Today I am NOT baking!

No cake today! I need a break from all that deliciousness and a break from tasting/eating it. So today I am painting. Journaling. Resting.

Inspired by Janice MacCleod’s book, Spiritual Retreat At Home, I’m starting a 30 day program of slowing down and doing something every day that will promote better health in body and spirit. You might remember Janice is the best selling author of Paris Letters. I love her down-to-earth way of writing that makes you feel like she’s sitting across from you at your kitchen table, chatting over a cup of coffee.

To give yourself a Spiritual Retreat At Home, Janice recommends meditating, journaling and visioning what you want your life to look like. Although many of us struggle with meditation…I do, it’s so hard to clear the mind…she says just focusing on something is a meditation, like painting, going for a mindful walk or, believe it or not, taking a nap. You don’t have to clear your mind, she writes, because when you quiet your self, the mind often gives you an inspiring idea or answer to a problem.

Sometimes we just need to change things up a bit to get that “it’s a great day today” spark back into our daily lives. We need to take time to retreat from the “should” world of our minds and enter the “gratitude” world that is all around us. I’ve found that when I focus on the NOW, the birds splashing in the bird bath, the trees swishing in the wind, sounding like rain, my puppy on my lap, all those little things seem like small miracles that soothe my heart.

Baking can be a mindful activity too, mixing and blending ingredients to make a cake that someone will appreciate in every bite. But no baking today. Today I will toss these new ideas into a bowl, mix until incorporated and bake them into my mind, and, hopefully, when I’m done, I’ll be a nicer and happier person. THAT sounds delicious!