Summer's here...don't miss it!

This is it!Yippie! Yay!! Yahoo!!!
School is out for us this week and summer break is (finally) here!

This is my favorite time of the year. Warmer temps. More time in nature. Visitng with friends and family. Summer recipes. What more could a girl ask for?

But if I'm not mindful,
if I don't pay attention,
I could miss it all!

Here’s the deal....
I have spent many summers of my adult life chasing after all the things I love about this time of year. Chasing after some lasting sense of summer happiness, only to feel exhausted and unfulfilled at the end of it.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last several years as I spend more and more time practicing mindfulness, it's that the small things matter. They are the stuff that make up the really important moments in a lifetime, and create a sustained sense of wellbeing. Not the big, dramatic ones. 

I know...it sounds so cliché, and there are a million and one quotes out there to remind us of this. But I’ve been putting it into practice. And you know what? It’s true.

So here's my one little nugget of mindful summer wisdom I'd love to share with you as I kick off my favorite season:

When something really great is happening, when you are having one of those bucket list moments you’ve been waiting for all year, here's how you can practice,
​

Silently whisper to yourself:

This is it.

Don’t try to make the situation even better by adding or taking something away. Don’t try to capture it with a picture or a video. Just stay right where you are and enjoy it. Take in the sights, smells and sounds, the touch and feel of what’s happening. The expression on your child’s face. The touch of someone’s hand in yours. A beautiful sunset. The warmth on your skin. Whatever it is for you. Just take it all in. The peace, joy, happiness you are feeling in that very moment. Let it wash over you. Recognize that you have arrived. You’ve arrived in one of those moments you have been longing for. Savor it. This is it!

​One of the things I love about the teachings of yoga and mindfulness is the invitation to try it for yourself. Don't take my word for it. As a matter of fact, I can’t really tell you how to do it exactly, or what it feels ike, just like I can’t describe what an orange tastes like to someone who’s never tasted an orange. These practices invite you to come and see for yourself. To discover what it’s like to really show up in life and enjoy its precious unfolding.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes! I hope it helps you to get off the treadmill I often find myself on, chasing after summer fun. It’s usually right where I’m standing. Simple moments. Right in front of me.

​With love and warmth,
​Cheri, xo