I am sitting at the kitchen table is morning. I want to read, not only the newspaper but also the 7 yoga books I piled up to my right. Sometimes I start eating breakfast or drink the morning coffee while I do something else. It can be reading or watching the news my boyfriend just turned on the tv to my left.  This is the time I did not even notice I finished my coffee, other times my belly is full and I actually missed acknowledging I finished the breakfast.

I realize I am missing the play of the light on the table. The energies at play around and within, the smells of the coffee and the sounds of the birds outside.IMG_0571What I am saying is  SLOW EVERYTHING DOWN. Nourish your day in the moments. It involves INTENTIONALLY doing one thing at a time. Make sure you are present, you are there while you are doing that one thing.

The concept of Voluntary Simplicity is an idea I came across recently reading “Wherever you go there you are” by Jon Kabat-Zinn. He describes VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY as going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so you can see more, doing less so you can do more, acquiring less so You can have more. It all connects at a deeper level especially in a society as fast paced as the one we live in today.

You can choose simplicity in small ways and integrate it in the complexity of family life. Responsibilities that we have at work or within our friendships can take away from the time we could allocate towards slowing down. So start small. Take small steps.

Slowing everything down is a big part of this. You can tell your mind and body to stay present with the very thing you do right now, spending time with your spouse, daughter or friend instead of answering the phone that is ringing or the message that “needs to be responded”. Choosing not to acquire things on impulse when looking for an important article we see an ad for the latest Noli Yoga leggings that popped up on your screen. Walk your dog and be present one step after the other, look at the dog what is he doing stop being on your phone or imagine what will you do this evening before heading to work tomorrow.

So Catch yourself at it, whenever it is possible!

We don’t get to control all of it, but you can choose SIMPLICITY whenever is possible to add to your life not subtract and that will bring an element of deepest freedom something that eludes us on daily basis.


Am I voluntarily choosing simplicity today? If it is not today, Why not start Tomorrow?

Screen Shot 2018-03-11 at 12.06.32 PM