Have you felt it yet? That feeling inside you telling you to slow down? It’s the end of October; the days are much shorter; leaves are falling from the trees, and those that haven’t fallen yet aren’t green anymore.
Many of us dread the shift from summer to winter. We long for long, warm, sunny days with plenty of active time spent outdoors. While we might love the colors of fall and appreciate the cool crispness in the air when it replaces stifling humidity, we find that all too quickly cool crispness becomes bone-chilling wind. That is the case today. As I sit and write (under a warm blanket with a sleeping cat curled up at my feet), it is 47 degrees outside, but my AccuWeather app tells me that with the wind, the “ReelFeel” is 40 degrees.
Our bodies long to be in sync with nature, so if you’ve recently found yourself feeling a bit like my aforementioned cat, try not to judge yourself too harshly. Your body knows its needs. Our bodies know it’s time to shift into a little more stillness. And it’s usually best to listen.
Over the past week or so, I’ve had to ignore my body’s tendency to shift into stillness. My youngest son got married on Saturday and I served as wedding planner (I need to add that to my resume). To say I was busy is a profound understatement. When I woke up Sunday morning, I was tired and my body ached. That’s what happens when we work against our bodies’ signals and try to power through.
So how do we get back on track after we’ve been derailed? Well, I’ve started easing into an ayurvedic detox, eliminating foods that are not beneficial to my body and focusing more on self-care practices, including more rest and better body practices like dry brushing, self massage, oil pulling, pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation. If all of that sounds intriguing but unfamiliar to you, come to my next Body Wisdom free talk on November 12th or schedule a free one-on-one strategy session with me.
Reiki is also on my agenda for this week, as is sound healing and restorative yoga (all of which are on the MSY calendar for the coming week, so make sure you check that out). Speaking of sound healing, Kindred Vibes have sound meditations planned for every Saturday in November! Sound healings, reiki, and restorative yoga are all wonderful opportunities to slow down, restore, and listen to your body. What’s even better about these modalities is that they can be practiced by anyone, regardless of age or ability, and you don’t have to have any yoga experience at all.
So what’s the difference between vegging out on the couch binge-watching Netflix and coming to the studio for yoga, reiki or sound healing? It’s the quality of rest. It’s the purposeful prioritizing of your deeper needs. It’s the sharing of time, space, and energy with others who support your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Because as important as self-care is, nothing beats letting someone else take the reins for a little while and letting yourself be guided into a place of profound relaxation and restoration.
See you in the studio.