I am a moon junkie. Every time I look at the moon, I feel less alone and less afraid. I tell my boys that moonlight is a magic blanket and the stars above us are campfires set by friendly aliens. I track lunar cycles on my iPhone and take my kids outside at night when a moon is new or full or blue. We call this “moon hunting” and we bring flashlights and moon candy along. The moon candy looks suspiciously like M&M’s, but so far neither of my sons has noticed.

On moon-hunting nights, I give them a bath and rub both of my boys down with Aveeno lotion and comb their hair. I spread Aquaphor on my lips and try to kiss them. Sometimes I chase them around until I catch one and throw him on the bed like a bag of laundry. Most times I am too tired. Then we head outside. We wear pyjamas, because going outside at night in your pyjamas feels like breaking out of jail. I watch their little fat feet and their shiny cheeks as they jump into the backseat of the car.

I love my boys so much I fear my heart will explode. I wonder if this love will crack open my chest and split me in half. It is scary, this love.

When your children arrive, the best you can hope for is that they break open everything about you. Your mind floods with oxygen. Your heart becomes a room with wide-open windows. [ Amy Poehler ]

We talked about slow living and slowing down. About ritual and breathing. About being a mum, about trying to get pregnant and about finding the things that make you feel wild. But most of all, it was about creating a space to be open and laugh ( or cry ) and just be heard. Or if you weren’t talking – to listen to what was being said.

I always said I wish I had been born in a different time. Where there was no electricity, where we had to really work to grow our food, burn wood to cook our food and sit down together to eat our food. I know it’s (way) easier said than done, but I also know that a lot of people are actually consicously doing this again.

And I know that I’m not alone in wanting to really slow my life down.

To a place where you can really hear the thump thump thump of a heart beat, of a laugh, and of pot bubbling over. To a place where you can really see what it’s all about.

I think right now there is so much going on ( yes personally, but also in the world ) where it can feel so hard to sift through what it is we really need to do in order to help heal our bodies (and our minds and our hearts). I could be naive in saying this, but I don’t think it’s too complicated.

Eat simple foods. Connect with the people you love. Breathe deeply. Sleep. Drink water. Stretch your body. Challenge yourself.  Say thank you and believe in something bigger.

The other night, I went to an acupuncture appointment and upon arriving Vicki told me she was running a bit late. I could have chosen to sit in the waiting room and scroll through my phone – but instead – I took the actually (very rare) opportunity to be alone and move my body. I went into the yoga studio one room over, rolled out a mat and just did some belly breathing. When I was feeling calm and centered, I stretched and moved myself into a headstand – something I haven’t done in ages. The power I felt lifting my core, pulling my body and legs up and then finding the quiet to balance there for some time was pure magic. And the best part of all? It didn’t take anything but me, myself and I.

These seasonal dinners are kind of like a drug to me. I love hearing about other people, I love talking and helping and inspiring people. I love connecting with other people. I feel so lucky that I’ve been able to meet so many incredible people through this space on the internet. Thank you to each and every one of you.

On that slow note. And with the moon in mind, here are 3 of my favorite female, slow living, moon related things to get you jazzed about your cycle, about your body, about your mind and about our connection to living a little slower.

A weekly dose of goodness by my friend Emma the Naturopath.

A super comfy shirt that has a message that speaks to my soul.

Sea sponge ritual moon kit (for when my cycle decides to return).

Go get yourself lost, take an adventure and s t a r e at that big beautiful moon. The thing I find the most magical about it? No matter how much you miss someone, if you’re both in different places (albeit the same hemisphere) you can both look up at the moon and feel like you’re just a little bit more connected.

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PS. If you’re like me and wish you lived in a different time here are a few things you can try to implement as little ‘rituals’ in your daily/weekly/monthly life to slow you down and connect a bit more to the ground.

1. SUNDOWN CANDLE LIGHT |  all electricity off once the sun goes down – candles only!
2. TECHNOLOGY FREE EARLY MORNING GOODNESS  | make tea, make slow cooked oatmeal, or fry an egg – whatever it is, make it consciously, eat it slowly and embrace the idea that your food actually is your energy source
3. NIGHT TIME CLEANSING | water has a seriously amazing cleansing effect – like some people smudge or sage their houses / bodies after interacting with some one with off energy – a bath or a shower can really help to do the same – let the water drip over your body and wash away whatever you’ve been holding on to
4. FRESH SHEETS | one of my favourites – find some fresh sheets ( serious bonus if they are warm from the dryer or the sun!) and put them on your bed, there is nothing better than crawling into a bed with fresh plumped up pillows and sheets
5. FAMILY READING | one of my favourite memories from my childhood – my mum and dad would read to my brother and I before bed when we were little – once we were able to read on our own, we took turns reading a chapter each night. Our favourite books? Enid Blyton’s Adventure series. They were honestly the best. A mix of Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and just plain family goodness. I can hardly wait to do this when Agatha gets a little older.