fairy lights, stretching and movement

Oh yes, I still need my fairy lights for these dark winter nights. These vintage lights give a lovely soft glow, such a brilliant invention. They are quite old now, I love them.

I have been doing my daily stretching on the mat here in front of them. Lets see, I am at day seven. I'm starting to feel a bit looser and have began to work through the initial stiffness that immediately appeared in several places!

It tends to be in the evening. I'm remembering how it feels to stretch out and move in a certain way. For me movement is the answer. I need this. I know how important it is to stretch and rotate all the joints. Keep things moving. Stay supple. I just do it in my own way. A combination of things I have studied. I would call it more like a gentle stretching and movement meditation, with a bit of self Shiatsu thrown in for good measure.

I really admire how in the Oriental culture gentle movement is practiced everyday. I love the fact that even the older people will go out into the parks and practice. They know how important it is. It is what everyone does. Our culture tends to just stop moving.

I remember on a trip to Edinburgh watching a group of older Chinese people stop and go through their routine in the city park one morning. They just chose their own spot and started to gently move in a meditative way that would probably be known as Tai chi. I was quietly watching, in the distance. Once they had left I went and stood in that spot and thought how inspired I felt to move the way they did, how easy it looked. For me I would have felt self-conscious there, but for them it was a totally normal occurrence.

I want to be able to stretch and move everyday. Of all the inspiring stories I have read from older people who are living interesting and happy lives, they all have in common the fact that they practice some kind of body movement. They have kept moving and practicing, as well as engaging and connecting with life!

Please join me if you want to. You can make it up! See what stretches your body feels like doing. Give yourself some space and listen. Just move slowly and gently of course.

♥

creating new habits over 30 days

beginning a new diary and some new ideas

I must tell you about some new ideas I have been thinking about. I really took a lot from doing the 30 day prompt during December, and blogging every day. Stepping into the process was a real revelation for me. I knew I had to show up, in some way, every day.

It was the beginning of forming a new habit.  I would switch off as many distractions as possible, sit down in front of my screen and show up. I would even announce to myself, okay I'm here! This is me showing up. To whatever is there. Something will happen. Even when you are feeling unsettled or it feels difficult. I started to follow a thread, that weaved it's way in and out of my life and my day. It became easier, it became something that I do. It became part of my day. And the beginning of a new way was formed.

I want to see if I can apply this to other areas of my life. What can do for 30 days that will create a change in my life? Two big areas for me are wanting to go forwards with my craft business and needing to make stretching/yoga part of my day.

I'm think it may be best to begin with one thing, so that the process of that one thing really has the possibility to come alive and be heard everyday. It will slowly find it's way into your awareness and start to speak to you. Take up a space, or find a way to!

I have chosen two, I am a little concerned. They both feel important. I think keeping one as the main focus could be wiser. I'll let you know if it does feel like too much. I don't want it to be an overload of 'shoulds'. So I've put the word 'gentle' above both ideas. It's a gentle beginning. A 30 day stretch and a 30 day craftathon. It may mean five minutes of stretching fitted here and there or an hour of stretching out on the mat. It may mean crocheting a few rows or creating a new listing on etsy, or just sitting at my craft table and giving myself the space to think about what I want to do.

It's a gentle picking up of the thread and starting to follow it. See where it leads. I think the point is if I can show up to it, it can begin to happen. You may have to show up feeling tired or not in the mood. But show up anyway. I think you will be surprised.

There's so many things I could think of doing this with. Even simple things, like 30 days of noticing the people around you more. 30 days of connecting more, in some small way, everyday. 30 days of walking a mile. 30 days of journaling or drawing. So many things. Would you like to join me? Does anything spring to mind? Make a little card and put it up. Mark off the days in your diary. Give yourself stars!

So 30 days. Start today, start now. In some small way. Remember go gently.

♥  

You can read more about the Earthpathways diary here.