Here in Canada it’s Spring! It feels heavenly, the trees that were barren for so long are now adorned with fragrant blossoms. The ground is covered with vibrant green shoots of new grass and sprouting flowers to be.
I’m creating a new rhythm, a new sacred schedule, a new way of being. I’m more committed than ever before to prioritize my health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual). That means non-negotiable morning meditation and walk in the woods, planning meals ahead of time, dance every day (twice a day), ultra focused work hours and plenty of time to just BE.
Being gentle with myself is the foundation that this new lifestyle rests on. For years I have pushed myself…working late into the night when it’s really time for bed, over-filling my calendar with events, workshops, socializing and things to do, forgetting to celebrate my successes and charging ahead with the next dream or goal.
Do you find that you have high expectations of yourself, and rarely celebrate your success? Do you find yourself often thinking you could be doing more?
Being gentle and kind to your Self is key to fully enjoying life. It also enables us to embody divine feminine energy – helping you to relax and manifest with greater ease.
Here are a few ways that I am actively being gentler with myself, that may serve you too!
1) Embrace Imperfection
This one can be a TOUGHY!!! I’m almost a week into my Summer of Love Challenge (link), and there are lots of things I think about that I could have done to make it bigger and better, more “perfect”. When these thoughts cross my mind I come back to reality. 100 women across the globe are dancing, creating sacred space, being honest and vulnerable, and cheering one another on. Isn’t that enough? I also noticed last week the event banner across all the social media channels said “Begin May 4” rather than “Begins” and I chose to leave the typo, as a statement to myself about embracing imperfection.
2) Just Say NO
It can be so easy to say, “Yes” to one more load of dishes, one more hour of work, one more favor for a friend, one more load of laundry…In order be gentler with yourself you need time and space to do what you need to do, without the stress of racing around. To create that space you will need to say, “NO” to some things.
3) Celebrate Your Success
It takes real mindfulness to remember to celebrate your success! It’s common to just keep plugging away down the list of things to do, or move onto the next goal – whether you’ve successfully made dinner for yourself or family, finally took a day off to relax, or gained a new client in your business. Success for me doesn’t have to be as big as leading an international retreat, or earning an extra $10,000…it’s also the little things: making it to yoga class, doing my morning ritual, preparing a delicious meal, finding that perfect gift…
May you be gentle, kind and loving with yourself in the weeks to come,
Love,
Elisha
