Category: meditation

A bubblegum-pink fake watermelon slushie. Approach wth caution. Mid-summer: a time for ordinary movement and extraordinary sensory experience
fitness · meditation · mindfulness · vacation

Mid-summer: a time for ordinary movement and extraordinary sensory experience

catherine wLeave a comment

The past couple of weeks I’ve been out and about, traveling to Tennessee and North Carolina, and then hosting my sister and niece here in Boston, with a day trip to the beach in Maine.

Nothing extraordinary happened, really; I visited friends, went to a meditation retreat, and did some touristing with my sister and niece.

But, in fact I had extraordinary pleasure from what my senses were conveying to me, once I slowed down to really experience them.

What do I mean here? Lemme explain with examples:

Water: My friend Jennie and I went to Townsend, TN and dipped our feet in the Little River, just inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a shallow rushing river, great for tubing, dipping, and hanging out in and beside.

Here's the Little River. Our section had loads of people enjoying it on a hot summer day.
Here’s the Little River. Our section had loads of people enjoying it on a hot summer day.

The feeling of rushing water on my legs, moving along, on top of and between the rocks, hearing the sounds of the water– so satisfying, cleansing, refreshing.

More water: My sister, niece and I went to the beach at York, Maine last week for the day. Loads of people were out on Long Sands Beach, enjoying the sun, sand, sky and each other. I knew the water was extra cold– 58F/14.4C– but we had to wade in a little. Wow– the contrast between air and water was something! It felt shocking and prickly and a little painful; but the overall sensation was fully engaging.

Beach enclaves in York, ME.
Beach enclaves in York, ME.
The ocean, which was very beautiful and cold-- 58F/14C.
The ocean, which was very beautiful and cold– 58F/14C.

Crunching sounds: during my meditation retreat, while doing a morning sit, we were encouraged to let ourselves be aware of sound around us. This included birds, wind through the trees, the rustling of our fellow meditators, our own breath– any sound could become the object of our attention.

I noticed the distinct and surprisingly pleasurable sound of tires on the gravel way outside our meditation hall. The deep crunch of rubber on rock left me very pleased. And wanting more of it. So, when we next did a walking meditation, I put on my red-strapped Teva sandals and headed out for the gravel path, planning on exploring crunch.

I was not disappointed. From bigger rocks to sandy spots, my sandals made contact with sounds and tactile sensations. They varied, creating a banquet for me to sample from. Honestly, I totally recommend this for anyone who’s feeling stressed or overwhelmed, as immersing yourself in the sound and feeling of something crunchy beneath your feet will reboot you to original human factory settings in the best way. Try it.

Any gravel path anywhere will do, as long as it has some loose rock for crunching. Photo by Alan C for Unslash.
Any gravel path anywhere will do, as long as it has some loose rock for crunching. Photo by Alan C for Unslash.

The color green: during my visit with Jennie and her family, we went to the Knoxville Botanical Garden. It is a well-cared-for space for wandering, contemplation and enjoyment. What I really enjoyed that day was the Bamboo Forest, with many shades of green.

The dark but inviting entrance to the Bamboo Forest.
The dark but inviting entrance to the Bamboo Forest.
A jungle of greenery.
A jungle of greenery.
The path out of the bamboo stands to the lighter green in the sunlight.
The path out of the bamboo stands to the lighter green in the sunlight.

Being surrounded by one color in so many configurations felt wonderful for my eyes, my imagination and my love of the world. Thanks, nature, for such variety!

One last comment: On the cover of this post is the watermelon slushie I had at York Beach. It was its own universe of sensation: intense manufactured sweetness from the fake watermelon taste (not exactly pleasant, but certainly unavoidable), and the piercing brain-freeze feeling from taking too big a sip. We all remember summer brain-freeze, don’t we? It’s a mid-summer thing. Feel free to try it if you dare.

Happy mid-summer!

A bubblegum-pink fake watermelon slushie. Approach wth caution.
A bubblegum-pink fake watermelon slushie. Approach wth caution.
A very big fan in a meditation hall. Neurodivergent meditation retreat preview: the fans
fitness · meditation

Neurodivergent meditation retreat preview: the fans

catherine wLeave a comment

Today is the last day of my 4-day meditation retreat at the Art of Living retreat center, outside of Boone, North Carolina. It’s called How to Meditate, Relate, and Creatively Self-Regulate: a meditation retreat for neurodivergent humans. It’s run by my favorite meditation teacher Jeff Warren (who’s from Toronto), and my now-co-favorite meditation teacher Ofosu Jones-Quartey, who lives in the Washington DC area.

We have been doing sitting, lying down, standing and walking-outside-in-nature meditations, enjoying sound baths, writing in our journals, and talking and listening to each other. I’ve been to a bunch of meditation retreats or workshops, but I think this is now my favorite one.

Our last session is this morning, so I’ll post a thorough review this week. But for now, here’s a preview of one of my favorite things from the retreat:

THERE ARE BIG FANS EVERYWHERE. And I love love love it.

You may be thinking, what?

Lemme explain.

The retreat center is at the top of a mountain in North Carolina, where it used to be always cool and refreshing, even in summer. But no longer– the humidity and summer temperatures have creeped up the hillsides and invaded even this sheltered place.

But these folks are ready for it. Enter the fans.

Here in the dining hall there are silent areas. But the big fans are exempt.
Here in the dining hall there are silent areas. But the big fans are exempt.
I sat at a table strategically placed between two big fans, but far enough that my food did not get blown off the plate.
I sat at a table strategically placed between two big fans, but far enough that my food did not get blown off the plate.

There is a ceiling fan in my room, along with a box fan that can be placed anywhere for spot cooling. I really appreciated it.

I’ve saved the best for last. We did/are doing our sessions in this lovely space called Shakti Hall. Here are some pictures of it from trip advisor (we are not allowed to take pictures inside, which is fair enough).

Shakti Hall, with its gorgeous detailed wood ceiling and lots of light.
Shakti Hall, with its gorgeous wod ceiling and light everywhere.
Shakti Hall set up for a workshop (not mine).
Shakti Hall set up for a workshop (not mine).

Since it was warm and humid, of course they had fans. I begged for (and received) permission to take photos of the fans they used in this space.

Me, looking rumpled but chill post-sit,with this enormous fan.
Me, looking rumpled but chill post-sit,with this enormous fan.
Me giving some love to the enormous fan. You can also better see how big it is. And how loved it is.
Me giving some love to the enormous fan. You can also better see how big it is. And how loved it is.

Omigod I love these fans. I don’t think I can fit one in my car, otherwise I would find out where they got them and buy one immediately. And they work, well, they work very effectively.

You might wonder, but aren’t they loud? Well, the organizers did turn them off for our sits. For which I was a bit sad. But acceptance of what is is part of a meditation practice. So I sat, accepted, but also looked forward to the time the fans were re-activated. Which was a delight.

In case you’re wondering, the retreat has been insightful and surprising and wonderful in ways that outstrip even the awesome big fans. I’ll write more about that this week. In the meantime, maybe go buy yourself a big fan. You’ll be glad you did.

A photo of a wire card with the word decide drawn on it. Meditation Jumpstarts Christine’s New Exercise Routine
ADHD · habits · meditation

Meditation Jumpstarts Christine’s New Exercise Routine

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

I started the Hybrid Calisthenics routine last Monday and I swear I can feel a big difference in my movements already.

Yeah, I know, it’s unlikely that I actually have many results from a single week of focused training but my brain is convinced otherwise so I am just rolling with it. 

In fact, my brain is so convinced that it isn’t fighting me on finding time to exercise every day. Instead, it has let me just get started* when I reach ‘exercise time’ each day. This is virtually unprecedented. 

And I think this shift comes down to two things:

  1. A meditation on Insight Timer called Train Like An Athlete**  in which Amanda Sellers said (among lots of other helpful things), “You don’t need motivation, you need a decision.” 

I swear when I heard that, I actually said ‘Oh!’ out loud.

I don’t know why that really hit home at that moment – I know perfectly well that I don’t need motivation but perhaps subconsciously I didn’t believe it until just then. 

Right after I listened to the meditation, I got out of my chair and did some stretches, squats, and standing twists just to keep myself in the right frame of mind. 

And later that day, when I was mowing the lawn, I reframed that chore as exercise and decided to make sure to push myself a bit harder throughout the process.  My ADHD brain loved the feeling of that decision and it loved the fact that I was accomplishing two things at once. 

The good feeling of DECIDING to move my body more effectively lasted through the rest of the yard work the next day and brought me right up to Monday morning when I realized that I could build on the momentum of the last two days by choosing a new exercise program and starting it RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT. 

And that’s when the Hybrid Calisthenics app kind of floated into my mind. 

  1. The Hybrid Calisthenics program app is VERY straightforward and VERY clear.

I have sort of tried the program as outlined on the website before but I didn’t get very far with it because, as I now realize, I don’t do very well with just a list of exercises.

When I just have a list, I always either push myself too far and overdo it early in the process or I don’t push myself enough and I get bored with it. 

So, while I love Hampton’s friendly and encouraging style on the Hybrid Calisthenics YouTube Channel   I had kind of filed his program away for later.  You know, the perfectly logical process of putting a program that will help you slowly build your fitness on hold until you feel fitter. (Note: please read that sentence in a dry sarcastic tone. Include an eyeroll if you can.)

But once I took a look at the app, his routine felt a lot more possible so I once again took Amanda’s advice and made two decisions 1) to give the routine a try and 2) to follow the routine as it was laid out – no second guessing, no figuring things out, just following the instructions in the app.

Before I knew it, I was doing two sets of 30 wall pushups and two sets of leg extensions, recording my progress on the app, and feeling a real sense of accomplishment. 

It must have been the perfect combination and level of exercises for me because while my muscles were a bit tired the next day, they weren’t discouragingly sore and I could do the next part of the routine without strain or stress. 

And now it’s a week later and I could increase my wall pushups by a few reps this morning. 

All because I heard that line “You don’t need motivation, you need a decision.” and made a decision at just the right time. 

Now I just have to keep deciding to show up for myself. 

Go me!

*Task initiation is notoriously hard for the ADHD brain in general and my ADHD brain in particular. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=adhd+trouble+getting+started

**The full meditation isn’t available without a membership but here’s a sample – https://insig.ht/a0IpEg5jK4b)

A person in silhouette in a marsh area at sunset. BY Antoine Gatien for Unsplash. Catherine’s plans for July and August involve both sitting and pedaling
cycling · fitness · meditation · vacation

Catherine’s plans for July and August involve both sitting and pedaling

catherine wLeave a comment

It’s almost mid-July, but there’s plenty of summer left (I keep telling myself). And in fact, my two biggest getaway plans are ahead of me.

This week I’m going to Boone, North Carolina for a 4-day meditation retreat with my favorite meditation teacher Jeff Warren. It will be held at the Art of Living retreat center, which I’m looking forward to exploring. But I’ll be sitting a lot, which is kind of the point of being there.

I’m really looking forward to a dedicated time and space for stillness and quiet, and also walking and experiencing the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I doubt we'll be meditating here, but I'm hoping for coffee or ice tea on this terrace. Picture from the retreat center website.
I doubt we’ll be meditating here, but I’m hoping for coffee or ice tea on this terrace. Picture from the retreat center website.

Naturally, I’ll report next Sunday on how things went.

In early-mid August, I’ve planned another getaway– this one to Quebec with my friend Felicity for cycling Le Petit Train du Nord cycling route. We are driving up together with our bikes and parking at the southern terminus of the trail, where bus service takes us and bikes and luggage to the northern terminus. We’ll ride at a leisurely pace down the 234-km trail, staying three nights and ending our trip with an overnight celebration in Montreal. I’m so looking forward to this trip! It’s easy cycling along with opportunities for swimming, strolling around little towns, experiencing nature, and breaking out my creaky French. In case you weren’t already envious, here’s a little Youtube video to help you along.

This trip will be more active and interactive and engaged, which is also just what the doctor ordered.

Dear readers, what getaways or dedicated staycations do you have planned for the rest of the summer? I’m always looking for ideas and inspiration.

s small drawing of the number 26 Making Space 2025: Day 26
fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 26

Christine Hennebury

Hey Everyone,

I hope that today is a good day to find a little space for yourself with movement, meditation, or something else that makes you happy.

I don’t have a lot of advice today but I do have a question:

What kinds of small things can you do over the next few days to either feel more restful in the moment OR to help yourself start the new year with more ease?

Please don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to figure this out!

But if you can think of a few things that will make life a bit easier for future you, please try to do them.

(Somewhat related: I thought this list of tiny experiments for the last week of the year sounded interesting. No pressure though! Take good care of yourself!)

Anyway, Team, no matter what you are doing today or what you have planned for the next week, I wish you ease and peace of mind and as much space as you need.

And with that, let’s get into our suggested practices for today:

Since this is Boxing Day, I had decided to post a boxing workout and a box breathing meditation. Boxing Day has nothing to do with the sport of boxing (nor about breathing practices) but I do like a tangential theme!

Then, on a less tangential matter, I realized that today is also the first day of Kwanzaa so I wanted to post a meditation and movement practice related to that celebration as well.

(There are a lot of holidays and cultural events throughout December and I don’t mention them all because I don’t always have the time to do proper research and determine if it would be appropriate for me to reference them in this type of post. If you celebrate something in December that you think would be appropriate for Making Space 2026, please let me know in the comments and I will include it next year.)

Here’s one of our movement practices for today.

In the still image of this 10 Minute Kickboxing Quick HIIT Workout from BodyFit by Amy, the title of the video is on the left in black and the instructor, a person with light skin and freckles and their blond hair in a ponytail and cloth hairband, is demonstrating a punch with their right fist towards the camera and their left arm close to their body in a guarding position (upper arm close to the body, elbow down, forearm leaned slightly across their chest, fist near their chin. They are wearing a blue cropped tank top and you can see the black waistband of their pants (or shorts?)

Here’s our first meditation practice for today:

In still image for this Box Breathing Relaxation Exercise from Hands On Meditation, a variation of the video title ‘5 Minute Box Breathing Relaxation Exercise Beginner Pace’ is in the middle of the screen with the first two words in yellow, the rest in white. The first four words are in larger text than the last four. Behind the text is a silhouette of a square with thick lines for each side and the background is a sort of patterned blue that gives the impression of being underwater. In case you are interested, here’s a good explanation of the benefits of Box Breathing from Sunnybrook Hospital.

Here’s our second movement practice for today:

In the still image for this Kwanzaa Quick Workout video from Uhuru Dancers, Atlanta the instructor, a black person with curly hair pulled upwards away from their face with a yellow and brown patterned scarf, large hoop earrings, a black tshirt with the word LEGACY in white, a hip scarf in the same pattern, and red leggings, is standing on a white and red patterned rug with their hands on the back of their hips. They look calm and determined. In the background, next to a red wall, are several tall drums, and a wooden table. There are posters and other hangings on the wall.

And here’s a Kwanzaa meditation from a few years ago:

In this still image from Principles of Kwanzaa, 7 Day Meditation Challenge Day 1: Umoja – Unity from Manii Dot Calm, the instructor, a young black person with their hair covered in a brightly coloured scarf is sitting on a couch that is covered with yellow fabric and there are two windows with blinds closed behind them. They are wearing a white sleeveless blouse over a burgundy tank top, and they are wearing gold earing and bangles on both arms. Their eyes are closed and their arms are raised so their elbows are away from their body, their forearms are closer to the camera and their hands are palm inward at face height but maybe 6-8 inches away from their face.

If you are interested in more Kwanzaa meditations, her other videos are available at Manii Dot Calm but they are not in a separate playlist.

A dog is curled up on a cluttered bed. Some Calm Amidst The Chaos
ADHD · fitness · habits · meditation · mindfulness · self care

Some Calm Amidst The Chaos

Christine Hennebury4 Comments

I’ve been writing the Making Space series daily every December for 5 years and, as it goes with these things, I am probably the person who needs the advice the most.

I am just as likely as anyone (maybe even more likely?) to get caught up in how much I could be doing and forget that there is just one person doing all the stuff I put on my list.*

My ever-expanding to do list is the result of the combination my ADHD-related challenges with time/capacity/prioritization and the ambient pressure that comes along this time of year.

Writing the Making Space posts have been helpful for me every year – a daily reminder that making space for myself in my own life is a valuable and worthwhile endeavour AND a practice that actually forces me to focus on a task (writing) that I enjoy.

I also find that the movement and mindfulness practices help, of course. Even though I don’t always complete those specific practices on those specific days, the structure of seeking them out to share with you reminds me to include at least some movement and a little meditation on even my busiest days.

But, despite how helpful all of that has been in the past, this year feels different – in a good way.

This year, I feel far more calm in December than I ever have.

Now, there are lots of contributing factors here – my kids are both in their 20s, my freelance work has been better distributed this year, I have gotten better at planning and prioritizing- but, aside from (because of?) all of that, I have found myself leaning into my movement and mindfulness practices and feeling much better because of it.

When I feel tense, I’ve been asking myself how my body needs to move right now.

When I feel stressed, I’ve been asking myself to pause and breathe.

And, yes, I have been doing this to a certain degree for a long while, this year seeking movement and mindfulness has been a more automatic, more consistent response to those feelings of tension and stress.

It feels really good to respond in those ways so often, so directly.

And I am proud of myself for getting to this point.

My practices may not be perfect but they do allow me to take better care of myself and that’s really the best case scenario, isn’t it?

*Yes, there is holiday teamwork at my house but I am talking about the stuff I tend to pile on to my to do list, not the stuff that actually must be done for our house to function and have the holiday we want to have.

a drawing of the number 10 on a small card Making Space 2025: Day 10
ADHD · fitness · holiday fitness · meditation · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 10

Christine Hennebury1 Comment

Hey Everyone,

As I move towards the end of the year, I need to (almost constantly!) remind myself that I can do most things a little bit at a time.

Thanks to ADHD, my subconscious default is to put things aside – even huge projects – until I have time to finish them all at once. *

Despite the obvious flaws in that approach, if I’m not careful, I can go for ages not working on something because my brain has essentially put it on shelf for later when I have ‘the right kind of time’ to address it.

Even if you don’t get trapped in that kind of ADHD subconscious loop, I am sure that you have projects or tasks that you are trying to find time to work on all at once.

Perhaps it is an end-of-year project for work, maybe it’s cleaning the fridge, or making some phone calls, either way, if you have been consciously or subconsciously parking a task with lots of subtasks within it, this is your official permission to work on it in little bits over time.

It might take you a week to clean the fridge or get that website updated but it is better than having it haunt you from your to do list and never actually getting around to it.

For the record, cleaning my fridge is one of those tasks for me – I am pretty sure there is a jar rebellion underway on the back of the top shelf – and, today, I am going to spend 10 minutes cleaning one part. (This is where you can imagine me saying, in a goofy tone, I am SUCH a good example!)

Approaching things in this way will make some space in a lot of different ways – space in my schedule (since I don’t need a big block of time), space in my head (because the task will have some traction), and literal space in my fridge.

Not bad, hey?

So, whether you are picking a task to do bit by bit, you are planning to do one of the videos below, or you are going to do something else to make a bit of space for yourself, I wish you ease and self-kindness.

Good luck out there!

Here’s our movement video for today:

In the still image from this 10 Minute Muscle Toning Wheelchair Workout from Empowered Para the instructor is featured on the left hand side and the title of the video is on the right. The instructor, who has long brown hair, is sitting in their wheelchair and they are wearing green pants and a black sleeveless shirt. They are smiling and pointing towards the camera and a speech balloon above them says ‘Hey you! Come workout!’

And here’s our meditation:

In the still image for this 5 Minute Meditation for Focus from Great Meditation, the still image shows a pink cartoon brain sitting with its thin black line legs crossed and its thin black line arms at what would be shoulder height on a person. Its eyes are closed and it has a small smile. The background of the image is purplish blue and there are white lines extending outward from the area around the brain – maybe concentration or focus energy? The name of the video is in black text partially above and partially below the brain.

*Longer ADHD explanation:

To be clear, ‘all at once’ doesn’t necessarily mean on one day. My brain acknowledges that some things take longer than that so it seeks a stretch of time – a few days, a week, a month- in which I will be able to work on something repeatedly until it is done. Those stretches of time rarely appear, of course, because life doesn’t work like that. Yet, rather than bringing the project to my mental surface for reconsideration, my brain will just put the project on pause until it can find the right kind of time. I have to put in A LOT of effort to interrupt that default routine.

As you can imagine, this leads to a lot of self-frustration because some larger projects get parked without me realizing it has happened. This parking of projects thing isn’t a conscious decision, it happens on some other level and I have to check in with myself over and over to figure out why some projects have stalled.

When time is tight, like it can be this time of year, my brain tends to want to store any multi-part project away and I run the risk of it becoming late for me to do some important things.

There’s a lot more I could say about this but I just wanted to give this much explanation for now in case it is helpful for someone else!

a small drawing of the number 8 Making Space 2025: Day 8
cardio · meditation · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 8

Christine Hennebury

Hey everyone,

For my own amusement, I decided to choose today’s videos by searching ‘8 minute workout’ and ‘8 minute meditation’ to match the fact that today is the 8th.

It’s true that it doesn’t take a lot to amuse me but I consider that a good thing. 😉

In this section of the post, I usually add a little extra idea for your day. This time, I thought of all sorts of fun 8-themed activities for you to try today but eventually decided to offer this suggestion instead:

Today, please try to do just one thing that is for your own amusement. That might mean wearing your favourite hat, listening to a favourite song, dancing in the hallway, adding cinnamon to your hot chocolate, doodling in your notebook, shaping your pancakes like diamonds or sending heart emojis to all of your friends.

It really doesn’t matter what you decide, the important thing is that it is something fun for you* and that it doesn’t necessarily serve any other purpose besides amusing yourself.

As always, I wish you ease and self-kindness as you make your way through today.

Here is your movement practice for today:

Today’s video is from Silver Sneakers and the title ‘8-Minute Full Body Workout’ is shown on a blue overlay on the left side of the still image. On the right side is a slightly blurry photo of person in shorts and a long-sleeved shirt with their hair pinned up and their hands on their hips. They are mid-movement and there is a dark coloured couch and end table to their left.

And here’s your mindfulness practice:

In this ‘8 Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere’ from Yoga with Adriene, Adriene is wearing light coloured comfortable clothing and she is sitting somewhat cross-legged on some blankets to elevate her hips. Benji, her dog, is sleeping behind her and there is a window and greenery in the background. She has her eyes closed and her hands are resting on her upper legs. She looks quite peaceful.

* For the record, I am not advocating that you have fun at someone else’s expense nor am I suggesting that you do anything harmful. Just had to get that out there. (Yes, I overthink everything. Even this note.)

A drawing of the number 7 Making Space 2025: Day 7
ADHD · meditation · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 7

Christine Hennebury

Hey everyone,

When I came across today’s movement video and noticed how short it was, I thought it would fun to make today’s post very brief to make the point that even short practices can really helpus to create more space for ourselves.

And speaking of the value of short practices, today I would like to invite you to shorten your to do list. Pick something that you aren’t enthused about doing and toss it right off your to do list. There’s a lot of freedom to be gained in deciding early that you aren’t going to do something – instead of leaving it on the list in case you have time.

No matter how much time you have to make some space for yourself today, I wish you ease and fun in the process.

Have fun out there!

Here’s our movement practice for today:

The still image from this ‘Pancakes & Waffles Hands Free Rise’ video from Holly Jahn shows the instructor sitting on the floor facing the camera. Their legs are apart and their hands are behind their head with elbows out to either side. They are wearing a great yoga sweatshirt and black leggings and they have short dark hair and glasses.

And our mindfulness practice today:

For this 1 Minute Breathing Exercise video from CalmSage, the still image shows a purple background with a layered circular white shape in the middle of the screen that expands and contracts to give you a way slow down your breathing and relax.

A small drawing of the number 6. Making Space 2025: Day 6
fitness · holiday fitness · holidays · meditation · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 6

Christine Hennebury

Hey Everyone,

Welcome to the first Saturday in December!

I hope that today finds you with at least a little time to yourself, even if it is just taking a little extra time with your cup of tea, a little longer in the shower, or going a little slower when doing some routine tasks.

I know I am not alone in this but I hate, hate, hate to feel rushed so when I am feeling hurried, I always try to figure out small ways to reduce that feeling of pressure. Sometimes, taking my time at the grocery store or choosing a slower way to do something helps my brain to recalibrate and see the difference between feeling rushed and any actual urgency.

I know that isn’t the same as actual rest or actually changing my to do list but when I am in the thick of things, I may not have the time or brain space to do either of those.

And I also know that some of you may not have the freedom or capacity to change the order or nature of your task but I hope that you can be kind to yourself about the facts of your day, that you can eke out a few minutes rest, and that you can recognize that feeling rushed at a busy time is not a personal flaw. You are doing what you can with the resources you have and that’s all anyone can do.

Whether you are rushing, relaxing, or doing something in between today, I wish you ease in your mind and in your body.

May you have a little more space when you need it.

Here’s today’s movement practice:

This video from Yes2Next is called “Easy 5 min Wall Pilates Workout (No Weights): For Ages 60+ and Beginners” and the still image shows the two happy-looking participants in a very light squat with their arms slightly extended behind them. Their photos superimposed over a purple wall and they are standing on a wooden floor. The participants are a mother/daughter pair and the Mom, an elderly woman with short grey hair, is closest to the camera and is wearing a black track suit. The daughter, who is middle aged, is in black leggings and dark peach t-shirt.

And here’s today’s mindfulness practice:

The still image for this Headspace video “Grounding Exercise for Racing Minds” shows a cartoonish yellow circle with googly eyes looking upwards and the the left. There is a white circle and a dark orange circle layered around the yellow circle character and the background of the image is a warm orange. The video title is on the upper left with the first few words in white and the last two in yellow.