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A post shared by Elephant Journal (@elephantjournal) on Jul 3, 2019 at 12:06pm PDT

A psychic recently told me that mid-life would present me with an “unbearable lightness of being.”

I’m ready.

The past few years have been unbearably heavy. My partner died. My mom died. I watched one of my BFFs die within three weeks of being diagnosed with cancer. Life has bombarded me with loss and harsh transitions. I’m ready for a break.

So, I’m taking the summer off. Literally. Suspending my anxieties and shelving woe. I’m taking a three month breather from it all, reframing transition as transformation. Otherwise known as, “making big changes in how I spend my time.”

I’m becoming a mermaid.

Which means taking a vacation from landlocked life. Consciously suspending gravity. I’m letting go of the tether to my former identity and diving into the unknown. Head first. Into an ocean of uncertainty. Shifting time and perspective with fluidity. Swimming in the flow of me, without chasing my tail.

The process has already started. I moved out of the dream home my partner and I created together and have downsized into a houseboat community. I live on the sea, nestled in its salty breeze. Cradled in floating rhythm as tides move in and out from under me daily. My neighbors are herons, seals, otters, gulls. And a few humans who enjoy a buoyancy that living on the water exudes. A watercolor reality suspends our gravity.

Here, my chrysalis is stocked with ingredients to nurture mermaid tendencies. Here, I embrace transformation, rather than cope with transition.

Here, is my summer recipe.

Preparation:

Slow down and create time to just be. Float in your sacred marina. Be curious through your senses rather than with your mind.

Be kind and patient with yourself. Notice small transitions throughout each day. Awake with the sunrise, lie down when the sun sets. Write about change with rhythm. Paint with textures. Allow creativity to flourish in one fluid session. Save editing for another day.

Pace yourself. Submerge pressure, instilling leisure. Find your happy place and spend more time there. Get outside, into nature. Talk to trees, swim with seals. Give up scraping by; forego the scarcity of “going through the motions.” Live from now’s inspired moment. Replace happy hour with magic hour. Frolic in abundant light.

Ingredients:

1. Inspiration. Spark and flambé your personal definition of joy. Risk flamboyance. Adorn sequins.

2. Intuition. Tune in; identify the best temperature for what kneads and transforms you. Comb shores previously cast as distant.

3. Nature. Husk artificial light. Picnic outside. Serve up your desires al fresco.

4. Patience. Plant a garden from seeds. Water and feed with consistent rhythm; accepting that not all seeds will grow or flourish. Be willing to be pleasantly surprised by weeds.

5. Temperance. Reduce heat and pressure to perform. Be, rather than do. Avoid over stimulation. Nap.

6. Movement. Bubble and boil. Dance. Sing. Swim. Beat a drum. Sound the siren…invite your senses into pleasure.

7. Spontaneity. Combine one part fluidity, with two parts reduction of routine. Abandon over-planning in favor of an open mind. Float.

8. Clarity. Skim the surface for remnants that no longer serve you. Discard darkness or cavernous tendencies. Perch in clear water coves. Savor the sun’s rays reflected in rippling water.

9. Zest. Spice up daily routines with your soul’s favorite flavor.

10. Relish. Relax into trusting your authentic voice. Speak your unique point of view. Garnish with a side of integrity, owning that you matter.

11. Bask. Bathe in the sunshine of freedom. Let a free-form summer serve up its magic.

Methodology:

Slow cook to boil away structure. Become the observer: what do you see? What do you hear? Reduce unnecessary pressure, allowing time for spontaneity to gel. Turn off notifications on your devices. Leave 15-30 minutes early for any appointment or event, granting time and freedom to explore your natural, individual pace. Withhold judgment and reserve accountability.

Check into nature’s oven often. Broil. Connect with your favorite tree by placing your back against its trunk and asking for guidance. Listen and feel for what comes next as heat rises and energies transfer. Shift dimensions. Breathe underwater.

Watch clouds roll by and transform into Rorschach impressions. Take a cold plunge into the sea on a hot day. Shift temperatures. Shake up timing. Bake and bask in mermaid flow. Write about it all in fluent rhythm. Simmer in daydreams; infusing inspiration. Thrive in a watery bouillon of distilled desires. Percolate.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with clarity, al dente. Trust your reflection in still waters. Baste with the special sauce of your iridescent tale. Flavor with personal spice. Share abundantly with others.

Store:

Always and forever. There is no going back once you’ve found your sea legs.