Why do we have the tendency to feel guilty when we have to stop, to give up, to rest, to slow down?

Maybe because we’ve been brought up believing that to be ‘productive’ we need to keep going, keep trying, keep moving, keep running…

But sometimes, to travel further, we need to stop and rest to recharge ourselves. When things are no longer serving us, we need to give them up instead of holding on. When we want to enjoy the journey, appreciate the experience, and make memories, we need to slow down.

This month, let’s give ourselves the time to do all of them–when we need to, unapologetically. Let’s give ourselves the ultimate permission to dedicate this month for ourselves, so we can have the chance to stop. To give up. To rest. To slow down.

Because we deserve it.
Because you deserve it.

“Breathe like a turtle,” said Dr. Suresh, my Ayurvedic doctor.

He then mentioned the way some animals breathe: a dog (+24 breaths/minute), a bear (+15 breaths/minute), a turtle (4 breaths/minute).

“Animals that breathe slower live longer,” he said.

Thus, the turtle breath.

***

I know that breathing correctly and mindfully has a vital role for our wellbeing. We can clearly notice how we breathe when we’re angry, tired, anxious, rushing–and how they differ from how we breathe when we’re relaxed, calm, and slowing down.

I learned a few years ago that if you don’t know how to change your mood, change the way you breathe.

If you’d like to feel a bit calmer, breathe the way you breathe when you have just arrived in a beautiful, pristine place, and about to relax while admiring the gorgeous view. Or breathe following the rhythm of the ups and downs of a cat’s (or a baby’s) belly when it’s soundly sleeping.

Writing on my journal, decorating it, and flipping the pages unhurriedly in the morning helps me to breathe slower. Noticing the way I breathe throughout the day also helps me to know my mental state at a particular moment, and give me the opportunity to consciously ‘breathe’ a better mental state.

***

How do you breathe today? 🙂

PS: Oh, there’s also this beautiful app called Tide I installed on my phone as it has some guided breathing exercise.

Can you believe that it’s only less than a month to the end of 2018?

I have been a little bit busy with work these past few months (and I am also working on my YouTube channel on journaling), but I have been missing working on my blog and sharing my thoughts & musings the way I used to do in the old days.

I always feel as if time flies away so fast, and I have to admit that sometimes I am being hard on myself–feeling that I haven’t done anything great, anything meaningful, anything worth remembering.

Maybe this is why one of my end-of-year favorite moments is actually having my me-time, flipping over the pages of my journals and reading all the small things that made me happy, tiny fragments of life that made me grow or rethink my beliefs and perspectives, delicious food that makes my belly purrs in delight.

This year’s end-of-year me-time involves creating an affirmation calendar for myself.

I found it a bit challenging to find a lovely calendar for 2019 that is already equipped with some Indonesian national/public holidays; so I decided to create one with the pictures from Unsplash in passport size for everyday carry.

When I finished, I thought: “Why not share it with everyone else?”
And so, the calendar is available if you’d like to download or print it. Just click here: Calendar 2019 – Passport Size

All in all, maybe it doesn’t matter if there is nothing big happening in our lives, as long as we can recall and reminisce the tiny ones as we remember them with gratitude.