Moving at a Snail's Pace

“How do you define ‘taking care of yourself’? Create a new self-care practice today. Observe your comfort level when it comes to being good to yourself. Discomfort is a wise teacher.”
                                                          ~ Caroline Myss and Peter Occhiogrosso


Can you believe it's summer already!  I guess time flies when you're having fun.  I don't know about you, but summer for me is like reading a really great book.  When I'm into that book, I tend to savor every word and try not to rush through it because I really don't want it to end.  I try to treat summer the same way - to savor every moment I can and enjoy it to the very end. 

My good friend and fellow artist, Renee Burke of Happily Ever After is hosting a series entitled sumMer of ME.  There's going to be approximately 40 artists who will be sharing some of their own self-care tips and advice.  It seems like everyone is always talking about how stressed, rushed, and exhausted their life has become.  Without some kind of intervention of self-care, your physical and/or mental health will be greatly affected at some point down the road.   I have several tips that I use to help keep me in check.

Mr. Cottage and I are fortunate to live on a lake during the summer months.  Nothing is better than taking some time to just sit in our Adirondack chairs and watch the lake, sky, and birds, and get some wonderful fresh air and some quiet time to contemplate.  I realize that not everyone has a water view from their window, but you can still sit and reflect and/or just watch nature and enjoy living in the moment.

But one of my best self-care tips for me is to get engrossed in a really great book.  I can sit outside and read it or curl up on the couch.  Either way, it's a way to be transported away from the hustle and bustle of my everyday life.  I just recently purchased the book, In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson and hope to get started on it within a couple of days.  If you're looking for some really great books to read, I highly recommend any of the following: 

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - Great and fast read, I promise you'll love it!
2. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp - Very inspirational and inspiring.
3. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - Forget that it's almost 1000 pages.  You won't want it to end once you start!
4. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - This was first released about 14 years ago and is a timeless read.  Nothing like the movie.  Again, I didn't want it to end!

To see more of my favorites, click on the tab at the top of my blog.  I have lots of other great books listed.

Another self-care I really love is yoga.  If you haven't tried it, please do.  I take classes at a wonderful yoga studio with great instructors. 

So remember some self-care for yourself as we go through this wonderful season of summer.  Remember how a snail moves...

Don't rush through life, slow down and live in the moment! 

As an added bonus, and a bit of self-care for you, please go to my friend, Cindy's blog, to sign up for a chance to win some fabulous art.  She's giving away lots of great artwork from some of her artist participants for her Mixed-Media May.  I even have one of my prints that will be given away to someone who wins it.  But you can't win if you don't enter.  Just click right here!  You've got until the end of June to enter her fabulous giveaway.  GOOD LUCK!