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Sunday Rejuvenation, Brunch
January 8, 2017
— 2 Comments
fortune
The keeping of a sabbath on Saturday or Sunday is traditional in religious America. A day of complete rest, apart from the daily grind, was intended to be devoted to prayer and meditation on divinity. Today the religion of twitter has launched #SelfCareSunday as a tribute to taking a real break from the worries and stresses of modern life. This practice is viewed from different perspectives by many proponents of self-care. I have been reading lately about the Danish practice of Hygge, a simplistic, holistic way to stay centered and happy. This lifestyle concept is not related to religion, but does promote mindful awareness of simple pleasures, such as entertaining friends. Gathering to share cozy comforts is essential to maintaining community and identity in society. A good laugh and a delicious meal with friends can heal the wounds inflicted by the tragic news of the day. I like the idea of taking one meal every week to be mindful of our habits.
Here are a few ideas for #SelfCareSunday Brunch:
- Picnic in a park or natural setting
- Silent potluck brunch, keeping silence while sharing a meal
- Hiking brunch, bring a backpack and climb to a destination
- Restaurant with dining companions, an obvious oldie but goodie
- Cooking with companions in a home kitchen
- Informal meet up at a farmers’ market or coffee-house
It is an excellent idea to be extra aware and conscious of self-care for one day a week. The benefits of rest and relaxation combined with good company can’t be overstated. We all need a little help from our friends. Do you have a self-care practice, gentle reader? Are your Sundays sacred? What is your favorite way to rejuvenate?
Sunday Brunch
Free Freedom
July 9, 2013
— 3 Comments
amaryllis
sunflower
cactus
sunflwoer
ice plant
iris
sunflower
hollyhock
bee balm
sunflowers
Our relative freedom is under our control. We are sometimes the prisoners in our very own jail of procrastination, judgment, and something we call, running around. We often choose running around our decisions rather than making them, which, by default, makes them. If we can send armies to fight for freedom in harsh conditions what is stopping us from personally liberating ourselves to feel happy and free? Here are some places to look for or create more freedom in your life:
- Decide – No need to be rash, and you can change your mind later, but just do it when you have decisions to make
- Create – Any act of creation from cooking to sculpture to poetry writing gives us a sense of freedom. We have made our own. We do not have to settle for what everyone else has.
- Move – Sometimes a tragic byproduct of depression or physical discomfort is reluctance to move. Moving is freedom itself;the more you move and use your body in different ways, the more freedom you feel. The body responds with greater flexibility and range of motion, which itself feels really good.
- Choose – Make choices in your daily life to expand the horizon. If you have eaten the same breakfast for years, try something else. Small changes and personal touches are the essence of freedom. Allow yourself to make new choices for no particular reason. Find your own favorites you have not yet experienced.
- Allow – Free time is rare and fleeting with the electronic gadgets in hand all day and all night. Free up some concentrated personal time to be spontaneous and discover new worlds. Start small and build on this practice.
- Garden – We may not all be able to grow our own, but visiting gardens and other botanical spaces give us an expansive feeling of being part of nature. If you put in the hard work it takes to grow some food you like to eat you will be rewarded for those efforts. Picking your dinner is liberating and empowering.
One Step at a Time, Self Image
February 11, 2013
— 5 Comments
Typically people want more of everything. Your ability to estimate is very closely related to your ability to execute. Risk has many faces. In the quest to be fit and healthy the biggest risk is burn out. I can say that with assurance because I have observed people in the earnest pursuit of better health for decades. Over this time the offers to remove symptoms have become overwhelming. Drugs, frozen prepaid meal plans, personal coaching, and one of the oldest, but still happening trends, the weight loss shake, are everywhere to assist the starving, overweight population.
In an effort to bypass the moment all systems are switched into deprivation mode. Suffering and tofu must follow as punishment for wild times at the Dairy Queen on the weekend. The disconnect between self image and soul is now almost complete. Confession and penance are the rituals that surround food and eating now. Joy, creativity and community are not in the food pyramid for many people because diet is presented as obsession, and denial of pleasure. The ancestors had to grow, gather, kill, render, store, dry, milk, and otherwise do something very basic in order to eat. They did not concern themselves with the calories contained in the food as much as they did with starvation. They were all constantly involved with the original exercise known as work. They did not drive to a gym or change outfits to do it. They picked up the tools of their various trades and worked physically. If they had a treadmill it was to run something, not to be run by it.
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