Each month, a member of the board will share a reflection on the Soul Matters monthly theme and the state of the church. The theme for January is Living with Intention. This month’s post is offered by Becky Halat.

In July 2020, I started a yoga practice. I’ve found some amazing body-positive yoga teachers on the internet, and have enjoyed practicing from my home over Zoom. It’s been a wonderful gift to be able to relieve stress and move my body intentionally and joyfully with the help of these professionals. And I’ve found that yoga helps me live with intention, which is January’s theme.

If there ever was a time to live intentionally, it’s now. Every time you do anything outside of your home, you have to consider if it’s worth the risk. Am I putting myself, my family, or my community in unnecessary danger through this action? And how can I mitigate the risk as much as possible without going overboard?

During the height of the pre-vaccine pandemic, I was lucky enough to quarantine in the comfort of my home with my husband, Adam, and dog, intentionally taking on new hobbies to occupy my time. This was certainly an incredibly privileged position  to have as my pandemic experience; I know many suffered a great deal in different ways.

As I look back, while it was an incredibly difficult year, I do see that I got something out of it–a glimpse at what a slower paced life can look like. And even though I wouldn’t go back to that situation for anything, there were parts that I found very calming and rewarding.

I wonder if anyone else has been able to gain this perspective during this time, and how you got there. What have been your paths to intentional living recently, whether spurred on by our recent situation or not?

— Becky Halat
Vice President, UUCM Board of Trustees