How will you SHINE today?
SHINE tips & how I spend my SHINE Sundays
1.
Be mindful of every moment.
From the minute you
open your eyes look, listen, observe, feel, smell, and hear; use all your senses
to build up an in-depth picture of the world around you. Be aware of each tiny
nuance, does the sun on your cheek makes your skin more sensitive? Does your coffee
taste better if you smell it with yours eyes closed? If you open the window can
you stop the traffic noise and only hear the birdsong. How does your toothpaste
really taste. How do the washing up bubbles sound when they pop?
I’ve noticed
that when I truly take the time to be mindful even normal routine events take
on a magical feel, the dishes on the side glow with loveliness as the water
droplets sparkle in the sun.
2.
Be aware of inside as well as outside.
Listen to your
heart and your gut, notice your thoughts and self-talk. What is occurring outside
to create that on the inside? When you feel that moment a smile begins to form
ask yourself “where was my mind?” And take notice of where that smile spreads
to in the rest of your body. We often pay more attention to physical sensations
of unhappiness; we notice a heavy heart, than we do of joyful sensations. When we can feel the moment that we light up
and what we were doing when the feeling was created we can do more of it. My’
light up moments’ often occur when I am in my kitchen on my own baking. I go
into the ‘zone’, I become focused, peaceful and operate in a space that transcends
time. I get this sense when playfully creating in other ways too; cutting,
sticking, collaging, making a mess with paper. I can feel like this when I dance
and sometimes in a yoga class. These are the things that I go back to time and
time again because I know they are guaranteed to make me glow from the inside.
3.
Step outside of time.
Some days whizz
past and others drag on. On a day when you haven’t got to be anywhere or do
anything in a set time it’s lovely to not to wear a watch or look at the clock.
Who cares what time you have lunch or shower? Stopping, being still, being
quiet, just being (some call it meditation) takes you out of normal clock time;
minutes seem like hours, hours can pass in seconds. And both the speeding up or
slowing down are interesting to observe. Just watching the day go by without a
list is luxurious. There will always be another day to step back into.
4.
Do what you love the most just because you can.
So back to
baking, cutting and sticking, dancing and yoga! Not because of the end result;
the cake to eat, the image to look at, the calories burnt or the fact that you can
master breathing whilst standing on one leg, but just for the sheer pleasure of
doing.
5.
Do something differently (as opposed to doing
something different)
There is a
time for trying new things but what if you take the things you love doing most
and do them a bit different, with a twist? I love drinking Rose in the summer
but wanted to see what an alcohol free august would feel like. So instead of
chilled wine with ice I fill a jug with iced water, lime, mint and jasmine; it
is my new taste of summer. It’s the same feeling (a glass of cool refreshing
fun ) but different.
I love cakes
but don’t love sugar or wheat so tweak
recipes and find inspiration in alternative ways to bake; same amount of pleasure
in both the making and the eating.
Dancing is a
joy, I do love a Zumba class but when my normal class wasn’t available I discovered
Sha’bam and now I have a choice of fun dance classes. When my hatha yoga time
changed I did an Iyengar class,its now my favourite.
Try branching
out rather than moving to a new neck of the woods!
6.
Share.
My ‘Sunday Best’
moments may seem solitary but I am lucky to be surrounded by people I love and
when I have finished my happy making baking (or messy play) they are there to
share the enjoyment. We love to exchange
our private creative worlds to gather together and reconnect. I am very lucky
to have common interests with my closest family; they too like cooking,
creating, dancing and yoga. We all enjoy each other’s creativity, and like to
extend that pleasure by sharing with friends, and friends of friends, sometimes
the more the merrier.
7.
Find time for Awe.
The world is a
wonderful place. Appreciate the light and the shadow. Find the good in
everything. Earlier this year, when I would usually have been readying my
garden for summer, I had a pressing family issue that needed my attention. My
garden is a little different this summer; left it to its own devices, it has chosen
wild abandon as a theme and consequently it is teeming with butterflies and bees.
Nature has stepped in and from my window I am delighted with a ‘Shabby Chic’ vision
of a suburban garden. The herbs have flowered; the angelica is touching 6ft,
tall grasses rustle like percussion instruments, abundance is everywhere I look.
I have huge admiration for the environments
ability to generate such beauty.
8.
Be Grateful
Yes, so, it’s
a bit of a cliché but it is a truism. I am lucky. There are days when I want to
walk around hugging everyone and saying how much I love them; how grateful I am
to have them in my life. It can get on peoples
nerves. I wasn’t designed to be cynical (yes I’m lucky… and grateful for that!)I’m
lucky to be alive. I don’t want to take that for granted though; I’m very
grateful for those who aren’t and who have taught me to value the preciousness of
life.
Always say thank you, it’s not
hard.
9.
Accept the appreciation of others.
How comfortable
are you when someone shows their gratitude to you? Sometimes taking complements
or hearing a ‘thank you’ makes us feel uncomfortable; we feel awkward when a friend
says “I think you’re super….thank you for being there.”
I spent
yesterday evening with a friend who I don’t see as often as I would like, I wanted
to show her I cared by cooking supper; she showed her thankfulness of our friendship
by bringing me flowers. We both know that we are there for each other.
Next time that
happens allow that feeling of being loved to find a place in your body to
settle; tuck it way for a rainy day when you need reminding of how special you are.
10.Have Fun
Be silly. Be inappropriate. Do daft
things. Laugh. Stand on one leg or your head if you can. Do cartwheels. Smile. Blow
bubbles. Blow kisses. Chase clouds. Follow rainbows. Wear coloured tights. Go to
the library. Lie on the grass. Experience life from a new angle. Love more. Eat
more avocados. Finger paint (with mashed up avocado?) Make daisy chains.
Enjoy xxx
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