Five for Friday :: 22 July 2011

{image credit :: flossyflotsam}

It’s Friday again, and I’m not sure how that happened! These weeks just seem to be flying by in the blink of an eye. I notice that when I’m in the midst of something that I enjoy (like summer, for instance), I sometimes spend so much of my time and energy trying to savor it, that I end up missing the joy in all of it. I book myself so tightly that all of a sudden I look around and realize that what I have been so excited for is gone…

So I’m practicing the art of slowing down and trying to enjoy the quieter moments of the season. Summer doesn’t have to be all about picnics and pool parties and yard work and bustling travel. It can also be about taking in the sights and sounds of the subtle niceties of the season – popsicles and fresh jam and warm evening breezes. (With a heat index here this week of 115 degrees, however, I’m okay with some cooler evening breezes as well!)

So in this hot July, I invite you to enjoy the simple pleasures, and to check out these really fantastic posts:

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• Balancing Val is the Self-Discovery, Word by Word host this month, and she managed to also write another post that knocked my socks off. This one’s on stopping avoiding our power.
• As always, a thought-provoking and spot-on post on Adios Barbie. Golda Paretsky reminds us that real women have curves and real women don’t have curves.  And what’s a “real” woman anyway?
• Allie at Happy Bodies shared a post I just loved where she breaks down how to embrace the best of depression self-help books with a healthy dose of skepticism.
• At Pigtail Pals, Melissa talks about her friend Elena Rossini and The Illusionists’ upcoming documentary on how corporations are using the media to shift our perceptions about our bodies. She (and I) urge everyone to help “kickstart” this worthwhile project!
• And finally, in case you weren’t yet convinced of how amazing yoga is, you can learn more about how your practice can heal what ails you on CNN.com.

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Reader Comment of the Week :: Eve on Honoring the Land, Nourishing the Body {Guest Post}

Truly great insight into your ranching practices, and I truly respect ranchers like Robyn who care so deeply for the animals they raise. The vitamins and nutrients in beef, and any lean meat, are very valuable to human growth, development, and healthy living in general. However, these vitamins can also be achieved by eating a well-balanced diet of vegetables and grains as well, but it can be more difficult to ensure you get the right amount of all the essential and valuable nutrients. Read more…

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Cheers to everyone having a lovely day! What are you taking time for this weekend?