Well the academic year is in full swing. Perhaps you’re a graduate student, balancing work and studying. Maybe you’re a parent who is helping your young kids adjust to earlier bedtimes and wake ups. Perhaps you’re just seeing the kids get out of class around 2pm each weekday. No matter who you are, we can feel the academic year upon us. And if you’re like us, you’re already thinking about the holidays. In this strange in between space, far enough away from summer but getting closer to the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it can feel like the calm before in between the storms. It’s a great time to get grounded!
This week in the journal, we want to explore the ways we can center ourselves daily. We know that life comes with ups and downs. We know that the unexpected turn is always just around the corner. And we know that it’s hard to stay present in the moment. But the present moment is where we are most creative, most compassionate, and most centered. So it’s a place well worth entering. To help guide you there during this in between seasonal transition, we’re sharing 5 things you can do to center yourself today. They don’t require anything extra. They don’t require you to go on a big trip. They don’t require you to transform your entire life. All they require is for you to tap into your presence and try them. So without further ado, here are five things you can do to center yourself and learn how to ground yourself every day.
One way to physically clear yourself of stagnant energy and come back to your center is to do breathwork. While there are plenty of classes you can attend, or online apps you can use, you can also access the benefits of breathwork at any time. We love the 4-4-4-4 method. This means you breathe in for four counts, hold your breath for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold your breath for four counts. This is also called box breathing. You can slip into your luxury silk robe, find a quiet place, put a hand on your heart and start to breathe deeply. This can help clear your mind, refresh your energy, and help you see new possibilities when you’re stuck. When we designed our kimono store, we knew we’d line up our plus size kimono robes, men’s kimono robes, our fan favorite Azumi Kimono Wraps, and the like — but one intention we also held was that it would be a space where you, our customer, could come to take a deep breath. So if you come visit us in San Francisco, we invite you to stop by, sit on our big velvet couch, surrounded by beautiful wellness goods, and do some box breathing here! We know how healing a deep breath can be, and want you to feel you can access that at any time.
You know by now that meditation is a wonderful way to center yourself. But maybe you’re feeling disengaged from your practice, or maybe you’ve never tried it before. Center yourself today by practicing meditation in a whole new way. It can be easy! Perhaps you’re letting the sun hit your face, wrapped in your gorgeous Azumi Kimono Wrap, while taking a break from work. Allow your mind to be quiet for just 90 seconds. Feel the sun on your skin. Feel the Azumi Kimono Wrap against your skin. Listen to the sounds you can hear. Take in the moment so you can feel fully present. Even just 90 seconds of a new way to meditate can enliven you and bring you back to your center.
Grounding can be a quick and easy way to center yourself as well. Grounding is the act of connecting your feet to the ground. That’s it! Take off your socks and shoes and allow your feet to feel the earth. There are many cultures that believe the earth speaks to us. So take it a step further. Allow yourself to hear what the earth is saying to you as you connect with it. We get so stuck to our screens that it’s easy to forget there’s information in nature as well. When we created our luxury silk robes, we knew that natural materials have a quality to them that makes you feel centered and connected. So whether you’re connecting with your luxury silk robe or the ground beneath your feet, reconnect with nature and you’ll be well on your way to centering yourself today.
If you’re like us, you have a million things on your mind at all times. You are taking care of your family, helping celebrate a friend’s milestone, planning holiday visits, buying gifts for everyone, not to mention trying to exercise, sleep enough, eat well. The list goes on and on and on. Sometimes the best way to really clear your head isn’t to check everything off of your list – this is exhausting! Sometimes the best way to clear your head is to do a brain dump. This can be written or typed on your favorite note-taking app, but essentially it’s just listing out every single task that needs to be accomplished. It sounds simple, but this simple act of doing a brain dump can alleviate the pressure builds up from trying to hold everything in your head at once, which makes you distracted and absent to everyday moments. Slip into your favorite plus size kimono robe or wrap, get your favorite notebook, and jot down every single to-do. Let yourself see your course on a page, and you’ll feel much more on track.
An SOP is a Standard Operating Procedure. Building a system in an organization like a business is a way to ensure that the same protocols get followed day to day. It’s a great way to communicate. And it allows everything to operate seamlessly. But have you tried to do one for yourself? This can be as simple as saying that every time you wake up in the morning, you take your gua sha tool in rose quartz and spend three minutes massaging your facial skin. That can be the one thing you need to start your day and flow seamlessly. Perhaps you always put your luxury silk robe on to cook dinner. Or maybe you light a candle in the kitchen at the end of the day. Define the rituals, acts, methods, or systems that help you feel grounded throughout the day to feel centered all day long. Now you know how to center yourself every day!
