Alright, soul family. It’s the weekend. Let’s slow it down a bit, what do you say? It’s time for some deep replenishment. Time for some self care + slow living… ’cause this holiday stuff can get us feeling all cray cray.
Personally, I have been super busy this week. Work. Traveling with work. In-laws. My niece’s baptism. So much. All week long. And the best that I have been able to do is to keep myself present in the moment + channel all those calm, stable, steady vibes from my soul out into the spaces around me. It’s so important for me to try to project positivity, peace, love. But, in order to do that, I have got to keep myself grounded. And it doesn’t cut it to just do it on the weekends. I’ve got to live mindfully every day, all day long, as much as I can. Of course, I’m not perfect in doing that. My god, I have my stressed, freaked out, irritated moments. Especially during weeks like this. But, I really do try. And, I must admit, I am getting better at living from that zen, tao place of stable calm + peace.
However, weekends, if I have a weekend without plans, are my saving grace. My light dims when I am stressed + tired + uninspired. So, I must find a way to replenish my energy. Even more than just being present in the moment on a daily basis. And, for me, that means dropping deep into my soul. It means stepping away. Setting boundaries. Saying no. Creating a lot of space for soul rest + deep replenishment.
It is a gift to have a weekend free from responsibilities or plans, isn’t it? But, when that doesn’t happen for me, then it’s necessary to get creative with my self care. And that takes discipline.
I often think of the mystics who lived out in the deserts back in the 300s-500s. I think of Jesus, who pulled away, as often as he needed, to a mountaintop or a garden, to pray. I think of Buddha, sitting under the tree, meditating. Of the Taoists who so easily seem to balance the ying + yang of it all. I think of all of my heroes + soul inspirers who lived before and set an example for me. And, I deeply strive to be like them.
Not to be perfect, but to be present.
Time away, self care, solitude + rest are recurring themes of mine. I’ve written about them many times before. I know I will continue to. The reason that I just can’t let this go is because it is so freaking important.
Today’s card is all about stepping away + giving myself a dose of the medicine that I need to heal my soul. What that medicine is, differs from person to person, and from day to day even. But, it is nonetheless always extremely important.
Of course creating space for ourselves, to tend our souls, seems selfish + self-absorbed. But, if we do not heal, then we cannot work. It’s like I tell so many young, stressed out people I work with… we have to set boundaries. We have to take care of ourselves. When our souls are empty, when we have no energy, when we feel horrible about ourselves, then we sometimes have to take a step back. It is impossible to sit at a desk + study all day long when we haven’t slept all night because of stress or insomnia or anxiety. We have to care for our bodies + our souls in order to be able to care for our responsibilities + for each other.
The same goes for all of us. All of the time.
We have to start with ourselves. And we have to do it daily. Just a few minutes at a time, even in the midst of the hustle + bustle of life.
And this is the perfect season to start a practice of slowing down + settling in. Nature even guides us, up here in the cold, dark northern hemisphere, to come inside, to turn inward, to settle in, and to take time to reflect as one year comes to a close + another one waits on the horizon. This literally is the slower, quieter season of the year.
Ultimately, though, we need to slow our lives down… completely. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have adventures or don’t share a lot of energy. It just means that we decide to live a more mindful, conscious, aware life, consciously creating calm within + around us. A life of balance + presence – in whatever moment comes our way.
If we turn away from the time that we need to deeply replenish our souls, then we will turn toward something else to fill us up. We will look to other things to fill that longing, that nourishment, that inspiration that we so deeply crave.
And, what we crave is not Netflix, alcohol, drugs, shopping for more stuff, or more activity, etc. Our souls crave a sense of grounding + nurturing only to be found in the deep medicine of our spirit. It’s much more simple than we make it out to be. And it is right there for the taking. All it requires is that we decide to create space.
So, for me, today’s card reminds + inspires me, in the middle of the holiday season, to create space each day to nourish my soul. But, even more importantly, to carve out a larger amount of time + space on a regular basis for deep replenishment. This is how I create a wild + sacred life inspired + guided by my intuition.
As the year winds down, it is necessary for me to commit to making time… a day, a half day, an entire weekend, to heal my soul. To give my soul the medicine that she needs so that I, in turn, can then share all of the inspiration + healing + love + peace that I find with all of those that cross my path.
This weekend, as I have been busy all of Saturday, I am reserving Sunday as my deep replenishment day. What that means to me is that I will only engage in activities that fill my soul. I plan to listen to Christmas music, cook a little, write a lot, embrace the dark with only using soft light + candles, practice self cleansing with masks, oils, and water; and rest my body. I will give myself the slow, peaceful medicine that I so deeply need. And, what I receive in return, is a soul filled with inspiration, energy, and love. I will soak in the moments of quiet solitude so that I can, come Monday morning, be ready to share all of that energy + love that I have received.
Questions for you to ponder:
What nourishes you? What refuels your body?
What is medicine for your soul?
What one thing can you do this weekend to give yourself some deep replenishment?
Take some time to think about these things. And take some time to slow down + do what it is that will inspire + refill your soul so that you can then share + nourish + inspire those around you. But, first, spend some time… just you + your soul.
xoxo. liz.
