Ice cream. BBQs. Sunscreen. Road trips. Summer reading. Lemonade stands. Picnics. Baseball games. Beach time. Summer is full of so many possibilities and activities.
After more than a year being immersed in a pandemic, what does summertime mean for you?
Are you spending it being carefree and easily incorporating delightful activities into your schedule? Or is it a season for juggling more - whether that entails managing your kids schedules while they are out of school or merely dodging thunderstorms? Is summertime adding pressure to your - already hectic - days?
Although the appearance of carefree can look nice - it may be adding to summertime stress instead of taking it away. But that doesn’t mean summertime has to be the same as the rest of the year.
Summertime can be different. Navigating kids schedules in the summer may add the same pressures, but it can also present opportunities the rest of the year simply cannot. Try this at the beach - unplug - and while you are present in the moment think about how the sand is a natural exfoliant to your feet. A moment later, pause to listen. Take five deep breaths - breaths that take several seconds to inhale and exhale - and listen to the crashing of the waves and think about what the sound does to your senses. Feel the effect that the motion of the ocean has on your sense of calm when you truly stop and take in your surroundings. Reflect on how your body feels afterwards. Are you at ease? Do you feel calmer?
Being in the moment - even just for 30 seconds - during this season is the beginning of your practice in mindfulness. And moments like this - breathing in the warmth of the sun - can add up and pile high just like stress. Which pile will feel better as a side to your hot dog or beyond burger at your family bbq? What feels better to add to your summertime routine?
Namaste,
Shaina
View the Original Post: JFS Orlando, July 2021
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