Rei Mooney

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Thank Your Body

Are you kind to your body? I find myself sometimes being thankless and neglectful. Sometimes even downright unkind. Without our bodies we would not be able to experience life as we know it, and yet I certainly don’t thank it enough. Thanking our bodies starts with taking good care of it. Drinking water, eating well, exercising, having good posture, breathing deeply, resting and having a healthy love for our bodies.

Focus your day on loving your body. Eat well and drink water. Do yoga, stretch, dance, walk or your favorite form or exercise. Appreciate all that your body does by treating yourself to self care. A nap? A foot rub? A face mask? A scalp massage? How does that feel? In the western world today, it seems busyness and workaholism are revered. On the opposite end of the spectrum, those people that value rest, leisure, self care, are viewed as lazy or hedonistic. Rest, self care, and self love are as important to our health as exercise and eating healthy. Don’t forget to slow down and thank your body.

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Create a Peaceful Space

Our minds, conscious and subconscious, are sensitive to our environmental input. This includes the people we spend the most time with, the shows we watch on a regular basis, the type of reading we do, the places we spend our time, the music we listen to and even the clutter in our homes. While our digestive system processes the food we consume, our minds consume and process what we absorb from our environment. What is your home environment currently? How can you be intentional about your environment to favor a slow lifestyle?

By creating a less cluttered and aesthetically pleasing environment we can achieve a feeling of calm because our subconscious is not overwhelmed by things and the “to-do’s” that go with them. Many of us have to share a space with roommates, partners, or family. In my experience, I’ve found that speaking to them about creating a tranquil space and having a conversation about your similarities and differences in this area will allow you to create a space that is conducive to everyone’s preferences. This may be a long term project to work on, but for now, create a small space where you can relax. Then enjoy it!

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Make Something From Scratch

Cooking. Baking. Fairy house making. Woodworking. DIY cosmetic making. Crafting.Painting. Pickle making. Beer (or butterbeer) and kombucha brewing. Cocktail slinging. Clay crafting. Gardening. Bee-keeping. Jewelry making. Bookbinding. Candle making. And there are countless other make-from-scratch activities!

Harness your creativity and make something from scratch. The world we live in is full of convenience and speed but sometimes we forget the resources, thought, and time things require before they reach our hands. In making something from scratch, we can simultaneously appreciate what it takes to create something and also revel in the enjoyment of making. It’s impossible not to slow down when we use our hands to create and equally impossible not to feel accomplished afterward.

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Consider Saying Yes or Saying No

We’ve all experienced having too much on our plate. I’ve certainly hoped for miracles, filling my to-do list with too much then proceeded to scowl at the undiminished list at the end of the day feeling defeated, tired, and unhappy.

Meditate on the consequences of saying yes, and saying no. Knowing we have limited hours in our days, what do you say yes to? What do you say no to? When practicing slow living, we need to be intentional about the things we agree to make a part of our lives. What can be sacrificed and what is obligatory in your limited time on this earth? Slow living is about living with purpose and fulfillment. YOUR purpose and fulfillment, and not your friends’, Mom’s, or neighbors. What will you say yes? What will you cross off your list? What will you do with the time you’ve gained by saying no?

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Practice Gratitude

The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.

Douglas Wood

“Thank you.”

“I’m grateful.”

“I feel blessed.”

Try saying these words of gratitude meaningfully. How does it feel? To me, if feels like great ol’ hug. And when I’m getting a great ol’ hug, time slows, everything is right, and I want for nothing. It’s a great feeling. To feel like you need nothing else. That you are happy as you are, and thankful for all that you have. It feels amazing to appreciate even the little things. And feeling good is the whole point, isn’t it?

Today, let’s feel and express gratitude for every part of your day. If it’s easier to write things down, by all means. We all have days when it’s more difficult to be grateful in the present. If this is today, try reflecting on times or people you are grateful for instead to kickstart your thankfulness! We have much to be thankful for, and many benefits to reap from practicing gratitude.

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Daydream

Give yourself time to drift away. I’ve found myself visualizing my goals, imagining faraway places I want to visit, or observing my mind as I let it wander. I think of this as the opposite of meditation where the aim is to focus our attention in clearing our minds. We are so often forced to focus on the task at hand, often making mental lists of the next thing and the next after that. Taking a break from focus is beneficial in making us aware of how we’re feeling, and noticing what our thoughts gravitate toward.

What comes to mind when we’re daydreaming can be a great tool to assess our current mental state and wellbeing. Are you regretting something you said last week? Are you reminiscing a fond memory? Are you building the house of our dreams and deciding on the living room wall color? Take as little as 5 minute to see where your daydream takes you!

Slow Living Practice of the Day – Engross Yourself in Every Meal

We spend lots of hours eating, but if you’re like me, you’ve experienced a hurried life where your food is scarfed down in a few large mouthfuls to make time for the next thing. Or maybe you’ve missed or delayed a meal significantly because you were busy. Or maybe you had plenty of time to eat, but found yourself barely tasting anything before your bowl was empty because you were engrossed in a show or scrolling your phone.

Our nervous system is made up of two parts, one of them being the Parasympathetic Nervous System. When we eat while feeling stressed, angry, nervous, or rushed, our bodies do not properly digest our food, making little use of the nutrients (which is the main reason we’re eating in the first place). So turn off the phone, chew slowly, savor each bite with all the senses. Take in the atmosphere, sight, smells and flavors. Enjoy every part of this daily ritual and nourish your body and spirit!

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Meditate

Mindfulness requires quieting the chatter in our minds. Take time to be present, ground, and connect with yourself and the world. If you need a reminder, you can find out about the benefits of meditation here. I personally love using Headspace (I’m not sponsored, just a fan!) which is a lovely subscription service with training and guided meditations and even sections for sleep and exercise. If a paid subscription isn’t for you, there are wonderful free guided meditations all over the internet to help you get started.

Find a peaceful spot whether at home or outdoors. If you’re new to meditating and the thought of sitting alone with your thoughts terrifies you, it’s ok. That’s where I started too! But as you go along, maybe one minute today, and two minutes the next, you can slowly become used to stillness. Before you know it, you’ll start craving the sensation of peace it gives you. Practice with kindness, and without judgment. If your mind wanders don’t beat yourself up! It’s human nature. Just continue the practice. Maybe once a day, maybe once a week. It’s more important that you continue to practice rather than being judgmental of the progress you’ve made.

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Immerse Yourself in a Hobby

Maybe you like to hike, bake, run, weave, make ceramics, take a class, play card games, play an instrument, sing, learn calligraphy, paint pour, swing dance, learn a new language, make soap, garden, journal, clean, play chess, learn acrobatics, make miniatures, write to penpals, build human pyramids, and the list goes on and on. Whatever it is, if it brings you joy, you deserve to have it be a part of your life.

Whatever your hobby might be, make time for it today. It may be challenging to find time and space for the things we enjoy doing, but let it be a challenge. Figure out what needs to be done to allow you to the time and resources to make it happen. Then enjoy!

Slow Living Practice of the Day: Schedule Time To Do Absolutely Nothing

It sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? But we schedule time for everything else. Like work, time spent with friends, a visit to the doctor, a date, school, hair and nails, playdates, grocery shopping and so many more essential and non-essential events. It’s natural that in our slow living journey, we should schedule time to slow down and do nothing. Your “doing nothing” may look different to mine, because doing nothing can mean different things depending on your personality.

While I’ve written a separate post on the art of doing nothing, right now, let’s focus on making some breathing room in our schedules for whatever it is you want more time for. Not everyone is afforded a lot of down time, but everyone has SOME time. And if you can’t afford any time for nothing, this is a time to consider whether you are happy living with a full schedule or if you could benefit from a reprieve. How can you rearrange, declutter, omit from your schedule so you can afford time for your priorities? For today, use whatever time you have to do absolutely nothing. You may end up just where you belong.