I am stoked for the Fourth of July.
My whole face lights up when I see a fun parade go by.
Mostly, I love the Fourth of July because I believe that fireworks are magical.
And, now that I live in Boston, I am hopeful that the level of Independence Day celebration out here, where the actual Declaration of Independence was signed, but might be pretty snazzy, especially for the history geeks like yours truly.
Today marks the last of my summer emails focusing on earth-based mindfulness, so I figured we would end this series with a figurative bang, before the day of literal ones.
Hello, Fire element!
Just as you've gotten into the practice of greeting, feeling, and expressing gratitude to earth, water, and air, now we can turn our attention to fire.
Hello fire!
Hello hot summer air.
Bright, golden sun.
Warm blanket at night.
Hot water in the shower.
Hello heartbeat, pumping warm blood all the way through the body, down to the fingers and toes.
Feel the heat!
And not in a "global-warming-sucks" kind of way.
But rather a "sinking-into-a-comfortable-lounge-chair-basquing-in-the-glorious-summer-sunshine-after-a-long-and-stressful-day" sort of way.
Feel the power of the fire element when you workout, when you stand strong.
Enjoy the freedom of the fire element, with camp fires and flashlights to guide you at night on a trip.
Marvel at the sparkling fireworks that light up the sky tonight.
In addition to my suggested 5-minute mindfulness practice of Greet, Feel, and Express Gratitude, I am also sharing a handout on ways we can use our five senses this holiday weekend.
You can observe the colors, shapes, and smiles at a parade.
You can feel the warmth of the sun on your back.
Taste refreshing ice cream on your tongue.
Smell the sweet corn or burgers on the grill.
Hear the laughter, the fireworks, and the subsequent "oohs" and "awes" from a crowd.
Notice if your anxiety goes down with observing (sights, sounds, smells) instead of reacting.
See if you have more fun, keeping your focus on the here and now.
Have a Happy 4th of July! 🎆
Hannah
P.S. Like my fire-element puns?
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