November brings us the opportunity to seek balance by expanding the protection of our support network so when the cold months encroach upon us we have everything we need to feel cozy and secure. This is also a wonderful time to pay attention to the areas of life where we may be overindulging. This does not only apply to the way we nourish ourselves with food. In order to get a clear view, we have to look at the bigger picture. Where has the energy of our life run wild? Have we slipped into excess? Are we burning the candle at both ends? Where do we need to pull back to prevent ourselves from uprooting our foundation of support? How can we find an equality of give and take in our energy exchanges so we can enter the coming winter prepared and on solid ground?
Healing overindulgence is an important theme this month. If you think about the pioneers, they had to be very mindful of both appreciating and conserving the bounty of autumn's harvest. The winter months could be unforgiving for the overindulgent who plundered their resources through excess and lack of awareness. These natural rhythms still drive the beat of our life cycles even though modern society has ensured we live in an atmosphere of plenty.
November also features Thanksgiving. It is a time for families to gather together and express gratitude for the gift of connection and the blessings that have been bestowed upon us throughout the year. We connect with our familial roots during this time of celebration. This can be both a joy and supreme challenge. Many find the holidays stressful. A slew of emotional dynamics come into play. This is why it is so vital that we secure and prepare so we can better support ourselves throughout the holiday season that will soon be upon us.
November's Focus:
Mind:
- Explore different forms of stress-release and find the method that best suits you. Having peace of mind will be a valuable resource as we enter the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. There are many different routes to stress-management. Some find the tools of EFT and hypnosis particularly helpful. Guided imagery is another method that provides a means to decompress. There are also more body-centered forms of stress reduction such as, progressive relaxation or breath work. One form of stress-management and grief release that is growing in popularity is laughter yoga. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine for what ails us.
Open yourself to exploring different ways to release and restore. Approach this with a sense of curiosity throughout the month. When you find a method that resonates with you, make it a daily practice. It is amazing what the gift of even 10 minutes to unplug and tune in can do for your sense of well-being.
Here are some resources to get you started...
Jennifer Polle's Meditation and Hypnosis CD Services:
World Center for Emotional Freedom Techniques:
Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
Breath Work:
Laughter Yoga:
Body:
- Continue forward in your exploration of whole foods while inviting mindfulness into the area of overindulgence. Simply observe your present relationship with food. Is there a theme of excess running in your eating experiences? Are you honoring your body's signals of satisfaction and comfortable fullness? Are you finding yourself favoring pleasure foods over more wholesome choices that will nurture both your body's need for enjoyment and nourishment? Gently bring awareness to these areas by taking a moment to turn inward when hunger comes to call. Ask yourself, "What is the most health-honoring choice I can make for my body in this moment?" Allow the answer to emerge from your inner bank of knowing. Don't plot and plan. Simply connect with your body's wisdom in the presence of hunger and ask for its input to assess your true needs. Pleasure is important too, so think of foods that will both delight your taste buds while making your body feel good down to its bones. The more you bring consciousness into your eating decisions, the more you will find yourself moving toward a balance that supports you on all levels.
- Get into the spirit of the season by preparing a whole foods version of one of your family's favorite Thanksgiving dishes to serve up this year. Martha Stewart's Everyday Food always has a wealth of delicious recipes to peruse that are centered around whole simple ingredients. Have a look and see if something tickles your fancy. This Thanksgiving holiday show your appreciation for your loved ones by serving them a dish made with love and the highest quality ingredients.
Everyday Food:
- As the busyness increases be extra mindful of making a commitment to your fitness as outlined in our autumn focus. Bring some attention to the area of how you are going to make movement a priority during the coming holiday season. Prepare yourself and get a support plan in order. This may mean carving out a little time to fit in movement at the start of your day so it doesn't get sidelined when you are wrapped up in errands and holiday festivities later. Perhaps you can incorporate more movement in your day to day life to fit that self-care in as the pace grows more hectic. Even creating mini-fitness sessions of 10 minute stints broken up throughout the day can be a great way to make sure you move that body and show it some love. Many would argue that there is metabolic benefit in adopting this approach. Put on your thinking cap and start to think about these challenges now before your schedule is so full of obligation that you are caught off-guard and unprepared. With the coming holiday season it will be more essential than ever that you have the outlet of exercise to blow off some steam. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Spirit:
- Give yourself the gift of a retreat this month. You may not be in the position to take off an entire week for reflection and renewal, but you can create a day of self-care. Secure this time for yourself. Let it be the launching point for a regular practice of self-care, reflection, and connection with your deepest self. This retreat will set the tone, allowing you to expand your vision to see new ways you can create islands of calm within each and every day.
Plan this day and set aside the time to receive deeply. No work, to-do lists, errands, responsibilities, or phone calls... just time to turn within and renew. Grant yourself the space to determine what is meaningful in your life. Pamper yourself. Indulge in some healing. Dine on luxurious wholesome foods along with generous servings of whatever makes your heart full and soul happy. Each of us deserves time to ourselves. Give yourself this gift in November so you can be inspired to make self-care a daily practice.
Feel Your Connection to Nature:
- With the dropping temperatures it's nice to welcome nature in to warm our homes. Select an array of gourds, Indian corn, and miniature pumpkins to dress your Thanksgiving table. Fill a cornucopia with this autumn harvest for a seasonal centerpiece. Allow nature to provide the decorations for this year's celebration.
No comments:
Post a Comment