🎊 🧏🏼‍♀️ Sensing the New Year — A Mindful Slow-Living Story for Calm, Reflection, and Presence

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Welcome to The Slow Life.
I'm Jennifer Vino and I create,

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narrate and design the
soundscape of this village of

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00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,830
cosy stories to relax and
unwind.

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00:00:16,870 --> 00:00:20,220
Each week I share an original
story.

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Read 2 times so you can relax
even more during the second

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reading.
I am introducing printable

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greeting cards inspired by the
cozy stories you hear on this

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podcast.
Go to theslowlife.ca and click

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Shop on the top menu bar.
Let's settle in with some easy

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breathing at your own pace.
With each inhale, let fresh air

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fill the space around your
heart.

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With each exhale, feel the calm
air spread through your body and

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00:01:04,620 --> 00:01:11,380
flow out through your arms and
legs, gently in through your

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heart.
Gently out through your body, in

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through your heart, out through
your body.

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And now let's begin.
This story is called Sensing the

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New Year, and it's about
experiencing the present moment,

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enjoying a sword of Symphony and
the smoothness of a marmalade

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jar.
This morning lets me bask in the

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stillness between sleep and
waking, my breathing steady, the

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00:02:00,310 --> 00:02:06,100
blankets filled with warmth.
I stay like this for a while,

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00:02:06,510 --> 00:02:13,100
aware but drifting, noticing how
it feels to arrive in a new year

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00:02:13,330 --> 00:02:16,670
without needing to do anything
about it just yet.

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00:02:18,460 --> 00:02:22,990
A memory floats up from a
meditation class I took with a

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00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:28,550
friend not long ago.
The instructor's voice had been

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00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:34,610
calm and slow, guiding us to
experience the present moment

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00:02:34,660 --> 00:02:40,240
one sense at a time.
Notice what you hear.

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00:02:40,650 --> 00:02:46,160
Notice what you see, what you
feel, smell, taste.

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00:02:47,330 --> 00:02:53,320
I remember sitting upon the
cushion, eyes closed, listening

30
00:02:53,330 --> 00:02:57,380
to the soft rustle of people
shifting their positions.

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00:02:58,150 --> 00:03:04,900
My own breath in and out.
Tuning into my senses felt

32
00:03:04,910 --> 00:03:10,640
simple and worked like magic to
keep my thoughts from racing or

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00:03:10,650 --> 00:03:17,520
even wandering very much.
Now, on this January day, I

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00:03:17,530 --> 00:03:24,180
decide to try it again, this
time with my eyes open at home,

35
00:03:24,450 --> 00:03:29,760
moving gently through my day.
Instead of sitting still with my

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00:03:29,770 --> 00:03:38,070
eyes closed, I begin with sound.
At first there's only a soft hum

37
00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,210
in the silence, the air moving
through the vents.

38
00:03:43,140 --> 00:03:46,240
Then slowly, other layers
appear.

39
00:03:47,370 --> 00:03:52,960
The cats give a squeak when I
sit up the mattress and covers,

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00:03:52,970 --> 00:03:58,180
shifting underneath them.
A faint Creek from the

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00:03:58,190 --> 00:04:04,160
floorboards as I get out of bed,
and tiny adjustments as the host

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00:04:04,170 --> 00:04:10,150
stretches itself just the same
outside of bird calls.

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00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:17,660
Once testing the air before
breaking fully into song, I head

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00:04:17,670 --> 00:04:22,580
downstairs towards the kitchen,
each footstep keeping my

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00:04:22,590 --> 00:04:28,290
attention in the moment.
The kettle becomes a part of it

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00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:34,530
too, clicking once as I switch
it on, then worrying low and

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00:04:34,540 --> 00:04:38,370
steady before the 1st bubbles
begin to rise.

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00:04:40,190 --> 00:04:43,660
So far, I've enjoyed my own
Symphony.

49
00:04:43,930 --> 00:04:49,700
Noting that my year has begun
with listening, I move my

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00:04:49,710 --> 00:04:53,890
attention to the sight of the
steam rising in front of me.

51
00:04:55,110 --> 00:05:01,140
It catches the light, swirling
ribbons of pale gold that drift

52
00:05:01,150 --> 00:05:06,280
towards the ceiling.
I watched the way it dances,

53
00:05:06,630 --> 00:05:13,130
graceful in its purpose.
On the window, frost decorates

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00:05:13,140 --> 00:05:19,990
the glass, delicate as lace.
The sun, just above the horizon

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00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:23,390
sparkles on every fallen
snowflake.

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00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:28,100
It touches even the simplest
objects.

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00:05:28,690 --> 00:05:34,610
The mug waiting by the kettle,
the silver spoon resting beside

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00:05:34,620 --> 00:05:39,810
it, seemed to hold more meaning
when I look at them as if for

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00:05:39,820 --> 00:05:45,520
the first time.
I pour water over the mesh ball

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00:05:45,530 --> 00:05:50,690
of tea, watching the rich amber
colour spread through the

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00:05:50,700 --> 00:05:55,210
liquid.
I leaned further over the drink

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00:05:55,260 --> 00:05:58,840
to see my reflection rippling on
its surface.

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00:06:00,460 --> 00:06:05,060
When I lift the tea, the scent
greets me before the sip.

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00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:11,590
I breathe in deeply, letting the
warm notes of cinnamon and

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00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:18,660
citrus meld into one another.
It's an aroma I know quite well

66
00:06:18,750 --> 00:06:23,860
from years of holiday events,
but somehow keeps my thoughts

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00:06:23,870 --> 00:06:29,730
contained in this one moment.
I crossed the room and opened

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00:06:29,740 --> 00:06:35,140
the tin on the Bistro table and
at once the scent of gingerbread

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00:06:35,150 --> 00:06:40,970
takes over.
Rich molasses, deep spice and

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00:06:40,980 --> 00:06:46,860
the brightness of ground ginger.
The fragrances mingle in the

71
00:06:46,870 --> 00:06:52,480
air, tea and cookies offering
winter sweetness and quiet

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00:06:52,490 --> 00:06:59,210
comfort that settled gently
around me as I sit down, my

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00:06:59,220 --> 00:07:04,310
senses heightened.
Faint cedar from the round table

74
00:07:04,420 --> 00:07:11,530
makes me smile in amazement, so
subtle that on most other days I

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00:07:11,540 --> 00:07:17,460
might not notice it.
I choose one small gingerbread

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00:07:17,470 --> 00:07:22,790
cookie from the tin and take a
bite, letting the flavors

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00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:28,120
unfold.
The softness cushions the mix of

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00:07:28,130 --> 00:07:33,210
molasses and spice, a taste that
can't help but hold my

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00:07:33,220 --> 00:07:38,700
attention.
It seems to awaken not only my

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00:07:38,710 --> 00:07:44,900
taste buds, but the rest of me
too as I stood up a bit taller

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00:07:44,910 --> 00:07:50,310
in my chair.
A gentle hunger reminds me that

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00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:56,520
this is only a beginning, not a
meal, and I smile at the thought

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00:07:56,530 --> 00:08:02,490
of a tasty breakfast waiting to
be made in the kitchen.

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00:08:02,500 --> 00:08:08,120
I gather what I need, noticing
each sensation as it arrives.

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00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:14,810
The smoothness of the marmalade
jar against my palm, the faint

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00:08:14,820 --> 00:08:20,330
roughness of the bread as I hold
the loaf with one hand and cut a

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00:08:20,340 --> 00:08:26,450
generous slice with the other.
There's a slight resistance and

88
00:08:26,460 --> 00:08:31,700
then give of the toaster lever
as I lower it down to toast.

89
00:08:33,330 --> 00:08:38,400
The ceramic plate is still warm
from the dishwasher, and I

90
00:08:38,409 --> 00:08:42,530
spread the bright marmalade
across the bridge's surface,

91
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,160
feeling the cool touch of the
knife handle beneath my fingers.

92
00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:55,780
I returned to my seat and ran my
hand along the table top, the

93
00:08:55,790 --> 00:08:58,980
ridges feeling deeper than I
thought they would.

94
00:09:00,650 --> 00:09:05,900
A blanket draped over the chair
brushes the back of my hand,

95
00:09:06,370 --> 00:09:12,210
fuzzy from years of use.
I look at it as though it were a

96
00:09:12,220 --> 00:09:15,230
loved one, offering a comforting
touch.

97
00:09:16,870 --> 00:09:21,440
I finish my breakfast without
music or anything that might

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00:09:21,450 --> 00:09:28,000
draw my attention from it.
By late morning, the mindfulness

99
00:09:28,010 --> 00:09:34,230
happens on its own.
My senses overlap seamlessly,

100
00:09:35,330 --> 00:09:40,030
taste mingling with scent, touch
with sound.

101
00:09:41,150 --> 00:09:45,820
I see the light from the
fireplace move across the floor,

102
00:09:46,090 --> 00:09:50,630
and I squat down to touch the
heated square where it lands.

103
00:09:52,380 --> 00:09:57,950
I sit with a notebook in my lap,
tracing the faint texture of the

104
00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:03,210
cover under my fingertips before
opening to a fresh page.

105
00:10:04,740 --> 00:10:09,350
I write about my day of
discovery, all the while

106
00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,180
listening to the pen shimmying
across the paper.

107
00:10:15,090 --> 00:10:20,720
As I move through the rooms, I
realize that this practice, this

108
00:10:20,730 --> 00:10:26,160
simple noticing, is what I want
to carry into the rest of the

109
00:10:26,170 --> 00:10:30,300
year, not the pursuit of big
change.

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00:10:31,410 --> 00:10:36,440
This is enough.
Nothing grand to declare, but

111
00:10:36,450 --> 00:10:45,280
the art of paying attention,
sensing the new year.

112
00:10:48,790 --> 00:10:54,080
This morning lets me bask in the
stillness between sleep and

113
00:10:54,090 --> 00:10:59,980
waking, my breathing steady, the
blankets filled with warmth.

114
00:11:01,310 --> 00:11:07,760
I stay like this for a while,
aware but drifting, noticing how

115
00:11:07,770 --> 00:11:13,000
it feels to arrive in a new year
without needing to do anything

116
00:11:13,010 --> 00:11:18,400
about it just yet.
A memory floats up from a

117
00:11:18,410 --> 00:11:22,670
meditation class I took with a
friend not long ago.

118
00:11:23,940 --> 00:11:30,070
The instructor's voice had been
calm and slow, guiding us to

119
00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:34,530
experience the present moment
one sense at a time.

120
00:11:36,020 --> 00:11:41,330
Notice what you hear.
Notice what you see, what you

121
00:11:41,340 --> 00:11:47,210
feel, smell, taste.
I remember sitting upon the

122
00:11:47,220 --> 00:11:53,270
cushion, eyes closed, listening
to the soft rustle of people

123
00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:58,330
shifting their positions.
My own breath in and out.

124
00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:06,030
Tuning into my senses felt
simple and worked like magic to

125
00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,330
keep my thoughts from racing or
even wandering very much.

126
00:12:12,140 --> 00:12:18,300
Now, on this January day, I
decide to try it again, this

127
00:12:18,310 --> 00:12:24,620
time with my eyes open at home,
moving gently through my day.

128
00:12:25,050 --> 00:12:31,850
Instead of sitting still with my
eyes closed, I begin with sound.

129
00:12:33,090 --> 00:12:38,760
At first there's only a soft hum
in the silence, the air moving

130
00:12:38,770 --> 00:12:43,340
through the vents.
Then slowly, other layers

131
00:12:43,350 --> 00:12:47,310
appear.
The cats give a squeak when I

132
00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:52,560
sit up the mattress and covers,
shifting underneath them.

133
00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:58,510
A faint Creek from the
floorboards as I get out of bed,

134
00:12:59,060 --> 00:13:04,340
and tiny adjustments as the host
stretches itself just the same

135
00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:10,670
outside of bird calls.
Once testing the air before

136
00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:17,800
breaking fully into song, I head
downstairs towards the kitchen,

137
00:13:18,260 --> 00:13:22,070
each footstep keeping my
attention in the moment.

138
00:13:23,850 --> 00:13:28,940
The kettle becomes a part of it
too, clicking once as I switch

139
00:13:28,950 --> 00:13:34,820
it on, then worrying low and
steady before the 1st bubbles

140
00:13:34,830 --> 00:13:40,310
begin to rise.
So far, I've enjoyed my own

141
00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,050
Symphony.
Noting that my year has begun

142
00:13:44,060 --> 00:13:49,370
with listening, I move my
attention to the sight of the

143
00:13:49,380 --> 00:13:55,930
steam rising in front of me.
It catches the light, swirling

144
00:13:55,940 --> 00:14:00,260
ribbons of pale gold that drift
towards the ceiling.

145
00:14:01,700 --> 00:14:06,520
I watched the way it dances,
graceful in its purpose.

146
00:14:08,110 --> 00:14:13,610
On the window, frost decorates
the glass, delicate as lace.

147
00:14:14,820 --> 00:14:20,170
The sun, just above the horizon
sparkles on every fallen

148
00:14:20,180 --> 00:14:24,920
snowflake.
It touches even the simplest

149
00:14:24,930 --> 00:14:28,780
objects.
The mug waiting by the kettle,

150
00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:35,390
the silver spoon resting beside
it, seemed to hold more meaning

151
00:14:35,460 --> 00:14:38,630
when I look at them as if for
the first time.

152
00:14:40,350 --> 00:14:46,480
I pour water over the mesh ball
of tea, watching the rich amber

153
00:14:46,490 --> 00:14:48,980
colour spread through the
liquid.

154
00:14:50,350 --> 00:14:55,630
I lean further over the drink to
see my reflection rippling on

155
00:14:55,640 --> 00:15:00,910
its surface.
When I lift the tea, the scent

156
00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:06,890
greets me before the sip.
I breathe in deeply, letting the

157
00:15:06,900 --> 00:15:12,160
warm notes of cinnamon and
citrus meld into one another.

158
00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:18,830
It's an aroma I know quite well
from years of holiday events,

159
00:15:19,380 --> 00:15:24,020
but somehow keeps my thoughts
contained in this one moment.

160
00:15:25,670 --> 00:15:30,380
I crossed the room and opened
the tin on the Bistro table and

161
00:15:30,390 --> 00:15:33,800
at once the scent of gingerbread
takes over.

162
00:15:35,230 --> 00:15:40,860
Rich molasses, deep spice and
the brightness of ground ginger.

163
00:15:42,470 --> 00:15:47,860
The fragrances mingle in the
air, tea and cookies offering

164
00:15:47,870 --> 00:15:52,460
winter sweetness and quiet
comfort that settled gently

165
00:15:52,470 --> 00:15:58,560
around me as I sit down, my
senses heightened.

166
00:15:58,950 --> 00:16:06,010
Faint cedar from the round table
makes me smile in amazement, so

167
00:16:06,020 --> 00:16:10,690
subtle that on most other days I
might not notice it.

168
00:16:12,620 --> 00:16:17,610
I choose one small gingerbread
cookie from the tin and take a

169
00:16:17,620 --> 00:16:21,400
bite, letting the flavors
unfold.

170
00:16:23,100 --> 00:16:29,210
The softness cushions the mix of
molasses and spice, a taste that

171
00:16:29,220 --> 00:16:31,700
can't help but hold my
attention.

172
00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:39,230
It seems to awaken not only my
taste buds, but the rest of me

173
00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,590
too as I stood up a bit taller
in my chair.

174
00:16:45,290 --> 00:16:51,140
A gentle hunger reminds me that
this is only a beginning, not a

175
00:16:51,150 --> 00:16:56,740
meal, and I smile at the thought
of a tasty breakfast waiting to

176
00:16:56,750 --> 00:17:03,020
be made in the kitchen.
I gather what I need, noticing

177
00:17:03,030 --> 00:17:09,280
each sensation as it arrives.
The smoothness of the marmalade

178
00:17:09,290 --> 00:17:15,180
jar against my palm, the faint
roughness of the bread as I hold

179
00:17:15,190 --> 00:17:20,280
the loaf with one hand and cut a
generous slice with the other.

180
00:17:21,930 --> 00:17:27,040
There's a slight resistance and
then give of the toaster lever

181
00:17:27,150 --> 00:17:33,780
as I lower it down to toast.
The ceramic plate is still warm

182
00:17:33,790 --> 00:17:38,320
from the dishwasher, and I
spread the bright marmalade

183
00:17:38,330 --> 00:17:43,230
across the bridge's surface,
feeling the cool touch of the

184
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:50,230
knife handle beneath my fingers.
I returned to my seat and ran my

185
00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:55,700
hand along the table top, the
ridges feeling deeper than I

186
00:17:55,710 --> 00:18:01,230
thought they would.
A blanket draped over the chair

187
00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:06,300
brushes the back of my hand,
fuzzy from years of use.

188
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:12,410
I look at it as though it were a
loved one, offering a comforting

189
00:18:12,420 --> 00:18:16,880
touch.
I finish my breakfast without

190
00:18:16,890 --> 00:18:21,160
music or anything that might
draw my attention from it.

191
00:18:23,120 --> 00:18:27,400
By late morning, the mindfulness
happens on its own.

192
00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:36,800
My senses overlap seamlessly,
taste mingling with scent, touch

193
00:18:36,810 --> 00:18:40,510
with sound.
I see the light from the

194
00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:46,130
fireplace move across the floor,
and I squat down to touch the

195
00:18:46,140 --> 00:18:52,920
heated square where it lands.
I sit with a notebook in my lap,

196
00:18:53,090 --> 00:18:58,720
tracing the faint texture of the
cover under my fingertips before

197
00:18:58,730 --> 00:19:04,370
opening to a fresh page.
I write about my day of

198
00:19:04,380 --> 00:19:09,570
discovery, all the while
listening to the pen shimmying

199
00:19:09,580 --> 00:19:15,540
across the paper.
As I move through the rooms, I

200
00:19:15,550 --> 00:19:21,480
realize that this practice, this
simple noticing, is what I want

201
00:19:21,490 --> 00:19:27,380
to carry into the rest of the
year, not the pursuit of big

202
00:19:27,390 --> 00:19:30,810
change.
This is enough.

203
00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:36,250
Nothing grand to declare, but
the art of paying attention.

204
00:19:38,570 --> 00:19:43,230
I wish you sweet dreams and a
happy New Year.