Happy Beltane (also known as May Day) - we are halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice! ☀️
Traditionally this day has been celebrated to welcome fertility, flowering, abundance and the alignment of male and female energies. If you set an intention at the beginning of the year, then planted the seeds for it around the Spring Equinox, now is the time to take action so that your vision can fully blossom into reality!
I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of chiaroscuro, or the contrast of shadow and light in a painting, drawing or photo.
Finding that striking balance of contrast makes the entire image POP, and it’s something I aspire to when editing my photos. It’s quite amazing how turning up the shadow tones can add so much drama and depth to an image or piece of art. This is the metaphor I keep coming back to for the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. From a psychological and environmental perspective, the cold, dark weather, changing seasons and transition into the new year create the perfect backdrop to integrate our shadow self and use it to make our whole life POP.
We celebrated Thanksgiving, my stepson’s birthday and my daughter’s birthday all within one week and I found myself on the slippery slope of having heavy meals, pie, cookies or cake four days in a row. As a result, my skin broke out, I felt and looked swollen and bloated, my digestion was all over the place and I wasn’t sleeping very well.
My nutrition always takes a major hit between Thanksgiving and New Year’s – does yours?
With the collective anxiety of the world in a constant state of hyperarousal, our energy is being expended in ways that are draining to our soul and spirit. Humans were not designed to doom scroll the news all day, have instant access to disturbing images and video or to spend most of the day in front of a screen.
Practicing spiritual hygiene is always a good idea, but it becomes especially critical during unstable and stressful times. Energy retrieval is an accessible way to keep the luminous field light and vibrant, which in turn feeds and strengthens the mind and physical body.
Traditionally, the time between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice is when the veils between dimensions are the thinnest - making divine guidance, connection and downloads more accessible than any other time of year. This sounds great, right?
But when this condition is paired with Scorpio’s intense and mercurial energy, heightened global anxiety, an election, mercury retrograde and Vata season - it can all seem really overwhelming to say the least!
🔮 Have your dreams been more vivid?
💤 Has your sleep been irregular?
💨 Have you struggled to feel grounded?
🖤 Have you felt overwhelmingly emotional?
As fall approaches, we may begin to notice subtle shifts in routines and preferences. I invite you to observe and honor these changes as our bodies were designed to work in harmony with nature’s cycles. Tailored and seasonal self-care is one of the most beautiful gifts we can give to ourselves and to those around us as it allows body, mind and spirit to fully integrate and interact more intimately with both our inner and outer worlds.
Ayurveda, the 5000-year old holistic healing system and sister science to yoga, teaches us that each seasonal transition also means shifting what we eat, how we move and how we practice self-care so that our bodies can most optimally integrate and function from a highly supported level.
Seasonal rituals are a great opportunity for an alignment check-in as they help deepen our connection to the earth and her natural rhythms. These acts of doing can anchor us more deeply into our lives by uniting our thoughts and actions and by physically marking transitions and acknowledging blessings, achievements and goals.
I’ve really been working with the concept of fluidity lately so please feel free to take what you need from these ideas – these are just suggestions and are by no means a formal step-by-step process. As always, we are most in flow when acting from the heart in divine alignment with our true nature so please honor whatever your body and soul are telling you!
This week I'm sharing my top most-used self-care tools and I would love to hear your favorites too!
1. Part of my everyday morning routine, tongue scraping removes excess bacteria and can help prevent cavities, gum disease, bad breath and dental decay. It also helps improve sense of taste! I love this stainless steel option.
Most people only use about 20% of their lung capacity on a regular basis. This default shallow breathing pattern keeps us in the sympathetic nervous system aka activated fight or flight response - creating a cortisol spike which leads to increased anxiety, brain fog, insomnia, weakened immune system and weight gain.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, sadness and grief collect in the lungs which can exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression as well as lead to innumerable respiratory health issues.