Are you listening?
Estimated read time... 3 minutes
Another topic has been on my mind so much the past year and I wanted to speak about it. Alas, the best laid plans are indeed of mice and men because… I came down with a horrendous cold!
This cold has been a good lesson in letting things rest as they are for the moment. To take a step back. To give myself time to convalesce and recuperate.
It’s given me a moment to reflect on how far I’ve come on my own journey. To know how much I am listening to and honoring my inner wisdom.
Prior to working from home, I’d trudge to work on all but my worst of days, and force myself through the day.
Why?
Because that’s just what was done.
I couldn’t just, stop. Could I?
People don’t just do that. Do they?
What would it mean if I actually, simply, rested and let myself recover from a cold?
What would it mean if I didn’t just push through?
Would it mean that I’m weak? I’m not tough enough? My life isn’t “busy” or demanding enough?
(I mean, look at what’s happening with Simone Biles! This is a hot topic this week…)
What if it meant that I was honoring my body? Honoring what my body was calling for: rest, nourishment, recovery?
I can see how self-destructive all that pushing was. To not allow myself to rest – what was I telling myself? That I didn’t deserve the time to do one thing: recover from being sick (or, as it were, to simply be sick).
Not to wallow, mind you, but to ask myself: what do I need most right now?
And to truly, deeply, listen to that answer then act on it.
When was the last time you did that?
Asked yourself what you need the most right now?
Then deliver, for yourself.
Even practicing violin has not happened this week because my body has been asking for unprecedented couch and bed time, rife with naps, broths, piles of tissues and, of course, herbs and baths.
And you know what?
Zero guilt, shame or inner conflict over what is and is not happening while I am sick. No pushing to get over being sick as quickly as possible.
I’m just… sick. That’s it.
Taking care of myself, and doing the bare minimum. And being okay with it.
This is a big deal.
No pushing.
No guilt.
No, “oh, I can’t do X, Y, Z because I’m sick” and then stressing out about it…
And that’s what I want to ask you this week:
If you look back to, say 2 years ago, or 18 months ago, what has changed with how you move through the world?
What hasn’t changed?
Are you listening to that glimmery voice that lives within more?
Are you acting from a place of fear or powerlessness?
Or are you shutting yourself down, for whatever reason?
If you’re shutting your inner voice down, do you know why?
Get curious as to your reason(s) why…
How do you feel when you close yourself off to your inner voice?
How do you feel if you can’t hear your inner voice?
So why am I asking these questions when I’m talking about how glorious it is to be sick this week?
Because I’m listening to my inner voice who said, “just stop. Rest. Take care of yourself.”
My inner self is overjoyed.
I share this because that’s what happens when you start listening. Really listening.
Then acting on those glimmers that you hear.
You feel okay even when you are going through a box of tissues a day and waking up with eye-watering sinus pressure headaches.
When I say I’m living in integrity, or as many would currently say, “acting in alignment” – this is what I’m talking about.
Honoring your deep wise self through loving action.
How have you been honoring and loving your deepest self through action?
As for the herbs I’m using?
I’m using two TCM formulas for my pattern (External Wind-Heat and associated headache), and yarrow-peppermint tea with local honey. I’m also taking a couple of diluted tinctures for the cough, one of which is my first time using it: New England Aster!
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