YOU CAME OUT OF THIS WORLD
ALAN WATTS ONCE SAID:
“You didn't come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.”
Since moving homes and going away to Hawai’i, and also in part thanks to the brilliant reminder from Jenny Odell’s book How to Do Nothing, I’ve been rekindling my practice of intentionally observing all things natural surrounding me. I haven’t had a working TV in months (since our second flood in July) and not having one helps with this practice (forced digital detox! Ha!). Though my head is packed with podcasts, there’s something truly freeing about not filling my mind with visual narratives and clutter in the evenings.
I feel like I have made more time to observe the birds and bees and clouds and trees outside my home office, while waking my dog, while re-potting plants, while commuting. I even spotted a couple Northern flickers the other day (here is a little more on attracting them to your yard if you’re interested)! All of this in a very urban part of Brooklyn!
What do you see when you start really looking? How do you feel when you remember you’re OF this Earth rather than just on it?
Hope you have a wonderful weekend! 💚
First 3 pics from the Big Island in Hawai’i - one of the most magical places I’ve ever had the opportunity of visiting. (That gorgeous (completely unfiltered) beach is a 49,000 year old volcanic tuft ring) 🌈
THE YEAR OF YES: MUSINGS - INTENDED ACTION
On this AUTUMNAL EQUINOX - I looked in the mirror and noticed a furrowed brow. On this day when day/night, light/dark are in relative balance, I have been pondering the deep IMBALANCES of our current state of affairs in the U.S. & our planet as a whole.
My meditation & contemplative practice keep reminding me that intention is the seed of our actions. When we begin noticing our presence (read: how we are showing up) in the present moment, we then have choice - we can DECIDE how to act RATHER THAN REACTING to the external circumstance at hand.
In this way, what we think can lead to chosen, intended action. Each action, large or small, is powerful. The ripples created by each one of us can change the sea. May I ask, how are you showing up in your own life in this very moment?
The Year of Yes is a weekly photo-and-word installment by Dr. Shah written with the purpose of evoking hope, resilience, and a gentle movement toward healthy change in all of us.
THE YEAR OF YES, EP. 23: YES TO GOING SLOW
awesome street art in Williamsburg by Mike Makatron
It’s been about a month since my last post. It’s because I’ve been purposely living life more SLOWLY. Summer is a great time to slow down - the weather is hot and humid, the days are long, and co-workers are away on vacation making getting things done take more time. But by slow, I mean easy, relaxed, and leisurely - not languid, sluggish or heavy.
How does one slow down?
DO LESS. Pare down the to-do list to the ESSENTIAL + URGENT items. Leave the others. Disconnect from the e-devices for several hours a day. I loved the New York Times article on JOMO (the JOY of missing out!)
BE PRESENT. Feel the sun on your skin. Notice the gorgeous summer blossoms and foliage around you. Taste the fresh produce that’s bountiful right now.
LISTEN. Focus on listening intently to the person who is talking or the sounds that surround you. Don’t interrupt and don’t give your two cents. Just listen. Hear the birds' predawn chirping. Enjoy the sounds of the trees rustling in the wind. Notice the sounds of the summer rainstorms.
WALK SLOWER. DRIVE SLOWER. MOVE SLOWER. Yes, you need to get it done. What is five extra minutes? Really, ask yourself if getting somewhere faster to save a few minutes is worth the stress. Do a walking meditation. Wander. Meander. Amble.
DAYDREAM. Research continues to emerge showing us that daydreaming is an amazing (ahem, essential) tool to cultivate creativity and new ideas.
PLAY. In the garden. At the park. Board games. While swimming. And laugh.
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
― Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
How do you slow down? 🐌
Sending positive thoughts and energy to you to make time for some dreamy, quiet hours. You most certainly deserve it.
The Year of Yes is a weekly photo-and-word installment by Dr. Shah written with the purpose of evoking hope, resilience, and a gentle movement toward healthy change in all of us.
THE YEAR OF YES, EP. 19: YES TO OUR HANDS
A reflection on hands.
(& how grateful we ought to be.)
They tap.
They type.
They sign.
They scroll.
They freeze.
They warm.
They wave.
They flow.
They scratch.
They cut.
They rub.
They punch.
They clap.
They burn.
They pinch.
They snap.
They gesture.
They slap.
They touch.
They smudge.
They caress.
They print.
They grasp.
They grab.
They enter.
They push.
They wriggle.
They comb.
They poke.
They pick.
They bend.
They curve.
They vibrate.
They sleep.
They lock.
They hurt.
They swipe.
They read.
They write.
They draw.
They wear.
They feed.
They offer.
They feel.
They hold.
and
They heal.
🙌🏽 💛
The Year of Yes is a weekly photo-and-word installment by Dr. Shah written with the purpose of evoking hope, resilience, and a gentle movement toward healthy change in all of us.