A Rhythmic Return

I'm back! And well read, well rested, well fed... doing quite well, actually. You know a place is growing on you when you feel comfortable upon return. In fact, one of the first things I did to initiate my weekend was settle in:

Simply the basics, of course! And check out that view outside my window! A lush Washington rainforest. For two days straight I sat in a rocking chair, reading by the light of the coziest lamp, looking out of this sight when I needed to pause in contemplation, or more likely for a little break. I read about various daily practices while indulging on Cheez-It crackers and lemonade (courtesy of a self-care grocery run). I paused to walk the monastery's trail or eat with the sisters, some who had been at the priory for nearly 50 years! I also participated in the liturgy of the hours, and though I wasn't taken in at the beginning, by my fourth time, singing the Psalms to the same quiet tunes began to feel ritualistic. I read a lot about praying the daily office while at the monastery, and it seems like a rich and rhythmic thing to practice each day at particular hours. I could use more pauses and re-centering in my life.

I could use more trips to the monastery, too. But my wallet isn't that big, my schedule isn't that empty, and next year, I won't have a car to take me there. So I wonder, how can I translate my experience at the Priory to my everyday experience here in Seattle? How can I transfer the peaceful rhythm I felt there into  my current day to day hustle and bustle? 

Your guess is as good as mine, but I'm thinking it has something to do with these daily practices. And these practices and I are starting to become very good friends because of it.

In Progress,

Lacy