On the long journey back to the Self, there comes a mid-way sag. We’ve been consistently working for a long time, and we’re tired. Maybe our feet hurt or our neck is sore, it’s cold and raining out, and that spark that was once there, the light that kept us going, is a little dim. It seems like a good place to stop. I mean what are we doing anyway? Is anything really better? What’s the point of all this interior work anyway?
When we get to this point we can be sure we’re onto something big. Being ready to call it quits is a kind of test to see how serious we are. Do we really want to change, to grow, or is it all just talk? It’s always easier to keep going when it feels good and everything is going as planned. The challenge is to keep working at it when we don’t feel like it, when we begin to doubt that it really matters anyway. If we can make it over the hurdle of turning back or just laying down to go back to sleep, we can bet things are going to get really interesting. How we handle these moments shows what really matters most to us. It defines what we make of our life.
When it gets really choppy it’s time to take vacation from all the self examination. This is not giving up or giving in, it’s more like a truce. A time to completely let off the gas and stop pushing through, it’s time to start nurturing ourselves. No more thinking, analyzing, or doing. This is a time to take a deep breath and just be. For me, it’s a bath and a nap. I love to sit and soak. It’s healing for body and mind. A cup of sea salt, two cups of Epsom salts and 10-20 drops of essential oil, then light a candle, lay back and breathe. I follow this with a nap or a full nights sleep. I like to think of it as a grown-up time out. After a little rest and rejuvenation it’s easier to reassess the situation that’s got us down. We can come back with fresh eyes and more energy. Most of the time we already know what we need, it’s just a matter of taking the time to listen and then making room for the answer to present itself.
Being kind to ourselves is undervalued. It’s important to be gentle with ourselves when it feels like our life, or body, is falling apart, not push ourselves harder. There is always going to be too much to do and not enough time to do it. Sometimes the answer is doing less.
If you haven’t read SARK do yourself a favor and find her. She is hilarious and uplifting. She has a lot to say about nurturing and napping, in fact she wrote a book between naps, Change Your Life Without Getting Out Of Bed. She has a completely different and inspiring take on how to live life. It is an absolute antidote to feeling saggy and slumpy.
The obstacles in life are a testing ground. Feeling overwhelmed or deflated usually means something new is coming in, and something old is sloughing off. Honor these times. Be kind to yourself. Ride it out. Everything will change. Not only is it OK to be nurturing to ourselves in times of change, it’s absolutely necessary for our body, mind, and spirit.
Here’s to giving yourself some well deserved time to rest and rejuvenate.
kb
