Welcome yogis to our month of kindness in December.
If you are here you have received a little envelope from me with messages numbered from 1-31 for each day in December. It is like an advent calendar but it runs the whole month long. The messages alternate an inspirational quote on day one with an invitation for an act of kindness on day two and continues on in this way until the end of the month.
Let’s strive to complete all the acts of kindness. A few require spending a little money and if that just doesn’t work with your budget then get creative on how you can still act kindly that day. Some of the kindness activities will stretch you to behave in ways you might not normally and others will come easily. Set the goal to complete them all and then tell me about it.
Here’s my thought process on the magnifying or ripple effect of intentional kindness…
- The intention, anticipation and the kind act is felt by many; the giver, those who simply interact with the giver, the receiver of the kindness and those who interact with the receiver.
- The retelling of how it felt to anticipate, act and receive feedback about the act of kindness allows the giver’s mind to receive the benefit of the act of kindness more than once.
- Others who read or hear about the act of kindness experience along with you what it was like to be kind so that just by the retelling their mind and body occupies the same space of open receptivity and joy that acts of kindness bring.
It isn’t about accolades or trying to appear like you are a better person because you have been kind. I think the point is to share what it felt like to be intentionally kind. Or if it required bravery on your part or creativity, share that. If you want to leave some of the details out because it feels more authentic to you, then that makes sense. Sometimes a quiet act of kindness feels amazing.
Watch it all: your intention to be kind and then the unfolding of kindness. Watch your mind and your body throughout the process. Watch your mind and body on the retelling. Watch your mind and body reading/hearing the kindness stories of others. Be on the lookout for kindness everywhere this month and share that too.
Good luck and be kind 🙂
Love the envelopes and excited to leave the surprise gift today for someone.
Yay! My first comment 🙂 That is my surprise gift. Thank you, Victor. Enjoy giving your gift today.
I saw this beautiful idea on my yoga teacher’s Insta post..I would love to join this and see the list of invitations. Is that possible? Thanks for considering.
Hi Susan, I love, love that you want to join in. I won’t post the messages each day since I don’t want to ruin it for those who have their envelopes. The surprise of opening one message each day is part of the fun I think…but here’s what you’ve missed so far….
Day one:
“I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world.” ~ Mary Oliver
Day two: Leave a surprise little gift for someone to find. Notice how it makes you feel to hide it, to wait until it is found, to know you have brightened someone’s day.
Day three: “It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters,” ― Amit Ray
Day four (today): Bring more light into the world through your smile. Smile as often as possible today.
I can email you if you’d like each day? Let me know 🙂 I have your email address since you posted a comment. Enjoy your day today and smile as often as you think of it.
I would love to be on the email thread too! Following this is lifting my heart! Thank you for creating this Katherine.
Done! (And reading that you want to be part of this makes my heart happy too).
Did my first one yesterday! Left a sweet treat with a note for hubby to find when he got home from hockey (and I was in bed fast asleep). Felt pretty good. 🙂
Robin, I love hearing that. I did my first one too yesterday! I surprised a friend who came over. Hopefully I’ll see you in class soon 🙂
I surprised my son yesterday, with a free 3 day Movati pass that I found “hidden” at the bottom of my gym bag. He’s been talking about joining our gym, so this was the perfect gift for him! 🙂
That is perfect. It didn’t cost anything and he gets to experience Movati. Was he excited?
Good job with your kindness-crafted gift, Katherine B.
It was a pleasant surprise. I shared it with my wife.
You are planting the seeds of kindness.
Who knows where they will sprout…
My act of kindness was to give the gift of life — donating a pint of blood to the Canadian Blood Services early this week. That pint (almost half a litre) is tested & mixed with three others, before it’s life-saving journey to four recipients. This marks my 75th whole blood donation.
Thank you so very much for your vibrant Hatha yoga & meditation classes. Love the breathworks.
Giving blood! Ray, what a beautiful and generous act of kindness. Thank you for sharing this. It is very inspiring.
An opportunity was presented to me last week while my family and I were visiting Toronto on our annual Christmas getaway. We were shopping at the St. Lawrence Market, buying treats to eat over the holidays when a man approached my husband. The man asked my husband if he could call him a cab. After speaking with him for a moment it was apparent that he had a disability. I walked him outside and there was a cab parked in front of the Market. I helped him in and let the driver know where he was going. It was only after the cab pulled away from the curb that I thought I should have paid for the man’s ride. Next time.
Laura, I think we all have moments like that when, upon reflection, we see a missed opportunity. I know it happens to me all the time but just as you have written…next time. Intentional kindness is a practice. Thanks for sharing that story and Happy New Year!