welcome to wednesday. for many of you it probably feels like tuesday thanks to monday’s holiday. often it can take a bit to get going again after a few days off the hamster wheel, so to speak. hopefully you’re still incorporating a sense of tranquility found from your playtime over the long weekend. 

when sending a follow up love note to last week’s retreaters {photo below}, i shared a shambhala article on returning to life post-retreat. although you may not have been on a formal retreat, time out of the rush of daily life can serve as a sort of retreat. think of 3-day weekends, long lunch breaks, or walks in the park also as forms of retreat.

shifting habits can be tricky as learned in our winter book club pick, the power of habit. sometimes it takes stepping away from daily life routines to establish new habits and surrender old ones. for example, i’ve been getting up and indulging in morning meditation daily since i arrived in paris. my pace has slowed and my breath has deepened. my to-do list is shorter {write, write some more, handle email, facetime with le beau, write} and i’m cognizant of technology habits that i’m hoping to change.

it’s not all sunshine and bunnies. there is a sort of detox that one goes through when changing habits, slowing the pace, and seeking to savor. that nagging feeling that you’re missing something by being offline or unavailable. that urge to check facebook. that desire to have deux macarons instead of savoring un.

while i may not have the shakes during said detox, i am striving to insert more mindfulness into how i live and, especially, react. why do i feel the need to check email? why am i not satisfied with one sweet treat? why can’t i focus fully on the task at hand? why does something silly hurt moi? etc.

by slowing down, shifting gears, and reflecting, we can get to know ourselves on deeper levels. similar to the zen story about the horse, i don’t want to be driven by the “horse.” i want to direct this life mindfully and compassionately.

that’s where tools come in. practices such as yoga {and may i be so bold as to once again suggest you try it to the great gatsby soundtrack? it’s dreamy.}, art journaling, meditation, slowing down, soaking in the tub, taking a digital day off, savoring a green juice, going on an artist date, and establishing a morning and evening routine can help. but tools are only the beginning. implementation is key. 

consider one tranquility tool that may bring you a sense of peace today. give yourself five minutes to play with it. s’il vous plaît let me know how it goes. i’m rooting for you. and your tranquility. bisous.