Hi Reader,
Here we are at the liminal time of late summer/early fall when you have to dress in layers to handle the shift from a cool morning to a hot afternoon; it's a lot and these cooler nights have been refreshing for me! It's also back to school season - adding an element of a new year and a restart. The mornings are darker, the evenings shorter, the night time animal sounds have shifted from peepers to crickets, and, dare I say it, some leaves are starting to change. This shift can bring excitement, anxiety, grief, or some blend of it all and I hope you're finding ways to honor this time of transition, especially as the news cycle continues to move faster and the events feel more dysregulating.
Change is constant, and yet it can still be scary; the uncertainty of what lies ahead can increase fear, worry or anxiety. A teacher of mine recently discussed the fear that many of us are experiencing, how it can show up differently in each person, and how we can think about our messaging when many people are likely feeling some fear. So whether you are feeling fear (or some tangent of it like worry, anticipating pain or harm to you or anyone you love, bracing for the next blow, etc) or are just feeling off in this time of transition, here I am to offer you a few bits of practice.
I'll call this the start of a TRANSITION TOOLKIT for when you feel dysregulated, fearful, anxious, threatened, or just simply off.
- Find 1-3 minutes in your day to pause and feel your feet, look away from any screen (better yet, go outside), take some slow breaths and twist your arms around your body - this might lead to something else or it might be enough on its own. Try to take time to purposely pause, it's amazing what even a few breaths can do.
- Stay hydrated - water, juice, tea, an electrolyte drink with a scoop of magnesium (my current fave when my tension is high), lemonade, seltzer, whatever it is take an extra sip.
- Talk to yourself in the most kind, loving way you need right now - life is uncertain right now and the last thing we need is for our mental chatter to be unkind or harsh. Pro-tip: If this is hard call upon the memory of a benevolent ancestor, teacher or mentor whose voice grounds you.
- Turn on a song and move - just 1 song goes a long way! MonRovia "Heavy Foot" is my current go to; it's tune is uplifting yet the lyrics are heavy and poignant. If you want something lighter, turn on Jon Batiste "FREEDOM"
- Connect with life - call a friend, chat with a stranger in line or just say hi to someone you pass, hug someone (and yes pets count), go for a walk and listen to the sounds of life happening around, sit and feel the sun on your skin. When we are stuck in stress, we narrow our view and our world, but we are social beings that thrive on connection and safety.
- Reflect - take time to write, reflect and process. I also have found using tech to my advantage by looking back on your pictures from last week, last month or last year has been helpful, when things are moving so fast we forget, and often underestimate, just how much progress we've made.
Start small, every practice adds up - my reminder for the year is "small steps, big changes" and I repeat it over and over and over when I feel like I "need" to be doing more.
Read below for announcements on upcoming offerings for the month ahead - I'm hosting a C-birth workshop on the 20th and I'm rolling over some pop-up offerings again!
These images show the difference from late August/early September of this year to last year. Lots of changes and growth!!
UPCOMING OFFERINGS
C-Birth Recovery Workshop - Saturday 9/20 from 10a-12p at the WHRC, $30
This workshop is for you if you’ve been cleared by your OB or Midwife and you’re wondering what to do next, or you are anywhere post C-birth and you never really did anything specific to address your scar, tightness, or mental and emotional load of what happened.
In this workshop we will review the anatomy of a C-section, self massage and movement techniques for healing, the psychology of healing and resources for support and have time for discussion.
Space is limited, so please pre-register by calling 603.650.2600
POP UP CLASSES
Stay on the lookout for an announcement for classes in early October!
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