But [ah, years of deep inner work does pay off] I was able to gently remind myself that today is Sunday and no, today was not for work and meeting demands and shoulds. In fact, how about we just designate today Should-less Sunday? What would that look like?

Maybe instead of putting check marks next to words on a to-do list, we just quiet these busy minds and let our bodies guide us today, effortlessly gliding between one thing and the other, following the invisible tug of the things that nourish us. Approaching the day with a curiosity and setting aside the planning mind, "Here's what we'll do today..." can be saved for the other 6 days of the week, can't it?

Swimming sounded nice, but did we really want to drive all the way to the swimming hole, on this hot day (we don't have air conditioning in our vehicles)? I'll develop a new recipe today, I thought, but even these enjoyable scenarios were shoulds - I was catching onto myself.

With constant awareness, I meandered through the day, letting the minutes unfold as they did, rather than reigning over them. (My husband was very pleased with this new approach).

The irony of it all? I accomplished plenty that day. But, the way I went about it and experienced my day was drastically different. If I had to pin a word to it, I'd say presence was the key differentiator.

Moving from minute to minute with no plan, I still ended up:

cleaning the filter on our air purifier to get it good and ready for this dusty summer that's upon us, I handwashed some linens and hung them to dry on the taut new paracord clothesline Eric hung for me, I began a new wild sourdough starter using rye flour grown here in Washington, practiced hand-sewing, and delved into the art of sun-dyeing with natural dyes. That evening, after yoga, we enjoyed a delicious dinner by candlelight and then (because my mind wasn't allowed to tell me I should not do certain things) we enjoyed the season 7 finale of Game of Thrones (any other night, I'd decline saying there are other things I ought to do with my time).

Oh, and I created a new recipe...