Rife with colds and flu, the cold winter months can present significant challenges. Perhaps like many of you, I became super ill over this past month and didn’t like it one bit!
While I ‘hated’ most moments of it–the fatigue, the coughing, the chest pain and, of course, blowing my nose non-stop–what strikes me now that I’m feeling better is just how much my body lets me know what it needs if I listen.
That’s a big ‘if. ‘
Rest. Space. Sleep. Down time. Nourishment. Quiet.
I ‘know’ these things, yet the pull of my responsibilities, my sense of accomplishment, the desire to be engaged fully with family and friends over the holidays made it difficult to stay present in the moment, to be mindful.
I wanted to rush the process, and believe me, I tried. It didn’t work–at all. In fact, I likely made it worse.
Once I ‘woke up’ to what I was doing (making myself more miserable), I turned my attention to what it was actually like to be so tired, what it was actually like to have to let someone take care of those pressing responsibilities, etc.
It wasn’t hard (well, ok, maybe a little), though it did require me to slow down, focus my attention and allow the moment to be the moment.
To let each sneezing moment fully unfold, whether I liked it or not was a challenge. Yet as I started that practice my self-judgments diminished a bit, my energy settled, my attitude began to shift.
I’d wanted to greet the new year with vigor and focus and energy. Yet I met it, begrudgingly, with a bit more kindness. I’m trusting the others will follow.