The following piece was written by Brianna Goodman, copy and features editor for MindBodyBrew. Brianna teaches yoga with The Perri Institute for Mind and Body in New York City. She currently attends Fordham University, where she is pursuing a degree in English and Creative Writing, with a minor in Communications.
"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." -Galileo Galilei
It’s a busy time of year. Whether you’re a student preparing for exams, a performer in the midst of performance season, or an employee structuring your upcoming summer schedule, this time of year is typically bursting with obligations and opportunities. With so many commitments calling our names, it can be easy to move through each task without taking a moment to confirm that we’re actually breathing.
Now that the warmer weather is (hopefully) here to stay, perhaps it’s time to take a cue from the sun. Can we, like the sun, give each individual task our fullest attention—whether that task is as simple as ripening grapes, or as complex as keeping the entire solar system in check? Can we find ways to be present in the busiest of schedules, and find moments to pause, breathe, and be mindful of the activity we’re engaging in?
No task is too small to merit mindfulness. Whether we are brushing our teeth or typing our final essays, we can still approach each task with equal focus, and equal presence.
Can you find moments in your daily routine to check in with your breath? In the spaces between one task and the next, can you take a moment to focus and reconnect with your mind and body?
-Brianna Goodman
Photograph by Dawn Ellner