no matter what schedule you are on, I wish you ease and lots and lots of space to take good care of yourself today.
Here’s our movement practice suggestion for today:
In the still image from this 15-Minute Beginner Bollywood Dance video from PS Fit there are three dancers, two female-presenting and one male-presenting, who are mid-dance. They are all standing on their right legs with their left legs lifted and their toes pointed to the back of the room, their arms are reaching towards the right with their elbows bent and their right hands pointing upwards and their left hands pointing towards their right elbows. The male-presenting dancer is wearing black shorts and a white sleeveless shirt, he has dark hair and light skin. The main instructor, who has very light brown skin and dark hair, is wearing a close-fitting blouse, wide-legged black pants that are cuffed tight at the ankles, and a series of bangles on her wrist. The final dancer, who has black hair and light brown skin, is wearing exercise pants that flare at the bottom and a cropped white sleeveless shirt. They are dancing in a studio lit with an indirect pink glow.
First things first: Today’s post is late because I made space in my day to have brunch with friends but I forgot to make space to write this post beforehand. I don’t know if that makes me a good example or a bad example but I’m definitely something. 😉
Here in the Northern Hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice.
It’s the darkest time of the year and traditionally a time when everyone would slow down, tell stories, do some reflection (or divination), and find ways to bring the light inside…at least metaphorically, through warm fires, bright candles, and good company.
And, of course, a lot of people still do all of that in one form or another.
Personally, I enjoy small rituals to mark special occasions and the change from ‘it’s getting darker all the time’ to ‘it is slowly getting lighter all the time’ feels like a good occasion to celebrate.
It also feels like a good time for us all to Make Space for to give ourselves what we need – whether that is movement, rest, meditation, ritual, journaling, delicious snacks, good company, or anything else we can think of.
In that spirit, I have compiled my usual offering of a movement practice and meditation practice AND I have a bunch of other things for you to try – if you are so inclined.
And, as always, I wish you ease as you create more space for yourself in your own life and please feel free to ignore these suggestions and do what you need to do.
Here are some Winter Solstice journal prompts from _WovenWomen and Therapy_with_Noel and if you’re like me and you like a personal ritual to mark different times of the year, here are some simple ones for Winter Solstice from The Mystical Society*
Here’s our movement practice for today. It’s a longer video but please don’t feel that you must do it all – just do what you have time/capacity to do.
The still image for this 30 minute Winter Solstice Yoga from PERSON shows the instructor doing Virabhadrasana II (warrior 2) pose on a yoga mat with a large window behind them. They are wearing a blue tshirt and leggings and their hair is in a ponytail with some strands falling around their face. Their torso is mostly facing the camera, their right arm is extended in front of them and their left arm is extended behind them (both at shoulder height) their bodyweight is shifted onto their right leg which is bent and pointed to the right. Their left leg is extended in line with but away from their right and their left toes are pointing towards the camera.
When I looked for Solstice meditations on YouTube today, I found that they were either very long or that they were wandering too far into metaphysical spirituality to share casually without discussion.
*I like the simplicity of the rituals they suggest but I disagree with their characterization of more complicated rituals as bullsh*t. I also disagree with anyone who suggests that everything needs to be complex to be helpful. I’m sure it will shock you to discover that I think everyone should do things in the way that serves them best.
Today, I’d like to invite you to notice all the stuff you HAVE gotten done this month.
With so much ambient busy-ness and pressure in December, almost everyone gets tangled in the length of their to do lists and how much remains to be done.
I think December 20th is a great day to take a look back at what you have actually done so far.
And I’d like you to remember that all of this is on top of your regular tasks.
And I’m hoping you’ll include all of the stuff that kind of got rolled into your to do list along the way – the phone calls, the extra emails, the add-on errands, helping your coworker find that file, picking up the napkins for the party – all the small additions that all took time and energy and planning and money.
Whether you make a mental list or a physical list of your work since December started, I hope you’ll take a moment to congratulate yourself and offer yourself a gold star for all of that hard work.
In case you don’t have a gold star handy, here’s one you can use:
The goal of this exercise is not just to show you a big list, it’s to help you make some space in your brain by seeing that some things (a lot of things) are, indeed, done.
And I would like to remind you of two things: that you are doing the very best that you can with the resources you have AND that you don’t have to do every single remaining thing on your list. I
t’s ok to choose your peace of mind and your own enjoyment of the rest of the month over the sense of pressure and perfection that this season seems to create.
And however you make space for yourself today, I wish you ease and a sense of contentment.
Here’s our movement practice for today:
The still image of this Beginner Abs – No Equipment video from NourishMoveLove shows the title on the right side and, on the left, an image of the instructor – a person with light skin with their long hair in a ponytail, wearing a black tank top, black leggings, and blueish green shoes – is demonstrating one of the exercises. They are facing the camera and extending their right arm to touch their right toes – both of which are extended toward the camera – while supporting themselves on the side of their left knee and lower leg and their left forearm and raising themselves off their yoga mat.
And our mindfulness practice for today:
The still image for this Guided 12 Minute Mindfulness Meditation by Doctor Julie Smith shows a close-up of the instructor, a woman with a slight smile who is wearing a yellowish brown hooded sweater. She has light skin, dark eyes, and long hair that is brown with blonde at the ends. The title of the video is on the right side and in the blurred background you can see a large painting with brightly coloured dots, a shelf with decorative items on it, and a tripod for a light or camera.
Sometimes I worry about being repetitive with my posts (and I worry about being repetitive in my comments about being repetitive…yes, I will overthink just about anything) but then I remember how often I need to remind myself about certain things. And since I doubt I am alone in that, I’m going to just carry on with saying something I probably have already said.
Today is a good day to decide what done looks like.
Between work, volunteer commitments, our personal lives, and any holidays we are celebrating this month, most of us have a lot of tasks and projects going we are trying to (or hoping to!) get to at the moment.
And we probably have a ‘perfect’ version of each of them in our heads.
Personally, that tends to take up a lot of my mental space because I keep subconsciously hoping that I will be able to get to that perfect version of each task and project.
This is, of course, impossible.
And the only way for me to reclaim that mental space is to decide what version of that task and project I am actually going to attempt (and, in fact, if I am going to attempt any version at all!)
By drawing a line under the possibilities for each task/project, by deciding the Conditions of Enoughness for each one, I can give myself some peace of mind because I know what the end point looks like.
So far today, I have decided that ‘getting started’ on two work projects means ‘making a list of ideas for each one and then setting a reminder to check them in January.’ And that non-urgent stack of papers can be stored for now instead of taking the time to sort them (and probably get distracted by the contents which would extend the time for the task.) And I can choose a slightly simpler card design for my gifts for my friends – the message of love will be the same but I won’t need to wait for the paint to dry and that makes things significantly easier.
I’d like to invite you to try this out for any projects and tasks that you have spinning around you at the moment.
What could ‘done’ look like?
What’s the most straightforward version of that task or project that you could be satisfied with for now?
How can you make this whole thing easier on yourself while still feeling good about it?
Sidenote: We could also consider who we could ask to help us and what form that help might take. This isn’t always possible but it’s worth considering.
Whether you choose to draw lines under things (or set Conditions of Enoughness) today, whether you choose to do the practices below, or you choose to do something else entirely, I wish you ease and space in your day.
Today, I have included two movement practices for you to choose from so you can enjoy whichever one feels more appealing to you in the moment.
In the still image from this 6 Minute Neck Mobility and Upper Body Stretch video from Move Coalition, the instructor is exercising on a mat on a low wooden platform outside in a grassy area with trees in the background. Their skin is lightly tanned, they have their brown hair in a ponytail, and they are wearing a black sports top and black shorts. They are demonstrating one of the exercises with their right knee and shoulder on the mat, their right arm is extended toward the camera, their left leg is extended back from their body and the ball of their left foot is on the mat, their left arm is extended towards the sky and they are looking upwards towards their right hand while the back of their head rests on the mat.
In this still image for 6-Minute Gentle Mobility for Hamstrings, Quads, & Hips by Dr. Kristie Ennis , the left side of the image is blue and has black text reading ‘Loosen Up Your Legs’ and the right side of the image shows the instructor, a smiling, light-skinned person with a tan and shoulder-length blonde hair who is wearing a black sports bra and shiny blue shorts, demonstrating one of the exercises on a pink yoga mat in a room with white walls and a grey floor. Their upper body is upright and their legs are both out to their left as they rest on their right hip. Both legs are flat on the floor at 90 degrees and their left knee is pointing to the camera while the bottom of their left foot faces the back wall, their right knee is pointing to the right and the bottom of their right foot is facing towards the left.
And here’s your mindfulness practice for today:
The still image for this 5 Minute Mindful Breathing video from Medistate Mind shows a scene in silhouette on the left and in the background and the title of the video in brown letters in the foreground on the right. On the left side is the silhouette of a person sitting crossed-legged with their hands raised and meeting palm to palm in prayer above their head. In the somewhat distant background is the outline of buildings and streetlights without many distinguishing features.
Despite yesterday’s list revision, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed this morning and I could feel myself tipping towards that kind of mental-wheel-spinning that happens when I can’t prioritize.
(I also refer to this as my brain’s ’if I can’t do everything then I won’t do anything’ mode.)
Luckily, I caught myself before the wheels started going too fast and I dragged up a piece of advice my sister and I hand back and forth as needed.
‘Pick something fun or pick something you’ll be really glad to have done.’
So, I am happy to say that I have now finished cleaning my fridge (glad to have that done!) and I picked up a really silly gift for my youngest kid (big fun!)
And, as a bonus, my tasks for this afternoon feel really clear.
So, Team, I would like to invite you borrow that piece of advice and help get the next part of your day started with something fun or something good to get done.
I suspect it will work well even if you aren’t feeling overwhelmed. 🙂
Whether you create mental space the same way I did, whether you choose the movement or meditation below, or whether you do something completely different, I wish you as much ease as possible today and always.
*****
Here’s our movement practice suggestion for today:
In the still image from this “7 Minute Nia® Dance Break with Meredith Amato: “Steal Drums”” from Nia Technique, the instructor is in the foreground extending their fist towards the camera. They have light skin, long brown hair pulled back into a bun, and they are smiling, they are wearing an orange sleeveless shirt. There are two other people in black shirts who can be partially seen in the background (there are additional people in the video) and the studio wall (brick with large windows) is visible behind them.
And here’s our mindfulness practice suggestion for today:
In the still image for this 5-minute Meditation from the CDC a person is seated outside on a cloudy day in a wicker ‘egg’ style chair with pink cushions and a blue blanket behind them. The person, who has short brown hair, light brown skin, and is wearing a pink sweater and white pants, is seated upright with their wrists resting on their knees and their hands hanging a little between their knees. They look restful and happy. There are a variety of plants on stands and in pots surrounding them and judging from the background, they are on a raised balcony of some sort.
I don’t know about you but the time has come for me to rewrite my list!
Earlier in the month me didn’t know what I know about how the month has unfolded so far and I need to make some adjustments to her plans.
Past me was much better at making lists than she once was.
Before medication and practice and developing more reasonable expectations, she would have planned to show up in superhero mode every day in December and by now she would have been exhausted.
This year’s planning was pretty reasonable but it obviously couldn’t fully account for bad weather, a few off days, and a little extra work that came my way so I had to adjust things on the fly.
Now, at a little over halfway through the month, I want to take a few minutes to adapt my list to my current reality so I can match my time, my priorities, and my expectations.
And I would like to invite you to do the same.
The key element here is to avoid judging ourselves for a) the size of our initial lists b) not getting everything done c) changing our plans.
Making a new list is not a sign of failure, it is a recalibration based on new information.
And while you are recalibration, please remember to include fun and rest on your to do list.
You don’t have to fill every waking moment with tasks – even if they are things you want to do.
And if anyone argues with you on that, send them to me – I’ll deal with ’em.
Anyway, Team, I am wishing you ease as you make space for yourselves today.
Go Team Us!
Here is our movement practice suggestion for today:
The still image for this ’10 Minute Chair Cardio Workout’ from Caroline Jordan there are two people exercising on chairs in the foreground, the title of the video is above, and, in the somewhat blurred background, you can see a couple of end tables with plants on them, some free weights, a exercise roller, and two exercise balls. Both people are smiling while doing a side extension with their left arms extended over their heads and to the right and their left legs extended outward to the left. The person in front has long blond hair (in a high ponytail), light skin, and she is wearing a black tanktop and blue leggings. The person slightly behind has long black hair, light skin, and is wearing a white tanktop and blue leggings.
And here’s our mindfulness practice suggestion for today:
The still image from this 10 Minute Guided Meditation – Just As You Are video from Great Meditation shows a drawing of a person sitting in a cross-legged meditation position with their hands on their knees, palms upwards, with their thumb and index fingers forming a circle on each hand. The person has brown skin and dark brown curly hair, their eyes are closed and they look peaceful and contemplative.
