the week that i fell out of balance // 2

hey there! how are all of my favorite blog readers? have you had a good week? i have had a crazy, busy, but very good week. a week full of adjustments, you could say. and, the adjustments are not quite figured out just yet. well, they are not figured out at all, to be honest. i’m teetering on a tightrope, or juggling about 10 balls in the air at the same time, or doing some other kind of circus trick. in other words, i am on the hunt for balance again. and i am certain that it’s gonna take a little while before i find where it has run off too.

but, that’s ok.

that’s what life is all about, right? learning, changing, growing, adapting, transforming. and rediscovering balance in a whole new way. boy, did i get it right by choosing the word evolve for my word of the year this year. ’cause 2016 sure has started off with tons of opportunities to grow and explore and experience all things new. all of which i was totally prepared for. but, you know, reality hits and even if you are aware that something is coming, it feels totally difference once it’s here.

here’s the thing: i worked my first full week at the high school this week, so that means i jumped right in with meetings with parents + staff, teaching a few workshops/classes, meeting students, and administrative work. the days were long, but fast, and very good. upon arriving home, though, i was wiped out. totally. i managed to cook dinner (i planned it so i cooked twice and had leftovers the rest of the nights, which saved my tired ass), but then i was either on the sofa or in bed the rest of the night.

one night, lina and i were both tired, so we ate dinner in bed, and then it was lights out. yep. i totally went to bed about 7:45. and slept all night long.

i knew that there would be adjustments. but, somehow it still came as a surprise to me. i knew that i’d need to find my balance, and to let it take it’s time, but somehow it surprised + affected me more than i had planned. it even prompted me to write a pretty lengthy instagram post/caption one day:

“Guys, this is gonna take some getting used to. I miss taking photos. I miss seeing daylight. I miss writing every day. And I am so tired. This week it’s mediation, work, home, dinner, and then bed immediately. Now, this is not complaining at all. I want to be clear about that. This is a beautiful routine to have. However, I’ve lived a very slow, creative life for the past 2.5 years. And right now, I just am expressing my thoughts on how I realize that this will take a while, this process of creating balance, learning how to include all of the things I love into my everyday, + adjusting to living life in a whole different way. I am so very happy with these changes, with my work, and with being gone all day. I am soaking up so much inspiration, being challenged like crazy, and feeling that what I do matters. But I am conscious of how I want to be sure to create space for the other things that I love too. I know it will take time. And I’ll be patient. But, I’m just putting it out there to the universe. I intend to fully and completely find the new balance that I am being called to, to discover my new way of living slowly + intentionally, in a much more fast-paced life. It’s all part of this beautiful process of evolving and growing and becoming. What an incredible opportunity to live life in a whole new way; to rise to a higher, deeper space. For now, though, I am letting myself rest and sleep and slowly adjust. I am literally heading to bed at 8pm tonight- and that’s totally ok. I’m in an incredible transition period right now, and what a wild and amazing ride it is.” #theartofslowliving #presentmoment #namaste

throughout the week, i have totally gotten up + meditated/done some yoga every morning. that’s a must in my life. but, as i said, i missed taking photos. i missed creating photos. i also missed the sunshine. it’s dark when i go to work. dark when i come home. oh, it’s breathtakingly beautiful in the nordic darkness, with the stars and the crisp air, and the very early glow of the rising or setting sun. but, it just ain’t the same as seeing + feeling the daylight.

so, i realized that, since we have 45 min for lunch, and since it doesn’t take me 45 min to eat, and since my school is in the middle of downtown + one block from the river, that i should get outside for about 5 minutes and snap some shots. breathe in some fresh (bitterly cold, below zero) air. soak up the sun. and find my space for just a moment. balance myself. ground myself. connect with all that inspires me. so, i did just that on thursday + friday – and it was amazing.

to make a long story short, work was fabulous and exhausting this week. i appreciated my warm, cozy home more than i ever could have imagined. and the weekend has become incredibly holy and sacred to me once again.

so, yeah. adjustments. adaptations. flexibility. and gratitude. oh, and lots of inspiration + beauty. that’s how my week was.

4 photos from the week

// the train station, which i pass by every morning, as i walk to work.

// the river downtown. all frozen over + totally gorgeous. so lucky to have this one block from work.

// sunshine, ice, and snow. it all just takes my breath away – and absolutely refuels my inspiration.

// the intersection where i turn to enter my building. see that dome-shaped thing up on the hill there? that’s a castle. yep. i see a castle every single morning. and i pinch myself  every single morning too.

3 good things

// morning meditation

// lights in our little bed nook

// slow weekend breakfasts with my love

2 previous posts

15 obscure words that i love

10 books to start your year + feed your soul (in totally different ways)

1 photo/music/blog/person/website/book that inspired me

i meditate in many different ways in the mornings. sometimes i sit in silence. sometimes, i listen to music. and sometimes i use guided meditations from various podcasts that i follow. the other morning, after i had my little instagram essay and revelation that i intend to let my balancing + adjusting to living life in a new way take its time, i randomly listened to a very short podcast for my morning meditation. and i followed the 5-ish minute meditation with a song from my january playlist that i chose by simply hitting shuffle. i want to share with you the podcast + the song.

i know that they were the right message for me at just the right time, but maybe they will also give you something you need in one way or another.

the meditation was called “learning to stay”. (you can listen to it here). it was the perfect thing to remind me to stay in the moment. to stay calm and quiet, a reminder to truly let myself slowly allow the process of adjusting and re-balancing unfold. the meditation guided me to just sit with whatever was happening inside me at that moment. to just let it be. so, i put my hands on my heart. acknowledged my un-balanced feelings and simply breathed it all in. i accepted and allowed the space to feel what i feel, and i set the intention to let it take it’s time.

when the meditation ended, as i said, i hit shuffle on my playlist and this song played:

i closed my eyes, folded my hands into prayer position, took three deep breaths, and said my closing sat nam. then i rose to begin the rest of my day. knowing and trusting that any adjusting period is a beautiful experience, and that my balance is already on it’s way back.

xoxo. liz.

earth • soul • spirit

you can see my previous weekly posts here or by clicking on “the everyday sacred” to the right –>.