December 2020 offering
Let's finish 2020 with some much needed heart-tending.
We're going to invest 31 minutes a day, for 31 consecutive days. We’re talking about taking 2% of your day for your heart and soul!
Your investment:
31 minutes a day
31 days
31 nzd
Our commitment:
daily accountability check in emails
daily journal prompts
halfway 1:1 progress call
gift from the [launching soon] Her Hearth Space store
end of month virtual celebration
The next session of Invest 31 begins December 1, 2020. Send us a note at hello@hearthsisters.com anytime before or on December 1 to sign up to join us! We’ll send you information for confirming your spot, based on your location.
May 2020 offering:
#invest31
The investment: 31 minutes a day, for 31 days.
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Intention:
Accessible to all
Attainable commitment, no matter where you’re based, no matter what your home/work/family circumstances are
It can’t and shouldn’t take all day, but it is a commitment to do it every day
We’re going to invest 31 minutes in a project of choice, for 31 consecutive days.
What you’ll need:
Pair of shoes, or not! Barefoot is totally acceptable.
Pen
Paper
That’s it!
Depending on how you’re going about it, maybe you’ll want to add in:
Water bottle
Some tunes
Warm layer
You don’t need organic loose leaf tea. You don’t need a hand-poured soy candle. You don’t even need a mat!
By all means, if you have a meditation cushion or a leather-bound journal, now’s the time to break those out. But I plan to do the majority of this with a simple notebook, a pen, and a pair of shoes.
Tell me more…
Over the last six weeks, I’ve been abiding by a daily mantra, Don’t forget to tend to your heart. And don’t forget to step outside. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what nourishes my soul. And I’ve landed on a recipe of sorts that has worked well for me. Invest 31 is where I share this process with you - and where I hold myself accountable!
There are 3 components to this. Allow these to work for you based on your own vision for where you’d like to see progress in 31 days.
1. Fresh air and forward movement
This might look like walking or running.
The key is to have the feeling that you’re going somewhere using your own two feet.
“Am I doing it right?” You’re not stagnant, and you’re not still for this part.
**Could modify on a bike, but the key is human powered forward motion.
2. Stretching and reflecting
This might look like yoga or meditation or prayer or some other introspective practice. You could spend this time reading a poem, a verse, a mantra, a story. Keep it simple! Keep it intuitive!
3. Writing and creating
This is the part where you harness the physical forward movement (you’re not in the physical space where you began!) and the mental motion you nurtured during the reflective piece (you’re not in the mental space where you began!) — this is where the juices are flowing! This is the substantial, tangible element! You’ll come out of your daily journey having consistently put pen to paper - even if what comes out of your session is a short phrase or a simple doodle. You’ll arrive at the end of 31 days having made actual progress on something you’ve been wanting to work on, something that matters to you! Be patient with yourself - if there are days when you experience writer’s block, note that! This “writing and creating” step is the part I expect will look the most different for everybody…your “product” could incorporate words, could use textiles, could involve sketches, could include music…
Allow your project to be something you want to do, rather than something you have to do. This is not a time for beating yourself up, or for running through a list of “have to dos.”
Set aside these 31 minutes for your heart and soul.
So, you might do 10 mins of walking or jogging, followed by 10 mins of stretching/meditation/reading, following by 11 mins of creating, or you might do 5 mins, followed by 10 mins, followed by 16 mins…do what makes sense to you! Of course, you’re very welcome to spend more than 31 minutes on any given day, but the key is that keeping it up for 31 days feels attainable and realistic. I am trusting you can commit to 31 minutes at some point during your day. We’re talking about taking 2% of your day for your heart and soul! And I encourage you to find a rhythm where you do part one, then part two, then part three.
How I’ll be approaching my #invest31:
For some time, I’ve been wanting to combine three things in retreat-like form: hiking, yoga, & writing. I’m going to use this next month as a beta test of sorts - to hone in on how these three activities can weave together and add regular value to busy and not-so-busy lives. We’ve all experienced how beneficial it can be to take time out, and to step away (quite literally) from our regular routine. I’ll explore,
Is it possible to create retreat in the every day? How can I support and cultivate the space of creative “flow” on a daily basis rather than in sporadic spurts?
By doing this as a daily ritual and by forming a personalized practice, there’s tons of room to “go harder” on the days you feel up for it, and to be the most gentle with yourself on the days when that’s needed. Want to run instead of walk? Want to do a 60 min power flow? Go for it! Want to stroll and smell the flowers? Want to lie flat on your back and simply breathe? Go for it! Whether you want to literally go the extra mile or rest in a restorative way, there’s absolutely room for that within this framework.
If at any point you’re doing a variation of this along with me, feel free to tag me in your posts and let me know how you’re going.
Use the hashtag #invest31
Please send any and all feedback my way. What works for you? How have you modified? Shoot an email to hello@hearthsisters.com.
I can’t wait to see what you (and I!) come up with!
with love, Ali**disclaimer: this idea stemmed from personally wanting to change things up a bit after spending 6 weeks at home during COVID-19. It is assumed and expected that anyone participating in #invest31 will follow local guidance regarding social distancing and respect local rules, especially for visiting parks and trails. While I hope everyone is able to participate in the fresh air piece, please honour the rules in your geographic area.
Cover photo: Valerie Minville
