Back to Basics
There are days when the weight of this broken world consume me…the pain, the destruction, the burning and flooding, the loss and confusion…
Days when I look at my son with his mask as a part of his wardrobe, and am rushed with the awareness of the impact that this time is having on our young ones. This is their childhood and the imprint will without a doubt remain for the entirety of their lives.
Days when gratitude for my own life, simple and certainly not without the single mom struggles, but easeful and peaceful in the grand scheme of things, fills my heart with an overflow of love.
For humanity. For life. For being alive.
There is no question that the unfolding of these times is in so many moments unbearable. As I write this we have just culminated a 2 week period of time in which, amongst so many other horrific events, Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc on communities…homes and lives lost, a women’s right to choose what to do with their own bodies was stripped away at the hands of the dysfunctional patriarchy, fires are burning globally (in my own home of Colorado we have been reported to have some of the worst air quality in the world…this, a state that *normally* people flock to to breathe that fresh mountain air!), AND the pandemic rages on.
I honor and acknowledge that there are days and moments for many of wanting to throw in the towel, pull the covers over our heads, and bypass this entire experience of living. It’s all a lot, there is no doubt.
And, what I continuously come back to is that we were chosen to be alive during these exceptional times. We have the opportunity to excavate our own ingrained patterns and ways of living and being so that we can show up with more aligned truth of who we are, and, hopefully, be of positive impact on others.
In myself, there have certainly been days when it feels hard to be present in the moment as the angst of what has been and what continues to unfold is just a little too much. Days when my heart is absolutely broken for those whose lives have been and continue to be impacted on massive levels.
Those moments when my passion for supporting humanity through the pangs of this birth canal become magnified. When the choice to move forward in support of life in midst of the extreme division and separation is at the forefront.
Moments of remembering that I hold important tools to help others to find ground and peace in midst of these swirls of uncertainty, and that I feel a personal responsibility to meet this calling with the whole of who I am for as long as I am blessed to be alive for this precious life.
I ask myself every single day…how do I want to show up? How can I meet these times with fullness and presence? How can I choose to wake up every day with gratitude, with presence, with inspiration to keep going, with the impetus to connect, with an open and receptive heart?
Not easy, yet so essential.
To me, it is more important than ever to come back to the basics of living. To do our absolute best to meet these days awake and connected demand that we take care of ourselves on fundamental levels.
Cultivating daily practices, the basics to living, that provide the platform for connection to our bodies, our hearts, our spirits, and our souls offer the opportunity to then turn towards each other with the same care and consideration.
To create the opportunities in our day-to-day to tune in, drop in, assess, re-evaluate, fine-tune, and enhance our state of being so as to show up to the absolute best of our ability in midst of the extreme uncertainty, has become non-negotiable.
What does that look and feel like for you? This may be quite different for everyone as we are all living in different realities, be it varying living and financial situations, locations, jobs and vocations, family dynamics and needs, etc etc.
My intention in this newsletter/blog is to offer some tangible suggestions touching in on many realms of holistic wellness that can hopefully be accessible to most, if not all of you.
By all means, take what is applicable and leave the rest.
How we begin our days is absolutely critical to our capacity to continue to show up and meet the varying terrains of life.
For those of you who know me and/or have worked with me, you know that I am a HUGE proponent of a sacred morning practice time. Over the course of these past few months, my own personal morning practice has deepened from primarily meditation and writing to an all-encompassing, intentional, and embodied start to the day.
A true body, mind, heart, spirit, and soul trajectory in beginning the day.
Morning practice includes:
· Meditation (train the mind)
· Intention setting (clarify/ask for guidance and support)
· Writing (empty the gunk of the psyche)
· Mindful and embodied movement (get into the body with presence and love)
I will elaborate on the early morning meditation as I feel that it is essential. (**if this is something that you are interested in and are in need of support, please consider my 11-Day Meditation Jump Start program – an affordable option that is online and you get 2, 1:1 sessions with me!)
I cannot say enough about the crucial, life-changing impact that this practice has had and continues to have on my life.
I committed 9 years ago, in midst of feeling like I was drowning while sleeplessly solo parenting a young one, and it maintains foundational in my everyday life.
At the beginning of my meditation, I light a candle, burn some sage to clear the energy, and draw a card to connect with the Divine. At the end of my meditation, I speak my intentions for the day ahead and say mantras.
I then write morning pages (3 pages of unfiltered emptying of my psyche). This practice, as developed by Julia Cameron in The Artists Way, is an opportunity for one to clear the cobwebs of your mind so as to begin the day refreshed and inspired.
Getting into my body through movement has become essential to my wellbeing and translates into the day ahead. I have started putting on music and dancing, stretching, practicing some gentle yoga….following my own flow and rhythm.
Dropping deeply into the body upon waking, after taking the time to train the mind and empty the gunk, provides the platform for such an exquisite way of moving through our days. To me, this is different than going on a run or working out. It is a conversation with the body that is honoring and kind and curious and loving.
I have created a playlist on Spotify that I am loving in the morning hours. HERE is a link to that to support your morning journey. This morning affair encapsulates the body, the mind, the spirit, the heart, and the soul and, to me, is the balm for these times.
There are obviously so many other components of bringing ourselves back to the basics of life. To me, coming into a space of self-inquiry and fine-tuning our relationship to ourselves on the deepest of levels requires diligence and consistent inner dialogue.
And, I can acknowledge that there are some days where getting out of bed and showing up for your life (your children, jobs, partners) is enough to ask. Drinking enough water, eating well, and moving the energy in our bodies is IT. The below questions are designed to probe a bit deeper and are posed to support your self-inquiry on varying levels.
Here are some potent questions to ask oneself in this dance of life to refine, re-evaluate, assess, and open to new possibilities of living enlivened, empowered, present, and awake:
· What does my body need to stay fueled for the ride?
· What feels grounding to my system?
· What feels soothing to my soul?
· What brings me joy? What feels light and fun? Where could I bring in some laughter/levity/childlike play?
· What is the quality of my mind? What outlets feel most supportive in taming my habitual thought patterns?
· Am I drinking enough water?
· Am I consuming too much caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants that cause the spike and crash?
· What do I need to do to feel more nourished on the whole in my life?
· Am I sleeping enough? Too much? Too little?
· What about my output vs. input? Am I balanced in how much I am putting out vs. taking in?
· What is the tone of what I am taking in through media/words/sounds? What needs tweaking?
· Relationships: Am I feeling too isolated? Disconnected? Smothered? Claustrophobic? Do I need more personal time vs. connection?
Yes, there is a palpable level of agitation in the world (I feel it just going to the store, driving across town, and really experienced it fully at the airport recently!), yet, there are also plenty of us who are actively working on staying balanced, kind, loving, compassionate, and authentically connected.
Consistent, intentional, holistic, and embodied practices are key to staying afloat during these exceptional times.
May we be the change that this world so desperately needs.
One moment at a time.
As always, please reach out if you need support.