Finding Rhythm

“Everything has rhythm. Everything dances.” ~ Maya Angelou

A quiet moment at Whatcom Falls.

In this time of COVID, where everything seems so upended, I have been thinking a lot about the grounding qualities of rhythm for our children and for ourselves. The grace of universal rhythms is expressed in the changing of the seasons, the phases of the moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the earth’s rotation, and the beat of your very own heart. There is a lot of research to show that when we create a rhythm in our day for ourselves and our family we help remove a degree of stress. Creating a framework of predictable moments (waking, a contemplative cup of coffee or walk in the woods, sleeping, eating, bathing- at the same time etc.) engages the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and gives our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) a break. I’m sure all of us can agree that with all the unpredictability, uncertainty, and stress in the world today, we have been spending a lot of time in sympathetic nervous system land!  Although everyone copes with stress differently, I invite all of us to be inspired to have a routine or rhythm that can help us and our family maintain a sense of normalcy and focus through tough times.

-Becky Brownlie (Enrollment & Outreach)