I drank 30oz out of my Yeti after I wrote yesterday afternoon. I continued today, being mindful of my hydration. I am feeling more energy, have a better mood, and was able to take my walk around one of the neighborhood ponds. Having the energy to take a daily walk is important to me. Sometimes I will listen to a podcast, but I mostly just listen to the birds and the wind. I let my thoughts drift, no checking the phone, only allowing my mind rest and to make connections with things I have read or listened to, conversations had, or ideas generated. My daily walk is a ruminating practice.
Shelly Miller, the author of Rhythms of Rest, says that ruminating practices are “simple actions that miraculously calm the hurricane of internal processing so we can rest well” and that peace and clarity are often the results. When we engage with an activity that involves our mind and our hands, we often untangle the threads of anxiety and confusion in our hearts. The rhythmic action of kneading dough, folding laundry, walking steps, stirring soup, knitting rows, pulling weeds, nursing a baby have a way of bringing calm. As our minds calm, we begin to see and remember the Truth more clearly. Doctors have found that performing repetitive motions triggers a release of serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with calm and well-being. Ruminating practices are a form of mindfulness that brings you into the here and now, not obsessing over the past or the future. Right here, in these practices, is the space where I can calm the crazy and hear the voice of God.
We can slow our schedules, but not slow our minds. We can sit quietly for an hour but have our minds rage with intensity from the comment section from a social media post. That is not rest. The pandemic forced us to slow our activities and gain margin in our calendars, but it didn’t ignite healthy minds and peaceful hearts. We have been inundated with information and opinion, heavy cultural moments, and stunning tragedies. We have to find rest for our minds. My mind has been short-circuiting recently. I am forgetting things, losing things, repeating myself. I need a Sabbath rest for my mind, and the best way I have seen that happen for me is by silencing information and engaging in peaceful work with my hands. Mind, hands, and heart all working in harmony.
Our weekends are lovely windows of time to practice these rhythmic activities. As we think about Sunday, desiring it to be a day of Rest, what ruminating practices are available to us on Saturday as a doorway to calming ourselves for the evening Sundown when Sabbath begins? How can we unwind ourselves from all the tension, to-dos, and temptations of our week by practicing some repetitive movements that will release us to calm and invite engagement with the Lord and our families? I don’t have the answers for you or even for myself. These are questions I am sitting with and reflecting on. Worthy of a journal entry or a discussion with friends.
Please share in the comments your ruminating practices. Where do you find life and peace in the everyday rhythms of home?
May you find rest and mind-peace this weekend,
Aimee
Lately I've been feeling similar to the way you describe. I've found a Christian meditation app "Encounter" that takes about 15-20 minutes. Often, I'll run an Epsom salt bath, get some hot (or cold) tea, and meditate. He leads you through a few Bible verses. That helps. Other times it's just a "posturing" myself. Acknowledging that I love Jesus with my whole heart, getting on my knees where I am and recognizing His Presence. This refocuses me and keeps me grounded. I'm so grateful that you are pouring out your life in this. It means a lot. Keep up the wonderful work! Hugs.
Don't laugh. Showers are one of my favorite ways to do this. But also washing dishes or knitting.