I welcome July feeling restless. A bit less like myself. Feeling like my voice sits beneath a pile of projects, work, obligations, and endless travel dates. I remind myself that there’s still time not to completely lose it. To fall back into old habits of overdoing, overthinking and overworking. I write these words for those feeling like they just need to take a nap. For those who may have lost the reins but are slowly reeling it back in.
water
Run to it. First thing in the morning, have your glass ready. Fill your cup to brim and fill it trickle down your spine. Allow it to wake up your body and feel your limbs come alive. Never run straight to the computer to that unanswered email or write that email that feverishly needs to be sent. Nothing is as urgent as the urgency to tend to you. You’ll be chasing things instead of nourishing yourself first.
movement
Move more than you think you should. Stretch, elongate, lean, bend and try at least once a day to touch the sky. Feel your hands tickle the air. Walk outside, feel the grass and maybe let one mosquito bite your ankle. You’ll survive. Talk to the birds that sing to you in the morning. They are always waiting for a response. And when you feel overwhelmed, sit in that rocking chair and fold over and let your head dangle. Feel the release when you’re closer to the ground. Your ancestors are always calling you to feel rooted.
stillness
Break the noise and be still. Offer silence and stillness as a prayer. Surrender your body to the couch. Retreat to the bed, midday, more than once, maybe twice a day. Buy a sleep mask, feel the darkness rest upon your eyes as offering to welcome the unknown. Breathe deep and feel your breath stuck in your throat. Breathe deep three times and watch the body slowly release tension down to your toes. You’ll forget how much you spend your day holding your breath. Racing against time.
pause
Grant yourself moments of reflection, necessary pauses, little abbreviations throughout the day. Have a pen and a piece of paper so your dreams don’t escape you. Pause to remember that you matter more than the things, people, work, and family matters that you spend all your time giving yourself away too. Pause to feel. Make time for all the ugly and beautiful feelings that percolate in the crux of your head. You’ll find that beauty and ugly can coexist in harmony. The ugly and outrageous can lead to discovery and lessons learned. Beauty can show you life’s simple yet deepest pleasures.
sun
Don’t chase the sun but welcome it as your friend. A companion to guide you through the day. When the sun hits you on your face, murmur words of gratitude for the light it's offering you. Witness those words bloom in your tummy when you say them outloud. The seeds you’re speaking over your life serve as your spiritual garden. Every garden needs tending, weeding, water, movement, stillness, healthy pauses, and always the sun.