My brother and his wife have been visiting this week, and so I’m taking a breather from work to hang out with them. I love how I get to see the world through fresh eyes when a guest is here. I end up doing all sorts of things that I probably wouldn’t make time for otherwise. I’ve been walking trails and visiting places that I take for granted when I’m in my routine. I love this time of year, but it always seems to go by too quickly. So I’m grateful today for the opportunity to take things at a slower pace and soak up the beauty of autumn.
I have to admit I was resisting taking a breather it at first. I’ve been doing a lot of new things lately with my work, and part of me didn’t want to slow down. I was afraid I would lose my momentum. More and more I’m learning that the impulse to push through isn’t really in keeping with the flow. Sometimes it can shut the flow down completely. Whenever I feel my brow furrowing, my jaw tightening, and time growing short I’m learning to pay attention because it’s a sign of contraction, and it’s time to take a break. If I catch it early I can free myself pretty quickly, but if I let it go too long it gets harder to shift.
The nature of a contraction is constriction. It’s like trying to hold your breath for a long time. Your body gets tight and pinched, and it’s tiring. Taking a break for a bit is like a wonderful exhale. You release and expand – the energy (whether it’s physical, creative or emotional) has somewhere to go. That’s being in flow – you breathe in and you breathe out. I guess that’s why they call it a “breather”. So that’s what I’m doing today. Getting back into the creative flow and wishing you a beautiful day.
