“Architects need to build airports and railway stations so that there is enough room to practice hugging,” says Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh. Even if you’ve never considered clearances for hugging, Hanh’s design directive is actually a metaphor to illuminate how we may be more generous in our habits.
Arrivals and Departures are routine, but if we create space to embrace a commute mindfully, the mundane becomes ritual. When we realize that everything is sacred, we experience reverence for ourselves, for one another and for what is.
One way to become enchanted by the quotidian is with a daily gratitude practice: When we commit to a daily habit of identifying the good things, our brains evolve. With the act of writing it down, gratitude becomes embodied, forging new neuropathways that shift the mind from acting on negative bias to tuning into opportunities for joy, delight and happiness. One week of a simple gratitude practice elevates wellbeing for up to six months.
Happy Thanksgiving,
M:)gan Mazzocco
The A&D Yogini
About the author: Megan Mazzocco is a Chicago-based architecture and design journalist at the intersection of place and wellbeing. Her practice, yogaXdesign, offers yoga-based workshops for creative professionals. Follow Megan Mazzocco on LinkedIn or on Instagram @megatorial @yogaXdesign