Are you rushing and racing from one thing to the next never really fully arriving or experiencing the moment you were rushing towards (because you are already moving again)?
Does this state of perpetual urgency leave you feel chronically stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and disconnected to your life and to the essence of WHO YOU ARE?
Sweetheart - you are not alone.
The pace of modern life is asking much of women as we endlessly strive to keep all our balls in the air ( in an effort to prove our value and worth), and so the burn out, deep exhaustion and a plethora of health issues are still sadly rising as we push and add more 'stuff' and 'things' to our day.
Trust me honey, the learning from my own intense break down journey tells me this way is not sustainable.
This approach is a one way ticket to burnout city - a place I don't ever want you to have to visit or experience.
So the burning question remains - how do you carve these present moments and precious space into a life that is becoming fuller, faster and busier by the hour? How do you keep up with what life in the current masculine paradigm requires if you want to survive, let alone thrive??
Taking time to stop, reconnect and recalibrate allows you this space.
Space to breathe, BE and remember what TRULY MATTERS, and from this aligned place create a slower + gentler pace for your life.
I know how easy it is to get caught up in wearing your busyness as a badge of honour (oh I was so proud of my badge!) - it can feel so all-consuming that maybe you can't even remember what it is that truly matters anymore - other than that blissful moment of achievement at a perfectly completed to-do list, keeping up appearances, and everything neatly wrapped in tidy well organised boxes.
Your busyness may even be the lifeline that is holding your delicate sense of self together.
For without the busy who are you?
How will you feel worthy, deserving and enough if you aren't doing all things for all people all at once?
(I feel the exhaustion from even writing those words)
As a recovering perfectionist, people pleaser and martyr, I get how BIG this can feel.
The truth is, it's really quite simple.
All it really takes is your heartfelt desire + commitment to pause, S L O W D O W N and spend even just 5 minutes daily connecting in with yourself and asking a few potent questions -
'How do I feel right now'?
'What do I truly need right now'?
"What is the most loving choice for me in this moment'?
When you drop your attachment to the busy - even for a few moments - your truth and inner voice no longer feel unheard and suffocated by the noise of your doing, and so are able to offer you depth + insight into what the next action may be that aligns with your need to change gears.
Not sure how you could possibly fit this into your busy life?
Need a little direction or inspiration?
Here are a few of my favourite ways to recalibrate and return home to myself.
Though they are all different, each one offers me space to stop, BE in the moment and effortlessly create a smooth transition towards a more calm, harmonious and gentle pace.
+ Bare feet on Mother Earth - deeply grounding and calming (nature has this divine + potent way of allowing me drop in pronto)
+ Sticking my legs up on the bed/lounge/chair - deeply restful, soothing and an easy way to reset
+ Practising a guided Yoga Nidra - relaxing, calming and soooooo replenishing
+ Watching my breath - seated or lying down this simple practise always quickly quietens my busy mind and brings me home to myself
+ Being in water - whether swimming in the ocean or river, or having a cold shower - the power of water is not only it's super releasing, connecting and cleansing nature, but also it's ability to tap us into our innate feminine qualities of flow, fluidity and intuition
+ In a comfortable upright or reclined position connecting one hand to heart and one hand to womb while asking myself the above questions - the key here is allowing patience and space for insight to be revealed
+ Creating a safe space to express fully what I am feeling - this can be with sighing, crying, sounding, raging, screaming, laughing - or whatever needs to be released
+ Moving my body - dancing, riding my bike, gentle yoga, playfully rolling around on the floor - it doesn't matter what it looks like as long as it gets me out of my head and back in my body
These offerings are my go-to list when I feel disconnected (to myself and life), and when I notice the pace has quickened and I need to reset my stride (usually when I feel a little anxious, overwhelmed, deeply exhausted or I've been online too long)
I really do hope these simple tools resonate and help you bring a more peaceful rhythm to your day.
The thing is - we can know intellectually that something is potent + powerful but the magic comes from the practise of actually bringing these things ritually into your life.
You've got to show up for yourself - make the commitment and stick to it - because no amount of knowing you need to slow things down is ever going to create a lasting recalibration. You'll just wind up stuck in the ever increasing traffic of that same old bustling busy highway again - and I know that's not the life you want to live.
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No doubt you have your own unique ways to reconnect and recalibrate - and I'd love to hear what they are - so please let me know in the comments below. Your sharing might be just what another women (or me) needs to hear today.
If you really feel you need more guidance and are ready to dive deeper, then you might want to check out my upcoming Replenish Retreats for Women.
They are a divinely nourishing weekend devoted to YOUR SELF CARE - think slowing down the pace, being in nature, nurturing your whole being with replenishing restoration practises and gentle feminine movement, healing breath exploration, deep reflection + self-enquiry, women's circle + ritual, delicous wholesome food and most importantly allowing you space to reconnect with yourself.
You can find out more about them HERE.
Here's to a life lived with ease, flow and to the groove of our own gentle pace.
Blessings and love,
Star xxxx
