I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,

I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air,

Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same…

– from “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman, 1892

As I approach my vacation time, I’ve been thinking about settling into a summer rhythm.

It just seems like finding a rhythm has been more challenging than usual lately. Our lives can be so cluttered with distractions– notifications, never-ending to-do lists, news stories, illness, the real life impact of politics and economics, too many things, so many problems to solve. True, life is just kind of like this sometimes. It just feels more intense lately. Are you feeling it, too?

Summer is a perfect opportunity for us to slow down and return to a more natural and sustainable rhythm. adrienne maree brown teaches us in Emergent Strategy to observe nature, to understand its patterns and rhythms, and to learn how to adapt these things to our own lives. So, I urge you to connect to nature this summer. Find a rhythm that is gentle and nourishing. Learn how to balance work and rest. When in your daily rhythm can you find a time for spiritual play? To find beauty? To connect with delight?

Weave these threads into your life this summer and let them become a part of a rhythm that can sustain you throughout the rest of the year. Pay attention to the ebb and flow of your energy and when it sings with the rhythms of nature around you. Human beings truly are rhythmic in nature. We are nature ourselves. But we have to raise our awareness of this again so we can reimagine how to thrive in a world that seems chaotic and confusing. Pay attention to the well-being of your whole self– mind, body, heart, and soul. Take good care of it all!

Signing off until August–

Heather