Rhythm, ritual and routine - an update

Getting back into the creative flow means taking a deep breath and simply starting again. So here I am.

During the two months I took off from writing here, this little blog turned one! A whole year of Sit Breathe Meditate, and my how the months have flown by. Today it feels appropriate to say hello, give you a brief update, and share my intentions for this space over the coming months.

Why the break?

There are so many fabulous blogs on the internet, so many sources of information about meditation, mindfulness and living a slower, calmer life. My intention with this site from the very first post has always been to share either inspirational thoughts with you or personal reflection on what it means to commit to living mindfully. When my mojo disappeared a couple of months ago I realised I could probably knock together a couple of list-driven lazy posts to keep things fresh, or I could simply wait until I had something to say.

In this spirit of simplicity and calm, I have also logged off from all my social media accounts for a while and haven’t written a newsletter in months. I see no need to contribute any more noise to your daily life by asking for your attention, telling you things simply for the sake of being heard. That is the exact opposite of my intentions for this space.

This past week I got my rhythm back. Post ideas came to me while out for a walk in the park, and with these a slight shift in direction also became clear. I don’t just want to talk about meditation and mindfulness anymore, I want to share a few more personal reflections and discuss calming down and living a mindful life more generally.

Changing my routine

Perhaps this shift reflects another change in my life, as my husband and I have decided to move in with his parents on Sydney’s north shore while we save for a place of our own. The property market is impenetrable at the moment, we are fortunate to be able to take advantage of this opportunity to save. Of course this will be a big upheaval, and we have new routines to establish. After a decade of living in the inner-west, it will take some adjustment to be back in the ‘burbs where we grew up, with leafy quiet streets and longer commute to town. I’ll be looking for a new local pilates studio and meditation group, and hunting down the best coffee ASAP.

The comfort of ritual

Coming with me though will be my red buckwheat filled cushion, shawl and journal. In fact, we will now have enough space for me to have my own meditation corner in a quiet space - so different to my current spot in the middle of our little living room! I will continue to sit every morning for 20 minutes, and am hoping to add an afternoon session once my exams are over too. Morning meditation is such a reassuring ritual. There have been big ups and downs in my practice this year, but through it all the desire to keep going has stayed steady. I can see how much more grounded I am since learning how to be more mindful, and find myself craving those moments of calm to let the mind settle before heading out into the world.

I’m excited to see what this next phase of our lives brings, and how this little blog evolves over the coming months. I plan to write here once a month, and to send out a newsletter with links to interesting reads found elsewhere once every couple of months. This routine might take a little while to fine tune, but the motivation has returned to share my thoughts on living a calmer, slower, mindful life amidst the every day noise.

Is there anything you would like to read that I might be able to help with? Any questions about how I established a regular practice, or how I have managed my anxiety with mindfulness? If there are any particular topics you would like me to write about, or have any questions I always love to hear from you - emily (at) emilycordes (dot) com.

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