I hope you are finding a cool, shady spot right now where you can take a deep breath and read these lines in peace. Summer is showing its most intense and hottest side in these weeks. Perhaps you can feel it in your own body too, how these temperatures almost magically invite us to slow down our daily pace.
The longing to do and the invitation of nature
If we are honest, this is often incredibly difficult for us humans. We are so conditioned to always be productive, to make plans, and to push through our usual workload even on hot days. We often judge phases in which we feel tired or uninspired as weakness or standstill.
Our animals are teaching us something wonderful these days. When I watch Maja and Ida, I see two masters of adaptation. They do not question the warmth, they do not get annoyed about the sluggish afternoons, and they offer no resistance to what is. They simply look for the coolest spot on the tiles, curl up, and sleep. They adapt completely intuitively to the rhythm of nature and simply sink into this deep, trusting state of being.
The hidden magic of the morning hours
And yet, there is a very unique magic in this altered time, which we often only perceive when we surrender to this slower pace. When we set out early in the morning and the world is just waking up, there is that very typical, fresh scent of summer in the air that can touch us so deeply. In these cool hours, Maja and Ida love to sniff around, completely lost in the moment. For them, even the dry grass under their paws is an exciting adventure that they explore with all their senses, even if it naturally has a sad aftertaste for us humans to see nature so thirsty.
Later in the day, when the sun sinks lower, the greatest heat fades, and its golden light warms us gently once more, the evening invites us to become a little more active again. It is as if nature is showing us that everything has its time, the complete rest at noon and the quiet awakening in the morning and evening.
What we can learn from our companions
Our animals are often our greatest teachers when it comes to accepting these cycles and arriving in the here and now. They show us that we do not always have to be active to be worthy. Sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves and the connection to our companions is to simply lie down next to them on the cool floor and just breathe together for a moment.
Do you also consciously take the space in these days to just be with your animal and enjoy these fine, quiet moments of summer? Or do you still catch yourself fighting against the sluggishness?
I wish you and your animals many cool, restful hours and the serenity to fully embrace this slow summer pace with all its small wonders.
From my heart,
Tanja