Be Still to Be Well

You can really feel the energy ramping up—shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending greetings and gifts. And that’s on top of everything else we have to do to keep our life running smoothly at the end of the year.

Very often illness or injury is a way for our body to say ENOUGH. If we get sick with a flu bug, sore back or worse, we have to slow down, take a few things off our calendar, and get more rest. If you’re not a fan of being under the weather, you’ll like to hear this:

The season of fall and early winter has many qualities such as “dry” and “cold” that we’ve discussed in earlier posts. There’s another quality that becomes quite evident right about now—"movement.” We see it in the wind, the blowing leaves, and the migration of the birds. Because the season already has this quality, we have to be very careful about overdoing in this season, otherwise our hyperactivity causes imbalance in our system. Results include colds, flus, bronchitis, pneumonia, nervousness, anxiety, fear, restlessness and insomnia. Sound familiar?

Ayurveda teaches that “opposites heal.” You might like to try these ideas to restore balance:

Take one thing (or more!) OFF your calendar each week. Look in the mirror and tell yourself “It’s okay to say ‘no.’”

Exercise LESS vigorously by walking rather than running, doing slow flow yoga instead of Sun Salutations, and supplementing your regular yoga practice with restorative and yin yoga.

SIT quietly for 5-10 minutes every day (twice a day if you can). Watch the birds eating at a bird feeder, sip a delicious cup of tea, gaze into an icon or flower, and express gratitude for your good health.

May you know peace, love and joy this holiday season!