Self-portrait, 24 weeks, Canon Digital Rebel XSi
As part of my commitment to Dream Lab this summer, I have been taking my sabbath time really seriously. By sabbath, I don’t mean a traditional religious sabbath, but more a conscious practice of rest, of turning off the gadgets, of getting outside, of crawling into bed when my body needs it. I have been taking the opportunity of this pregnancy to rest more, to play more and to have a real summer. It has been an enormous gift. I didn’t realize the deficit of fun I was experiencing until I consciously stopped, got off the treadmill, and heard what my spirit needed most. (Turns out what I needed most was to play, to see friends, to share meals with people I love.)
“Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment is better than rest, that doing something–anything–is better than doing nothing. Because of our desire to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go, we bypass the nourishment that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by this hypnotic belief that good things come only through unceasing determination and tireless effort, we can never truly rest. And for want of rest, our lives are in danger.”
– Wayne Muller, from his gorgeous book Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives
I will be leaving in a couple of days for my annual Lovebomb trip to the Oregon coast. I can’t think of a better place for rest and play than the beach… And if you are in Dream Lab, Jen and I will be sending transmissions from there!
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I love this picture of you, Andrea. You look so peaceful and lovely. I am resting a lot this summer, too, partly because of being temporarily unemployed. That scared me at first because I am such a go-go person. But it has been an unexpected gift also. Lots of walking, reading and just plain hanging around.
Love,
Stephanie
Good for you. Enjoy the coast. We just moved to Portland, OR and we LOVE IT!!!
play and pregnancy are doing you good. you are looking extra hot! and oh yes, there will be plenty of play in Oregon…I cannot wait to see you and that belly!
hi there,
wonderful blog, and perspective.
so lovely to meet you!
Sylvia
The older we get, the more we need to put things in to perspective….I think we don’t need to prove anything to anybody except ourselves and the people we love. A couple of things this year have really nailed that idea in to my these past few months so thanks for sort of reinforcing that with this post….
thank you for these words. i know i have been craving rest, even as i am afraid of it. i have a few big things i will not be done with for just a few more months, and once those are done i’m hoping to take an entire season {yay fall!} to rest and rejuvinate.
in the meantime, i’m remembering to sit still, read instead of watch tv, and eat good food with loved ones. makes a huge difference!
Thanks so much for that quote. I love it!
Lisa
p.s. I’ve been following your blog for years now–from when I, too, lived in the Bay Area to now, three years of living in Tucson. I love your photography and really appreciate the spirit of your posts. If you have time, I would love it if you would check out my blog (url is attached) Peace and Blessings!
http://dictionaryproject.wordpress.com/
I asked you to check out the url and there was a typo 😛 Oops.
Radiant picture…you look so beautiful…loved the quote
Being present in the now is such a treasure and sometimes hard for me to obtain. Love the quote/reminder. You look radiant!
Hi Andrea and Everyone,
I hope you are having a LOVELY summer.
I love your blog Andrea and I hope you can come and visit mine from time to time.
All the best to you and your growing family.
God Bless!
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I’m so glad you are enjoying your summer of nourishing your spirit. I have been learning to rest this summer too. It’s interesting how often the voices of, “You need to be working .. more .. this is not ok ..” come up, but I am learning to rest anyway.
Your blog always offers the inspiration I need most. Thank you.
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Andrea have a great time at your retreat.
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What a lovely sentiment, and you look glorious by the way. 24 weeks along, and have you picked names?
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