Ocean City, MD. As I played with asana and the ocean, Lyra played with the camera and perspective.
When my eldest was three we took our first family vacation. My father had rented a house at the beach and we were super excited. Not only was it our first vacation as a family, but my husband and I hadn't ever been on vacation together either.
I had been practicing yoga and mindfulness for a few years at that point. It was about half way through the trip when I noticed the place we were visiting was not that different from the place we lived ( aside from the Ocean). Being in a new place, with a different schedule, shifts the perspective and allows us to contemplate and feel the world in a slightly different way. Since that trip, my husband and I have always used our little times away to find something to bring back into our ordinary every-day lives. Each year, once we are home from our adventure, we contemplate what part we really loved and want to have more of in the ordinary. We are big fans of ordinary. Ordinary life is full of magic and when we give it attention, the sanctity of ordinary every-day life becomes amplified.
This year we have been practicing stepping out of our routine a little more often. As we have done this, we have talked a lot about our work. We have talked about how we can cultivate less segregation in the various aspects of our lives, striving for even more holism. We are trying to bring play into work and work into play, enjoying that work is simply another expression of ourselves.
When we returned from our various adventures this year, I tried to focus on what we love about living where we do. I sought out the aspects of living in a small city and enjoyed them, cultivating the experiences we want as a family. We enjoyed fishing at the lake and walking to lunch. We had friends over to play in woods and shared foods from beloved farmers. It's just ordinary every-day stuff, and it's pretty magical.
In next month's workshop, Suburban Simplicity, we explore how each of us can amplify the simple into extraordinary. Space is limited, please register here.