Rainy days are good too...

When Spring is here, but the sun isn't quite shining, and you have already splashed around in the rain, what do you do? There are plenty of indoor activities to enjoy at this time of year. Here are a few suggestions that always get me excited!

1) Cook or bake something that you have never tried before. I have a stack of recipes that I have put aside but I like to have some extra, unhurried time to make them happen, rather than trying to cook something completely new after a long and busy day in the big world. A rainy day provides the perfect opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Try making a Spring pea mint soup, stuffed roasted tomatoes or portobello mushrooms, banana coconut & lime muffins, turmeric potatoes with lemon & coconut, parsnip and coconut soup, pecan chocolate ripple cheesecake, etc, etc, etc.!!! Now I'm officially hungry :) 

2) Do something crafty and/or "old-fashioned". We all have the potential to be able to sew, knit, paint, hammer, and do things ourselves, rather than buying everything pre-packaged, generic, and often disposable. A scarf that you make yourself will keep you much warmer and cozier come winter-time! And it will carry all sorts of lovely memories, like the music you enjoyed while knitting, the conversation you had with your friends and family, the way your cat played with the yarn, and the sense of accomplishment you felt after creating something with your own two hands. 

3) Read a fun book. This can be done while sitting in the softest of chairs, possibly by a fireplace, with a big mug of herbal tea by your side. It seems like we don't have solid blocks of time to read anymore, so why not take this opportunity to pick up a book that really appeals to you and feel all your stress dissolve and melt completely away. It does not have to be Dostoevsky - anything that makes you happy will do :)

4) Why not try meditating? This practice does wonders for our health and stress levels. There has been much research done on how meditation helps to lower blood pressure, raise serotonin, improve digestion, and much more! I will posting more on meditation later as it is such a wonderful practice and so easy to integrate into day to day life - you can meditate anywhere, anytime, for however long you want! It is one of the best things for lowering stress and promoting healing. An easy way to start is just by focusing on your breath and letting any thoughts drift away like clouds in the sky :) 

5) Do whatever it is that you love passionately but never get around to because of work, household chores, kids, school, etc, etc, etc. It is so incredibly important for us to follow our hearts and do what we absolutely love in this world. It seems like everyone is bogged down with endless To Do lists that form the structure of society but do nothing for the happiness of its citizens. Our first responsibility is to remember our wildness, freedom, and individuality and to live it as fully as we can! By being our selves we bring love, light, and meaning into the world :)