Savoring familiarity & routine.

DanielleEastman
7 days ago
4 min read

Hello, beautiful soul!

Thanks so much for a beautiful exploration into novelty last week. This week, we'll explore the opposite end of the spectrum by savoring routine & familiarity.

The big question this week: What happens when we embrace routine & familiarity?

What do we notice? How does it go? What do routines do for us physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually?

5 things I LOVVVVVE about routine, repetition, & familiarity:

1. I love not having to make a decision. For example, every morning I eat the exact same breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries. I don't have to think about it at all. I just start boiling water. It's so easy (and saves me energy for thinking about other things).

2. I don't have to talk myself into doing it. Our weekly Aya classes support my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health so very much! I have 6 dances automatically woven into my weekly routine. It doesn't matter what's going on in my life, what happened earlier that day, or how much I slept the night before... If it's dance o'clock, I'm dancing with my friends. Dance time is locked in. It's not a question. I'm always so grateful for these hours of pure joy, connection, exploration, & self-care!

3. I love that certain things have their "place" in my week. When it's not the time to do something, I don't worry about it. For example, at our house, we clean the house on Tuesdays. It's part of our family's weekly routine. We're never in the mood to clean toilets. We never want or are excited to dust or vacuum. But we do it anyway-- because it's Tuesday. And then we always feel great afterward, when the house is beautiful. One of my favorite parts about this routine? I don't worry about cleaning on any other days. We tidy up, but I don't always feel like I should be deep-cleaning. That's for Tuesday.

4. I love the spaciousness routine/habits provide. The repetition helps me relax, tune into my senses, and savor the moment. That walk I mentioned above? I even take the exact same route every day. I don't think about it at all, which means I can think about anything/everything else. Or nothing. I can just sense my body and be present in the moment. Similarly, in class I love how it feels to sometimes just repeat the same movement over and over again. I'm not thinking about what to say or do next. I can just relax inside the repetition, and really focus on sensing my body as it moves.

5. I love the support routines provide. Our family has quite an unusual schedule. Jon works (a 24-hr shift) every 3rd day. We therefore don't have a typical rhythm of weekdays and weekends. We also homeschool, so that, combined with Jon's schedule, provides us a lot of freedom & flexibility. But, at times, the freedom can feel a bit chaotic. Combined with my Aya classes that are at a variety of times and locations, and Rowan's soccer, and we are all over the place. :) I think this might be part of why I love creating routines, schedules, and rituals so much. They help bring order to the chaos, and provide a scaffolding of structure, self-care, and healthy habits, while still allowing us plenty of freedom & adventure.

Ok... so... as you can see.... I LOVE creating little routines & rituals. BUT, I know it's not everybody's cup of tea.

How about you?

• How do you feel about routine?

• What do you like about it? What are the benefits?

• Any downsides? What do you dislike?

• Thoughts?

Embracing routine in class might look like:

• What does it feel like to grab your favorite dance outfit & put it on?

• What does it feel like to know what to expect when you walk in the door, or open up Zoom?

• What does it feel like to see familiar faces?

• What do you sense when a really familiar song comes on?

• What do you sense when familiar movements are cued?

• What is it like to be able to predict what will generally happen next?

• What do you notice physically? Mentally? Emotionally?

Embracing routine outside of class might look like:

• Enjoying taking that familiar route. Notice the ease. The auto-pilot.

• Enjoying wearing that familiar outfit. Notice what you really love about it.

• Savoring that ordinary wonderful meal you always tend to make. Notice what you enjoy most about it.

• Cozying up in your favorite chair/couch. Notice how comfy it is.

• Turning on your favorite playlist & enjoy being able to sing along.

• Really sensing & savoring your familiar routines, habits, and rituals. What daily sights do you love? What sounds? What textures? What smells? What sensations?