Welcome to the fourth edition of Mundanely Magical Mondays—a journey for those eager to explore the great outdoors by first discovering the vast wilderness within.
By now you might be familiar with how it all works, but if not you can catch up below!
how it works
Each month, our weekly emails will guide you through a new theme, featuring:
Small yet powerful practices and reflections
Travel hacks and ways to stay connected with the Root community
Let’s begin…
Have you ever noticed how your breath reacts when you step into the cold—or immerse yourself in cold water?
Your body instinctively takes a sharp, deep inhale and quickly exhales.
As we transition from winter into the busy energy of spring and summer, our breath often follows suit—becoming faster, shorter, and more shallow.
But what if we slowed down and embraced this shift with intention?
The practices below are designed to support slow, full, and present breathing, helping you move through this transition with ease.
bring it on home:
support yourself, support your community
This week, we wrap up our month-long exploration of (be)coming. Our final focus is on bringing our practices into the community.
Community can mean a whole town, but it can also be as close as your family, a few friends, or even just one person. Regardless, supporting your community starts with supporting yourself.
In case of an emergency, secure your own oxygen mask before helping others.
Only then can you truly support those around you.
3 tiny tittle practices (tlps) to get your started:
Slow Down At Night
Before bed grab a couple of blankets, towels or pillows. Lay face down with your hips/pelvis supported over the blankets and your chest on the floor. Create a little pillow for your forehead by putting one hand palm down and stack the other on top. Begin to take long, slow breaths in and out. Focus on expanding into your low back and back ribs.
Get Others Involved
Once you feel comfortable in this practice, ask your kids, spouse, partner, roommate, whoever(!) to join in! You can even place a hand on their low back to support their kidneys and instruct them to breathe into your hand. Breathe with them. Guaranteed to leave both of you feeling relaxed, connected and supported!
Exploring The Winter of Your Breath
This breath practice helps you explore the sensation of emptiness.Take a short inhale (about 2 counts) and a longer exhale (about 4 counts).
Gradually extend the exhale while keeping the inhale at 2 counts, expelling more air than you take in.
After a few rounds, add a small pause at the bottom of your exhale (2-4 counts).
Try this for five more breaths before returning to normal breathing. Notice how you feel.
*Avoid this breath practice if you are pregnant or have heart conditions.
Get Others Involved
Before a meal, suggest taking three long, slow breaths together. In the middle of a disagreement? Pause to breathe. Kids struggling to fall asleep? Breathe with them. Small moments make a big impact.Brrrrrr Get Cold
Getting a bit of cold in your day can reset your entire system and forces that deep breath that can bring you back into the moment. After taking your normal hot shower, turn the water to cold. Even 10-20 seconds can make a huge difference.Get Others Involved
If there's still snow outside, challenge your friends to a barefoot snow dash, hop around, or press your hands and face into the snow. No snow? A bucket of ice water or the could ground works as well. The goal is simple—just get out there!