32 ‘Slow Living’ Inspired Ways to Savor Summer

Recently by Mark Sisson: My Healthy Lifestyle Was Killing Me

As we round out the last few weeks of summer, I've been thinking about all the potential left in the season. Although there's admittedly less pressure to grab hold of every last warm day in my current locale, I remember savoring those final weeks of summer in Northern New England. Time was truly of the essence, and we didn't waste a day with both fall and school on the horizon again. No matter where we live, I think summer inspires a leisure we more readily forgo in other months when routine often has greater hold of our days. In the spirit of Primal play – and last week's Slow Living post – here are a few (dozen) ideas for savoring the upcoming weeks. Enjoy, everyone!

  1. Have a Primal picnic. Surprise someone you love, or gather a rowdy group for a Primal inspired picnic. Throw in some Ultimate or beach volleyball, and you've got a party.
  2. Go for a walk in the summer rain. Grab you wellies or – even better – go barefoot. Taste the rain. Puddle stomp. Let your mind daydream in the upside reflections of the sky.
  3. Listen to the nighttime wildlife (e.g. the cicada, frogs, crickets, coyotes, etc.)
  4. For the remaining weeks of summer and early fall, pick 1-2 veggies a week that are at the peak of their harvest and go to town experimenting with recipes. Bonus: buy a slew of them at the farmer's market while they're cheap, and freeze or can them for later in the year.
  5. Camp.
  6. Sit around the fire at night – fire pit, campfire, bonfire, whatever you have.
  7. Host an impromptu dinner party or summer cocktail hour (al fresco of course). Gather some flowers from your garden for the table. Grill some shrimp in the shell and make a salad. String up some lights, set out some tiki torches, and let the party go well into the night.
  8. Use it as an excuse to whip up your favorite Primal-friendly/-adapted summer drinks like sangria, bloody Mary, gin and tonic, vodka lemonade, or kicked up old fashioned sun tea.
  9. Nap in a hammock.
  10. Attend an outdoor concert or play.
  11. Sleep as close to nature as you can. Even if you can't camp on a given weekend, pitch a tent in the backyard, or sleep on the porch for a night.
  12. Have some slow style u201Cquality timeu201D with your partner – whenever and wherever the mood strikes (don’t get caught!).
  13. Create a piece of art – whatever you feel like doing in the moment. Don't stifle the experience with imposed standards. Just see where your mind goes and follow it.
  14. Visit a new park in your area every weekend. Hit all the stops from wilderness areas to botanical gardens, nature centers to arboretums.
  15. Build toad or fairy houses with the kids.
  16. Mud fight!
  17. Spend a whole day (or at least an afternoon) on the water. Go surfing, rafting, water skiing, river tubing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, or any combination of the above.

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Listen to Lew’s recent podcast with Mark Sisson