February 4, 2013

Get Out of Your Head and Into the Moment

Sunday Soup & Biscuits

Baking and cooking are great ways to give your brain a rest and enjoy the present.

I’m an ideas person. I live in a world of options, movement, and possibility, with thoughts churning merrily most of my waking hours. I love it.

On the flip side, with so many thoughts flitting about, it’s easy for me to get comfortable in this cerebral space and remain “stuck in my head.” I get so excited and caught up in my projects that it’s sometimes hard for me to switch modes and experience the physical, present moment in front of me.

Sound familiar?

Sometimes our brain needs a rest, and our body and senses need to take center stage.

If you’re feeling uninspired or overwhelmed, or just a need to connect with the here & now, it may be time to make the switch.

These five simple activities have helped me get out of my head and connect to the present, physical world. They may be useful to you, too.

Move Your Body
Take a walk, stretch, or break out the tunes and dance. Hit the gym, take a yoga class, or dig up your garden. Find something that’s convenient, and works well for you.

Putter
I am a big fan of puttering. Tidy up the living room, put the clothes away, do the dishes. Go through the pile of papers on the table, file the obvious, sweep the floor. Meander in your physical space and see what small task calls you.

Make Something
Paint, cook, slice & dice. Sew, hammer, bake, sink your hands in the dirt. Draw, knit, or pull out the sander. Use your hands to work with textures, colors, and scents.

Touch Someone, or Another Living Being
Hold a loved one’s hand, pet the dog, feel the bark of a tree or the leaves of your favorite plant. Get a hug or, better yet, give a hug. Focus on your sense of touch and delight in the exchange of life energy.

Sit With Your Surroundings
Sit comfortably and straight, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Feel the surface beneath you: the floor beneath your feet, the chair on which you’re sitting. Feel the sensations on your skin, hear the sounds — near and far — and inhale and take in the scents. Become aware of your surroundings. Stay this way as long as you’d like; when you feel ready, wiggle your toes & fingers, and slowly open your eyes.

How do you make the switch from the cerebral world to the physical?

How do you get “out of your head” and into the present moment?

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January 14, 2013

The Power of Fountain Pens: Objects That Make Us Feel Good

print by Andrew Parfenov – click image for more info

I came back from the holidays feeling refreshed and renewed. Of course the change of scenery and time away from work were big contributors, but there was also something else…

The new stuff.

As much as we like to hoot and holler about Christmas not being about the material things we give and get, it’s hard to deny how good it can feel to bring new and thoughtful things into our lives.

The perfect pair of shoes. A just right necklace. Art that makes the wall sing. They don’t have to be everything to us, but they can bring comfort and a smile.

I was curious about how these simple novelties make us feel good. I asked ladies on social media what their favorite simple luxuries were. The response was swift and enthusiastic.

A great fountain pen. Really good chocolate. Luxe paper products. Scented soy candles. Organic herbal tea. A considerately curated playlist.

Why did they like these things? Because of how they felt when they received them.

They felt cared for, cherished, important, and worthy. Not bad for a fountain pen.

As we get further from the excitement of the New Year and back into routine, remember that you can change your day, even if just a little, by gifting yourself (or someone else) a small and thoughtful thing.

What little things improve your day? Please share in the comments.

Gathering light,

Filed Under: Plot Notes Tagged With: , 4 Comments
November 26, 2012

Deck the Blog: Favorite Design Resources

Something about the holidays makes me want to spruce up my website and blog. Is it homes decorated especially for the season? Beautiful wrapping paper and tags? Whatever it is, pretty is in the air.

If you’ve got the fever, too, you can explore some of my favorite design resources for blogs.

Fount

Just drag the Fount button into your bookmarks bar, and then hover over any font online that you happen to be crushing on. Fount will tell the you name of the font. It’s font-stalking made easy!

The Ink Nest

Want to add a handmade touch to your design? The Ink Nest has wonderful hand drawn vectors and clip art in a variety of themes. The collections are really affordable, and there’s enough variety in the selection that you don’t have to worry about your website “wearing the same dress” as a lot of other sites.

The Shop at August Empress

Designer Jo Klima offers beautiful original patterns and buttons at her blog, August Empress. I love her stuff because it’s soft and feminine without being frilly.

COULORlovers

Need some color inspiration? COLOURlovers is your place. It’s a serious treasure trove — think Library of Congress big — of color combos and patterns. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole, but a great resource all the same.

Do you have a favorite design resource? Please share it in the comments!

Gathering light,

Filed Under: Buy You, For You, The Setting Tagged With: , , 2 Comments
November 13, 2012

Dust Storming and Energy Shifting

Dust storm texas 1935 NOAA George E. Marsh Album. Click image for details.

I have a confession to make: I don’t own a vacuum cleaner. Er, no, I’m not a scuzzy scallywag who doesn’t clean her home. I use a brush and dustpan. I can hear you laughing. I’m laughing myself; it does sound a little ludicrous.

But it works…for now. I don’t have a burning desire to get a vacuum cleaner. One, it will take up precious storage space, and, more importantly, two, I use brushing the carpets as an energy shifting tool. Yes, you heard right. Because I know why I’m doing it and what I’m getting out of it (the carpets look great, too), I get to create a more fun and fulfilling life with a very simple action.

It only takes me about 30 minutes when doing a general sweep. Although when I move to my 48-room mansion I might consider a different strategy.

A couple of days ago I decided to do a proper sweep. You know, the kind that means moving boxes, furniture, shoes, and other floor-squatters out of the way. Well, I moved my bed and there were two carpets – one was the original and the other was made of what seemed like two inches of dust. In that moment a ginormous suction device would have been most welcome.

As the brush hit the pile it raised a storm cloud of dust particles. And it wasn’t exactly easy to get the job done. The last frontier was the smattering of tiny bobbles of dust that clung to the carpet like leeches to flesh. I finally put the brush down with welcome relief. But despite the physical exertion, I felt light and refreshed. And with the clearing and rearranging of stuff it looked liked I’d gained fifty per cent more floor space. And I’m a space girl, cue more feelings of lightness and happiness.

Everything is energy. It’s no surprise, then, that I experienced what I did. I’d been feeling a huge urge to have a big clear-out going into every nook and cranny. And I know it’s because I’m preparing to birth some bigger thoughts and ideas into the world. It’s about making space to receive and making space to stretch into a new way of being and doing.

How do you shift energy?

Old school tools or cool, new to-dos? What are you preparing for in your creative life today?

———

And if you’re suddenly enthralled by dust particles, you may want to check out The Secret Life of Dust by Hannah Holmes.

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October 29, 2012

A Wrinkle in Time: Working in Abundance

clock by uncommon – click image for info

I sometimes think that if I work more, I’ll get more done.

Makes sense, right?

But there’s some sort of universal law that accounts for bends and folds in the fabric of time that defies my logic.

The thing is, when all I do is work, the outcome is stress, which limits my ability to get the work done.

When I stop to make a nurturing meal, the fuel my body and brain gets makes my work better.

When I interrupt my day for yoga, the physical and mental stretch I get makes my work more limber.

When I hang out with a friend, the charge I get powers my work later on.

When I set aside time for my partner, I get a partner in return and remember that I don’t have to do it all by myself.

When I chill out and watch Hulu, my brain gets creative rest so it can do more later.

When I read a book, I stock the well with images and words and get to see the world through someone else’s eyes.

When I don’t do these things, when I’m “too busy” for my health, I create more time to work, but I deny the conditions that help me work at my best.

It’s working in deprivation.

Do I want to work in deprivation, or do I want to work in abundance?

Well, heck. I’ll take abundance!

How do you set yourself up to work in deprivation? What simple changes could you make to work in abundance?

Gathering light,

Filed Under: Buy You, For You Tagged With: , 8 Comments