Mindful Movements in Laundry Moments
Feel the fabric as you fold, and enjoy making clean lines out of chaos.
Are you moving through your day without fully living? It is easy to pass through daily activities and wait for something to happen — to wake us up and grab our attention. I have fallen into this mindless trap, caught in a place where I feel as if my subconscious was always preparing for something else.
One way to fully live today is by being mindful and practicing a bit of everyday awareness. I realize this is easier said than done — awareness is a habit that’s not easily picked up. So, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite mindfulness rituals to help you appreciate the mundane and to live more fully into the moment.
The Mindfulness Laundry Ritual
I have to admit, hanging the laundry might be one of my favorite household chores. The smell of freshly washed clothing mixed with the warm sweet scent of the sun and the tender brushes of the air as it sweeps through. All of this mixed with the need to squat, bend, and reach makes it is a delightful expression of what it means to embody everyday awareness.
The beautiful thing about the laundry ritual is the bit where you have at least three (or four) opportunities to explore mindfulness: sorting & starting the wash, hanging the laundry, folding the laundry & putting it away…all of which are unique and delightful. The key to making laundry a ritual is simple. S-L-O-W-I-N-G down and giving attention.
So the next time you prepare to do a load of laundry, pause and slow the pace down about 25% and observe how you move through the process.
It is really that simple.
You can sense your feet, your breath, the cloth in your hands. You can smell the water running and listen to the wind blowing. You can feel the cool of the laundry room and the heat of the sun. Slowing down 25% won’t add a lot of time to your process, but it will add an infinite depth of experience.
We all know that the need to tend to laundry will never end — at least not as long as we want clean clothes and social life. So why not make a ritual of it and find the beauty of everyday mindfulness. Do you have a favorite everyday mindfulness ritual?
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