Monthly Archives: April 2013

Day of Rest

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packagefromsusannah

I got the most precious package in the mail yesterday. It got me thinking about how grateful I am for all the amazing women in my life. This morning as I was writing in my journal, I made a list of names. It took up two full pages, and I wasn’t even done–friends and teachers and artists, women who offer support, wisdom, inspiration, and encouragement.

I have a clear vision about where my life is headed, an “exit” plan that will make my paid work and my heart’s work one and the same. I aspire to make my living, my loving teaching ecourses and workshops and retreats and “face to face” courses, blogging and writing books, maybe also offering some kind of one-on-one creative coaching or therapeutic support. Writing and yoga and meditation would be at the center of these offerings, my core practices, with the intention of bringing women into relationship with their creativity, opening their hearts to what is and who they are, and helping them to develop trust and faith in their own basic goodness–their essential wisdom, kindness, and power.

I feel so lucky that I have support and such amazing role models. The books and blogs they write, the classes and workshops and retreats they offer, the art they make, the friendship they extend, their open and tender and brave hearts. I aspire to be like them, and in so doing be more deeply and authentically me.

superhero earth necklace made by andrea scher, a gift to myself

Today I rest in honor of the essential kindness, wisdom, and power of all women. I offer my rest, my self-care, my gentleness, my joy, my mindfulness in gratitude to all those women who’ve shown me how to sink into myself, how I might love myself, and what I have to offer. They have collectively crafted a map to the center of my own heart, at the same time that they have urged me to trust myself, to make my own way.

Sick Day

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It’s a gray day out there today. I had all kinds of plans for this weekend, three big blog posts I wanted to write and have ready to publish over the next few days, a coffee date with a good friend I haven’t seen as much as I’d like to, catching up on my Journal Your Life class, spending extra time with my boys, maybe even some gardening. Instead, I am taking it easy (trying to anyway) because I have a cold, mainly a really sore throat that’s hung around for the past four days. I am grateful that I don’t have a fever or a stuffy nose or much of a cough, but I am tired and achy–and annoyed.

I’m not good at resting or taking care of myself. Maybe you already know that about me? I have stuff to do! And yet, the main reason I’m feeling punky is I wore myself out over these past few weeks (months? years?) with some heavy emotional work and lots of activity but not a whole lot of rest or care. When you won’t do the necessary maintenance, when you don’t balance your effort with ease, your body has no other option but to break down.

In an attempt to take better care of myself, I slept in this morning. I meditated for 20 minutes and wrote for almost an hour. I broke my afternoon coffee date, even though I really, really wanted to go. I fed myself whole food–a berry, orange and spinach smoothie for breakfast, a veggie burger and salad and some sweet potato for lunch. I went on a slow walk with my boys. I played with and pet the dogs, canine therapy. I also did a little “work,” editing some photos, doing some online reading, finding things for my Something Good post on Monday, putting clean sheets on the bed, and doing laundry, but I did it slowly, gently, and with great care. I still feel poorly, but also cared for, and that is a definite improvement.