As September arrives and cooler days loom, a natural phase of transition arises. Many of us begin to consider adopting new routines now that the fun filled days of summer are winding down. For myself the shorter daylight hours have me longing to cook differently opting for stews and sauces rather than the quick and easy summer grilled meals. Why just this past week I was rearranging my living room, making it more cozy and welcoming. During the summer the inside of my house becomes a bit of a dumping ground as we run from one summer adventure to another.

With these transition times comes an opportunity to reflect on our daily routine. It provides us the chance to reassess how we spend our time and where there might be room for some new healthier habits. Perhaps a new self care ritual? Could we benefit from an evening walk around the block or a new morning routine with time for a healthy breakfast?

This past week it seems like my inbox was flooded with articles about this pull towards September self care routines. But what if all this well intentioned desire to start something new, leaves us feeling overwhelmed by a mountain of intentions with no more time in the day to get it all done? 

“Love yourself first and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” ~ Lucille Ball

We live in a culture of super productivity, with to do lists a mile long. The last thing we want is to feel like our self care items are one more thing we need to check off the list. If whatever you’re doing to care for yourself feels like work than perhaps finding a new, more enjoyable way to care for yourself will help.

I used to notice myself holding myself back from taking breaks because I would tell myself that I hadn't done enough to earn that break. Introducing mini mindful moments into my day really helped me to get past my hesitancy to take breaks. I will literally stop what I was doing and simply take three mindful breaths. Often for these breaks I will step outside and look up to the sky. I found these mini moments of self care were much easier to prioritize than say an afternoon at the spa.  

Today, I opted for a restorative yoga practice. So much of what we do in life is aimed at achieving something, doing something or reaching a goal. Restorative yoga invites us to leave the practice of achieving on the side lines. Instead, with restorative yoga, we aim to do nothing. No stretching, no strengthening, no need to do anything other than rest. Considering that the bulk of our lives are spent checking items off a never ending to do list, imagine the freedom of doing absolutely nothing, on purpose! 

It can be a real challenge. Doing nothing on purpose. When we give ourselves this opportunity however it’s like we allow ourselves to settle. Imagine, if you will, a cup of muddy water and in it there is a small spoon. When we are busy in life, we are stirring the muddy water with the spoon. When we take time to rest and do nothing the spoon stops, the water stills and the mud settles to the bottom.  As the mud settles, the water becomes clear. 

This water is like our mind. When we rush through life, busy doing and achieving our mind is busy and unsettled. When we take time to rest and be still, we give our minds the opportunity to settle. In this settling an incredible amount of clarity comes forth. In these quieter moments of life, where clarity enters, quite often we gain valuable insights. It’s like those moments in life where we have been struggling to find the answer to a problem. We strive and strive to solve the problem. Then we rest. After a good nights sleep the answer comes easily.

However you choose to re-evaluate your fall routine, whatever new self care rituals you consider, make sure that they feel good to you. Consider giving yourself some time to rest and do nothing on purpose. This newsletter is packed full of a wide range of self care opportunities. I hope that you can find one or two that resonate with you so you can love yourself first.

In Peace,

Diana <3