How Was Your Day?
ROUTINES WITHIN MOON CYCLES
Q:How was your day?
A: Sometimes it feels as if there are a thousand days from when I wake up until I get to crawl back into bed, that luxurious place for hard-won rest. Plus, I haven’t actually been sleeping as much as I would like for the past 6 months as I continue to wrestle with my destiny which can stretch the capacity of experience in a day. Still, those moments of being deeply present to how my body practically merges with my soft sheets and the gravitational pull from my mattress are (insert Italian kiss to the tips of the fingers all brought together mudra) benissimo.
GOOD MORNING ROUTINE
Slowly I get my eyelids to crack and the cool sunlight of dawn begins to seep into my inner body, illuminating me into a new day. Thank God, literally. I scrape my tongue, heat the kettle, drink some warm water, relax, and then let the water of my glorious rain creator pour over my skin. A miracle. Soothed by oils and wrapped in my robe, I drink some buttery herbs and meditate. The day is coming so I milk these mornings of all the luxury I can. Eventually, I get dressed, nourish my body, sing to my plants, and the countdown to my matcha begins.
I do like to marinate in that morning window, it is such a special part of the day. And then…I am off! I lock the door, practically ski down 5 flights of stairs, and then am birthed into the world once again. And not just any world, a very urban, cement-y, hard-edged, graffitied, scaffolding-landscaped, hustling, whirring, kids-before-schooling, bird-chirping, dog-walking, caffeine-worshiping world.
Depending on the season I’ve either walked powerfully into a headwind that I just had to lay into to get any forward traction, braved chilling temperatures by wearing a coat that looks like a sleeping bag, am blissed out by the birdsongs, or…need to change my shirt and am dripping in sweat by 8 am. These changes keep time so I don’t have to and sometimes they remind me before I am ready. As I write this on the waxing half-moon in July, I realize it is almost August, which means Christmas is just around the corner lol.
WORK-LIFE ROUTINE
And then “work”. Ok, so it definitely is work but I am a Capricorn and we love to work. And let’s just say my job is not the easiest... and yet, I do love so much about it. My colleagues are amazing humans, so creative, and literally building new realities through the lens of architecture and design. I am astonished at the profound nature and the wizardry behind the scenes of studios like the one I direct that help shape our built environment. Maybe in one of these entries, I will take you through the ins and outs of my day job. On one hand, there is more sitting at the computer than I thought I would ever do, but also so much variety that there is never a dull moment.
Having completed a hundred tasks, I find myself on an entertaining walk through Washington Square Park on my way home, the sun is near the horizon by now.
I walk to work and I walk home from work. A 30-minute commute on either side. Depending on my mood, I will typically choose between one of the 10 or so routes I rotate through. Walking home is a necessity. I decompress and call my mom or a friend at times, or maybe I just take it in and let it go. I start thinking about my shower as I open the second door to my apartment building and without a second thought climb to the fifth floor. By now I hardly notice - unless I have groceries or am coming home from traveling with some semblance of luggage, then I notice.
GOODNIGHT MOON ROUTINE
Bathe, stretch, food, write, study, chill, pray, chill… something like this or a combination of these rituals. I don’t love to be too particular, yet I do thrive in routine whether I like to admit it or not. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t push my creative edge of surprise and delight just to shake it up more often than not. One thing I’ve learned about myself, I certainly do like to transform. And so I eventually make it back to bed for the integration of my self-observations throughout the daylight hours, more deep inner work, and rest. Sweet dreams my friends. And how was your day?
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