Mindfulness Manifesto
Disclaimer: Routine is not for everyone! For me, structure and ritual is an important way to keep me afloat whilst dealing with life’s twists and turns.
In order to best support you and our work together, I take pride in the routines I’ve spent years honing — I believe we must first take care of ourselves before we can become a healing presence for others. I work hard to implement intentional practice into my days. This is by no means to say that my rituals are set in stone, right for everyone, nor are they better than or suitable for all. This is simply how I incorporate mindfulness into my days. My routine is evergreen, and changes as my needs shift and seasons transition. But for the most part, I try to foster the following activities into my week as best I can.
01
Daily Walks.
Walking for about an hour, preferably in nature (the beach is SO healing), is among my most needed and sacred movement meditations. Here is where I dream, listen to podcasts, marinate on new ideas and work through accumulated thoughts and worries. My energy shifts and my body feels relief. I will either choose to go to the park, or go barefoot on the beach depending on my mood (where I sometimes run, do tai chi or simply stare out into the vast water & admire the surfers).
02
Mornings: awaken the senses.
My mornings usually consist of lighting a candle, doing my skincare routine (I like to add an energizing essential oil if I have time/don’t forget), turning on music, making a nutty porridge with spices and seeds — something called seed cycling, and stretching for 10 to 15 minutes before I sit down to eat, journal, make lists and drink my herbal tea.
03
Dance!
I started formally dancing again, in a studio, several years ago. It is a really important way for me to challenge myself, connect to rhythm, culture and music. I dance latin and afro-cuban rhythms which invigorate my femininity and strength. It also provides me with a sense of community and energy. Moving my body in this way is a really important complement to my daily, more gentle practices of swimming, pilates and walking. It makes me feel alive!
04
Nutrition: food as fuel.
Struggling with a leaky gut and chronic pain most of my young adult life, having a well-rounded, anti-inflammatory diet is really crucial for me. I understand it’s a privilege to have access and means to get farmers market goods/fresh produce - I take advantage of this. This structure ebs and flows, and sometimes I flail but for the most part I am quite routined. I find that within the restrictions, I am able to play, explore spices, flavors and ingredients that work with my body and ultimately help me to manage symptoms. I also do something called seed-cycling (mentioned above) to support my hormonal balance.
05
Evenings: engage in passion projects.
Over the last year or so, I have discovered that evenings are a really potent time for me to engage in my passion projects, create and dream big. I find this is the best time for me to write, finish and publish a blog post, doodle on ideas and make lists. To wind down, I will often watch something before or after, stretch after cleaning my face and brushing teeth, and get in bed whilst listening to tarot with my eyes closed. I will often light a candle, or turn on my diffuser to invite calming energy.