Hey guys! What’s everyone doing?
I've not written in a while and was missing you. How is everyone doing? WHAT is everyone doing? Winter has settled in now after the holidays and whether we are setting intentions for the new year ahead, or simply marking the days for when Spring appears, we are filling out time with something in these days of life inside a pandemic. For me, I'm continually more and more aware of how much I need a rhythm in the day. When I have one, the day sings along and I feel productive and happy. I've been practicing making my rhythm and when I have it, I am so much more adaptable to starts and stops and have a much better attitude toward changes I have no control over. My rhythm is my foundation, but like a beautifully composed song, it flows and moves along, it changes, and through all that, the song marks creativity and expansion.
For the past several weeks, I've been waking up at the same time every morning to take in and enjoy my own simple yoga practice. I approach my mat without any expectations at all. Whatever my practice was the morning before makes no impact on the practice right now. Every day, my body shows up differently. When I am simply curious and move more intuitively, my mind and body connect, noticing each other and finding peace together. Movement is what allows my thoughts in my head to align with my heart. I simply have to move! It's from that place, I find my rhythm.
What else?? Well, I came upon some research and interesting stuff on intermittent fasting in coordination with our circadian rhythm a few months ago. (Ha, rhythm!) I began experimenting with a bit of this intermittent fasting for myself to see first hand how this felt in my own body. The data is compelling as to how really good things happen to every cell of your body as a result of eating and fasting in sync with daylight and being exposed to the outside during certain times of day. I've been in it to win it for about 2 months! Healthy body and optimal brain function were my main goals and I'm blown away! I've always been interested in how all of nature adjusts to a natural rhythm of life, daylight and nighttime hours, seasons coming and going and how every walk of life adjusts their diet in and through the seasons, seamlessly and intuitively. And then there's us humans, living in our post-modern society and becoming more and more and more disconnected with the natural, nature and ourselves. I wonder if the steep rise in anxiety, depression and disease are byproducts of so much disconnect. Not only am I finding I feel so much better in my body, but I'm also clearer in my thinking and better able to focus my energy. My quality of sleep is improving too. An also very pleasant side affect of intermittent fasting is not desiring to consume food all the time! Freedom from the constant pull of all things food, is real and well, quite freeing!
I'm forever open to new ideas, new information and myth busting old ways of thinking that no longer provide truth for me. I'm a rebel heart looking for good and bettering in myself and in the world around me. I do believe our heart's condition can easily be affected by the so many things we have no control over. Hello pandemic. I also believe we choose how we respond, and can create a heart condition of love and compassion, forgiveness and restoration. This begins when we find home in ourselves with our own song's rhythm made in our head and hearts.
I'd so love hearing from YOU. What HAVE you been doing? What are your notices? Your ah-ha moments?! How have you found your life again despite these trying days? Or maybe, you're still working at that. Wherever you're at, I see you. I've been in all those places too. Stops and starts. We can either dig in our heals and grow ridged (I've been there!) or we can get more bendy. :) Every day in a world we can't control, we can still create our own expression. I'm hoping that always includes a smile and a full deep breath.
Holding Hope.