Seeking Stillness
/The light. The warmth. The extra bounce in our step... it's here! Happy summer, beautiful family :)
This summer, inspired by some of my most restorative moments of childhood and travels abroad, I’m taking time for stillness. It’s so easy in our world to fall in to the trap of always ‘doing.’ Work has its own demands, and we tend to follow a similar pattern in our time off – filling space with plans, people, activities, books, TV shows, podcasts, etc. etc.… our calendars end up packed to the brim, and save for sleep, we find ourselves in very few moments to truly restore.
Summer changes things. Summer offers us beautiful moments to just be. Basking in the glow of the sun. Taking in the sunset. Sharing time with loved ones in parks, on docks, in backyards, simply being together.
This summer, take time to be. Take time to unplug. Take time to breathe deeply. Take time to meditate. Take time just for you. Take time to connect. Take time do absolutely nothing at all. How sweet does that sound?
One of the most nourishing places to practice stillness is outdoors. Sneak in every little moment outside that you can. Turn off the AC and let the breeze blow in. Summer is the most expansive time for nature, when everything – the light, the plants, the mood of us all – is at its fullest. There’s so much to marvel at, so much nature offers us in this time of expansiveness – find moments of stillness to take it all in, eyes and heart wide open.
I can promise you this – the time you take just to be is equally as important as the time you take to do. When we take time to surrender the constant activity and just be, we refuel our whole being – relaxing our body, calming our mind, and reconnecting to the energy of our soul. We break routine, recharge our batteries and refresh our creativity… you may be surprised to find what comes on the other end of your ‘be’-ing time :)
A stillness challenge for the month: the full moon comes to its peak just after midnight EST on Sunday, July 9th – if it calls you, stay up Saturday evening to bask in its light at its fullest. In Capricorn this month, it offers us up lots of grounding energy. Set an intention of which old habits you’d like to release, and let the light of the moon wash them away from the corners of your mind.
In whichever ways you seek stillness this summer, remember, this is not a rigid stillness we’re seeking. It’s a softening stillness. A nourishing stillness. A clarifying stillness. A coming home. A gift to yourself. Enjoy it fully.
May you find many magical moments under the light of the sun and the moon this month. As always, here for you in any way I can help, whenever you feel the call :)
With love,
ayah x