Second Sunday of Lent

My theme this year for Lent is Down-to-Earth Simple Living: Over the years, my Lent activities have sometimes been complex, with layers of readings and actions. This year I plan to ease back to the basics of living my life: Eating, playing, home and garden, family and art.

At Lent I allow myself to be slow, simple, and thoughtful. I spend time each day in focused study and prayer. This Lent, I plan to continue to explore my relationship to the natural world, the cycles of the seasons, and down-to-earth living, with the simplest of actions. 

My intentions this year are to:

• Read and Journal: I intend to dive into various web sites that offer information on simple living themes.
• Simple steps: I will set myself some simple-living steps for growth each week to become more down-to-earth.
• Fast: This year I'm eating vegan at least two days a week during Lent, and exploring vegan options that are simple and grown locally, because consuming less meat and dairy is one way I can reduce my carbon footprint, and local options have fewer hidden environmental costs."

Agenda:

1. Read and journal

2. Simple steps plan

3. Make lentil stew

1. Read and journal: 

The first week I looked at simplifying my schedule, and last week I looked at simplifying my stuff. My theme for this week is physical resilience. 

I looked at a Physical Resilience Module by Spouse Resiliency Toolkit. It didn't have any surprises - the three main areas of physical well-being are exercise, sleep, and healthy diet. Looking at their decision-making chart, it is clear that exercise is the area I need to focus on.

I found these daily exercises that seem simple and doable:

#1: Sit-to-Stand - Standing up from a chair or other surface without using your hands is a good exercise for older adults because being able to sit down and stand up from a couch, chair, or toilet is often the determining factor in whether someone can live independently or needs full-time care.

 

How to do it: Stand in front of a sturdy chair with your heels about six inches in front of the chair, arms held straight out in front of your shoulders. Brace your core. Slowly bend your knees and push your hips back to lower your body onto the chair. Pause, then press through the back two-thirds of your feet to stand up again. Try not to swing your torso for momentum or use your hands to push back up.  

#2: Single-Leg Stand - Practicing standing on one foot for 30-seconds has a tremendous impact on your ability to perform everyday activities that require supporting yourself on one leg at a time, such as walking and climbing stairs.

 

How to do it: Stand tall with your feet together, and brace your core. Lift your right foot just off of the floor so that you’re standing on your left foot. Imagine a string through the crown of your head is pulling your spine straight toward the ceiling, and engage your core to avoid leaning to one side. Hold this position for 30 seconds or as long as you can, then repeat on the opposite side.

 

2. Simple steps plan:

My plan is to:

1. Take Sadie for a morning walk every day at 8 a.m.
2. Sit-to-stand: 
   Aim for two sets of 10 reps per day. 
3. Single-Leg stand: 30-seconds on each side.