Voices- Mindfulness Moment

TURN TOWARD THE LIGHT
Here in Vermont, we’re entering the height of sunflower season. You might notice them in a neighbor’s yard or in a field down the road. Heliotropism, the way sunflowers turn toward the light, can be a powerful metaphor for us and for the young people we’re raising.

NOURISHMENT
Take a few deep breaths and consider what truly nourishes you. Kroma Wellness states that nourishment is “a holistic concept encompassing everything you need to support your health, growth, and development.” Often, we think that nourishment is related to food. But with this expanded definition, it’s related to so much more—relationships, learning, delights, rest–all of these might be part of what helps you to flourish. Also, in different seasons, or at different stages of life, the nourishment you need may change.
Consider taking a few moments each day this week to do one thing that feels nourishing. You might also think about having a conversation with friends or family about what nourishes them.

ADJUSTING TO CHANGES
Fall is a clear time of change—we can see it and feel it. It’s easy to tell that some of us, the boot-and-sweater-wearing crowd, are excited to move into this time of crisp air and muted colors, while some of us are slower to catch up, and might still be wearing flip-flops into October. It’s important to recognize that you, and others in your home or your workplace, may have a variety of feelings as the season changes. Change may lead us toward excitement about what’s to come, and it may also make us feel a sense of loss about what we must leave behind.

MINDFUL KINSHIP
September is National Kinship Care month. Kinship is about connection. Our kin are those to whom we’re related, and also those who aren’t relatives but with whom we feel close bonds.

PAUSING IN DOORWAYS
Pausing in doorways is one way to start easing into the back-to-school transition that may begin in a few weeks for the children and youth in your life.
“Before you walk through a door, pause, even for a second, and take one breath. Be aware of the differences you might feel in each new space you enter.”
Differences in spaces are most obvious when you step from indoors to outdoors. There are clear changes in temperature, air quality, smell, light, sound, and even feeling tone.”*
Take some time to notice what happens for you in each space. Do you think or act differently in different places, even within your own home? What might this teach you about helping a child or youth transition? Considering doorways may be a useful thing to do as a family. It could lead to an insightful discussion about ways to support one another as circumstances change.
* from “How to Train a Wild Elephant and Other Adventures in Mindfulness” by Jan Chozen Bays, MD., 2011, page 80.

APPRECIATING WATER:
During these warm summer days, you might find yourself making ice more often than you did a month ago, splashing with your kids at a swimming hole down the road, or watching how afternoon light glints off a lake. In all its forms, water has the power to decrease stress and to create nourishment, balance, and flow in many aspects of our lives. Yet we often take it for granted. Take a moment to consider how water has supported you today.

NOTICING COLOR
In her book, Joyful, Ingrid Fetell Lee notes that, “color is energy made visible…a vibrancy that lets us know our surroundings are alive and can help us thrive.” Take a moment to notice what color speaks to you today. Do you see it somewhere in the space around you, or is it in your mind? Does it fit with your mood or contrast it? Notice whether the tone you’re drawn to is bright or soothing. As you look at, or think about, this color, what sensations do you notice in your body? If you start noticing this color early in the day, do you seem to see more of it as the day goes on? If you’d like to explore color and mindfulness more here’s a three-minute meditation to try.

BREATHE & SMILE
In the face of stress, notice what it feels like to breathe and smile. Often, we’re smiling outwardly, at others or at something in the world around us.

CREATE BEAUTY: Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul.
– Alice Walker
There are many small ways to create beauty every day. And what each of us finds beautiful will be different and may change from one day to the next. You could try doing something like moving a plant to a different table. Or doodling for a moment on a scrap of paper. Or smiling at yourself in a mirror. You could create a message that only you might notice. What if you move the mugs around in your cupboard in a way that pleases you—so that when you open it next it’s like opening a small gift to yourself?
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WHAT DO I NEED RIGHT NOW
Pausing for a moment, and asking yourself what you need, can be a powerful way to connect with yourself.