Yesterday I got up early... typical for me. However, I decided to skip my trek to the gym and finish mulching the garden beds around my home. I had started the project over the weekend by preparing all of the areas. I raked up dried leaves and other remnants from autumn and pulled weeds that had returned from their winter slumber. The rhythm of transferring the mulch to my wheel barrel and on to my garden beds, one shovel full at a time, became my workout and a kind of meditation. I enjoyed the cool dew on my ankles and the heat of the steamy mulch on my hands. The smell? Deliciously earthy, but a little hard on my nose.
Several hours later, I took a moment to take in the beauty of my completed work. Ah, there's nothing like the vibrant color of hyacinth and tulips against the chocolate brown of newly strewn mulch.
Then, the exhaustion of all of my hard labor hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought I was in fairly good shape from all of my recent workouts and yoga, but I had been using muscles that, like the weeds in my garden beds, had awoken from their slumber. I ached all over. A hot shower and fresh clothes would surely help restore my energy, so upstairs to the master bath I went. Yet after my shower I found myself wobbling down the stairs as though my muscles had bathed in concrete. Surely a hot cup of tea would fix all that ailed me. Then, I could move on to business tasks I had planned for the day.
But... I... just... couldn't... move.
There was a time in my life when I would've just powered through. I would've sucked it up and ignored the fact that my body was screaming for rest. But I'm older and wiser now. I have finally learned to listen to my body. So I put my work aside and asked myself what I could do to nurture myself in this moment. What did I really need? I needed to make myself another cup of tea, sit on the sofa, cover up with my fleece blanket, and read. When even reading felt like too much, I napped. There was no guilt, no regrets, just self-care. By afternoon, my strength returned. Miraculous? Yes, when I consider that it took decades for me to finally learn to listen to my body!
By evening, I was back in the swing of things. I worked on some promotional packets for my business, set some new goals, participated in a conference call, and reminded myself why I am making a career transition to health coaching. I want to help other women figure out how to take care of themselves, to put themselves first, to eat better, move more, reconnect with their spirit and be the vital women they were born to be.
If you think you could benefit from the guidance of a health coach, a.k.a., a teacher, a compassionate listener, a cheerleader, an accountability partner, then we need to talk. Do you want to live a happier, healthier life? Do you want to reconnect with the woman at your very core? I can help you get there. What are you waiting for? Call me. It doesn't matter where you live. Phone sessions work just as well as face to face... sometimes even better as we can chat while wearing PJ's, cup of tea in hand. www.synchronessence.com
No comments:
Post a Comment