Have you ever experienced the demands of life interfering with what your body is telling you?
As we enter into Fall, I dare you to fall into alignment with yourself.
It is so easy to jump back into the swing of things as summer ends. To figure out the balance of school pick-ups and drop-offs with work schedules and meal prep. To squeeze in time to move your body in ways that feel good while also navigating homework routines and transition outbursts. To allow yourself to rest when your body is asking you to. I know this dance all too well. If it's not back to school routines that we are figuring out it's something else, we are all jugglers in a world that demands and awards it and a body that protests it. That is why I am challenging you to be a spoke in the wheel of the multitasking robotic demands of life and begin to listen to your body again and respond accordingly.
As many of you know, my son started back to school a few weeks ago; and of course with new schools and new kids come new germs. It was expected but still hit our home hard; he started out with a head cold and it soon traveled to the rest of us. Last week we rested, I nurtured my son when he was sick and then nurtured myself. The only things we left the house for were doctor's appointments and medicine...and it felt AMAZING to truly allow ourselves to shut down and rest. I realized last week that the feeling of rest felt foreign. Typically when I am sick I push through, crank things out, and care for others first...but this time I couldn't. I truly had to rest, the last time I rested was a year prior when I donated my kidney. I went a full year without truly resting, even when my body told me to when it didn't match my availability to rest. I am super good at resting when my schedule allows but if my schedule is busy and my body needs to rest...I typically don't. And I know I am not alone in this experience. I share this with you because I feel we all need a reminder to rest. A reminder that our to-do lists are only as important as we tell ourselves they are. They are only as urgent as we believe them to be. Last week I had to reschedule numerous coaching calls, didn't put out a newsletter, didn't produce a podcast, and I worked through my emotions to give myself grace rather than guilt in doing so. You see, when others rely on you...you can prioritize that over your health and attach whatever urgency you see fit to it. We often do this and then leave ourselves last on the list to get whatever energy or compassion may be left after all is said and done. THIS IS BACKWARDS. We are not living our lives for other people. We are living our lives for ourselves; for the sensations and experiences we desire, the memories we wish to create and cherish with the ones we wish to experience them with. In order to do this, we must listen to our bodies. We must respond to our bodies. When our bodies say rest we rest, when they say play we play, when they say cry we cry. For if we don't, we risk it all. We risk the moments that bring us the most happiness and peace because we repress our feelings and our bodily requests in order to appease the world around us. If this resonates with you, I challenge you to fall into alignment with yourself this Fall. Commit to this, commit to yourself.
If you need some inspiration tune into episode 45 "The Happy Black Therapist with Chantelle Oguadimma" of the Empower 2 Heal podcast HERE.
My dear friend and old colleague Chantelle Oguadimma AKA thehappyblacktherapist joined the podcast to share about her venture opening up her own mental health facility and clinic. She shared how a tough time in her life forced her to leap towards her goals which she did in ways that both listened to and didn't listen to her body. She has since integrated some of the most leading-edge research and approaches to healing into her work, this allows her to support those she works with to become more embodied themselves. This has been an integral factor in healing through trauma and addiction for her clients and arguably one of the most powerful interventions implemented. It truly puts into perspective the importance of healing and leading our lives in this way.
For those mamas out there who are looking for a little more support in their motherhood journey, come join us on zoom every other week on Tuesday at 4:30 pm MST. Click HERE to register for our next group on 9/15 at 4:30pm MST. This is a "come as you are" support group ❤️
Again, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU all, for your love and support as you have listened to Empower 2 Heal and supported One World Empowered. The outpouring of love and messages I get is truly my inspiration for continuing to bring you powerful stories of healing that showcases that we all have the power we need within us to heal 💖 If you are new to our podcast and to this blog...
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With much love and gratitude,
Dena T 💖