Category: mindfulness

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 brightly coloured calendar of resilience tips from Action for Happiness Jump Back Up July? Sounds like a plan.
fitness · habits · health · mindfulness · self care

Jump Back Up July? Sounds like a plan.

Christine Hennebury1 Comment

This month’s Action for Happiness theme is ‘Jump Back Up July’ and their calendar is full of small steps to help you build your resilience, to increase your ability to face challenges, to notice your strengths, and to be kinder to yourself.

Now, as I am sure you can guess, I don’t really think that we have to *jump* back up every single time but even staggering back up gets us back up and trying again.

Cultivating the inner fortitude to try again when things go awry, to be compassionate when we make mistakes, to ask for help when need it, to reframe challenges, and to nurture hope throughout the process can serve us well in so many areas of our lives (including fitness!) that the effort to build our resilience skills is worth the effort.

Even though many of these practices are already in my regular repertoire, I’m going to make a point of practicing them during Jump Back Up July (or Get Back Up At Your Own Pace Using Your Choice of Movements July which is more accurate for me but far less catchy. 😉 )

Are you in?

Here’s the Jump Back Up July Calendar :

a brightly coloured calendar of resilience tips from Action for Happiness
The ‘Jump Back Up July’ calendar from Action for Happiness. I will, of course, be using this for ‘Get Back Up At Your Own Pace Using Your Own Choice Of Movements July’ too. Image description: A calendar for July 2026 with each block coloured in a repeating pattern of dark green, light green, orange, and yellow. The text in each block is a daily tip for building the skills to ‘Jump Back Up’ and the edges of the calendar are decorated with black and white cartoon images of people doing resilience activities such as hugging someone or carefully repairing a loved object.

And here’s a tip video from Action for Happiness featuring Vanessa King:

A video from the Action for Happiness YouTube channel called ‘Coping with challenging times. Jump Back Up July with Vanessa King’ on the left side is a still image of Vanessa King, a middle-aged white-presenting woman with reddish blonde hair that is pulled back from her face on the sides and top but with her bangs curling down towards her eyebrows. She is wearing brown-framed glasses, a black shirt, and a green scarf decorated with white flowers and gold-coloured leaves. She is looking towards the camera and smiling and there are two books and a vase of flowers behind her. On the right side of the image is a light blue rectangle with text that reads ‘Resilience. Bouncing Back’ in red and ‘3 top tips with Vanessa King’ in yellow.

Here are a few links about resilience that you may want to check out:

Leo Babuta – A Guide to Habit Resilience

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health – Building Resilience

Dr. Tracey Marks – Is Your Brain Stuck? How To Build Resilience Through Microregulation.

Robert Waldinger – How To Ease Suffering By Widening The Container

a close-up photo of a lilac branch with the flowers still closed Paying Attention Pays Off On Christine’s Monday Walk
dogs · fitness · mindfulness · walking

Paying Attention Pays Off On Christine’s Monday Walk

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Monday was an ‘out of sorts’ kind of day.

I don’t really know why I was out of sorts because nothing went particularly wrong.

In fact, lots of things went right – I had two terrific Zoom conversations with friends, I spent some time drawing and writing, it was sunny out for most of the day – but I felt a little under the weather, I couldn’t really settle into my work, and I had to push myself to do even the simplest things.

I even had to push myself to go for a walk this afternoon – an activity that is automatic about 90% of the time.

I’m sure Khalee would have forgiven me if we didn’t walk today but I didn’t like the idea of her missing out on a walk on a warm, sunny day.

Since I was having trouble with the push to walk, I decided to try to add a ‘pull’ factor – I challenged myself to take a photo as many beautiful things as I could without Khalee losing her patience.

And that worked out pretty well – it made my walk into a series of small strolls between photos and I was reminded of how many lovely things I can see even on a short walk.

All in all, this small photo challenge was a good way to finish my Monday.

And if you’re having trouble getting out for a walk, I highly recommend going off in search of beauty.

a photo of small white flowers on the tip of a tree branch
I really liked seeing all of these clusters on white flowers on the tree branches reaching toward the path. Image description: a cluster of small white flowers on the top of a tree branch that has relatively small green leaves. The background is out of of focus but there’s grass and trees and the sun is shining through here and there.
a photo looking up at the underside of a spruce tree with green cones and purple cones forming on the branches.
I really liked the contrast of the green branches and the purple cones with the blue sky in the background. Image description: a photo of the underside of a spruce tree looking up towards the sky. another set of branches, up very high, is visible at the top of the photo and the deep blue sky is visible on several sides. The tips of the spruce branch are laden with new cones that are growing. Some are green and others are a soft purple.
a photo of a small woodsy area with a dog in the foreground
When I was young, my friends and I played ‘spies’ in the small wooded areas along this path. Little alcoves formed by the trees were our favourite hiding places. Image description: a photo of a wooded area with a clearing between the trees, the entrance to which is partially blocked by trees that are leaning far to one side. Khalee, my light brown dog who is wearing a blue neckerchief is in the bottom of the photo.
a top-down photo of a shallow river almost completely overgrown with trees and shrubs and dotted with rocks.
I take so many photos of the sun on the greenery and the river in this particular spot on the bridge. Image description: a photo of a river that is so overgrown that there are just two or three pools of water easily visible between the greenery and the rocks. The sun is shining down on all the trees and shrubs and grass making it area look very lush.
a photo of suburban street with a long cloud in the bright blue sky with the sun at the very top of the photo.
Something about the shape of this cloud was really pleasing to me and I also loved how looooooong the street looked in this photo. Image description: a photo of a street near my house that seems to be leading me right toward the most prominent long white cloud in the bright blue sky. The sun is a bright shape with a kind of aura around it in the top of the photo and there is a series of trees, houses, and cars, as well a sidewalk along the left side of the photo, and a few houses, trees, and cars on the right.
a close-up photo of a lilac branch with the flowers still closed
I took this photo on my front lawn where this lilac tree keeps blooming despite (because of?) my benign neglect. Image description: a close-up photo of a lilac branch with bright green leaves and with the lilac flowers still closed up in dark pink buds. There are houses and cars out of focus in the background and blue sky above.
a top-down photo of some bright orange flowers amidst greenery
These small orange flowers are apparently a type of poppy and they also thrive under my benign neglect in a planter next to the lilac tree in front of my house. I will be pulling the grass out of the planter once I get around to it. Image description: a top-down photo of some small orange poppies amidst a variety of green plants and leaves and a smattering of grass stalks. On the right side of the photo there is the edge of the wooden planter and a few rocks scattered on the dirt that is part way under my front steps.
a photo of the head and front legs of light brown, medium-sized dog who is looking towards the camera
I think Khalee is just as beautiful as the trees, the flowers, the river and the cloud, of course. Image description: a photo of Khalee, a medium-sized light brown dog whose face, paws and chest are white. She is wearing a jaunty blue neckerchief with blue daisies outlined on it. She is standing in a shadow on a patch of grass with a sunny spot just past her. Only her front paws and her head is in the shot and she has her head turned slightly towards us so she is looking into the camera.
Flying & Falling into a New Decade
aging · femalestrength · injury · mindfulness · running

Flying & Falling into a New Decade

MinaLeave a comment

The morning after I turned 60, I headed out on a run with my youngest brother who was in town. What a treat! And he pushes my pace. For the first bit, I felt fleet and strong. Flying. The kind of run where your feet barely seem to touch the ground, tiny levitation rockets in my shoes. And that was just a feeling, since my feet were clearly on the ground when I tripped over a tree root.

I went down hard, catching myself on my shoulder. The result: a badly wrenched shoulder and a pivot from a brisk 9-mile run to a nauseous crawl toward CityMD, arm cradled against my body.

Everything in me wanted to scream until my lungs gave out, why me? Beneath that was a darker feeling, too: that the universe had smacked me down, put me in my place. I had wanted too much. I had been too pleased with myself about still being strong, still being fast, still being the person who runs the morning after her 60th birthday. So, the universe decided to show me who was boss.

I was already prickly about 60. About a month ago, a young man I passed in the final kilometers of a 21k (he could not have been older than his early 30s) said, with dismissiveness: well, maybe when I’m 60. I didn’t hear past that snippet. I kept running. I hear versions of these casual dismissals of people based on their ages often. The unquestioned assumption that age is a one-way street, that it diminishes us.

Even with a hurt and hurting shoulder, I questioned. With difficulty.

The list of things I could barely do at first was graceless in its mundanity. Open a bottle. Get dressed (oh yes, including pulling up my pants after going to the bathroom). Brush my teeth. Grab a glass in the cupboard. Never mind trail running or mountain biking. Did I mention I was three days from leaving for two weeks in the Canadian Rockies? I had planned solitude and mountain time to contemplate my new decade.

Close-up of a human arm showing visible bruising and discoloration on the skin, with a wooden background.

I had to borrow rolling luggage, because I could not haul a pack on a wrenched shoulder, and I always travel with a pack on my back. My mountain bike stayed in my middle brother’s garage in Calgary. Still, the first full day there, I wrestled myself into a sports bra, shirt and hiking pants and ventured out. Cautiously. Arm in a sling. A few days later I packed the sling in my little backpack (which didn’t hurt to wear, it was getting the straps on that was the trick). Gradually, I transitioned to trail running shoes and worked myself up to a slow trot. Always aware of my arm.

For the past three weeks, I’ve been managing the background noise of persistent pain.

This is not how I pictured opening this new decade.

And yet. And yet.

Curbed in my go-go mountain enthusiasm, I moved at a pace that allowed me to bask more in all the signs of coming spring. The runoff streams that got deeper with every warming day, so that I had to find new ways to get across that particular bit of trail each time. I had space to think about what it means to cross this threshold.

Because it is a threshold, even if I am, rationally, the same person the day after my birthday as the day before. I have sat with my complicated feelings about being a person in my sixties now for three weeks and something is shifting or emerging from underneath all the accumulated detritus of the years and the immediate distress of the physical setback. It’s a feeling, a sensation, a way of being that is harder to name than fleet or strong or flying.

Out on the mountain trails each morning, even moving with more caution than usual, a feeling spread in me, as the sun moves quietly into the world each day. Grounded, yet light. Buoyant, yet stable. It feels like I have the right to be here without further justification or proof of worth.

This whatever-it-is-ness feels like an arrival. Or a coming home. Belonging. Did I arrive at this feeling because of the fall?  Maybe. If I choose that version of the story, then I can silver line the fall and injury. Forced to slow down, woman discovers inner strength. Another part of me resists the patness of that explanation.  Maybe I just fell. Because I run on trails and other uneven surfaces. A lot. Life happens.  

My shoulder is healing. Not as quickly as I’d like. And when has any injury healed as quickly as we’d like? The pain is still there. Background noise every day. Wearing. And it is retreating. I can increase my effort. Mindfully. The mountains will still be there for next time. My bike will still be there.

I am still here.

Landed in a new decade. Not as elegantly as I might have liked. Penguin-style, which is to say, with awkward grace.

health · mindfulness

Meaningful May? Sounds Great!

Christine Hennebury1 Comment

I’m a few days late for the new Action for Happiness monthly calendar but I really love the idea of Meaningful May.

I’m not one of those people who insists that every single moment must be saturated with meaning but I am one of those people who thinks that any given ordinary moment could be meaningful – and I firmly believe that meaning is worth seeking/creating.

So, obviously, I’m a fan of the tiny daily ideas that this month’s Action for Happiness calendar provides for seeking meaning in the ordinary.

I like all of the suggestions but I find the idea of making ‘a list of the things that matter to me and why’ especially appealing.

Which Meaningful May tip appeals to you the most?

a calendar of tips about finding meaning in the ordinary for May 2026
A daily calendar for May 2026 from Action for Happiness. The individual blocks are pink, red, light blue, or darker blue and there is a tip for seeking meaning typed into each one. The edge of the calendar is decorated with simple cartoon images of things like a cup of tea, a paper airplane, a person on a bike, or a few planets. At the bottom of the calendar the words ‘Happier. Kinder. Together’ appear in green.

PS – If you want to hear a bit more about Meaningful May, check out the Action for Happiness video below “How to find meaning in the past, present and future. Meaningful May with Vanessa King.

A video from Action for Happiness featuring Vanessa King, a white woman with shoulder length hair and a bright expression on her face looking directly at the camera with a few plants and an old black and white photo of a couple on their wedding day. on the right ide of the image is text reading “Finding Meaning: 3 top tips with Vanessa King.”

a photo of a dog on a leash on a sidewalk April? Tomorrow? Really?
celebration · fitness · fun · mindfulness · motivation · play · rest · self care · time

April? Tomorrow? Really?

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

So, apparently we’re starting April tomorrow which is bizarre because I am pretty sure we just started March.

Time is a mystery.

But seeing as the calendar is insisting that a new month is imminent, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the fitness and wellness related days that have been assigned to April.

April is…

Move More Month – that seems pretty promising and it could be pretty easy, if the weather cooperates even a little. And for many of our bloggers and readers, it ties in nicely with the fact that April is also Active Dog Month -it’s like a 2 for 1 special, really.

Stress Awareness Month – I think we are all pretty aware of stress (ha!) but this could be a good time to pay attention to your stress levels and see if you can find some relief.

Speaking of stress relief, perhaps the fact that April is Poetry Month, the Month of Hope, and National Volunteer Month, could help find a good starting point for reducing your stress levels.

And if you need help with your stress, April is also Counseling Awareness Month – extra impetus to give it a try.

See more of the awareness days, weeks, and month-long reminders in April.

For me, though, the best awareness day this month is April 5 – which is My Sister Denise’s Birthday Awareness Day.

Denise is a fun, creative, outdoorsy person and I highly recommend that you celebrate My Sister Denise’s Birthday Awareness Day by finding some nonsense to participate in, by taking yourself outside for some fun, or by doing something creative.

In fact, if you *do* celebrate My Sister Denise’s Birthday Awareness Day on Sunday, let me know and I will draw you your very own gold star as a reward.

Denise’s birthday

A photo of the moon shining on the snow on my patio and a fence one very early morning Mindful March? Sounds Good To Me!
ADHD · fitness · mindfulness

Mindful March? Sounds Good To Me!

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

I’m sure I have mentioned it before but when I first started taking my ADHD meds, I immediately noticed an increase in my ability to pause before doing something.

Previous to that I didn’t exactly jump into every single task, but I would often find myself in the middle of doing something without having thought it through clearly.

After 10 years on medication, I am used to a certain capacity to pause and choose a response.

But I have noticed an increase in that capacity when I am practising mindfulness on a regular basis.

And, of course, I have also noticed that it is really tricky for me to practice consistently. (It’s like I have ADHD or something. 😉 )

Small, daily activities like the ones on the ‘Mindful March’ calendar from Action for Happiness really help me to keep practicing and to keep seeking that extra mental space.

Here’s what the calendar looks like. (You can also download your own copy from the website or add it to your own Google Calendar.)

An image of the mindful March calendar
The calendar for Mindful March from Action for Happiness. Image description: each block of the calendar is brightly coloured in shades of green or yellow, and there is a type written mindfulness tip in each one. The edges of the calendar are decorated with cartoon images of things related to the tips like someone playing with a dog or waiting for the kettle to boil to have a cup of tea.

And here’s a YouTube video about Mindful March from Vanessa King, Head of Psychology from Action for Happiness.

Finally, I took the photo below after a mindful experience I had one morning when the dog decided we were getting up at 5:30. I was annoyed at being up before I was ready and at having to open the door and let cold air in. But when I looked out at the moon and how it was shining on the snow and just felt how crisp everything was, I actually took a couple of deep breaths of that cold air and felt pretty good.

Paying attention to where I was, actually being there instead of moving on to the next thing, made a big difference to that moment, to the overall feeling of the start of my day, and to my day as a whole.

Every mindful moment doesn’t reverberate that way but that one certainly did.

Now, I’m not necessarily recommending getting up too early and being quite chilly as a mindfulness practice but you could do worse.

A photo of the moon shining on the snow on my patio and a fence one very early morning
A photo taken of the corner of my patio, my neighbor’s fence and our leafless tree, one very early dark morning when the moon was bright. In front of me, the moon is shining on the snow and casting shadows of the trees and the fence and light from a streetlight is adding to the glow. Everything looks crisp and still and peaceful.
a dog on a leash looking into some trees with houses in behind them January 20 is Take A Walk Outdoors Day
fitness · health · mindfulness · nature · walking

January 20 is Take A Walk Outdoors Day

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Today is Take A Walk Outdoors Day and I plan to celebrate by, you guessed it, taking a walk outdoors!

This isn’t a new thing for me, of course, I take a walk outdoors with Khalee most days, but I am making a point to get a good walk in today.

For the record, I also took a walk outdoors on Monday, even though it was just Take A Walk Outdoors Eve. It was a very drizzly day and Khalee was not a fan. She insisted on turning around to head home after just a few minutes but I’m still counting it as a walk outdoors.

A tan and white dog standing in snow, wearing a harness and leash.
Poor Khalee Pup looks so fed up with me. I’m sorry for dragging you out into the drizzle, KP! Image description: Khalee, a light-haired, medium-sized dog is standing in the middle of some snow facing towards the right. She has turned her head towards the camera. Her fur looks damp and she does not seem delighted to be outdoors, despite the mental health benefits.

Note: Are there entirely too many ‘official’ days for ordinary things? Maybe. Do I enjoy choosing to celebrate some of them all the same? Hells, yes! If it adds fun to my life and does no harm? I am IN.

As I was writing this post I did a quick search to see how many of my posts mention walking. It turns out that I have written 668 posts for Fit is a Feminist Issue and at least 192 of them mention walking. That includes posts for Making Space and Go Team so some of them may not be about my own walks but I still find it interesting that there are that many. Also, that 192 doesn’t include some posts that are about walking but that didn’t get picked up by the search function for some reason – like the poem one linked below.

Here are a few of my favourite posts about getting out for a walk:

Seven Things Christine Noticed On Her Sunday Walk

Khalee Solves Christine’s Problem (a poem?)

Christine and Khalee Try Walking Meditation

Just For Fun With Christine and Khalee

The health benefits of being outdoors is one of those things that I “know” but I realized I had never actually looked it up before so I did and I found this article from the Canadian Psychological Association that you may want to have a look at:

“Psychology Works” Fact Sheet: Benefits of Nature Exposure
This image is a link to a 2024 “Psychology Works”Fact Sheet entitled Benefits of Nature Exposure from the Canadian Psychological Association. The credits below are copied directly from the document:
This fact sheet has been prepared for the Canadian Psychological Association by Yasmeen Ibrahim, Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Student, and Shannon Johnson, Ph.D., Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Dalhousie University.

Another thing that sprang to mind while I was writing this was the Latin phrase Solvitur Ambulando which means “It is solved by walking.” I don’t speak or read Latin but I came across that phrase years ago and I love how it landed with me.

I took it literally when I first heard it – that walking around can help you figure things out – but I have since found out that it is also about solving complicated abstract problems by taking practical action. It works in all directions, really.

And in confirming the Latin spelling, I came across this delightful ‘sketchplanation’ of the literal interpretation of the phrase by Jono Hey

A simple illustration depicting three stick figures walking on a path through green hills. One figure has a light bulb above them, symbolizing an idea or realization. The text 'SOLVITUR AMBULANDO' and 'it is solved by walking' is displayed at the top.
Image: Jono Hey, Sketchplanations Image description: this image shows three stick figures walking along a hilly field in shades of green. The first one on the left has a cloud made of dark scribbles above their head that indicates some confusion, they are walking towards the right and towards the back of the image. Then we see a later version of the same person walking from the back of the image towards us, and the cloud of confusion is a lighter colour. Finally, we see the same person closest to us on the right, and above their head is a light bulb symbolizing an idea and the light bulb is surrounded by green lines indicating a sort of brightness. Text at the top of the image reads, in Latin, Solvitur Ambulando and (the translation) it is solved by walking. This image is representing the idea that taking action, moving forward, literally or figuratively can help you to organize your thoughts and plans.

And seeing as I am pretending to be all sophisticated by sharing a Latin phrase, I’ll lean into that and share a quote (that is about walking and not about walking) from a poem that I love called [Traveler, your footprints] by Antonio Machado.

Traveler, there is no road;

you make your own path as you walk.

~Antonio Machado

Now, as good as it is to take a walk outdoors and to recommend walking outdoors, I know that that’s not always possible for everyone. and from what I understand, you can get some of the benefits of walking outdoors, of being in nature, and the like from looking at pictures of nature and, I assume, watching videos of people’s nature hikes.

So, in the spirit of focusing on things we can do instead of getting all caught up in the things we can’t do: If you are not able to get out outside today to take a walk (or to propel yourself by whatever means you usually do) then here are a few nature walking videos that I thought you might enjoy watching at home – whether or not you are walking/moving at the same time.

Have fun!

Image Description: The still image for this video shows a path leading forward through a wintery forest scene. the trees on both sides have snow on their branches and all of the undergrowth is laden with snow. There’s also snow on the path leading ahead. In the centre of the image is text reading “Winter Walk” and it is in a handwritten sort of font.
Image Description The still image shows a path through tall green trees on a spring or summer day. The path is clear and flat and has a wooden fence on both sides. Tt’s a sunny day and even though you can’t see the sky you can see the the light from the sun making all of the needles on the trees and the moss and plants in the undergrowth glow in the soft light. The trees are large and we’re mostly just seeing trunks and lower branches. There is a large tree to the left that has fallen so we’re seeing its roots and the tree trunk, which has moss on it, extending towards the left and backwards.
Image description: The still image of this video shows waves lapping on a yellow-brown beach on a sunny day with a bright blue sky. There are evergreens and other trees and some grass on the upper left far above the wet part of the beach. The beach extends forward for a long ways.
Image description: The still image for this video shows a fall scene in the woods with a path that extends into the distance with trees on either side. The path is strewn with orange leaves and some of the tress have orange leaves left on them. There are also a few evergreen trees here and there among the other trees.
Image description: The still image for this video shows a green field with hundreds of dandelion flowers growing in it. In the distance you can see farm houses, and structures for electrical lines, and a strip of blue/grey sky.
I had to include this video because this trail is about 15 minutes from my house and I thought you might enjoy seeing the rocky terrain and the ocean views on this hike. Image description: The still image for this video shows a collection of houses in a variety of colours in a part of St. John’s, NL called The Battery. The streets in this area are narrow and winding so the photo kind of looks like the houses are clustered haphazardly. There is a mix of old, weather-beaten structures and brightly-coloured newly painted houses. There is a rocky area in the foreground of the photo. This photo was taken on a sunny fall day so while the picture is bright.
a drawing of the number 31 Making Space 2025: Day 31
fitness · holiday fitness · mindfulness · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 31

Christine Hennebury

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for hanging out with me for the Making Space 2025 posts.

Over the last few years, writing these posts has helped my December days to feel more spacious. The process of planning and writing not only gives me a fixed point to work around but it also gives me a feeling of having gotten something tangible done day after day, no matter how hectic the rest of the day might feel.

And, of course, I love the idea that my posts might be helping someone else – even if it is just that seeing the title serves as a reminder to give yourself a little kindness and grace on a given day.

I chose December for these daily posts because the ambient stress of holidays and the end of the year tends to make our time feel tight and crowded but those feelings can show up at any time of year.

On this last day of Making Space 2025, I’m inviting you to make a short list of things that have helped (or could help!) you to create some space so you can refer to it when you are feeling jammed into the corners of your own life.

You could keep the list on your phone, in a notebook, on your computer, or stuck to the fridge – the key is to keep it handy when you need it.

You might even make a recurring event on your calendar each month so you can check in with yourself from time to time to make sure you are making space for yourself on the regular.

But whether you make that list, whether you try my suggested activities for today, or whether you do something else entirely, I wish you ease, fun, rest, and joy as we move into 2026.

See you tomorrow for the first Go Team post for 2026.

Here’s our final movement practice suggestion for 2025. I decided to go with a video that mixed a lot of things together – you can do as little or as much of it as you wish.

In the still image for this Get Moving! All-In-One Workout from Yes2Next, the left side of the image is purple with white text overlaid. The text reads “20 Minutes Balance, Cardio, Strength” with the last three words in bullet points and then says “All-In-One Workout.” On the right side of the image we see two women, one middle aged and one senior, in exercise clothes. They are both lifting their right arm in the air and balancing on their right leg while lifting their left foot off of the floor.

Also, I found this video of Simple Movements to Calm Your Nervous System from Heart and Bones Yoga yesterday and I thought I’d share it in case it can help you to create some space for yourself.

In the still image for this video, the instructor, a light-skinned woman with shoulder length wavy blonde hair, who is wearing leggings and a sweatshirt, is standing on a blue yoga mat on a wooden floor. She has one hand on her belly and the the other on her upper chest, and she looks like she is breathing in, calmly. There is a purple stripe across the screen that has white text overlaid on it and the text reads “Your nervous system likes this.” On either side of the mat are various plants in pots and in wicker baskets and there is a multi-coloured bolster cushion propped up against the wall behind her on her left.

And here is our final mindfulness practice suggestion for 2025:

The still image for this ‘A Sense of Spaciousness Guided Contemplation/Meditation’ video from Stream Yoga Meditation shows us a view of the sky from the perspective of someone looking up from below, perhaps through sunglasses. The sky is a deep blue, there are ragged clouds on the bottom left, and a bright splash of sun with long rays extending in each direction is near the middle of the image.

Making Space 2025: Day 30
fitness · holiday fitness · mindfulness · self care

Making Space 2025: Day 30

Christine Hennebury

Hey Everyone,

Today, I met one friend for tea in the morning and as this post goes live, I’ll be meeting another friend for a writing hangout in the afternoon and somehow my day feels marvelously spacious.

That doesn’t quite add up, does it?

On paper, adding two separate events to my schedule at two different locations, with enough time between them that I’ll be going home and heading out again, seems like it should make time feel tight, it should make me feel busier.

But, of course, because both of those events are FUN and because time spent with each of those friends is relaxing and restorative.

So even though I am adding things to my day, it doesn’t feel like more to do.

Instead, it feels like I am creating two pockets of time where I can step out of my schedule and my to-do list and spend time doing something easy and fun.

And I’m wondering if you can choose to do something similar today or tomorrow (or sometime soon.)

It doesn’t have to involve meeting friends (although I highly recommend that if your schedule and commitments will allow), it could be drawing or dancing or reading or taking a walk or cooking something new, or literally anything that lets you choose yourself and your own interests instead of just staying focused on checking off more tasks.*

Taking that time for yourself and your own interests may mean that that you will have to choose not to do some of the tasks on your big list but that could be for the best, really.

You deserve to take up space in your own life and it is unlikely that someone is going to come along and point out the best time for you to take that space – I think you are going to have to decide to just take it.

Choosing to spend time doing something you enjoy – even if it takes a bit of energy to orchestrate – will be totally worth it.

Whether you find a way to step out of your schedule, you try one of the practices below, or you find some other shenanigans to get up to, I wish you ease and I wish you space.

Be kind to yourself, pretty please!

Here’s our movement practice for today:

In the still image for this ‘5 Minute Morning Stretch: Wake Up Your Body’ video fromYoga with Joelle, the instructor, a woman with light skin and long dark hair in leggings and a tank top, is standing in the center of the image facing to the left so we can only see her right side. She has her upper arms raised to shoulder height and her forearms at a 90 degree angle so her hands are towards to the ceiling. She is leaning back a little and her arms are slightly behind her. The floors are wooden and the wall at the back is aqua. Text on the left reads ‘Wake Up Your Body’ and text on the bottom right reads ‘5 Minute Stretch.’

And here’s our mindfulness practice for the day:

In the left side of the still image for Guided Meditation: 7 Minutes of Stillness in Yellowstone, with Dora from Headspace, the instructor, a person with long dark hair and brown skin wearing a winter hat, jacket, and scarf, is leaning against a tree. On the right side is white text that reads “Riverside Meditation at Yellowstone” with a background of trees that have been slightly blurred.

*There’s a time and a place for checking off tasks, of course, but if that’s your whole approach to life it is gonna get old real fast.