Welcome to Mindful Mondays! Every Monday we're going to be sharing quick tips and reminders that focus on your self-care. Today, get outside - into your own backyard or a local park. Take 10 minutes to quickly ground yourself and simply be present. Some suggestions once you're out there:

1. Kick off your shoes and lay on the ground: feel the grass between your toes and notice the firmness and stability of the earth below you. Pay attention to where your body is connecting to the ground and the sensation of the sun warming your skin.
2. Look up at the sky and let your mind focus on the clouds. What images can you find in their formations?
3. Close your eyes focus your attention on the sounds surrounding you.  Do you hear birds singing? Children playing? The wind rustling the leaves in the trees?
4. Take some deep, centering breaths and draw your focus to your sense of smell. What scents waft your way? Freshly cut grass, roses around the corner, a distant bbq, damp earth from a nearby sprinkler?
5. Roll over, open your eyes and watch the miniature world of insects. Marvel at their tiny industrious lives. Take a few more deep breaths and stretch as you get back to your feet.

Hopefully this quick break brought you a sense of peace and rejuvenation.