Taking Care of Yourself & Embracing ‘What is’
Andrew and I have been camping, taking a van trip south for the past few days.
We’ve seen mud crabs in the mangroves, dolphins nosing down an estuary, stingrays gliding under a bridge, brim and flathead in the river and seagulls, butcher birds, lorikeets and more in the bushland on the edge of land and sea. We’ve had campfires under the stars, wet a fishing line off a dock, and read books in bed.
My gut has been playing up these past few weeks after my water filter broke down and I was unknowingly drinking water full of parasites again. Taking some time out to reset my system has reminded me how our lives are affected in so many areas when we don’t feel well. It affects our relationships, our work and businesses, and of course our overall satisfaction of life.
That’s when it’s a good time to pause, take stock, and ask yourself some helpful questions (instead of those unhelpful ones that tend to involuntarily bounce around our heads such as “What’s wrong with my body? What if this never goes away? What if I can’t ever get better?”) to guide us back to our centre.
3 Questions I’ve Found Helpful in Realigning My Health
#1. How can I include how I’m feeling right now, in this moment, without resisting it and trying to push it away?
When I’ve resisted how I’m feeling, I notice it tends to get stronger and worse. But when I allow room for it to be just exactly as it is, not judging the feelings or symptoms as good or bad (this is the part where I’m developing my awareness muscles, as I have been terrified of being sick and thereby ‘less than’ most of my life), then it naturally takes less of my attention, is less painful, and eventually the pain often goes away on it’s own accord. But when I’m beating myself up for being sick, or trying to push through and ‘get my important work done’ to the exclusion of listening to my body, then the pain sticks around longer and intensifies.
(The same thing tends to happen, I’ve noticed, when I try to ignore an emotion, intuition, or thought – it gets stronger.)
#2. What have I done in the past to take care of myself that has helped? Can I do that again in some way?
When life is painful, it’s easy to forget what we’ve done in the past that has worked, how far we have come, and all the resources we’ve developed over the years to take care of ourself. When life is flowing easily, those techniques and basics can be naturally pushed to the back of the cupboard because we don’t need them. Taking a moment to gently inquire into your memory can lead to helpful opportunities to bring those tools back out for some use.
#3. What can I do to take care of myself, today?
Things I’ve been reminded of lately is how helpful it is for my body to eat a massive salad for dinner, with a topping of fish, meat or eggs, and no gluten or wheat. After years of trial and error, that’s what I’ve found works best for my system and makes my body tick along like a tuned up sportscar instead of a janky old pick up truck.
So each day Andrew and I have wandered down to the local store and bought kale, rocket, lettuce, snow peas, tomatoes, cucumber, Australian finger lime and spring onions for our unconventional camping feasts. Andrew made the fire while I chopped the veggies, and then he cooked the steak or eggs over the hot coals. Not only did I feel blissful after eating instead of like the fire was in my belly, it was also delicious and soulfully satisfying.
Taking Care of Yourself & Embracing ‘What is’
Getting through each day with joy isn’t about getting the most done possible, achieving the most success and all your goals, or striving to be the best in your field so your future can be better. It’s about attending to what is showing up in your life right now, being kind and gentle with yourself, giving yourself what you need (or finding some help and support in doing so) and investing time, energy and passion in those things that light you up.
Such as camping with just the bare necessities, sitting around a campfire under the stars with someone you love, and eating what nourishes your body.
Ask yourself, what can I give myself today that would feed my body and my soul? If you feel called to, share your ideas and inspirations in the comments below.
AUTUMN HAS FALLEN & SPRING HAS SPRUNG!
These virtual home study courses don’t usually have any live component but I’m adding one as a special bonus to help you get your garden growing for the new season.
Stop worrying about pesticides on your veggies and discover the simplest way to grow organic food. It’s YOUR time to grow abundant veggies, develop your ‘green thumb’ and support your health with the best food possible.
Join by the 1st May and you’ll be invited to an exclusive private coaching call with me ($350 value).
Closes out Sunday 27th May at Midnight Australian Eastern Standard time, so hurry – there’s only 10 days left to invest to get the private coaching call and my personal help.
Launch into the new season with the garden you’ve always dreamed of, knowing you’re eating the best, most nutritious and delicious organic food possible.
With love,
Nicola xx