+ Yay! It’s the last post of the month which means a new monthly habit and a recap of last month’s! These monthly experiments help me build healthy habits, break unhealthy ones or just learn more about myself so I can figure out what’s essential for my best life!

For the month of May, we (Greg’s joining!) are going to get back into a practice we love called Mindful Eating. It helps us become more conscious of how, what, and when we eat. We’ll start with breakfast daily and then add a meal each month. Breakfast is an easier place to start because it will be a part of our established morning routine and we can hold each other accountable. It will also be a challenge for me because I wake up super hungry ;)

So, Mindful Eating May will be:
+ Taking a moment before serving to think about how hungry/desirous we are.
+ Pausing before starting to eat to be grateful for the people and animals involved.
+ Savoring each bite through the scents and flavors of the food. Taking it slow with pauses and breathing in between.
+ Considering how full we are and trying to stop eating at 80%.
+ I tend to wait too long to eat so if that happens, I’ll set aside a little serving to eat mindlessly and then resume the habit ;)

If you would like to learn more about Mindful Eating, we used a few great resources when we first started this practice. A few books inspired us including Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and any Michael Pollan book but especially Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. We also love Carley Hauck’s services. She teaches Mindful Eating exercises for individuals as well as larger groups here in the Bay Area!

Reflections on our April Habit: Stretching (Asana April!):
To be honest, Asana April was the least exciting monthly habit I’ve tried. It was fine and kind of made me feel good but I didn’t notice any transformations, physically or mentally. I think this was a good experience… to remember that not every experiment will change my life ;) (That said, it was nice to have this routine while traveling and before ten-hour flights!)

I was successful at sticking to the habit of stretching/posing for 5 minutes a day, although I found that I was shortening my meditations because of it. Boo. I also discussed my plan with my pilates instructor (body savior!) and she didn’t think it was a great idea for my body type, especially first thing in the morning. Morning stretching is not for me. Good to know! Knowing what isn’t for you is just as important as knowing what is!

Do any of you have a daily stretching practice? What about any failed experiments?

+ A lot of what I do at home and for work is about contracting/simplifying/letting go. One of the reasons I do this is to create room for expansion/potential/inspiration. Here are some of the things that have inspired me, or at least made me smile, this month:

1. I love loved my time in Stockholm and especially the Miss Clara Hotel. I would live in that room (+ add a kitchen ;)

2. A Swedish (!) art director’s work uniform, "Why I Wear The Exact Same Thing To Work Everyday”: “No wonder many people walk around feeling that the world owns them, when it really should be the other way around. The thought of reclaiming the driver's seat can feel overwhelming, but even small changes can make a huge difference. The simple choice of wearing a work uniform has saved me countless wasted hours thinking, "what the hell am I going to wear today?" And in fact, these black trousers and white blouses have become an important daily reminder that frankly, I'm in control. Today, I not only feel great about what I wear, I don't think about what I wear.“

3. It was amazing to watch Greg watch his favorite band, Ride, live for the first time. And it was one of the best. shows. ever. He was so smiley, I totally cried. I got so lost in the show, it reminded me of this article on the experience of seeing live music. "In their pouring out and consuming emotion through Music they were able to point the way for others to move aside their day at work, upcoming weekend of errands, and never ending list of do’s and don’ts. We got to be human. We got to be present.“

4. The Art of Simple on “Waking up for my life (not to my life)”. Out of my blog posts, the one that gets discussed the most is Creating a Morning Routine. I love what Kat says about hers: “This small, intentional act of waking up early (sometimes five minutes, sometimes 60 minutes) has been the catalyst for incredible things in my life, from blogging and ebooks to traveling around the world and meeting my family for the first time.”

5. Asian Efficiency on the one trick to tame your email: stop sending so many emails!

6. Has J.Crew decided to go to my favorite places on earth for their shoots? Palm Springs! Do Jenna and I share more than just taste in shoes? ;)

7. I love talking about mental health and superpowers so I was so happy to read Wit & Delight and her struggle as a tornado: “And yet with all these complexities, it is helpful to remember you are not a problem to be fixed. You have an opportunity to turn what makes you special into your very own superpower.” I wish all of her posts were on mental health because they are so powerful. For the record, I’m a little roller coaster. :)

8. And some apps to support said mental health! How to Battle Stress and Improve Mental Wellness Through Technology Would you try any of these? Please let me know!

9. There’s a young guy that uses our local footbridge for an experience art project. He dances around holding a red heart and tries to get traffic to notice him and his love. He’s full of so much joy and is always up for a high five!

10. “The Science Of Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things“: “It's counterintuitive that something like a physical object that you can keep for a long time doesn't keep you as happy as long as a once-and-done experience does. Ironically, the fact that a material thing is ever present works against it, making it easier to adapt to. It fades into the background and becomes part of the new normal. But while the happiness from material purchases diminishes over time, experiences become an ingrained part of our identity." I touched on this a little bit with our financial priorities as a part of Intentional Travel. Lots to discuss here!

Mine has been an epic, unsettling, hopeful April. Yours?

May Habit: Mindful Eating and an April Habit Recap

April Inspiration