Since the last full moon of 2025 will rise this evening (some people call it the Cold Moon which I find delightful), I thought it would be fun to have some moon-themed videos and links in today’s post.
According to some, this full moon is a sign to do a little introspection and to release things that no longer serve us. (see the Instagram link below for more on this)
Whether or not you follow or participate in any sort of woo or any sort of alternative spiritual practices, I’m sure you can see the benefit in taking time to reflect and to release things (even though it is easier said than done!) whether that happens now or next week.
Anyway, here are our practices to make some space for ourselves today and I’ve thrown in an IG post and a relaxing ambience video just for fun.
Whether you do these practices or something entirely different, I wish you ease and space today and always.
Here’s today’s movement practice:
A 15 minute Moon Practice from Yoga with Adriene. In the still image she is standing on her grey yoga mat in front of a window. There are plants and Benji (her sleeping dog) on the left side of the screen and an end table with more plants on it on the right. She is wearing burgundy leggings and a purple sleeveless tshirt. Her feet are wide apart and her legs are bent at the knee, her upper arms are raised to shoulder height and her forearms are extended upwards.
And here’s our meditation practice for today:
This video from A Big Breath In is called Full Moon Feels 5 Minute Guided Meditation and the still image shows the title against a light pinkish yellow background. There is a mandala drawn in the centre of the screen with part of the title above it and part below.
I chose this post from Arlyn Flower Farm on IG because it had a good combination of information and reflective questions. The still image shows a very close-up depiction of the moon.
And, finally, here’s an ‘ambience’ video that I like to have on my screen when I am doing paperwork or reading my book. I thought that some of you might like it, too.
This video from Dead of Night is called Vintage Christmas Window Ambience and the still image shows a desk and a view out of the window. Outside you can see a Victorian street lamp, the moon, some houses, and some snow falling. Inside you can see books, a lamp, a tree made of book pages, several candles, a warm chocolate drink, and just a small piece of a Christmas tree in the left corner.
Welcome to another year of finding some space for ourselves and our needs amidst the hustle and bustle of the end of the year.
Whether you are celebrating a holiday this month, whether it is the last month of the year, or whether it is just a string of ordinary days in an ordinary month, the ambient hurrying stressfulness of this month can get to us all.
In the face of all of that, my Making Space posts are not about giving us something ELSE to do.
Instead, I am hoping they can be a reminder that you deserve space in your own life, that you don’t need to dedicate every second of every day to everyone else’s needs and wants.
I want to encourage to take a break in whatever form works best for you whether that includes the exercise/meditation videos I share or something else entirely, I am wholeheartedly encouraging you to make more space for yourself in your own life.
That might mean saying no to some things.
It might mean choosing not to do some other things.
It might mean scaling some things back.
It will definitely mean being kind to yourself.
So, with all of that said, let’s get started on the Making Space 2025 project with some stretching and a short meditation…or with whatever makes you feel like yourself today.
Wishing you ease 💚
Your movement practice for today:
This video 5 minute Daily Stretch is from Kayleigh Cohen Strength. The still image shows the instructor in a black shirt and green leggings in their living room with their arms stretched over their head. There is a dog sleeping on a green couch in the back on the right and on the left is some wood paneling and some plants.
And here’s today’s meditation:
This Meditation for Deep Calm is from Sarah Beth Yoga and the still image shows the instructor from the waist up sitting with their head bowed and their hands in prayer position in the centre of the screen. In the background, which is slightly out of focus, is a yoga mat, a coffee table and some plants.
PS – Katy Bowman of Nutritious Movement is hosting an advent calendar of exercises again this year. Her 2025 focus addresses the stress that tech can put on our bodies.
I knew my 16-day trip to Egypt with 3 midlife friends would be a fun, budget-friendly adventure, but it also became a test of stamina and strength for me.
We had no tour big bus providing a comfy, air-conditioned bubble. Rather, our ambitious travel schedule took us through half the country, hauling our backpacks up modest hotel staircases and navigating every natural and human-made obstacle in our path. Although we had quiet evenings, including a few days by a rooftop pool, by day our bodies were moving in lots of ways.
Our first of many tomb and temple visits, the burial chamber of Bannentiu, 26th dynasty (Roman Era) in the Baharia Oasis.
Bodies in Motion
In the desert near the Baharia Oasis we climbed up (then surfed down) sand dunes. In downtown Cairo, the honking cars, uneven pavement, and throngs of moving people in the street demanded constant physical manouvering. We toured ancient sites out in the hot sun, including Luxor’s Avenue of Sphinxes and Aswan’s Forgotten Obelisk. We also used steep ramps and narrow tunnels inside multiple tombs and pyramids, crouching under low ceilings carved over three and four thousand years ago!
Folks climbing a ramp in one of the Giza Pyramids, built for Pharoah Khufu in the 2500s BCE. Kim said the ramps were put in after her visit 16 years ago: before it was just dirt.
As well, we hiked three silent, stunning canyons in the South Sinai region that shimmered white, red, and multi-coloured in the sunshine. The next day, after a caravan of camels and their handlers got us most of the way up Mt Sinai, we used 750 steep steps to get up to its peak.
Riding Asfour (the Second), a 7-year old camel up the first 3000 steps of My Sinai was a highlight. And although Asfour did most of the work, my legs were still sore the next day!
Later, it was a relief to float face down in the salty water of the Red Sea over the most beautiful coral and schools of fish I have seen. We snorkelled twice: off the beach in Sharm El Sheik and off a glass-bottom boat in Hurghada. But even in and near the water, I had to be thinking about dehydration and sunburn.
Kimi and me snorkelling just off the beach in the Red Sea. Video by Lisa Porter.
Getting hurt could mean getting stuck. I nearly did a few times, once when I mildly rolled an ankle in the Coloured Canyon and when I jammed a finger on a tomb doorway at the Saqqara necropolis. But it felt good to keep moving. At least twice we saw a tourist who seemed unprepared or was having great difficulty getting through the tomb shafts.
Kim and Lisa going down the low-lit ramps in what I think was the Step Pyramid, built for Pharoah Djoser in the 2600s BCE. Video by Kimi Maruoka.
We covered thousands of steps per day, even on our 2- to 7-hour travel days. At the last minute I decided to leave my fitness tracker at home, and I’m glad I did. It helped me to make sense of how I was feeling in my body rather than by stats on a screen.
Rope repelling, then a rebar ladder, just to get down into the White Canyon. Our guide admitted he used this to judge hikers’ readiness for this canyon.
Caring Co-Travellers
And my body did feel many things, as I was under the weather for a good part of the trip: first menstrual cramps, a head cold that turned to cough, then mild heatstroke after the first time snorkeling, and finally a stomach bug. On my worst night, I laid awake shaking with chills, sipping tepid tablet-purified water, and waiting for dawn (or death, I had thought self-piteously).
A short video of Cairo’s downtown streets at night. Our group kept close watch on each other to avoid getting lost or run over.
But I survived. As a white, English-speaking tourist with a credit card and travel insurance on a holiday, I was never really in serious danger. I saw many Egyptians who may have been facing economic hardships and health risks I will never have to deal with as a middle-class Canadian.
Nevertheless, I am so grateful for my three travel buddies, who showed each other constant care throughout our journey. We divided snacks, each bought rounds of water, shared everything from tissues to electrolytes, and carried the mood for each other until someone sick (usually me) recovered.
A cat next to my day pack and water bottle. I stayed hydrated with old and new friends!
Kim, who had planned the travel and booked the local guides and drivers, happily made last-minute arrangements to help me join later when an early morning tour of Isis Temple in Aswan wasn’t possible for me. This caring company was the heart of my trip.
Me in a feeling-better moment, making silly Instagram poses with the backdrop of the Red Canyon behind me. Photos by Kimi Maruoka.
Proof of Life
I believe that our greater exertions paid off in greater fun. In exchange for living out of packs and in our sore, dust-covered bodies, we got to see and sleep in neat places, including under the desert stars, where we felt extremely lucky to be there, together and alive.
Our remarkable view of the white desert at night. This photo was not taken with a black/white filter.
There’s a certain idea of midlife that says to slow down, be careful, rest more. This trip refused that. It demanded and invited all kinds of motion, reminding me how much the body can still do when it must. It turns out that I was strong enough for Egypt.
Lisa and Elan racing (falling?) down a sand dune in the White Desert. Photo by either Kim or Kimi.
And by the end of the trip, I used nearly every pill I’d packed and every muscle I had. But getting over everything became part of my adventure story. I came home with a mildly sprained finger, hardwon but still overpriced souvenirs, and a feeling that my flawed and frustrating body could still bring me much, much joy.
Our fearless foursome trekking in the desert. To borrow a phrase from Kimi and her sisters: “We did it!!”
My partner and I took our bicycles on a short holiday road trip across part of Ontario, Canada to visit family and friends. It wasn’t a cycling holiday, but it was a holiday that involved some cycling. Road trip cycling was a new experience for us recent owners of a road bike (me) and an e-bike (my partner). Among visits, dinners, and museum trips, we managed to get out 3 times in 6 days.
Road trip cycling gives you a new way to explore new places. On ours, the weather was beautiful and the locations were scenic. After a few times, we got bike and gear extraction and repacking with the SUB down to a science. But it wasn’t issue-free.
A relatively new road cyclist training with a club, I was excited to explore longer paths mapped by other cyclists using my Ride GPS app. But I mistakenly assumed I would be leading the rides. I didn’t recognize it right away, but it turns out my partner had their own ideas about which way and for how long we should ride, decisions made more by feeling and impulse.
Our differences of opinion led to some frustration. The GPS-marked paths I chose sometimes had some longer-than-comfortable gravel stretches or were busy with “walkers.” The random paths my partner chose led to dead ends or us dodging traffic to cross busy roads. One time we each doggedly took what we thought was the best route … and lost sight of each other (phone call, waiting). Another time we got different advice from hotel staff on how to best get our bikes out of the underground parking lot, so we each stubbornly took our own ways up topside.
When cycling alone or with a club, I have learned, there is generally a single and shared vision of the ride. When cycling casually with a partner in new places, the path, duration, and speed must all be negotiated. You’d think we could have just laugh it off at the time, but when one of us had felt really uncomfortable based on a choice the other had made it wasn’t always easy to find levity.
Next time I will still plan our rides with maps, but I will also try to go with the flow, communicate more, and keep upbeat when something unexpected happens. Maybe we agree to alternate who lead the rides. Maybe we each get one “turnaround” audible per ride if things feel bad for one of us. Holiday road trip cycling is not only enjoyable; it can also be an interesting test of a partnership!
Who leads when you ride casually with a partner, family member, or a friend? How do you negotiate differences?
A map of Belleville with a red line marking the path riddenA map of Wolf’s Island with a red line marking the path riddenA map of Ottawa with a red line marking the path ridden
Well, here we are at our very last day of Making Space in 2024.
I hope that my posts throughout December gave you a little room to think, a little room, to breathe, and helped you have a little more space for yourself in your own life.
And I hope that my enthusiasm for your space-making efforts helped you to feel supported and helped you to find a little more ease as you made your way through the month.
As we move into a new year (and as I move into creating Go Team! posts for January), I hope that you can take some of that spirit of ease, that sense of space making, that determination to create a little more room for yourself, into your day-to-day.
I truly wish more ease, more relaxation, more personal energy, and more of whatever kind of space you want for yourself for you in 2025.
As I often say in people’s birthday greetings – May the year ahead bring you plenty of time to spend as you choose and may you have plenty of energy to enjoy it fully.
And since this wouldn’t be a Making Space post without some suggested practices, here are a few for you to choose from. (And, as always, you are free to choose something else entirely – you are the boss of you!)
For today, I decided to offer a variety of things – some are long, some are short, some are relaxing, and some are energizing. It’s a ‘take what you need’ kind of thing around here today.
First up, we have our movement practices.
Here’s a relaxing Vin Yin- Relax & Flow 30 Minute Yoga Practice from Yoga with Adriene.
still image shows the instructor lying on her back on a yoga mat with her legs bent at the knee and leaned to one side while she rests her hands on her belly.
still image shows the instructor lying on her back on a yoga mat with one knee bent (foot flat on the floor) and the other leg bent with the bottom of her foot pointed towards the ceiling and she is holding that foot in both hands.
If you are looking for some extra oomph, this Energy Boosting Cardio Jumpstart – Total Body Warm Up from Fitness Blender might be just the thing.
still image shows the instructor standing with one foot further ahead than the other and her arms are in positions they might be when running – one bent at the elbow at her side and one bent at the elbow in front of her.
If you are looking for a longer workout, this PS Fit30 Minute Energizing Cardio Workout with Amanda Butler is worth a try.
still image shows three happy looking people in exercise clothes demonstrating exercise punches towards the camera
And here are our mindfulness practices.
First up, in case you have a little extra space (or need a little extra space!) we have a 20 Minute Meditation for Inner Strength and Peace from The Mindful Movement
still image shows a photo of two mountaintops on the right and an expanse of pale blue sky on the left and overlaid on the image is the logo for Mindful Movement (overlapping Ms with a purple lotus on top and the word Meditation beneath) and the words Mountain of Strength.
If you are looking for a shorter meditation, then Circles5-Minute Guided Mindfulness: Relax, Recharge, and Refocus could be just the thing!
And if you aren’t looking for movement or meditation but you want to have something kind of friendly on in the background while you read, rest, do crossword puzzles, or do some handiwork, I have been really enjoying The Dead of Night‘s Ambience videos this month and you might like them too. (If that channel’s videos don’t draw you in, there are tons of other ambience channels you can explore.)
still image shows an animation of a roaring fire, a purring cat, and a cup of tea in a candlelit room that seems inviting (at least to me!)
And that’s it for our Making Space posts for 2024.
Here we are at the last Monday in 2024, the last Monday of this Making Space series, and at the beginning of one of those weird feeling weeks because somehow today is supposed to be a regular day but tomorrow night is festive and Wednesday is a whole new calendar year. Go figure!
So, on a pretend-normal day at the beginning of an odd week, I’m recommending that we create space for ourselves by having some extra fun.
Yeah, I know, you probably have to work or maybe you are thinking about future things, or planning how to spend New Year’s Eve, or juggling various things for kids, relatives, and yourselves, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add some fun.
Not ‘feels like a whole other job’ level fun, but something that feels doable.
Maybe you blast your favourite music in the car on your way somewhere.
Maybe you draw on your post-it notes for a few minutes.
Maybe you have something special for your lunch.
Maybe you watch a cartoon with the kids over supper.
Maybe you play a board game, or tell some joke, or read a funny book.
Maybe you call a friend and keep each other company while your do some filing or do the dishes or fill out grant applications.
Maybe you gather a few favourite memes and send them to your friend group.
Maybe you lie on the floor with your dog and tell her that she is the best pup.
Really, you can do anything at all as long as it falls into the range of ‘fun and not very much hassle to arrange.’ After all, this is about creating SPACE not about creating extra work.
However you decide to add extra fun to the last Monday of the year and the first day of this odd week, I wish you ease in the process.
And, of course, I offer a couple of possible practices in case you want to create space with movement or with mindfulness. Remember, that these are just suggestions – you are the boss of you!
Our suggested movement practice for today is The Most Fun 15 Minute Cardio Dance Fitness Workout EVERThe Studio by Jamie Kinkeade (I don’t know if it’s the *most* fun ever but it IS pretty enjoyable!)
And seeing as we are working with fun as our theme, here’s Add Fun to Your Life (Guided Meditation) from Inner Space Meditation. We might as well add fun wherever we can, right?
As we get closer to the end of 2024, the posts about resolutions, making changes, and “self improvement” are getting more frequent and more intense.
If planning new things is appealing to you at the moment, then have it.
I don’t object to the practice, I object to the idea that we have to have everything figured out right now, that we have to take ourselves away from holiday, end-of-year mode and jump right into something new.
And I hate the ‘do it now!’ ‘last chance!’ ‘be better!’ tone of a lot of those posts.
Please don’t let all that pressure crowd into your space.
It’s ok to be seeking rest, to be reflective, to take things as slowly as feels right to you. It’s ok to keep making space for yourself to be the way you want to be right now.
And whether or not you feel like moving into goal-setting mode, please remember that there is nothing wrong with you, that you aren’t a project, and that you do not need to be fixed.
If you want to add something new to your life, if you want to change something about your systems or your processes, or you want to make your life better in some way, and the new year seems like a good time to do that, please forge ahead.
Just be kind to yourself in the process.
But if all of these posts and ideas about resolutions and changes just feel like more pressure and if they make you feel like you’re not getting enough space, then you don’t have to change anything.
You don’t need resolutions just because there’s a new calendar year.
You don’t have to be on a constant mission of self improvement.
You do not have to add more tasks just for the sake of adding them.
And if you think you might like to make some changes, or to add some more interesting things, some more fun or some more challenges to your life, you do not have to start on January 1.
You can pick a convenient time of your own choosing when you feel you will have the resources to follow through on your plans.
As you may know, every January, I write a series of Go Team posts that are about encouraging you to start the year with self-kindness, to be realistic about your interests, your capacity, and your time, and, if you are trying to build new habits, that it’s ok to go gently.
Within those posts I like to remind people that I’m there to provide support and encouragement, not pressure. No one has to start anything new in January. They can start whenever they like.
Personally, while I start some things in January, I have also labelled the month as Planuary because that’s when I like to sit down and think about the months ahead the best I can.
So, keep in mind that this is your life and these are your plans.
Trying to cram yourself into someone else’s idea of what you should do won’t leave you with a lot of space for yourself.
So I hope that you will reject, to the best of your ability, any outside pressure to proceed in a way that doesn’t serve you well.
I hope you’ll take up the space and time that you need to figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it.
And I wish you ease throughout that process.
With all of that said, let’s check out the suggested practices for today. After all, we need space both now and in the future and sometimes we have to work on both of those things at once.
Our suggested movement practice is a Short Wake Up Flow from Yoga with Adriene
Still image shows the instructor in a low lunge with her hands in prayer position in front of her chin/chest. She is on a yoga mat in front of a window. The words ‘Wake Up Flow’ are overlaid on the image.
And our mindfulness practice is Evolving Through Life’s Cycles from Great Meditation
Still images shows an cartoon-style illustration of a young person with long hair sitting cross-legged with their arms resting on the tops of their legs, fingers curled, hands are palm upwards. There are illustrations of swamp-style plants in the background and around the edges. The title of the video is in dark green in the upper right.
Before we get to today’s suggested practices, I’m inviting you to give some thought to future you. *
And the future you I’d like you to consider is the person who will be trying to get things done next December.
What does that person need to know?
What have you figured out in the process this year that you want to make note of for the future?
What expectations (yours and others’) can you work to change now, so that future version of yourself can have things a little easier?
What reminders can you set for future you?
A few years ago, I got into the habit of putting reminders into my calendar for this time next year and it has made a huge difference.
One year I set a reminder for myself to buy new Christmas lights at the end of November the following year.
Another time, I put a reminder in my phone telling me where I was storing the Christmas tablecloths so that future me wouldn’t have to scramble to find them.
And I have also included reminders to help somebody with something earlier in December then I did this year, reminders of when to do specific holiday related tasks, and reminders of tips for gift shopping.
Even though I often have trouble envisioning a future time, this time of year seems to be an exception.
There’s something about being in the thick of it right now that makes it really clear to me what I will need next time December rolls around. Right now, it’s much easier to imagine a future version of what I’m doing at the moment, especially a version that I could shape to make things more straightforward for future me.
Every time I have done this, it has both come in handy and I have been surprised by the information. I always completely forget that I’ve set these reminders and then I’m really grateful to past me when they pop up.
And on top of the straight-up utility of this process, it feels really good to take good care of myself this way. I can only assume that it would be the same for you. And, obviously, I’m all for things that help us feel better in the moment and in the future.
As for feeling better in the moment, I have included a movement practice and a meditation practice below. You are free to choose either or both of these or to choose something else of your liking to create space for yourself today
No matter what you choose to do, please take good care of yourself and be kind. May you have ease today, and always.
Still image is of the instructor, wearing exercise clothes and sitting in her wheelchair, leaning to one side as she ‘swims’ one arm forward. She is smiling and looks like she is enjoying herself.
And our mindfulness practice for today is Guided Breathing Meditation To Relax And Be Calm from Mindful Peace
Still image is of a ring of light with a dark centre with beams emanating from it and the words ‘Just Breathe (Calm and Relaxed)’ overlaid in white.
*If today isn’t the right day for this, consider doing this type of thinking sometime soon instead. And, of course, be kind to yourself when and if you do this type of thinking. The goal is to make next year easier while this year’s events and activities are fresh in your mind, this is not about adding complications for future you.
Today is a good day to practice checking in with yourself.
It’s all too easy to just let yourself get carried along with whatever is going on, to carry on with you to do list, to get caught up in someone else’s plan.
This is especially true at this time of year when there is a lot going on, a lot of traditions, a lot of expectations, and a hearty dose of ambient stress.
If we don’t check in with ourselves, if we don’t make a little space, we can build up a feeling of being out of sorts, jangled, or distressed and not even realize it until we are overwhelmed.
Checking in with ourselves from time to time can help us to feel steadier, more at ease, and less likely to get tossed about by an unexpected storm of emotions.
Please note: This is as much of a ‘note to self’ as a note to you. I do NOT remember to do check-ins all the time but when I do plan some throughout the day then it really helps.
You don’t have to create an elaborate check-in ritual (but you can if that’s helpful!), all you need to do is pick a few times to pause (I use a timer or an alarm on my wrist spy) and ask yourself: How am I feeling? Is there anything I need?
Maybe all is well and you can carry on with what you were doing.
Maybe you need a few deep breaths or a few minutes to yourself.
Perhaps you need to stretch or get moving a little (or a lot).
Maybe you need a glass of water, a cup of tea, or a snack.
Maybe you need to get away from that friend or relative who is taking up your physical or mental space at the moment.
Maybe you need a nap.
Whatever your check-in reveals, start by giving yourself a gold star for checking in -⭐️-then do your best to give yourself what you need in the moment.
And, yes, I know that it won‘t always be possible to give yourself what you need but I have often found that identifying what I need helps even if I can’t have it right now.
For example, if my check-in reveals that I need some exercise but I can’t take the time to really dig into an exercise session right now, I’ll do a few stretches and maybe dance around a bit. AND I’ll be aware that I am a bit out of sorts because I need exercise so I should be extra patient with myself (and with others) until I can really meet that need. I don’t always succeed with my planned patience, of course, but it works often enough to be worth it.
Whatever you do today, I hope you can make space for yourself and that you can find some ease.
And if your space making includes movement or mindfulness, here are your suggested videos for today:
For our movement practice suggestion, here’s Loosen Hips and Remove Low Back Pain from Kaleigh Cohen Strength
Still image shows the instructor in exercise clothes sitting on a mat with one leg extended and the other folded as it would be if she were sitting cross-legged and she has one hand pressing gently on her knee and the other pressing gently on her calf.
And for our mindfulness practice, here’s Tara Brach with Arriving in Mindful Presence
Still image is a photo of a filed of grass lit by the rising sun.
Wishing you ease, fun, and peace of mind, today and always. 💚
My family dinners and gift exchanges happened yesterday and I am slowly getting out of a ‘doing’ mindset and into a ‘being’ mindset…
Or, that’s the switch I am aiming for so I dressed accordingly and I am hoping for the best.
Whether your celebrations are behind you, in front of you, or you are somewhere in the middle, I am sending you some of my ‘comfy mode’ energy.
If you have sidestepped the holidays and are just following your regular routine, I’m also sending you comfy mode energy.
In fact, I wonder what it would be like if we could actually hold on to this kind of energy and give ourselves a little bit whenever we need it?
What would have to happen for us to be able to pause in the middle of a hectic time and breathe in that sense of rest and ease?
What would we have to know/thing/believe in order to make that work?
I wonder if it is one of those things that just takes practice?
It’s worth a try, hey?
So, space making friends, whatever you have going on today, I invite you to pause long enough to imagine yourself in your comfiest mode and to let your body and brain remember what that feels like.
Even if you can only spend 5 minutes calling up those images, ideas, and sensations in as vivid detail as you can, I’m sure it would feel really good.
And feeling good is really our big picture plan, isn’t it?
Let me know if you give this comfy mode imagination exercise a try!
In the meantime, here are our suggested practices today. Whether you try these, try the comfy mode practice above or whether you do something entirely different, I wish you ease today and always.
For our movement practice today, here’s a Morning Standing Stretch from Senior Shape Fitness. Since I am in comfy mode this standing stretch video with the instructor in a bathrobe had a lot of appeal!
And here’s our mindfulness practice for today A 10 Minute Guided Meditation For Your Overactive Mind from Great Meditation. (Even when I’m in comfy mode, my ADHD brain likes to keep whirring so I’ll take all the help I can get!)
