Sundays. Creating a new normal.

Yesterday, Sunday was a great day. What made it so great? It started as all of my great days do, with meditation. 20 minutes, to get the head sorted. On with the day.

I ran to my friend's place. BOOM. It was only a kilometere away but not long ago, I couldn't have run that far. That made me happy.

I was on time. Nothing worse than rushing, especially on a Sunday. Respecting an agreed meeting time is important to me.

We set out at a brisk pace for a one hour walk through some beautiful local gardens, chatting and catching up. Humans are social creatures and being with our friends, laughing and connecting gets the endorphins flowing.

Next, with the family in tow, we headed off to our daughters' midyear music concert. It was in a stunning setting, an old National Trust mansion owned in an ornate, light-filled room. Families were there and together we listened to our children play their pieces - pop, jazz, folk tunes, classical and even a couple of original tunes. The moment of being there, connected in the joy that music and children bring, was magical.

When Sundays were a time of worship, music played a large part in the weekly ritual of pausing, contemplating, connecting and giving thanks. But as a modern society we have rejected religion and the opportunity to experience and participate in live music for many has become rare. Certainly for me, it was soothing to my soul to sit in the wonder of the sounds that can be made with a piano, guitar or voice within the community of our music school.

And so it was in the spirit of how this day had started out, that we decided to reject our usual Sunday practices of household duties, shopping and either catching up or getting a head-start on our actual day jobs and go out for Sunday lunch. Special lunch. At one of our favourite restaurants. On the other side of town. A place we associate with an 'occasion' and it felt a bit like one, still dressed up for the concert, rather than in our usual Sunday attire of active wear.

We sat and talked about the concert. We were relaxed. We'd forgotten about the jobs at home, the dishes in the sink and the emails that 'needed' to be attended to. And we were surrounded by others also in no hurry to get back to the real world.

Our afternoon and evening flowed on from there. Nothing was a problem. The same jobs were still there waiting for us but our axis had shifted. It was Sunday. And it actually felt like an old school Sunday, when the shops had been shut since midday on Saturday and there was nothing to do but visit Grandma, or work in the garden together or go for a drive.

We have an event coming up and the goal of our 'New Normal Sunday' is to evoke a similar vibe as we leave the venue and get on with the rest of our day. We'll start with moving and exerting the body with a run or walk. Stretch and strengthen with yoga. Sooth the mind with meditation. Nourish with a green smoothie. Connect with ourselves and with others. And then return out into our lives with a focus and ease that softens the place where we intersect with the world.

We'd love to see you there on Sunday July 16th at Up! Athletic Studio, upstairs at the brand new St Kilda Life Saving Club. The space is incredible- modern, light filled with views over the Port Phillip Bay.

We are bringing you support with running and fitness by Rohan and Melissa Armstrong, osteopath/run coach and fitness trainer/owner of Up! Athletics plus yoga and meditation by Body Flow Yoga teachers Atika Fravel and Emma Cartwright. See our event page for details on how to bring a new normal to your Sunday too.