I totally  hit a blogging wall over the weekend, and just couldn’t sit down and write something out. And yet, we all need to take breaks, especially if you’re developing a new skill.

Since May I’ve been using Duolingo to learn a little Spanish for an upcoming trip to Peru; it’s a free app that is fun and pretty easy to work with.  I tend to study in bursts of intensity followed by a period of total indifference. Do you do that when you’re learning a new skill?

All that to say, it’s OK to take time off. I plowed into 31 days of Meditation and Mindfulness with nothing more than a handwritten page of vague thoughts. And I have to say that I’m darned proud to have published something nearly every day in October. And this weekend I worked on other stuff:

• I mowed the yard, blew leaves around, planted some things, pulled up some weeds in the garden.
• I bought more cute clothes and stuff from Moxie.
• Also got a few things for that upcoming trip.
• I unsubscribed from Graze, Wantable, and KitNipBox; loved all of them, but it was definitely time to let them go.
• I worked on a blog post for November – something definitely not about meditation or mindfulness!

And maybe more importantly, I sat quietly with two kitties purring kitties. One was on my lap, the other sitting as close as possible. Then they’d change positions.

Here’s a simple breathing technique to try with your pet. Writer Amber Polo recommends trying the technique with a dog, but I bet it would work with any pet. Or any human.

*For a full list of associated meditation and mindfulness posts, click here.

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