Sunday slowdown.

Sundays are by far, my favorite day of the week.  There is such a gentle calm that overlays the day, as if time has stopped for a bit.  We all can breathe a little easier.  You find you have an extra hour or two to pick up that novel you've been wanting to read, a few extra dollars to treat yourself to an iced coffee, or perhaps an afternoon nap with no responsibilities.  Whatever the indulgence is, Sunday gives us all (and me especially) the permission that we seek throughout the week to just sloooow down.

My Sundays consist of stocking up on produce via the Farmer's Market, quieting my mind with a neighborhood run or yoga practice, and catching the latest episode of Super Soul Sunday where I can fill my spiritual tank for the week ahead.  If you haven't heard of this show, I urge you to get your favorite tea, a blanket (if you're anywhere else but LA) and get cozy for an hour.  Oprah sits down with writers, teachers, actors (sometimes under her beautiful Oak trees) and they share a conversation about life and living with an open heart and spirit.  The episode usually ends with a sweet, light-hearted short film that encapsulates the episode.  I actually got the honor to be in one of these videos, and it was by far one of the best days I've experienced.  If you're feeling like you need a little love, check it out here.

Some of the lessons I've been focusing on is living with more grace, and opening myself up to allow more love into my life.  Not to be confused with romantic love (although it does play a part), but rather unconditional love.  The kind of love we all have access to, yet close off when enduring difficult times.  Some of the questions I ask myself daily : How can I deepen my practice of self-love? How can I love the people I'm surrounded by? How can I allow more light and love into my daily practice of living in the moment? I invite you to look at the areas of your life that could use a little love.  After all, that's what we really want, isn't it?

Happy Sunday ;)

What Being Sick Showed Me

While most of the population spent their Labor Day weekends outdoors grilling, or by the coastal seaside building sandcastles, I spent the majority of my weekend (and pre-weekend) fast asleep in my bed battling a terrible head cold.

It did not come as any surprise that I fell ill.  For the month of August, there were many workshops, gatherings, goodbyes, birthdays and social outings.  While most of these are positives in my life, I found myself struggling to maintain it all, as if I was in a daily marathon.  In the past, when I’ve overloaded my schedule, it usually fights back and sentences me to a silly cold, all the while telling me to slow down.  In any case, it’s always an opportunity to re-align myself to better health.  Which leads to the following lessons:

Self Care is a must.  Seems obvious, right? We all lead such extraordinary lives, did we ever stop to consider taking a break?  Heck, even superheroes need some time off.  Knowing when your body needs some good ol’ R&R is a powerful thing.  This can include spending a day reading that novel you started 6 months ago, taking a long walk in nature, or just turning off your electronic devices and leaving the emails/web surfing for another day.  Trust me, it will all still be there.

Know when to say NO.  We all want to say yes to people, yes to the event, yes to the birthdays, for fear of missing out, or simply the fear of just honoring ourselves and saying no. I’m well aware of the times when my mouth says ‘yes’ while my soul and interior is saying, ‘Just stay home.  You need to take it easy’.

Silence is powerful.  In the midst of my body aches, I lost my voice and while it was painful, I have to admit, there was some relief in not having to speak all the time.  I had to listen more to myself, to my surroundings and really got more intimate with what my body was asking my for, which was to simply quiet down and rest.  You’d be surprised at how much you learn about yourself and your world when you dial down.

As summer comes to an end, and fall picks up, remember to take a moment and take care of yourself.  And pass me a kleenex please ;)

.:Anais:.