Finding Ritual in Routine

“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

The Wisdom of Water

The Wisdom of Water

 “Water is our first mother,” says Irish poet and philosopher, John O’Donohue in his blessing for water. Our bodies are 90% water. When we listen to Mother Water, we listen to our bodies. We are drawn to water as a reflection of ourselves. “We are nature; we are the trees, the clouds and the water,” says Ram Dass. “When you see the ocean, or the lake, or the river, you’re seeing yourself.” Wauconda is a Native American word recognizing the sacred sacred Spirit Waters; it describes a palpable energy that courses through the spring-fed landscape in Lake County, Ill. Wallace J. Nichols, another Lake County native called by the energy of water, explores the neuroscience of being in, on and around water in his book, Blue Mind. Water is not only essential to life; in many cases, it’s a luxury or a cure, posits the author. When we experience the flow of water in our minds, we are able to think, act and discern with grace, our vocation: A vibration of calling that evolves us to the fullest expression of our embodied selves.

Poet Victoria Erickson weaves water into grace:

“Grace means knowing

the space and moving

through it

understanding

the ways of water. 
Gentle.

Fluid.

Intuitive.

Subtly strong.

Moving toward

The natural flow.”

Defying Burnout

Realizing your goals doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game.

Burnout is now an official diagnosis of the World Health Organization; up to 50% of medical professionals are experiencing burnout at any given time, so what does that mean for creatives or the general population? Symptoms include feelings of energy depletion or emotional exhaustion, feeling withdrawn from work life, interests and social life, feelings of anxiety, negativism or cynicism or an inability to sleep restoratively. Even if you love your job (ahem…creatives, architects, designers)  living in a constant crush-it culture is a zero-sum game susceptible to burnout. And according to Melissa Hanley, principal and founder successful Silicon Valley firm, Blitz, “When you have burnt-out employees you get burnt-out solutions.  Three ways to recover from burnout, or prevent it in the first place are: 

  1. Get enough sleep. Sleep has invaluable, magically restorative powers. Essential detox functions at the cellular level occur during deep sleep.
  2. Take intentional / meaningful pauses in life. Enact a daily practice that creates “white space” or “breathing room” in your life.
  3. Stay curious. Take time to engage in an activity or learn about something riveting. Do what energizes and brings joy; so whether it’s story telling, writing a book, playing with puppies or gardening::Just do it::

yogaXdesign’s yoga-based continuing education workshops expand awareness in daily life, and help creatives renew themselves on a daily basis. Namastaycations hosted in Wauconda, Illinois, restore attendees with yoga, meditation, art and nature.

Manifesting Miracles

“Miracles, contrary to popular belief, do not just happen. A miracle is the achievement of the impossible, and it is only when we put aside greed, anger, pride and prejudice so that our minds are open and ready to accept it, that a miracle can occur.” –Julie Andrews Edwards from The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodle

“How do I put aside anger?” asks my student.

Here are three ways to release anger and cultivate daily happiness:
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
Write three things you are grateful for each day

2. Practice Compassion
Try this exercise from The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley

3. Send a Thank-you
To one person in your life each morning: text, email, in person, phone call or US post

Have you experimented with any of these habits?

Beyond Balance

Balance poses train body and mind to rest in focused awareness.

Question: How do you find Balance? 

Recently a former classmate of mine, the talented Claire (Centered by Design) posed a question on Instagram: How do working parents maintain balance in these busy times?

The answer lies in the fact that you only have one life, constricted by time and space, so you have to curate it—to put a positive spin on it, let’s call it: Cultivating Our Abundance. In order to curate wisely, requires clarity. But how to reach clarity when you have a constant stream of demands coming from 100 different directions at all times chattering away in your brain? 

The secret to clarity comes in simple, but powerful habits.

1. Get enough sleep.
Sleep has the most magical restorative power; sleep is the most powerful detox formula available.

2. Enact a daily practice.
Watch the sun rise, watch the sunset, do yoga, meditate, read, listen to music…any private, quiet, soul-nourishing practice. It could just be minutes a day, but this connection to nature and the universe has the potential to restore your energy infinitely.

3. Take credit, and acknowledge ALL the things—big and small—you accomplish each day, operating on the principle that our purpose is to bring more love into the world.